New Elstree Studio documentary with discarded Graflex.

[Gregatron]

So I’ve caught up Guys.. I just want to say, I don’t think this shroud (s curve) is warped from the welding...

And I know I know, welding causes heat the metal warps. I know, I have many different welders, and have welded up many drag racing and road racing chassis’s... even experimental aircraft parts (and we never crashed so were good!! Lol )

everything is held in jigs to lock them in place, there is certain directions I use and patterns to avoid welding.. so I understand the logic here..

These welds on the graflex as simple tac welds... it wouldnt deform the top of the s curve like this one is

I see dents from a harder shaped objects...

I do see VERY minimal warping on one side of the weld.. and I mean minimal.. but all the other damage on the shroud (s curve) that’s physical damage to me..

Along with the bottom tube.. all this damage could have been while it was thrown in the pile of junk out side...

I keep seeing people referring to the s curve being warped from welding.. heh.. I don’t see that from my experience of welding I see that from taking some physical damage..

This is just my opinion.. I can’t say I’m a professional welder.. but have done it all my life and have taken many classes...and own many different machines

One more thing to consider.. this is a super thin metal.. the metal didn’t even get hot enough to burn through it.. which is a SUPER easy thing to do at this gauge... I can’t see it getting hot enough to warp the areas that are damaged..

The inherent problem is that we don’t know what condition this prop was in during filming, nor at the time it was tossed away. Some or all of the damage (including the lost grips) may well have come from being tossed around and exposed to the elements before it was retrieved.

 

[DARTH SABER]

I have a question for all the Graflex maniacs out there: how many times have you had difficulties closing your clamp levers properly after opening/ disassembling the flash? I never ever experienced any difficulties on my flashes. How did it come that the Propstore guys didn‘t manage to close the lever properly after disassembling the Elstree Graflex? And now I‘m thinking of that particular Graflex with the open lever on Lukes belt in ANH...coincidence?

Some people aren’t aware that youre supposed to screw in/rotate the lever before you attach it to the tube. Once its on the tube then you simply flip down the lever to give it that little extra grip.
My guess is that some if these guys may have simply been screwing on/rotating the lever while it was already on the tube, which tends to damage it and cause it to jam.

 

[SethS]

These.

View attachment 996115

Schmutz.

 

[Gregatron]

 

[Halliwax]

The inherent problem is that we don’t know what condition this prop was in during filming, nor at the time it was tossed away. Some or all of the damage (including the lost grips) may well have come from being tossed around and exposed to the elements before it was retrieved.

Exactly I under stand that, but with the shroud that screwed up I can’t see them allowing that used on screen for close ups. Even though later on in other films we get some real ugly looking sabers lol

 

[Halliwax]

View attachment 996119

Does this now resurrect the rivet vs screws debate?

 

[Gregatron]

Looks like rivets to me.

 

[SethS]

Sometimes it looks like two rivets, sometimes it looks like one, sometimes it looks like blobs of glue, sometimes it looks like schmutz on the film or print. Need it bigger. Doesn't that image exist in color too?

 

[Halliwax]

Sometimes it looks like two rivets, sometimes it looks like one, sometimes it looks like blobs of glue, sometimes it looks like schmutz on the film or print. Need it bigger. Doesn't that image exist in color too?

Had to google Schmutz

 

[Gregatron]

Sometimes it looks like two rivets, sometimes it looks like one, sometimes it looks like blobs of glue, sometimes it looks like schmutz on the film or print. Need it bigger. Doesn't that image exist in color too?

I saved and cropped the image in my camera roll, but posting it here won’t allow a full- screen look at it, for some reason. Looking up close, they are clearly two round metal objects with holes in the center. Presumably rivets.

 

[thd9791]

I have a question for all the Graflex maniacs out there: how many times have you had difficulties closing your clamp levers properly after opening/ disassembling the flash? I never ever experienced any difficulties on my flashes. How did it come that the Propstore guys didn‘t manage to close the lever properly after disassembling the Elstree Graflex? And now I‘m thinking of that particular Graflex with the open lever on Lukes belt in ANH...coincidence?

I HAVE had issues. The only fix is to completely remove the clamp, including the tiny screw attaching it to the upper flash, squeezing it together with someone else unscrewing the lever, or splitting your fingers on one hand Trekkie style to keep the clamp squished. it's a pain. If they skipped the "going back to square one and getting it off the main tube" step, I can see them just saying screw it and leaving it stuck

 

[AnubisGuard]

Had to google Schmutz

 

[Gregatron]

Are there screws or rivets in that ring? The big “S” indicates screws. Or Superman.

 

[SethS]

I saved and cropped the image in my camera roll, but posting it here won’t allow a full- screen look at it, for some reason. Looking up close, they are clearly two round metal objects with holes in the center. Presumably rivets.

I look forward to seeing the high res version! I may have it too-- I'll check when I get home.

 

[Davy Jones]

Full sized and lightened. That's the best I can do.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Does this now resurrect the rivet vs screws debate?

View attachment 996121

 

[thd9791]

INTERESTING those are most definitely not glue blobs.

 

[AnubisGuard]

The holes the middle look like those of rivets, but the highlights suggest a domed shape more akin to a screw.

My first thought is they affixed some kind of plug or filler at the bottom of the flash with the intention of reinforcing the d-ring attachment, not realizing that the metal of the flash would be strong enough to support a belt hanger.

 

[Gregatron]

The holes the middle look like those of rivets, but the highlights suggest a domed shape more akin to a screw.

My first thought is they affixed some kind of plug or filler at the bottom of the flash with the intention of reinforcing the d-ring attachment, not realizing that the metal of the flash would be strong enough to support a belt hanger.

Ditto. What other reason for them could there be?

And why is it that no other photos or screencaps seem to show them?

 

[dcarty]

I have a question for all the Graflex maniacs out there: how many times have you had difficulties closing your clamp levers properly after opening/ disassembling the flash? I never ever experienced any difficulties on my flashes. How did it come that the Propstore guys didn‘t manage to close the lever properly after disassembling the Elstree Graflex? And now I‘m thinking of that particular Graflex with the open lever on Lukes belt in ANH...coincidence?

For the on-screen hilt I kind of figured that it was the bubble strip that was preventing the clamp lever from completely closing.