Original ESB/ROTJ stunt Vader saber going up for auction...

[Halliwax]

I don’t think these dents were from being hit by a blade, I think these dents were from being dropped on the ground between takes and thrown in storage between movies

To me, the blades are weaker than aluminum.. path of least resistance, the blades would break first before the aluminum

But my way of thinking, I have no proof this is the truth.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I don’t think these dents were from being hit by a blade, I think these dents were from being dropped on the ground between takes and thrown in storage between movies

To me, the blades are weaker than aluminum.. path of least resistance, the blades would break first before the aluminum

But my way of thinking, I have no proof this is the truth.

Agreed.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

To me, the blades are weaker than aluminum.. path of least resistance, the blades would break first before the aluminum

I think this is pretty safe to say is true; the fencing "blades" were composite resin and fiberglass things. Basically the same as Vader's mask and chest armor. They're anchored to steel and solid cylinders of aluminium. I believe the MPP shrouds were also alu and/or steel, too. It'd going to take something pretty substantial to get it to bow the way it does and where it's bowed at. Maybe it was a repair when the shroud got dented by something else?

 

[Captain Dunsel]

The clamp screw appears to be a 10-32, pan head, slotted screw

 

[thd9791]

The clamp screw appears to be a 10-32, pan head, slotted screw

View attachment 1956499
View attachment 1956501

Micro Precision Products were an UK company. Would this be an M5 or something instead? I’ve never owned an MPP and am not sure the thread count

 

[thd9791]

I think this is pretty safe to say is true; the fencing "blades" were composite resin and fiberglass things. Basically the same as Vader's mask and chest armor. They're anchored to steel and solid cylinders of aluminium. I believe the MPP shrouds were also alu and/or steel, too. It'd going to take something pretty substantial to get it to bow the way it does and where it's bowed at. Maybe it was a repair when the shroud got dented by something else?

Not quite. The blades themselves were fiberglass and an old carcinogen filler, with aluminum and steel inside the bottom few inches.

I’m with you guys, unless the metal reinforced base of the blade struck the shroud, the rest of the blade wouldn’t do anything. Could be that it was bashed against a guard rail lol

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Micro Precision Products were an UK company. Would this be an M5 or something instead? I’ve never owned an MPP and am not sure the thread count

The replicas (at least Roman’s) appear to use a 10-32 thread.

I believe the metric equivalent would be the M-6.

 

[RandomMaker]

Micro Precision Products were an UK company. Would this be an M5 or something instead? I’ve never owned an MPP and am not sure the thread count

My old ex-MoD Land Rover was made in 1974 and about half the bolts on that thing were metric, and most of the rest standard. A few oddballs were even British bolt sizes, of which there were several standards!

 

[ConvergencePro]

Here is my theory…those bolts are designed to hold the “core” in-place in the flash but the bolt at the bottom—that may go through the “Tang” actually “anchors” the “tang” in-place.

View attachment 1956387

I'm going to slightly disagree here again. I believe what you are seeing is actually yet another separate collar part/piece within the internal assembly that is positioned on the bottom side of the lower large aluminum plug housing the large body screws. The intent of this is to allows for a safety ''stop" for the steel rod in case the rod tries to slip on the main long screw in the lower aluminum plug. It seems they wanted the option to make the length of the rod exposed out the top to be adjustable if they so wanted, while assuring the rod with a blade on it wouldn't suddenly javelin itself across the set at someone on a heavy swing, especially if the theory that the blades were surplus fiberglass antenna of some kind for ESB is true.
A simplistic but smart solution to a sturdy stunt prop. I think i'm most definitely building this puppy out of my spare narrow port mpp tube

Edit: I was mistaken and overthinking the design, not thinking about the clamp, as PoopaPapaPalps kindly pointed out

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Absolutely disagree with the statement above. It's more than it's positioned where the clamp screw is, it's exactly defined in the xray as the clamp screw.

 

[ConvergencePro]

Absolutely disagree with the statement above. It's more than it's positioned where the clamp screw is, it's exactly defined in the xray as the clamp screw.

In hindsight I can see what you mean about the clamp screw, and do agree with you now. No safety stop present

 

[thd9791]

Yeah I truly think you're overthinking this. That's literally the slotted screw running through the clamp bars, which are also visible on the x-ray.

We can kind-of see 3 of the 4 allen bolts for the lower core, one facing the camera and the two on the sides.