Request for reference, discussion. Prequel and clan sabers.

[thd9791]

Wow, that's disgusting. I like the marker line from machining there..

I also noticed the red LED is this round bulbous thing next to the sharp green one. Maybe the bottom of the hole is just that gross! Was this a bladed thing? I don't see a reason for such a deep hole

 

[thd9791]

So, when it comes to this light bar

I think I found a good candidate. These are the ones referenced at the start of this thread, and the beveled corner (or, I'm pretty sure, the thing denoting the Anode) does not match

Bummer, keeping them for custom builds or replicas

Anyways, I did find these, (and they also come in red presenting Ki Adi Mundi saber). They have the same recessed windows, same rounded window corners and the same weird cloudy opaqueness to the windows

 

[Eruonen]

Could they have cut one down, or does not not work?

 

[thd9791]

Could they have cut one down, or does not not work?

Haha - there are two in this package! No need to cut them down, 10-segment components

 

[thd9791]

 

[redbutton]

Look here - I just found an aircraft controller with the correct
buttons for the prequel sabers and the collars for Qui gon jinn's saber.

 

[Dewy]

I have found a vendor with NOS inventory that I’m hoping I can buy a large bulk lot from. Here are the samples I received:

 

[redbutton]

That's really cool!

 

[thd9791]

Look here - I just found an aircraft controller with the correct
buttons for the prequel sabers and the collars for Qui gon jinn's saber.

View attachment 1592994View attachment 1592995View attachment 1592996View attachment 1592997View attachment 1593000

Saw this in person, it's fresh and never used! Cool thick cables out the back look like set decoration, and these are all the exact version of these lamps we're looking for! It's ex-Ministry of Defense equipment, looking at the inspection tags

I have found a vendor with NOS inventory that I’m hoping I can buy a large bulk lot from. Here are the samples I received:

View attachment 1592998

I got my medium-sized lot from the same source (I'm pretty sure) and 80% of them were of that flatter variety. a handful were the version we're looking for, with knurling that stretches far over the corner. *shrug* they are all the exact part and that's kind of splitting hairs, its amazing to see them NOS in bags.

 

[thd9791]

I learned some things about these sabers today. My cast is rather shrunk, every LED bar is the same size, it’s a standard 25 by 10 ish mm.


So, since it was not well captured, I replaced this greeblie too. I drilled 4 tiny corner holes, used a dremel cutting bit (cylinder) to basically mill this box out by hand! I used triangular and rectangular files for the corners.

I tried cutting a bargraph shorter, it looked stupid and then I realized that the depth I had estimated equaled the whole box, just with the legs folded under! It sits proud just the right amount. Personally I would have made it flush.. my trimmed box fell in too far and it looked nice.. anyway

Now,, spurred by that success I tackled the LEDs. I have a version that is so close, even the LED glass has the same egg shape


So, I’m assuming they didn’t cut the glass, because the prop had LEDs that are poking out further than stock. If you trim the bezel, you can literally calculate the height. The bezel reduces inside and a lip on the glass catches it. Shorten it, you’re just shortening the place where the glass stops. Neat right?

So in figuring that out, they drilled pretty deep. Deep enough that they probably blew out the side of the box a little bit. (Mine is worse because of my shrunken cast)


But I was able to mock up the LEDs poking out the same amount!


I have to shim the rectangular hole.. I cut it .8mm too long, but a scrap of resin or some putty will fix that right up

 

[thd9791]

Okay, if anyone goes hunting from now on, this is not a match! It looks so close, same knurling, same set screw placement and same slightly domed top. It’s too big, has 3 set screws and I can’t even disassemble it. Moving on

 

[janglesworthy]

Have you ever looked at guitar/guitar amp volume/pickup knobs?

 

[thd9791]

Have you ever looked at guitar/guitar amp volume/pickup knobs?

Good call, I'll head there next. So far I've looked through ones that have logical ties to other parts on set.. and then further and further
Aircraft
Industrial Potentiometer knobs
Medical equipment
Radios
TVs
Ham Radios, military equipment
etc.

Funnily enough, this was the only knob to look anything like the prop's knobs so far... no indicator, low set screws, specific straight knurling, a very slight dome almost non-existent

 

[janglesworthy]

Good call, I'll head there next. So far I've looked through ones that have logical ties to other parts on set.. and then further and further
Aircraft
Industrial Potentiometer knobs
Medical equipment
Radios
TVs
Ham Radios, military equipment
etc.

Funnily enough, this was the only knob to look anything like the prop's knobs so far... no indicator, low set screws, specific straight knurling, a very slight dome almost non-existent

a lot of guitar tone and volume knobs have that look also, all with single set screws. Common ones would be gretsch, gibson, fender. Telecaster knobs kind of have the gold tpm obi-wan look.

 

[thd9791]

Dang, we’re looking for one with 2 set screws!

 

[thd9791]

I managed molds of some of these things! Check the project run section

 

[Gregatron]

Bump!


Thanks to some of the recent Anakin Starkiller offerings, I've gotten that much closer to collecting all of the primary sabers from all six films. Just a few more to go, unless I were to start getting into stunt sabers and minor variations (like Yoda AOTC vs. ROTS, etc.)

I've been picky about some more than others. In some cases, I've gone as accurate as possible, while in others, I've settled for reasonably-accurate replicas designed to be FX-friendly.

Anyway, since I'm almost there, already, I now find my attention turning to the TMP council/clan sabers. Most of the versions out there tend to be fully machined and FX-friendly. Some, however, are simple 3D prints, or mixed-media prints with metal parts. The TPM hero props, at least, appear to be mixed-media--resin with metal emitters/pommels.

Anybody got any tips on what versions out there score highest in terms of accuracy, availability, etc.? I seem to have missed the boat on previous runs by some of the usual vendors, but want to keep my eyes open for future runs, and also get some advice on what replicas to go after.

 

[Eruonen]

I know SP Sabers is doing all four of the main clan hilts. No idea about accuracy versus other offerings. Atom Sabers on Etsy also does clan saber runs occasionally.

Any chance we get the Dewy TPM treatment of the clan hilts one day?

 

[thd9791]

A little off topic but I wanted to confirm that yes, the clan sabers are built in mixed media. Most bodies are resin cast with the greeblies added after. The round LEDs are "sealed" LED displays that have been chopped and bored into the hilts probably with a forstner bit or mill at random depths. The emitters are generally metal, stacked washers just like the Maul saber and machined or found parts. Some of them have a disc plate and specialized nut on the bottom, same one from the microscope on board the naboo shuttle with 8 holes in the plate, and we haven't IDed it yet.

They were painted with acryllic lacquer and weathered with cast iron stove polish thinned with turp I have been told. In the States it seems our stove polish is water based because I mixed some with thinner and it was a disaster. Water worked perfectly, brushed on, let it drip and hit it with a heat gun to set it. Clear coat after.

 

[Gregatron]

Well, as it turns out, SP Sabers is now doing runs of the clan sabers and variants, based on production-made castings. I just ordered the first offering: The Mace Windu/Eeth Koth/Kit Fisto style.

The emitter and pommel are polished stainless steel, and the main body an anodized aluminum, colored to match the silver-painted resin of the real prop. Looks great. The other hilts will follow suit, so I'll pick them up, too.

Good timing, since I just started looking into these sabers!