Romans Sink Knob and Original Bearing/Booster

[franz bolo]

I finally got around to putting my OWK saber together.

I bought a Romans Sink Knob which is pretty nice. The thread for the rod is 3/8-16.

I also have a real Bearing/Booster. The problem is that if I keep the bearing (ring with holes) on the booster, the rod will not fit inside of it.

The bearing is nice because it won't let the clamp slide around at all plus I want to keep the original piece together.

I think I'm going to have to apoxy a smaller diameter rod into the threads of the sink knob. I was using a smaller diameter rod for my first one with the original sink knob so I didn't have this problem.

Has anyone else ran into this problem yet?

If so how did you solve it?

thanks

FB

 

[Sporak]

I think that epoxing it together is the "right" way to do it...
When I finish my real parts saber I'm not going to use a rod at all...

 

[franz bolo]

How will you get the clamp to stick to the grenade?

Will you fill the entire thing up with epoxy?

Hope it doesn't leak..

FB

 

[Serafino]

Franz, there are some issues to figure out here, particularly if the rotation of all your parts needs to be controlled.

I know in one case to control these issues Gav used a custom two-part clamp spacer with bolts going out of each one to be the 'threaded rod' for that half of the saber.

A threaded rod which is turned down to a smaller diameter to fit through the booster, and then screws into a clamp spacer might work, if the rotations can be worked out.

There are so many different ways to approach this, but I think the standard threaded rod through the saber will ultimately prove not to be the best way to assemble a full-on replica from all accurate parts.

 

[franz bolo]

Thanks for the ideas.

Maybe Romans might chime in as to why he used that threading.

It would have been a whole lot easier just to use a thinner rod.


FB

 

[Darth Lars]

Could you not weld or solder on a short piece of 3/8-16 threaded rod onto the end of a thinner rod?
Then if you need another thicker rod higher up in the saber (for attaching the emitter?) let the thin rod and the higher rod meet in a pair of soldered-together nuts inside the clamp or the grenade.

Personally, I would like a handwheel with threads that screws onto the booster, but I don't know how to do that. Maybe I could create the threads out of epoxy putty, but that might be too tricky and/or not hold up to stress.

 

[franz bolo]

I'll look into welding. I can't weld, but I have a machinist that can. It would have been a lot easier to just have one rod. No rigging or anything. Since Roman's Booster doesn't have the Bearing, he probably never thought about it.


<div class='quotetop'>(Darth Lars @ May 31 2006, 11:59 AM) [snapback]1253721[/snapback]</div>

Personally, I would like a handwheel with threads that screws onto the booster, but I don't know how to do that. Maybe I could create the threads out of epoxy putty, but that might be too tricky and/or not hold up to stress.
[/b]

Actually, the booster never did screw onto the sink-knob. Inside the original Knobs were little ribs that stuck out. I think there were 6 or 8 of them.

They pressure fit onto the booster area before the threads. The threads actually stop the sink-knob from going on any further. So in actuality, the threads don't do anything.

FB

 

[Darth Lars]

<div class='quotetop'>(franz bolo @ May 31 2006, 08:58 PM) [snapback]1253774[/snapback]</div>

They pressure fit onto the booster area before the threads. The threads actually stop the sink-knob from going on any further. So in actuality, the threads don't do anything.
[/b]

I know, I know. What I am really saying is "wouldn't it be cool if ...".

I am fantasizing why Obi-Wan would put a knob there. Maybe it was so that he could easily replace the energy cell. Once I get all the external parts for my saber, I will build guts based on that idea.

 

[franz bolo]

<div class='quotetop'>(Darth Lars @ Jun 1 2006, 07:58 AM) [snapback]1254147[/snapback]</div>

Once I get all the external parts for my saber, I will build guts based on that idea.
[/b]

Sweet.. I love what Howard did, and I'm thinking about making a working crystal in the emmiter.. Similar to the SD Studios one.

FB

 

[Prometheus]

Actually, i have been thinking of the exact same issue lately.
I also have a real booster with the bearing on it and would also like to keep them together for my replica.
As a matter of fact, going by intuition, i strongly believe that the bearing piece was also included in the real thing.
The graflex clamp fits so snugly over it that it is hard to believe that the prop master did not utilize this piece at all.
As for the brass top which screws into the opposite side of the wind vane stem on the grenade, i have a gut feeling that it was also included in the real thing too.
Other than the solutions mentioned by welding 2 different kinds of threaded rods together, i have been taking very rough measurements of the height of the bearing piece and the height of the brass top on the frag body in hope to shave off the corresponding height on a Roman clamp spacer.
I think by using a shorter clamp spacer under the clamp, we will be able to further strengthen that portion of the saber though i think it might actually be hollow under the clamp for the real thing.

 

[franz bolo]

Yeah, I think for sure the Bearing was part of the saber.

For the spacer, I'm using a sink tube (about 1-11/16"). The clamp I have has the tabs ground off.

Even though it has thin walls, it stops the bearing and the grenade, plus it's hollow so I can have some room for wires or something to light the crystal (if I get that far).

The rod running down the middle messes up things, but I have a few other ideas I'll try to post when I can scan them.

FB

 

[Prometheus]

Does the real booster fit tightly into Roman's handwheel?

 

[Boba Frett]

Can't you just re-thread part of the rod?

 

[franz bolo]

<div class='quotetop'>(Prometheus @ Jun 1 2006, 11:34 PM) [snapback]1254650[/snapback]</div>

Does the real booster fit tightly into Roman's handwheel?
[/b]

It's not a pressure fit on my booster but it fits OK.

Boba Frett, Is that possible? I've tapped things before but never rethreaded.

FB

 

[Boba Frett]

<div class='quotetop'>(franz bolo @ Jun 2 2006, 10:01 AM) [snapback]1254808[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>(Prometheus @ Jun 1 2006, 11:34 PM) [snapback]1254650[/snapback]

Does the real booster fit tightly into Roman's handwheel?
[/b]

It's not a pressure fit on my booster but it fits OK.

Boba Frett, Is that possible? I've tapped things before but never rethreaded.

FB
[/b][/quote]

Sure, I just done one a few days ago, to me that would be the best choice to keep it the most secure.

 

[franz bolo]

Can you show some pics?

You have to rethread almost the whole rod. All but about 3.5 inched.

Thanks

FB

 

[Boba Frett]

Yeah I can get a pic for you, I have it at work.
I can run by tommarow and get one.

 

[Romans Empire]

<div class='quotetop'>(franz bolo @ May 31 2006, 02:32 PM) [snapback]1253659[/snapback]</div>

Maybe Romans might chime in as to why he used that threading.

It would have been a whole lot easier just to use a thinner rod.
[/b]

With ALL the different parts out there, and not everyone able to upgrade everything... I figured it would be best to continue using the threading most common to ALL parts out there: 3/8-16.

I own a real booster and have chosen to leave the extra piece off since it can't be seen, and we don't even know if it was actually in there (but that's another debate ). My spacer fits snuggly against both booster and grenade and makes for a very sturdy saber once assembled.

 

[Boba Frett]

<div class='quotetop'>(franz bolo @ Jun 2 2006, 11:58 PM) [snapback]1255260[/snapback]</div>

Can you show some pics?

You have to rethread almost the whole rod. All but about 3.5 inched.

Thanks

FB
[/b]

Here you go Franz, I done this for a project I was doing.

 

[Prometheus]

Nice...
How about doing some for us?