Star Trek: Season 3 “Leatherette” Tricorder Build
- Thread starter Captain Dunsel
- Start date
WinstonWolf359
Master Member
ALL of the TOS "Exploration Set" props fail the "only just good enough for TV" test. The phasers especially had so much functionality that was never shown clearly. The moving moire in the communicators only had a fleeting glimpse in a couple episodes...
I agree that the leatherette finish seems unnecessary, but I think they were trying to make a newer, prettier-looking tricorder for insert shots and while it was undoubtedly more work than it was worth, there must have been a reason, even if we don't know what it was today.
I agree that the leatherette finish seems unnecessary, but I think they were trying to make a newer, prettier-looking tricorder for insert shots and while it was undoubtedly more work than it was worth, there must have been a reason, even if we don't know what it was today.
Nascence
New Member
All of the original season 1 and 2 hero props were either designed and built by Wah Ming Chang or just built by Mr. Chang.
They were top notch hero versions, (moulded/vacu-formed plastic/fibreglas and machined metal parts ), but he was a non-union, outside third party prop maker and wasn't allowed ( banned ) to design and build anymore props or models ( after he built the Romuoan Bird of Prey model ) for Star Trek, after the start of the series!
There were two hero comms designed and made ( for the working, stopwatch moiré movement ) and two non-working, but hero looking versions made, by Mr. Chang, for a total of 4 comms.
All of the other comm variations, used on the series, were made/reproduced produced by the Desilu/Paramount art/props deparment.
Mr. Chang built two fully working, hand painted and detaioed small hand PHASER I models and 3 ( possibly 4, as a spare, for backup or parts , not certain of this fact ), fully working, detailed and hand painted hero PHASER II pistols ( one for each principal actor/character ), with, I believe, 6 hollow shell, machined parts, hand painted, mid-grade, non-functioning PHASER II pistols ( a few mid-grad, small hand PHASER I, as well ) and a few full sized prop moulded/vacu-formed, very thin shelled, quickly paihted, metallic sticker-ed detailed, very lightweight, “crap-looking”, far photograph, “extra cast” versions, built by the union Desilu/Paramount art/prop department at a very huried pace, when needed.
That is why the mid-grade PHASER 1 and II props have ONLY those detials that would b easily seen, up close,,by the cameras and some details of the hero version PHASERs, were not duplicated 100%, but created in a quicker manner.
Two or three hero, non-working, fully detialed static tricorder models were designed and built by Mr. Chang ( again, probably for each of the principal actors/characters and, probably one spare for backup or parts ) and that was it!
All other tricorders, produced during the run of the series, were ( including the “leatherette”/simulated leather/“pleather” wrapped ) built/moulded/machined by the studio union art/prop depatrment!
Star Trek produced these main series props ( as well as other custom designed and made props seen on the series ) on little to NO money/ budget!
A lot of these people had to work very late days ( sometimes into early mornings, of the next day ) to produce these shooting props needed for whatever episode they were shooting, when needed, and these artist/creators worked/built these, sometimes, not getting paid for any extra time they had to put in to create these complicated, futuristic-looking props, for the TV show production!
So, there was little to NO budget for the art/prop department, during the entire series creation/run, if later episode-specific props were needed!
So, it still boggles my mind that these new/needed, 3rd season hero version tricorders, were given the needed/neccessary time and money to produce two, possibly, three, brand new moulded, machine parted, fake leather textured wrapped a few, new “hero” use tricorders, for an uncertain 3rd season that was scheduled for a Friday, 10pm time “death” slot!
Here are some much better images of one of these “leatherette”/fake leather textured covered tricorders.
It is amazing the condition of this particular, screen used TV show tricorder prop is in after nearly 60 years has passed!
They were top notch hero versions, (moulded/vacu-formed plastic/fibreglas and machined metal parts ), but he was a non-union, outside third party prop maker and wasn't allowed ( banned ) to design and build anymore props or models ( after he built the Romuoan Bird of Prey model ) for Star Trek, after the start of the series!
There were two hero comms designed and made ( for the working, stopwatch moiré movement ) and two non-working, but hero looking versions made, by Mr. Chang, for a total of 4 comms.
All of the other comm variations, used on the series, were made/reproduced produced by the Desilu/Paramount art/props deparment.
Mr. Chang built two fully working, hand painted and detaioed small hand PHASER I models and 3 ( possibly 4, as a spare, for backup or parts , not certain of this fact ), fully working, detailed and hand painted hero PHASER II pistols ( one for each principal actor/character ), with, I believe, 6 hollow shell, machined parts, hand painted, mid-grade, non-functioning PHASER II pistols ( a few mid-grad, small hand PHASER I, as well ) and a few full sized prop moulded/vacu-formed, very thin shelled, quickly paihted, metallic sticker-ed detailed, very lightweight, “crap-looking”, far photograph, “extra cast” versions, built by the union Desilu/Paramount art/prop department at a very huried pace, when needed.
That is why the mid-grade PHASER 1 and II props have ONLY those detials that would b easily seen, up close,,by the cameras and some details of the hero version PHASERs, were not duplicated 100%, but created in a quicker manner.
Two or three hero, non-working, fully detialed static tricorder models were designed and built by Mr. Chang ( again, probably for each of the principal actors/characters and, probably one spare for backup or parts ) and that was it!
All other tricorders, produced during the run of the series, were ( including the “leatherette”/simulated leather/“pleather” wrapped ) built/moulded/machined by the studio union art/prop depatrment!
Star Trek produced these main series props ( as well as other custom designed and made props seen on the series ) on little to NO money/ budget!
A lot of these people had to work very late days ( sometimes into early mornings, of the next day ) to produce these shooting props needed for whatever episode they were shooting, when needed, and these artist/creators worked/built these, sometimes, not getting paid for any extra time they had to put in to create these complicated, futuristic-looking props, for the TV show production!
So, there was little to NO budget for the art/prop department, during the entire series creation/run, if later episode-specific props were needed!
So, it still boggles my mind that these new/needed, 3rd season hero version tricorders, were given the needed/neccessary time and money to produce two, possibly, three, brand new moulded, machine parted, fake leather textured wrapped a few, new “hero” use tricorders, for an uncertain 3rd season that was scheduled for a Friday, 10pm time “death” slot!
Here are some much better images of one of these “leatherette”/fake leather textured covered tricorders.
It is amazing the condition of this particular, screen used TV show tricorder prop is in after nearly 60 years has passed!
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WinstonWolf359
Master Member
That isn't a screen used tricorder though.
Also, Wah Chang made only the two original Kydex-shell tricorders, and the ten Kydex-shell communicators. He did not build any of the phaser props, those were all made by the studio. Wah Chang did repaint and add detail to the four hero phaser pistols. It's unclear if he repainted the vacuformed phasers.
Also, Wah Chang made only the two original Kydex-shell tricorders, and the ten Kydex-shell communicators. He did not build any of the phaser props, those were all made by the studio. Wah Chang did repaint and add detail to the four hero phaser pistols. It's unclear if he repainted the vacuformed phasers.
Nascence
New Member
This tricorder is not a screen used tricorder?
I'll have to recheck my info on this one ( I know where I found these images ).
The images came off of Gerald Gurian’s Star Trek Prop Authority website,
Here’s the link.
www.startrekpropauthority.com
Never went up for auction, but is, now, part of Gerald Gurian’s private collection.
I'll have to recheck my info on this one ( I know where I found these images ).
The images came off of Gerald Gurian’s Star Trek Prop Authority website,
Here’s the link.
Special PhotoStudy: Star Trek The Original Series Leatherette Tricorder
This article shall present some closeup photos of an Original Series Leatherette Tricorder hand prop that is part of the authors collection....
Never went up for auction, but is, now, part of Gerald Gurian’s private collection.
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Nascence
New Member
Here is another image of that same “leatherette” wrapped tricorder here ( the “leatherette” more clearly shown in the bottom image ).
It appears, this one was used by Mr.Scott, in “Spock’s Brain”, and is a unique tricorder that seems to be missing the bottom, black painted, thin wood piece ( missing or fell off, at some point, in the filming of the series? ) and exposes the bottom, metal/aluminium base plate frame piece, of
this, particular, tricorder version.
It appears, this one was used by Mr.Scott, in “Spock’s Brain”, and is a unique tricorder that seems to be missing the bottom, black painted, thin wood piece ( missing or fell off, at some point, in the filming of the series? ) and exposes the bottom, metal/aluminium base plate frame piece, of
this, particular, tricorder version.
There is a lot of wrong information in this post.
Wah - or to be more precise- Projects Unlimited- built 2 tricorders and 10 communicators for TOS. They did not build the phasers. Wah did rework the phasers from the original black and white versions created by the studio to the grey versions.
You also overstate the budget issues. Treks budget was on parr with other hour long shows of its time. True the budget did shrink over time, especially when Paramount bought Desilu. But they did have money for production. Remember they created new filming miniatures for the Klingon and Tholian ships in the third season as well as numerous new custom made props. They also created new costumes for the main cast in season 3.
While I’m sure the crew worked hard how in the world would you know they worked overtime for no money? And that they worked all night long. Those are assumptions. If you have some documentation I’d love to see that.
To put this thread back on track… how is the build progressing?
I’m held-up at the hood stage and have allowed myself to get distracted by other projects. I’m actually planning to get back to the build, ASAP.
AdmiralBaxter
Sr Member
I look forward to seeing your progress on your build.
AdmiralBaxter
Sr Member
It is rather well known that Mr. Gurian has spent a lot of money on TOS prop forgeries over the years and has spent a lot of time on his website trying to prove that they are screen used props.
Basically, he's in denial of owning forgeries.
Nascence
New Member
Who/m is this well known to, exactly?
This is new news to me!
First I am learning about this and I am a long-time TOS fan and fan of these props and prop replicas and done lots of online searches on these props, for the past two decades, and know of Mr Gurian and his various collections ( mostly his props collections and his film clips and slides colections ).
Who had his ST-TOS prop collection been inspected by, in the past, for being just prop replicas, instead of actual scren used props?
What “experts” did these inspections of his prop/prop replicas, for varification?
This is a rather strong statemeht to be making about someones ST collection? No?
I know of screen used forgeries of the TOS mid-grade PHASERS, over the years ( many “experts” were fooled by the ones made by Mark English ), but I am not aware of any bonafide, built on purpose, ST-TOS prop forgeries of any ST-TOS comms or tricorders, by anyone?
There are many, long-time famous ST fan prop replica makers, like Ed Miaredki, Brad Nelson, Marco ( I do not know his full name ), John Long, Richard Coyle,( I have prop replica examples, from each of these makers, execpt John Long ), and one or two other known prop replica makers ( whose names I can’t recall, at the moment ), plus a dozen, or so, really well done cleanly and meticulously 3D printed ST prop models/prop replicas.
Many TOS tricorder fan made prop replicas, I have seen, over the years, get the overall shape wrong (like the Marco tricorders, that are much too rectangular and flat shaped looking ) and/or they never get the shape of the display screen ( in the flip-up display head ) correct and the vacu-formed plastic lens, over the screen area, is shaped/moulded incorrectly or not done, at all, in favour of a thin, flat piece of plastic sheet/mylar sheet/film covering a gray painted display screen area.
I have never seen a TOS tricorder done as meticulously and as close to an actual screen used prop, as the one Mr. Gurian has shown on his website and that is part of his own, personal ST-TOS collection.
It looks like the “real deal”, to my own aging eyes, based on just the images shown, alone!
No way I'd ever be able to inspect his TOS tricorder, in person.
My understanding was, ( not sure where I read this ), but Mr. Gurian purchased his TOS tricorder some many years, ago, from another legitimate ST items auction?
Again, do not remember where, online, I read about this. This just seemed to stick in my brain, on that info. I could be mistaken.
I think his TOS tricorder is a legitimate, screen used version.
There were quite a few ( midgrade version? ) tricorders made by the in-house ( Desilu/Paramount ) art/prop department, using Mr. Chang's hero version, as a guide.
If I remember correctly, during the run of the series, these in-house built tricorder props were inspected, by some of the higher level production people on TOS and some of those in-house built tricorder props were deemed unusable/unshootable and a few were deemed good enough to use in background filming or filming where the camera would not be close enough to really see/tell the differences in the look/build quality/detail level of these in-house built tricorders.
As most ST-TOS prop and model fans know, Wah Chang was banned/barred/blacklisted from designing/creating and building any more new models, props or costumes, for ST-TOS, because he was not a member of whatever Union was used to create such things, for the movie and TV show filming studios and couldn’t be used as a sub-contractor to sub-contract this work out to him, either!
So the Desilu/Paramount art/props department/s were forced to recreated all of these iconic props, Mr. Chang had designed and built, for Star Trek, to their best of their abilities, which, many times, these builders/artisans/makers/machinists weren’t given the time needed, to produce these props, with the same exact care and attention to details, that Mr. Chang’s hero prop versions had.
So, most of the additional prop recreations, made by the studio art/prop department/s, were of a lesser/less detailed build quality!
Mr. Gurian’s TOS tricorder just looks too “spot on” and does NOT look like most of the fan made prop replicas, I have ever seen online, and on auction/sales Websites, like eBay and Worthpoint, etc., over the years!
But, like I stated, earlier, first I am learning that his personal prop collection maybe, mostly, made up of just well done prop replicas.
My own ST prop collection is, mostly, made up of very well made/moulded/assembled/painted, fan made, higher end priced, prop replicas!
No financial way to ever afford a bonafide, screen used TOS/TNG, or later landing party/away team hand prop!
This is new news to me!
First I am learning about this and I am a long-time TOS fan and fan of these props and prop replicas and done lots of online searches on these props, for the past two decades, and know of Mr Gurian and his various collections ( mostly his props collections and his film clips and slides colections ).
Who had his ST-TOS prop collection been inspected by, in the past, for being just prop replicas, instead of actual scren used props?
What “experts” did these inspections of his prop/prop replicas, for varification?
This is a rather strong statemeht to be making about someones ST collection? No?
I know of screen used forgeries of the TOS mid-grade PHASERS, over the years ( many “experts” were fooled by the ones made by Mark English ), but I am not aware of any bonafide, built on purpose, ST-TOS prop forgeries of any ST-TOS comms or tricorders, by anyone?
There are many, long-time famous ST fan prop replica makers, like Ed Miaredki, Brad Nelson, Marco ( I do not know his full name ), John Long, Richard Coyle,( I have prop replica examples, from each of these makers, execpt John Long ), and one or two other known prop replica makers ( whose names I can’t recall, at the moment ), plus a dozen, or so, really well done cleanly and meticulously 3D printed ST prop models/prop replicas.
Many TOS tricorder fan made prop replicas, I have seen, over the years, get the overall shape wrong (like the Marco tricorders, that are much too rectangular and flat shaped looking ) and/or they never get the shape of the display screen ( in the flip-up display head ) correct and the vacu-formed plastic lens, over the screen area, is shaped/moulded incorrectly or not done, at all, in favour of a thin, flat piece of plastic sheet/mylar sheet/film covering a gray painted display screen area.
I have never seen a TOS tricorder done as meticulously and as close to an actual screen used prop, as the one Mr. Gurian has shown on his website and that is part of his own, personal ST-TOS collection.
It looks like the “real deal”, to my own aging eyes, based on just the images shown, alone!
No way I'd ever be able to inspect his TOS tricorder, in person.
My understanding was, ( not sure where I read this ), but Mr. Gurian purchased his TOS tricorder some many years, ago, from another legitimate ST items auction?
Again, do not remember where, online, I read about this. This just seemed to stick in my brain, on that info. I could be mistaken.
I think his TOS tricorder is a legitimate, screen used version.
There were quite a few ( midgrade version? ) tricorders made by the in-house ( Desilu/Paramount ) art/prop department, using Mr. Chang's hero version, as a guide.
If I remember correctly, during the run of the series, these in-house built tricorder props were inspected, by some of the higher level production people on TOS and some of those in-house built tricorder props were deemed unusable/unshootable and a few were deemed good enough to use in background filming or filming where the camera would not be close enough to really see/tell the differences in the look/build quality/detail level of these in-house built tricorders.
As most ST-TOS prop and model fans know, Wah Chang was banned/barred/blacklisted from designing/creating and building any more new models, props or costumes, for ST-TOS, because he was not a member of whatever Union was used to create such things, for the movie and TV show filming studios and couldn’t be used as a sub-contractor to sub-contract this work out to him, either!
So the Desilu/Paramount art/props department/s were forced to recreated all of these iconic props, Mr. Chang had designed and built, for Star Trek, to their best of their abilities, which, many times, these builders/artisans/makers/machinists weren’t given the time needed, to produce these props, with the same exact care and attention to details, that Mr. Chang’s hero prop versions had.
So, most of the additional prop recreations, made by the studio art/prop department/s, were of a lesser/less detailed build quality!
Mr. Gurian’s TOS tricorder just looks too “spot on” and does NOT look like most of the fan made prop replicas, I have ever seen online, and on auction/sales Websites, like eBay and Worthpoint, etc., over the years!
But, like I stated, earlier, first I am learning that his personal prop collection maybe, mostly, made up of just well done prop replicas.
My own ST prop collection is, mostly, made up of very well made/moulded/assembled/painted, fan made, higher end priced, prop replicas!
No financial way to ever afford a bonafide, screen used TOS/TNG, or later landing party/away team hand prop!
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Again, you have a lot of bad and just plain wrong information in your post.
Mark English created forgeries of phasers, communicators and Tricorders. At the time they were created there wasn’t the same amount of public information that there is today and unfortunately several people were duped. Today these forgeries are pretty obvious.
Yes, Desilu’s in house prop shop made several fiberglass copies of the Wah tricorders. Those versions appeared in the first season, specifically making their first appearance in Arena. They were NOT relegated to back ground props. Nimoy uses the fiberglass throughout the show even in relative close up.
There is no evidence that several tricorders were deemed not good enough and were never used. I’d love to know where you heard that.
There have been many very accurate fan made tricorders built, especially over the last decade.
And again, you are making claims about the Desilu prop shop that there is no way for you to know. You don’t know how much time they had to make tricorders.
You seem to keep missing the point that the Desilu shop, and NOT Wah Chang made all the phasers. Not some…. ALL. Wah reworked the original hero phasers from the black and white version to the grey version we saw through out the series.
The in-house prop shop did quite well. There were lots of props made for the show by Desilu. You make it sound like these guys were sub par and that’s just not true.
I’d strongly encourage you to research these pieces here on the RPF because where ever you are getting your ideas are just demonstrably wrong.
Mark English created forgeries of phasers, communicators and Tricorders. At the time they were created there wasn’t the same amount of public information that there is today and unfortunately several people were duped. Today these forgeries are pretty obvious.
Yes, Desilu’s in house prop shop made several fiberglass copies of the Wah tricorders. Those versions appeared in the first season, specifically making their first appearance in Arena. They were NOT relegated to back ground props. Nimoy uses the fiberglass throughout the show even in relative close up.
There is no evidence that several tricorders were deemed not good enough and were never used. I’d love to know where you heard that.
There have been many very accurate fan made tricorders built, especially over the last decade.
And again, you are making claims about the Desilu prop shop that there is no way for you to know. You don’t know how much time they had to make tricorders.
You seem to keep missing the point that the Desilu shop, and NOT Wah Chang made all the phasers. Not some…. ALL. Wah reworked the original hero phasers from the black and white version to the grey version we saw through out the series.
The in-house prop shop did quite well. There were lots of props made for the show by Desilu. You make it sound like these guys were sub par and that’s just not true.
I’d strongly encourage you to research these pieces here on the RPF because where ever you are getting your ideas are just demonstrably wrong.
Nascence
New Member
“There is no evidence that several tricorders were deemed not good enough and were never used. I’d love to know where you heard that”
I believe that information is found in one of the Mark Cushman books ( probably the season 1 book ) “These are the Voyages”, but I can't br certain. I read these awhiile, ago.
Pretty sure I read this there as this was a memo to GR on the progress of recreating all of Mr. Chang’s props, needed during the first season production on ST and the quality of these recreated props were variable and, in some cases ( mostly with the tricorders ), not good!
I believe that information is found in one of the Mark Cushman books ( probably the season 1 book ) “These are the Voyages”, but I can't br certain. I read these awhiile, ago.
Pretty sure I read this there as this was a memo to GR on the progress of recreating all of Mr. Chang’s props, needed during the first season production on ST and the quality of these recreated props were variable and, in some cases ( mostly with the tricorders ), not good!
Nascence
New Member
“And again, you are making claims about the Desilu prop shop that there is no way for you to know. You don’t know how much time they had to make tricorders.”
Watch this YouTube video.
The Desilu/Paramount prop department were given NO extra money and little, to no time, to produce any extra, frequently used props to build and paint to make filming schedules and explains the varying quality of all of the main, most screen used props on ST-TOS.
Watch this YouTube video.
The Desilu/Paramount prop department were given NO extra money and little, to no time, to produce any extra, frequently used props to build and paint to make filming schedules and explains the varying quality of all of the main, most screen used props on ST-TOS.
Using an exclamation point doesn’t make it true.
I too read those books. If you can find that passage where it said Desilu made a number of tricorders that were deemed not good enough I’d love for you to site the page number.
Again, you are making overly broad and generalized statements. Yes, tv production in those days was fast paced. But to say they had no time and no extra money is an overstatement.
They had time and money to build hypos, medical scanners, mid grade phasers, mid grade tricorders, Eminiar disruptors and then time and money to repurpose as Klingon weapons. As well as engineering props and lots of alien hardware.
You are simply wrong.
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