AnubisGuard
Master Member
Those are the exact ones I bought! Good to know I picked the right ones.
I have some metal 3/4" washers I'm probably going to paint white; they fit perfectly and no sense spending money if I don't have to.
Star Wars Comlink - what was the bottom found part?
- Thread starter SPY007
- Start date
Those are the exact ones I bought! Good to know I picked the right ones.
I have some metal 3/4" washers I'm probably going to paint white; they fit perfectly and no sense spending money if I don't have to.
AnubisGuard
Master Member
That was a fun build. I picked up a set of white Hovi tips off ebay along with the screw caps mentioned above and set to work digging through my parts bins for odds and ends that would work to assemble it. I found a brass 1/4-20 nut that fit perfectly in the small end of the Reade cylinder, and some aluminum...hat....thing that I scavenged years back from work.
No idea what it is, but it fits perfectly in the large end, and leaves just enough gap at the top that the Hovi tip base sits flush with the edge.
I decided the Hovi tip looked a little too empty without the full guts, so I stuck the rounded end on with some double sided tape, making it easily reversible should I decide to go for screen accuracy.
I then glued one of the screw caps onto a brass 1/4-20 screw.
I made a white washer out of styrene by gluing a 3/4 inch metal washer to a sheet of 2mm plastic and sanding it down to match.
Voila.
Those assembled, I then found a coaxial cable connector with the right size to serve as a blank to form the Hovi tip mesh over.
Once glued in place and threaded on, the comlink is done.
I honestly don't know why I didn't do this build years ago. It's quick, simple, and easily recognizable. The brass gives it a really nice weight and it feels good in the hand.
No idea what it is, but it fits perfectly in the large end, and leaves just enough gap at the top that the Hovi tip base sits flush with the edge.
I decided the Hovi tip looked a little too empty without the full guts, so I stuck the rounded end on with some double sided tape, making it easily reversible should I decide to go for screen accuracy.
I then glued one of the screw caps onto a brass 1/4-20 screw.
I made a white washer out of styrene by gluing a 3/4 inch metal washer to a sheet of 2mm plastic and sanding it down to match.
Voila.
Those assembled, I then found a coaxial cable connector with the right size to serve as a blank to form the Hovi tip mesh over.
Once glued in place and threaded on, the comlink is done.
I honestly don't know why I didn't do this build years ago. It's quick, simple, and easily recognizable. The brass gives it a really nice weight and it feels good in the hand.
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Question about the Hovi: I've heard my whole prop life that the Hovi is part of a microphone. Has the actual microphone ever been identified? Do we have any pics of a real one as it existed in the microphone assembly?
geordietrooper
Sr Member
faucet aerator is what it is thought to be not microphone
That’s what I’ve always thought myself but I kept seeing references to microphones.
geordietrooper
Sr Member
yeah it does kinda have that microphone look but its got more in common with a faucet part
one day it shall be found hopefully, i know i still search for that & a few other not found yet parts lol
at least the snowy disk can be struck off the not found list now
one day it shall be found hopefully, i know i still search for that & a few other not found yet parts lol
at least the snowy disk can be struck off the not found list now
Not to throw a wrench in things - the mesh seems too large to aerate water, so the microphone is more what I was thinking... but I also found a valve/vent for a jet engine with almost identical mesh to the prop. the casing of that part is a hex fitting with threading unfortunately but it broadened my mind
AnubisGuard
Master Member
It does, but presumably they tossed the real thing in rubber and cast a ton of resin duplicates. They'd have to supply their own mesh and there's no reason to think it matches the original. They just look too much like longer, larger versions of the white nylon aerators that were in the faucets in the house where I grew up for me to think they're anything else.
SlyFox
Well-Known Member
By the way the part has finally been identified; TK Mic tips Hovi Mix- Original found parts finally surface.
Prophecy Maker
New Member
Seeking out the ‘mic-tip’ origin I did see your theory, it proved sound. I assembled the verified found parts with the Swirlerator’s internal ‘economiser’ sans ‘nipple’, a quick snip of the ‘stalk’ and I’m content you had it spot on – but you never know what info will turn up in future!
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lonepigeon
Master Member
The white cap piece also appears on a Reade piece in the X-wing cockpit.
Doesn't really look like the Swirlerator piece or screw cap.
Doesn't really look like the Swirlerator piece or screw cap.
AnubisGuard
Master Member
Reminds me of the disposable plastic stoppers inside some bottle openings, like Kikoman soy sauce.
I've never seen that shot, thanks for posting it lonepigeon.
SlyFox
Well-Known Member
We can’t assume these were exactly the same as the communicator prop; it is possible, even likely, but we do not know that for sure.
The bottom nipple in the promo shots of Luke appear to be identical to the insides of the real HOVI-Mix Pa2 internals!
According to the original prop maker Roger Christian; only one was ever made!
So I would not be surprised if it was unique and different from the X-Wing instrument panel.
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jkno
Legendary Member
Though it is weird to see being shown the version below the text, which is resin with rubber o-rings
SlyFox
Well-Known Member
Yea just ignore that image, obviously an inaccurate replica, funny coincidence it has plumbing parts on it with those O-Rings though. We all know that was a model airplane engine cylinder from Reade Models.
