Star Wars ~ Luke's Saber
- Thread starter Organic Mechanic
- Start date
Sym-Cha
Master Member
@VFX Freak ... if you start wearing yours every day, after being finished with it, folks won't notice it . . . since most people don't really focus on everyday things going on around them ... perhaps this would make an excellent subject for a test :
How long does it take before anyone makes a comment about your lightsaber without you making them aware that you have one on your hips? :lol
-Chaim
How long does it take before anyone makes a comment about your lightsaber without you making them aware that you have one on your hips? :lol
-Chaim
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
Thanks for all of the compliments folks. It does a heart good.
I can't believe nobody called me on having the bottom on backward in that last pic though. XD
Easy.
It was a split rivet. Like this, but with a deeper split.
It straightens most of the way when pried from the wooden case. I just bent it back to a useable shape, tapped it into it's new home, and used "Woody", my 16" long flat-head screwdriver made from 3/8" square steel with a wooden handle, to spread the legs of the rivet until it was tight in the hole.
The rivet is steel, so a hammer was required.
Oh yeah, I pulled the spring fist. It's only held in with friction.
I should take this time to mention that the saber was unbalanced on the stand. Front heavy due to the electronics. To remedy that, I took an old Oxyacetylene torch tip ...
...wrapped in open cell poly foam (electronics packaging foam), and stuffed it rather unceremoniously into the battery case.
Perfect balance, and a nice heft in the hand achieved.thumbsup
I can't believe nobody called me on having the bottom on backward in that last pic though. XD
Easy.
It was a split rivet. Like this, but with a deeper split.
It straightens most of the way when pried from the wooden case. I just bent it back to a useable shape, tapped it into it's new home, and used "Woody", my 16" long flat-head screwdriver made from 3/8" square steel with a wooden handle, to spread the legs of the rivet until it was tight in the hole.
The rivet is steel, so a hammer was required.
Oh yeah, I pulled the spring fist. It's only held in with friction.
I should take this time to mention that the saber was unbalanced on the stand. Front heavy due to the electronics. To remedy that, I took an old Oxyacetylene torch tip ...
...wrapped in open cell poly foam (electronics packaging foam), and stuffed it rather unceremoniously into the battery case.
Perfect balance, and a nice heft in the hand achieved.
thumbsup
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
OK, I just received a PM asking about how I attached the grips. I replied, but figured I should touch on it here because they brought up a valid issue.
"Why don't these damn things stay on?!?!?!"
To answer the first question, I used the template from Parts of Star Wars and Super Glue. Period. I did NOT apply the following idea.
To answer the second...
***WARNING!!! UNTESTED MODIFICATIONS BELOW! PROCEED AT OWN RISK!!!***
The grips fall off because we glue them on. Glues work by permeating the pores and imperfection in the pieces to be joined. Now, those of you with unassembled saber parts, take a look at the mating surfaces. Yeah...extruded plastic and a plated metal tube. Shiny...and mostly imperfection free. :/
That's why they pop off.
So, in preparation for when mine pop off, I have devised a plan.
My grip bottoms have already been sanded rough, and I suggest that yours get that way too. The Graflex tube though...boy that's a tough one. I'm thinking that I will, using the PoSW grip template, and my trusty blue tape, lay out my grip in my exact preferred position. Then, I shall cut away the tape only on the smallest center section of each grip location. ie. Between the dashed lines representing the upright portion of the T-Track on the PoSW template. Then, with everything else taped off, I will give the exposed sections a rough & nasty sanding, leaving about 1/4" of each end un-sanded to prevent visible sanding marks on the finished product.
That done, I still intend to use Super Glue to attach the grips. The stuff is clear, and if it's got something to grip it's not letting go any time soon.
"Why don't these damn things stay on?!?!?!"
To answer the first question, I used the template from Parts of Star Wars and Super Glue. Period. I did NOT apply the following idea.
To answer the second...
***WARNING!!! UNTESTED MODIFICATIONS BELOW! PROCEED AT OWN RISK!!!***
The grips fall off because we glue them on. Glues work by permeating the pores and imperfection in the pieces to be joined. Now, those of you with unassembled saber parts, take a look at the mating surfaces. Yeah...extruded plastic and a plated metal tube. Shiny...and mostly imperfection free. :/
That's why they pop off.
So, in preparation for when mine pop off, I have devised a plan.
My grip bottoms have already been sanded rough, and I suggest that yours get that way too. The Graflex tube though...boy that's a tough one. I'm thinking that I will, using the PoSW grip template, and my trusty blue tape, lay out my grip in my exact preferred position. Then, I shall cut away the tape only on the smallest center section of each grip location. ie. Between the dashed lines representing the upright portion of the T-Track on the PoSW template. Then, with everything else taped off, I will give the exposed sections a rough & nasty sanding, leaving about 1/4" of each end un-sanded to prevent visible sanding marks on the finished product.
That done, I still intend to use Super Glue to attach the grips. The stuff is clear, and if it's got something to grip it's not letting go any time soon.
Sym-Cha
Master Member
Well I didn't want to spoil the high you were on last night ... but being a photographer with a keen eye for detail I did see it ... however I also noticed you had the clamp in a screen-used position so I gathered you were still undecided which position you liked best, hence the backward bottom, giving you the best of both worlds
-Chaim
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
Well I didn't want to spoil the high you were on last night ... but being a photographer with a keen eye for detail I did see it ... however I also noticed you had the clamp in a screen-used position so I gathered you were still undecided which position you liked best, hence the backward bottom, giving you the best of both worlds
-Chaim
Yeah! That's it. I was "undecided", and certainly not "not paying attention" when I undid the "Promo" configuration. :lol
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
Thanks man.
I see what you mean there. Always did, actually. I could not for the life of me conceive of a way to do it the by the other method and have everything come together firmly and with the right spacing though.
An interesting aside, but on the same topic. The positioning of my lever in that pic was not in imitation of the Toe pic. When I flipped everything around, as illogical as it sounds, that's all the further I could close the lever. Worked out, because I was unsure it would all sit right with it half closed like that.
That little factoid eased my mind on the whole bubble prep issue.
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
Meh, pointing out mistakes is kinda part of the point of discussing builds. Yeah?
However, I think I may have been unclear in my last post, as I was trying to get across that I do not believe I made a mistake in the bubble strip attachment.
I assumed that you were either referring to where the promo shot appears to have the bubble strip under the upper lip, or to the apparent spacing differences between the bubbles and the clamp sides.
The point of it appearing to be under the clamp I suggest to be nothing more than light reflection. If you look at mine, you'll see a very similar light artifact in the exact same place, despite the difference in angles.
As for the bubble spacing, that's just a parallax view thing. I used that pic as my reference guide when shaping the bubble strip. I can assure you that when viewed from that angle they line up. It's down to the angle of the pic there, and frankly, as bad as I am with a camera, I count myself lucky to have gotten the pic so close to the original.
If I have misunderstood your meaning, please feel free to correct me. If you can point out reasons why I'm just plain wrong, I welcome it. It can do nothing but help broaden everyone's knowledge.
However, I think I may have been unclear in my last post, as I was trying to get across that I do not believe I made a mistake in the bubble strip attachment.
I assumed that you were either referring to where the promo shot appears to have the bubble strip under the upper lip, or to the apparent spacing differences between the bubbles and the clamp sides.
The point of it appearing to be under the clamp I suggest to be nothing more than light reflection. If you look at mine, you'll see a very similar light artifact in the exact same place, despite the difference in angles.
As for the bubble spacing, that's just a parallax view thing. I used that pic as my reference guide when shaping the bubble strip. I can assure you that when viewed from that angle they line up. It's down to the angle of the pic there, and frankly, as bad as I am with a camera, I count myself lucky to have gotten the pic so close to the original.
If I have misunderstood your meaning, please feel free to correct me. If you can point out reasons why I'm just plain wrong, I welcome it. It can do nothing but help broaden everyone's knowledge.
I meant the strip goes under the lip of the clamp. Your clamp is spaced too far apart. It's there in the pic plain as day to me.
Also one can not tighten the clamp enough to keep the saber together when the bubble strip is held in your way. Think of what would have been easier for the crew to do, just sand down the bottom face of the strip until it slid under the edges of the clamp.
Also one can not tighten the clamp enough to keep the saber together when the bubble strip is held in your way. Think of what would have been easier for the crew to do, just sand down the bottom face of the strip until it slid under the edges of the clamp.
Last edited:
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
I'm afraid that I have to strongly disagree there.
Without that bubble strip, that clamp is only physically capable of going one half turn of the threaded lever rod tighter. That's less than 1/32", and the lever would be pointing the wrong direction.
I repeat, most civilly, that I believe you to be experiencing a parallax error. Tomorrow I will attempt to retake the picture at a more accurate angle, and we shall revisit this. Not much I can do about the lighting angle however, though I will try. :cool
Without that bubble strip, that clamp is only physically capable of going one half turn of the threaded lever rod tighter. That's less than 1/32", and the lever would be pointing the wrong direction.
I repeat, most civilly, that I believe you to be experiencing a parallax error. Tomorrow I will attempt to retake the picture at a more accurate angle, and we shall revisit this. Not much I can do about the lighting angle however, though I will try. :cool
Simply take out your sidebars and flip them 180 degrees.
Look at the distance between the sidebars in your comparison pic, no parallax can explain away the difference there.
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
Ummm...maybe I'm misunderstanding you here.
Are you suggesting that I somehow get the entirety of the side bars closer together? Man, that clamp is tight on the body of the Graflex. Even if I put the clamp in a vise the steel isn't going to stretch. The tops might bend in toward each other a bit, but the clamp won't ever get any more "closed". That's just physics.
Are you suggesting that I somehow get the entirety of the side bars closer together? Man, that clamp is tight on the body of the Graflex. Even if I put the clamp in a vise the steel isn't going to stretch. The tops might bend in toward each other a bit, but the clamp won't ever get any more "closed". That's just physics.
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
Thank you ecl! I'm very proud of it. Though I do think I'll be tweaking it from here to eternity. Like the bubble strip discussion with Scarf Man right now, though, any tweaks will have to be well considered. I can still change the bubble strip clamp method, but if I do change it there's no going back. MADDENING! :lol
Yes. The clamp should be closed tighter than you can get it with the bubble strip clamped between the lips.
Look at the gap between the sidebars (under the bubble strip trailing edge) on your toe pic comparison.
Organic Mechanic
Sr Member
Yes, I know where you're indicating.
The point I was making that you seem to not be following is that regardless of whether the bubble strip is in place when that clamp is closed, it's closed fully.
Look at the first pic in the "Finished" series. The clamp there is fully closed, unlike the one in contention, and the spacing is the same. If I pull the strip completely, again, I get the same spacing with the clamp firmly closed around the body.
"No power in the 'Verse" is going to bring my side bars closer together.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that I will be able to get the promised photo taken today. For a real comparison, I need to recreate the original shot and blow up the Lightsaber as has been done with the original.
In the mean time, let's try something a bit more simple. I assume, given your level of interest in the accuracy of this prop, that you have one yourself? Let's measure our clamp spacing. Let me know where you measure to and from on yours, and what dimension you get. I'd like to measure the same on mine and compare the two. There is always the off chance that my clamp was miss-stamped at the factory. This would be a good way to know.
The point I was making that you seem to not be following is that regardless of whether the bubble strip is in place when that clamp is closed, it's closed fully.
Look at the first pic in the "Finished" series. The clamp there is fully closed, unlike the one in contention, and the spacing is the same. If I pull the strip completely, again, I get the same spacing with the clamp firmly closed around the body.
"No power in the 'Verse" is going to bring my side bars closer together.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that I will be able to get the promised photo taken today. For a real comparison, I need to recreate the original shot and blow up the Lightsaber as has been done with the original.
In the mean time, let's try something a bit more simple. I assume, given your level of interest in the accuracy of this prop, that you have one yourself? Let's measure our clamp spacing. Let me know where you measure to and from on yours, and what dimension you get. I'd like to measure the same on mine and compare the two. There is always the off chance that my clamp was miss-stamped at the factory. This would be a good way to know.
My saber collection has been thinned down to the ANH Obi Wan and ROTJ Luke hero sabers. I'm sorry I can't help you there.
I have owned several genuine graflex flashes as well as graflex reborns, Larbels, and Parks... so I'm confident that I have a working knowledge of the particulars involved in the discussion.
Placing the bubble strip under the lips of the clamp is the **obvious solution, therefore I think that is what the crew who made the original saber did.
Ultimately this is your saber and you should do what pleases you.
I commend you for thinking outside the box, but ultimately disagree with your choice.
**Obvious not only to me, but the majority of saber smiths, and all licensed replica manufacturers, Icons and Master Replicas in particular.
I have owned several genuine graflex flashes as well as graflex reborns, Larbels, and Parks... so I'm confident that I have a working knowledge of the particulars involved in the discussion.
Placing the bubble strip under the lips of the clamp is the **obvious solution, therefore I think that is what the crew who made the original saber did.
Ultimately this is your saber and you should do what pleases you.
I commend you for thinking outside the box, but ultimately disagree with your choice.
**Obvious not only to me, but the majority of saber smiths, and all licensed replica manufacturers, Icons and Master Replicas in particular.
Similar threads
