The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

[Serafino]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

In the US it's 'denatured alcohol'. The hardware store type. Not rubbing alcohol which has a lot of water in it (although I'm not saying it wouldn't work also).

 

[steveday72]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

Phosphating (aka Parkerizing) might produce a good replica finish.

Look at manganese or zinc phosphate coatings, they're a nice satin light to medium grey. Iron phosphate is probably too dark for this project.

Wikipedia has a section on it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphate_conversion_coating
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkerizing

 

[Serafino]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

dcarty got an awesome matte finish on his by carefully blasting with fine media. I'd be happy with the results he got.

 

[franz bolo]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

dcarty got an awesome matte finish on his by carefully blasting with fine media. I'd be happy with the results he got.

Looks good. Only missing the black scratch marks on the sides.

FB

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

I like mine:

 

[Peacefrog35]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

HOw do you get accurate looking marks without making it look like paint? I thought about trying to get a metal piece to rub around mine when I get it back from being weathered from Bobadebt.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

HOw do you get accurate looking marks without making it look like paint? I thought about trying to get a metal piece to rub around mine when I get it back from being weathered from Bobadebt.

It's paint. I just use patience and trial-and-error.

 

[Serafino]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

FB--to match the finish on your original one would want to bead-blast.

What dcarty did is the best match anyone's found yet for the very matte finish on my original, which to my eye is also a best fit for the top face of the flange on the prop.

As to the scoring, on some originals that scoring has depth, to get that I guess you'd have to shove your balance pipe in one end of a pipe bomb and let 'er rip.

GAH! The new smileys really are horrible. :lol

 

[TridCloudwalker]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

HOw do you get accurate looking marks without making it look like paint? I thought about trying to get a metal piece to rub around mine when I get it back from being weathered from Bobadebt.

I did some experiments with mine using a simple candle flame. The vaporized carbon coming from the burning wick left a REAL nice sooty black coating on the pieces. It comes off quite easily though, so it would have to be clear coated, but it makes the lighter colored scratches easier to scrape in for the "dented" look of the bottom of the pipe.

 

[Ripcode]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

dcarty got an awesome matte finish on his by carefully blasting with fine media. I'd be happy with the results he got.

So a blasted finish would look accurate? I found a place in town that will do walk-in blasting at a very reasonable price.

 

[Serafino]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

It depends on what media is used. dcarty used a very fine media very gently applied to get that finish.

 

[franz bolo]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

the "dented" look of the bottom of the pipe.

Here's a closeup of a real BP and at the top is the prop. I think the dented look is just glue blobs. It's thick and I can't see it denting.

FB

 

[Ridire Firean]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

Serafino and parfaitelumiere lonepigeon , and anyone else who may have done extensive investigation on the history of Obi-Wan's ANH Lightsaber parts....

Did anyone ever discover which variety of Inconel was used by Rolls Royce to make the Balance Pipes?

I Googled Inconel out of curiousity the other day in a "Day-Dream-Project" mindset and was surprized not only by how expensive Inconel is, but at how many metallurgical blends of Inconel there are! Were there so many varieties of Inconel back when the Derwent 8's and 9's balance pipes were made? And if the original is no longer available, which of the current alloys is the closest compostion to the original?

 

[mugatu]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

Not sure about the blends but Inconel is expensive to machine. It requires specific costly tools as inconel has to be cut with short stokes and quickly (meaning keeping contact time between the cutting edge and the inconel) from what I understand. You can't just keep going at it. Something in the crystal structure of it makes it respond erratically and negatively to typical tooling, processes, etc. Of course perhaps tooling and processes have changed and improved since then making it less cost prohibitive?

 

[Panaflex]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

Interesting topic. I did some research on this when I got my BP and found out that Tesla uses inconel in their engines as well as Spacex in their rockets. Looks like Obi Wan's saber was pretty advanced after all.

 

[veektohr]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

Does it have very little size shift at high heat? It would make sense for small tight-tolerance parts in a situation like that to be made from a metal that won't expand and contract a lot.

 

[cboath]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

there's also a matter of which inconel it is, or if it was incoloy...

I actually ran into a timeline of inconel's and incoloy's at work yesterday, i'll have to see if i can find it.

 

[Ridire Firean]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

Well, I sent an inquiry via email to Wiggins in the U.K., we'll see if they respond. I've learned they developed Inconel, but I don't know if that's where Rolls Royce purchased their Inconel from.

Fingers crossed for specific information regarding the type of Inconel used in the Mk8 and Mk9 balance pipes!!!

 

[Ridire Firean]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

O.K. letter in to Rolls Royce as well. We'll see what responses I get soon I hope!

 

[franz bolo]

Re: The 'Ideal' Obi ANH Derwent Interconnect Replica

There are 3 versions of the Balance Pipe. Only one of them had an Inconel inner part. I believe the other 2 were Nickle Stainless.
None of the Outer parts were Inconel either, they were all Nickle stainless.

@Serafino and @parfaitelumiere @lonepigeon , and anyone else who may have done extensive investigation on the history of Obi-Wan's ANH Lightsaber parts....

Did anyone ever discover which variety of Inconel was used by Rolls Royce to make the Balance Pipes?

I Googled Inconel out of curiousity the other day in a "Day-Dream-Project" mindset and was surprized not only by how expensive Inconel is, but at how many metallurgical blends of Inconel there are! Were there so many varieties of Inconel back when the Derwent 8's and 9's balance pipes were made? And if the original is no longer available, which of the current alloys is the closest compostion to the original?