The LV ( Luke and Vader ) Shared Stunt Lightsaber
- Thread starter thd9791
- Start date
Haha, I think the charm of DV6 is exactly how disgusting it is with all the black screws,rust and scratches ... and ridiculos greeblie choices like the double ball catch.gosh that weathering job looks disgusting great job
It's one of my favourite graflex builds too!now you guys made me want to do it! I love the version you have below the DV6 v312 !
Guys we have another problem
Mechanically, we now know the bottom is strong enough to be hung from a belt by the Kobold. (recent museum displays) and we know generally how heavy it is, if not heavier. I have a core in a graflex shell this size and its heavy. It's also been reported to be heavy by people whove handled it.
So... even if the kobold is pop riveted to the patch plate and the graflex plate..... it's glued in. The whole end system is just glued into the edge of the can. Are we saying that's enough? Like.... I've been looking for fasteners, thinking a wood plug or something metal was put in the bottom, but those pop rivets don't look like cut up fasteners.
I do remember a report that Bob wanted more counterweight when this prop was developed. Maybe there is a slug in the bottom. Fact remains... you cant pop rivet into solid metal, and the rivets look like the original ones saved and trimmed. SO what fasteners are holding this together down there?!
Mechanically, we now know the bottom is strong enough to be hung from a belt by the Kobold. (recent museum displays) and we know generally how heavy it is, if not heavier. I have a core in a graflex shell this size and its heavy. It's also been reported to be heavy by people whove handled it.
So... even if the kobold is pop riveted to the patch plate and the graflex plate..... it's glued in. The whole end system is just glued into the edge of the can. Are we saying that's enough? Like.... I've been looking for fasteners, thinking a wood plug or something metal was put in the bottom, but those pop rivets don't look like cut up fasteners.
I do remember a report that Bob wanted more counterweight when this prop was developed. Maybe there is a slug in the bottom. Fact remains... you cant pop rivet into solid metal, and the rivets look like the original ones saved and trimmed. SO what fasteners are holding this together down there?!
I have some new information!
The two questions I'm focused on lately:
1) What fasteners existed below the top half (rivets are my current theory) and how many/when/where
The V3, I think, sports the clamp from this saber, but why only fasteners on the upper half? Which way was the clamp positioned, because the Dagobah shot has it upside down, or at least the lever.
2) How were the top and bottom held together post Vader conversion
Ironically, I think I just answered another question I wasn't thinking of. First, some screenshots from 4k on youtube. Not great, but I don't have access to a good resolution version of the movie..
~This is the carbon chamber start of the duel. One beautiful thing is we catch the raw blade and aluminum core of Vader's lightsaber. They did the ignition scene the same way as Obi Wan's in A New Hope.... point the blade at the camera and then tilt it away
Anyway, we get some good shots of the hilt.. hard to tell much but it does confirm some things we already knew. The split upper socket, some of the main bolt placement
and a nice shot of the clamp, wish it was clearer
Next post will have another scene
The two questions I'm focused on lately:
1) What fasteners existed below the top half (rivets are my current theory) and how many/when/where
The V3, I think, sports the clamp from this saber, but why only fasteners on the upper half? Which way was the clamp positioned, because the Dagobah shot has it upside down, or at least the lever.
2) How were the top and bottom held together post Vader conversion
Ironically, I think I just answered another question I wasn't thinking of. First, some screenshots from 4k on youtube. Not great, but I don't have access to a good resolution version of the movie..
~This is the carbon chamber start of the duel. One beautiful thing is we catch the raw blade and aluminum core of Vader's lightsaber. They did the ignition scene the same way as Obi Wan's in A New Hope.... point the blade at the camera and then tilt it away
Anyway, we get some good shots of the hilt.. hard to tell much but it does confirm some things we already knew. The split upper socket, some of the main bolt placement
and a nice shot of the clamp, wish it was clearer
Next post will have another scene
Last edited:
In the scene before the broken window, we see a similar hilt, obviously with the foil tape on the top under his hands and the grips are... interesting. We can see the Kobold, with a D ring that is probably glued down or something
Some nice misaligned rotoscoping revealing the blade itself
I'm starting to really appreciate those moments when they strike blades. the rotoscoping disappears for a frame and there's some extra light so we can see a bit better. Their reactions after a strike also sometimes show the prop a bit better.
Some nice misaligned rotoscoping revealing the blade itself
I'm starting to really appreciate those moments when they strike blades. the rotoscoping disappears for a frame and there's some extra light so we can see a bit better. Their reactions after a strike also sometimes show the prop a bit better.
Now here is an interesting bit: in the lower hallway, Vader is using the Pipe Stunt. We know there were 1-2 pipe stunts on set, so i always thought we'd see some. See the flat machined pommel with the center hole, remnants of the first "audio jack" idea for the motorized blades.
However.... I always saw an empty pommel in LUKE'S hand....
Must be the other pipe stunt, right? WRONG. These are all from the same scene, and I want to say without any cuts. I did a frame by frame click through to get a better view of his saber and the top is unmistakably a Graflex.
I believe what we're looking at here are the 3 back-bolts. I can't make anything out on the clamp. Also I think this is when the pommel was damaged. Literally the endcap is entirely missing.
Outside the door, we get an editing cut
Still can't make much out on the clamp here. When Luke falls down, it's a Graflex too, but I can't tell much else. Nor when he ends the choreography before the sfx hand cut, but that also appears to be a hollow pommel.
So I'm wondering if that hallway scene was shot later, or the entire gantry fight included a repaired pommel, if at all......
However.... I always saw an empty pommel in LUKE'S hand....
Must be the other pipe stunt, right? WRONG. These are all from the same scene, and I want to say without any cuts. I did a frame by frame click through to get a better view of his saber and the top is unmistakably a Graflex.
I believe what we're looking at here are the 3 back-bolts. I can't make anything out on the clamp. Also I think this is when the pommel was damaged. Literally the endcap is entirely missing.
Outside the door, we get an editing cut
Still can't make much out on the clamp here. When Luke falls down, it's a Graflex too, but I can't tell much else. Nor when he ends the choreography before the sfx hand cut, but that also appears to be a hollow pommel.
So I'm wondering if that hallway scene was shot later, or the entire gantry fight included a repaired pommel, if at all......
This is incredible Tom!
Glad to see some more photos and information about Luke’s Bespin Stunt!
I always believed it came from one of these stunts. Wish we had pictures to prove it, though.
I strongly believe it too
These are from a little better version I found on youtube. I was hoping to see inside the saber with the endcap damaged or gone. That line might just be a weird camera reflection thing because it disappears a split second later. could also be a reflection from inner metal, it shares the same reflection as parts of the wall that are facing left.
I thought so too, at first, in the same scene we can see there is no kobold and it’s just a dark flat circle down there, see photo #5 on post #146
I don’t think we have any more endcap shots until Dagobah filming
Looks like the above photo, that looks like the missing pommel cap, is a possible weird angle. With the gaffer tape around the grips, giving the allusion the cap is missing the gaffer tape may extend past the lower..
Last edited:
Yeah, I interpret that to simply be a trick of light / reflection and all we are seeing in Luke’s hands is a Graflex stunt with a fully-intact bottom.
