The Perfect Lightsaber Prop Help

[Lightsaberman]

Hi all

I am new to this forum and welcome any help or opinions!

Ok, so I saw the Mark Hamill hero "Luke Skywalker" lightsaber from Star Wars and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back come up for sale a little while ago and thought I would like to make me one of those. I have build props before.

The problem I am having is the those grips!

Go here for the BIGGER pictures!
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/5966064

As you can see they appear to be a fairly hard rubber compound that was originally a dark, redish brown colour that was then painted black and is now wearing off on the edges.
I bought a set from TX Studios in Australia but the rubber is a little soft, the bottom thickness is too thick and the up stand of the "T" is not quite high enough! (Apart from that they are perfect! LOL)

Anyway, if anyone had ANY idea of where I ca get a good replica set or even better the material to make my own I would love to hear from you!

Also, I haven't identified the rivets yet.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Halo1963]

Hi search the junk yard for t-track
gino sells them

 

[TridCloudwalker]

Also PM Saberfreak if you'd rather have the brown ones with black paint over it.

And, by the way, there have been some questions on whether or not the grips on the pictured saber are authentic. They may be Saberfreak's t-track put on recently to make a spare, production used Graflex look more complete.

 

[AaronFD]

** removed ** just realised you had already tried the company I was going to recommend.

 

[GINO]

Without question, the original t-track used on the original props was unpainted black plastic.


Here's the discussion thread with pics and specs:
http://www.therpf.com/f9/accurate-t-track-sabers-blasters-pics-specs-41387/


Here's the for sale thread in the JY:
http://www.therpf.com/f13/t-track-grip-accurate-grips-your-sabers-blasters-38510/



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[Lightsaberman]

WoW - Thank you all for such speedy and helpful answers!

That's terrific, I shall get hold of some T Track from the members you recommended.

I only have a nigling feeling about the prop in the pictures: call me stupid but looking at those T Tracks and the old glue and rivets I find it a little hard to imagine they are recent additions. I quite like the brown showing through but if the experts are convinced they were originally black plastic I suppose I'll have to bow to superior knowledge...........

 

[Fuzzual]

You can also try these websites: I have used both.

The Custom Saber Shop

Saber Kit - The Ultimate Source for Saber Parts and Creation™

 

[Rikstar]

Neat stuff!!

 

[nwjedidave]

that auction looks fishy to me.

 

[Jm419]

That's because it's not a real ESB prop. They have their dates wrong, they most certainly have their info wrong - used in ANH? Really? Despite the fact that there was all of one hero which has since been accounted for?

No, that doesn't look like a real prop to me.

 

[The Replicant]

For the original they used windshield wiper blades so if you want to match the "original" scene-prop, that is both the easiest and least expensive solution.

 

[AnubisGuard]

For the original they used windshield wiper blades

Bzzzt. Wrong. The grips were T-tracks in both ANH and ESB.

 

[The Replicant]

Bzzzt. Wrong. The grips were T-tracks in both ANH and ESB.

Sorry, right and wrong. I know "Lightsaberman" was mentioned ESB, but I was writing about the first movie the original one had windshield wiper. There is something undefinable magical about the first movie that I cannot find in the others.
The first lightsabers grip was from an old truck, or GM or Mini. I mean it was and "old" one by the time the first film was made and windshield wipers in the 60's, 70's were much simpler. I remember those wipers, they were thicker an tuff, people didn't change them after each winter. My first Mini (Morris Mascot 1000) with the first set of wipers being just a T-track with a rounded middle part, that's it.
Every part of the lightsaber (for the first film) was harvested from existing devices and this kind of design had its charm. Even the sound of the saber is "borrowed" - hitting a steel wire holding a radio tower, with a hammer. So in the time of filming in '76 wiper blades was the easiest accessory to find and was even to be find on location in Tunesia, where it was hot and the rubber grips sometimes got separated from the metal surface. I was in the "Star Wars Canyon" (Sidi Bouhlel) near Tozeur and it can get really hot there.
Later when times past and budgets grew lightsabers was lathed out of aluminum.
Today, you wouldn't belive how much is specially made, faux painted old, even if getting an original piece would cost five times less.

 

[jcoffman99]

Bzzt wrong. That is not how the lightsaber sound was made.

 

[lonepigeon]

Sorry, right and wrong. I know "Lightsaberman" was mentioned ESB, but I was writing about the first movie the original one had windshield wiper.

Windshield wiper blades are an old idea that's been proven to be false. The myth still seems to persist though especially among new members.
The original grips were plastic T-track used for sliding cupboard doors. It's simple stuff that would have been available at the local hardware store back in the 70's.

PS - Hitting the steel wire of a radio tower is how they made the sound for the blasters, not lightsabers.

 

[The Replicant]

Bzzt wrong. That is not how the lightsaber sound was made.

Ben Burtt hitting a wire to record the sound of lightsaber fight.
Yes the humming sound is from another source, his TV and an old projector blended together.

 

[The Replicant]

The original grips were plastic T-track used for sliding cupboard doors. It's simple stuff that would have been available at the local hardware store back in the 70's.

You're probably right, sorry.

 

[Jm419]

Yeah, the lightsaber clash was made from radio static, and the hum was (I believe) recorded at a power plant. The wires were used for the blaster effects. Definitely.

 

[cozz1102]

Thanks everyone for all the post it was very interesting.

 

[Clutch]

I'm glad we FINALLY have a lightsaber expert on board. :lol