Some help with a Luke ROTJ

Djinn

Sr Member
Hello, have not been around in a while but I had a question regarding a Luke ROTJ saber I got my hands on a few years back.

It is a fan made aluminum replica that I got second hand. But when I got it the circuit card plate was missing from the box. I got a Luke ESB card from a random assortment of saber parts I purchased around here a while ago too but the thing is too small to be used on the Luke ROTJ saber.

WaYAfw7.jpg

Vk6M5ei.jpg


So finally getting around to getting that last part and finishing this thing, I need that card. What size card do I need to look for and does anyone know where I could find one? And is this actually the correct size in the first place? Or is mine just ridiculously oversized?
 
Your best bet may be to make one yourself. Shouldn't be too hard. Just make a plastic rectangle to fit, paint it the same brass/copper color, and mask of the lines and paint them black, or use black pin striping tape. The hero ROTJ isn't a computer card, but just a striped piece.

Something like this.
LukeROTJHero02.jpg
 
The original IS some sort of connector. The material seems to match Blue PCB fiberglass material of the time, but we've yet to find the source.
Picture 46.png
 
hmmm....I'm not convinced. the striped pattern on it is clearly fabricated. Maybe it was just a blue piece of plastic. What specifically makes that an actual connector?
 
The strip on the original prop is a circuit board edge connector. Finding one with that is that wide is a challenge, however...
Best to make one yourself.
 
Weird, I always thought it was some kind of connector only I never found out which one. The size made me think that the maker of my saber made the box way too large but it seems that it is the correct size.

I do have a lot of gold foil tape, I could use that to make a custom. I had thought about using that before with the FX Anakin ROTS prop I have. I got a broken one and removed the blade but almost all the gold parts are really worn and need replacing. It's another project I have been putting off for a long time.

Thanks for the help everyone.
 
I think that is a reflection.

I'm not convinced that's the same prop ... look at the Tri-ring in post # 6 which is not black and is competely different assembled in the pommel cube ... a-symmetric as I see it. And there are two Luke heros on the table, although one seems to be without it's controlbox :

http://www.originalprop.com/blog/wp...nes-Historic-Visit-Original-Prop-Blog-003.jpg

Anyhow ... it is the one in your picture from the Original Prop Blog that I used for reference to build my own activation board from scratch :)

Djinn ... that is a probability that it was custom made ... or by chance they found the correct greebly in their box with parts :)

Chaim
 
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I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something. You guys are saying that it IS definitely a real edge connector, but how do you know?
if it's because the stripes go from edge to edge, I would assume any person fabricating one with plastic and paint or copper tape/pin striping would make paint them edge to edge.
If it's because the underlying material is blue, I don't think scraps of blue plastic would be that uncommon and I've never seen a computer board that wide, nor that spacing of stripes, nor black between them, especially if it was a blue board.
To me, that copper color is the same as it is on the control box borders, which looks like paint. Not real brass or copper, or anything that would actually be used on the leads of an edge connector.
I'm interested to know how you guys know it's a real connector. I've never heard that before.
 
I don't know, but it is what I think is most likely. The spacing is standard for edge connectors back in the day (same as on Luke ESB by the way) and can still be acquired for prototype boards and such.
I have made prototype Luke ROTJ circuit boards and from looking at I am pretty sure that the real thing had real copper stripes. People have seen in exhibits that the underlying colour is green/blue and there have been many real circuit boards in that colour. (for instance, a variation of the Exactra board used for the Darth Vader ESB has about the same colour).

I and Sym-Cha have seen some add-in circuit boards for 1970's era computers that are very close, but no exact match so far.
 
Interesting. I'd love to see some examples. I always just assumed it was fabricated since the rest of the saber was.
 
Shot this at MoM years ago. Whatever it is it's beat up.
View attachment 573395

From the shiny tri-ring, this appears to be the resin copy of the final opening box hero.

Here are two more views from Parts of SW:

Lsrotj2.jpg
Lsrotj3.jpg

It appears the black lines may be simply painted onto this resin copy.


The opening box aluminum hero has a rusty/corroded tri-ring and blue circuit board:

Lsrotj1.jpg
Lsrotj4.jpg

I don't know if it's a real circuit board or something else. On mine I used a tiny end mill to add grooves to a trophy plaque blank that was black plastic with a gold layer on top. Original makers could just as easily have done the same with a copper clad blue circuit board.
 
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The only blueboard with gold leads I've come accross on ebay ... alas for $200 it was to much to import from Australia. I don't claim this is the board used for Luke's ROTJ ... it's just an example it does exist :)

Chaim
 
I came across multiple blue Archer proto boards on eBay. Copper leads, only they were the ESB shape and not wide enough. This type exists. Considering the poor job on the shared stunts activation plate and the fact that there are boards out there like this...its educated conjecture, but I think it's true.
 
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