New guy here, just starting my first graflex build.

Flanman · Jun 13, 2014

Ive been a long time lurker in the shadows here(Google is an amazing thing!) but I've been a lover of Star Wars since I was a kid so I figured it was time to finally build my holy grail piece, an original Graflex lightsaber. Ive been hunting down one for years but prices have really gotten ridiculous, $150-$350 range seems to be the norm. Im building this on a Kroger Cashier budget so, I've got to be somewhat responsible. Well I finally found a beat up top tube/emitter. Not really the condition I want but it will work, after all its still a vintage Graflex part! Ive got to track down the remaining pieces, which should be much easier. Im going for as many original parts as possible, and this is just going to be a static ANH Graflex lightsaber prop. In the mean time I need some help from my jedi masters out there on cleaning this piece up a little bit. It doesnt have to be perfect, I like a little worn look to my lightsabers, but I would like to try to clean the rust up a bit. I just don't wanna take off the nickel finish and expose the brass underneath. Ive searched around on this forum and others, there are lots of ideas on how to clean it but I just wanna be safe. Im only ever gonna be able to do this once in my life. Oh and here's some pics!

Sym-Cha · Jun 13, 2014

Hi there and welcome,

Nice graflex top ... so perhaps you could send a PM to http://www.therpf.com/members/3cell/ his graflex and other 3 cell parts always look prestine ... and he might be able to aid you with getting the other parts you seek and maybe some cleaning tricks of the trade. If you mention my name, he knows how the connection was made

Chaim

Halliwax · Jun 13, 2014

Flanman said:
Ive been a long time lurker in the shadows here(Google is an amazing thing!) but I've been a lover of Star Wars since I was a kid so I figured it was time to finally build my holy grail piece, an original Graflex lightsaber. Ive been hunting down one for years but prices have really gotten ridiculous, $150-$350 range seems to be the norm. Im building this on a Kroger Cashier budget so, I've got to be somewhat responsible. Well I finally found a beat up top tube/emitter. Not really the condition I want but it will work, after all its still a vintage Graflex part! Ive got to track down the remaining pieces, which should be much easier. Im going for as many original parts as possible, and this is just going to be a static ANH Graflex lightsaber prop. In the mean time I need some help from my jedi masters out there on cleaning this piece up a little bit. It doesnt have to be perfect, I like a little worn look to my lightsabers, but I would like to try to clean the rust up a bit. I just don't wanna take off the nickel finish and expose the brass underneath. Ive searched around on this forum and others, there are lots of ideas on how to clean it but I just wanna be safe. Im only ever gonna be able to do this once in my life. Oh and here's some pics!
View attachment 337980 View attachment 337981 View attachment 337982 View attachment 337983 View attachment 337984 View attachment 337985

welcome to the club isnt this place great!! i acouple weeks ago i got the bug and came on here as well wanting to craft a vintage graflex, what have i learned from this site?

Sym-Cha is the man! he has endless amounts of knowledge on these old graflex's, hes helped me ID and point me in the right direction for parts

one thing i can say is the ANH saber is probably the most accurate we can get right now! and not to sound pig headed but probably the best starter saber because right now allot of the sabercrafters supply the parts to replicate the ANH saber. its alittle harder gather parts of others right now... so starting off with ANH is great to get your feet wet!

there is so much knowledge on this site you will stay up late researching and reading! im up everynight not being able to stop!!

this is also a great place to learn some basics on the starwars props

ANH Skywalker Lightsaber

keep us up to date with your build! the people on here are very friendly!

p0sitr0nic · Jun 13, 2014

I love to see this. I started with a graflex 2 cell. :thumbsup

Probe Droid · Jun 13, 2014

First, welcome. Second I've had loads of those old flashes and other vintage camera gear. They're built to last. I've cleaned up plenty of those things and have found that the lightest weight steel wool does a good job on light rust, although yours seem fairly heavy in spots. Try it small spots and see how it goes. And a light hand does it although it's really tough to take the nickle finish off. Others will tell you not to do that but they worry too much. Trust me it works.

If there's gunk on the inside from batteries, an old photographers trick is using vinegar, which eats through it quite nicely. I've saved many an old strobe doing that.

Good luck.

Flanman · Jun 14, 2014

So I took some scrubbing bubbles and the softest rag I had to it today. I went pretty gentile with it. One side cleaned up pretty well, enough that I was satisfied. The other side didn't. And then I held it up to the light and could see little spots of brass showing through. Rather than ruin whats left of the finished(and my $81 investment) Im just gonna leave it be. Its just too heavily pitted. To clean it up I'd have to take off the finish, and I really don't wanna have to replate this thing. Oh well, its a lived in universe after all right?

NeoRutty · Jun 14, 2014

Anh sabres look awesome when beat up and used. Don't worry about it

JoMamma_Smurf · Jun 14, 2014

I remember my first beer!! Just kidding!! Good start. I do love the beat up versions of the found lightsabers simply because they're old parts with real wear. And that always makes them "feel" more real to me. They also have a "vintage" smell to them

Panaflex · Jun 15, 2014

Way to go. I'm going to be starting mine soon as well and I enjoy watching these build threads. Good luck on yours!

Flanman · Jun 15, 2014

Thanks folks! Im really enjoying this. So far Ive discovered two things, one Graflex parts are not cheap/hard to find; two, I should have done this years ago to save some money. Ive decided Im gonna frankensaber this bad boy because I can't find the parts I need at my current budget. But the great thing about a Graflex is I can upgrade the parts at a later date. I found this handmade tube that will work really well for my bottom tube on ebay. Its aluminum, already cutout for the clamp at the top, the other end is threaded on the inside. Oh and it was pretty cheap. These are a little weathered if you look at them close up on the site, so it will match my top tube a little better than a brand new pipe. Not quite sure how I wanna plug the hole yet. Anythoughts?

NeoRutty · Jun 15, 2014

Well when I did the scratch built ROTJ saber, I took some of the ideas from the tutorial mixed with my own expirementation.

Having a threaded end could make it more difficult, but I used a hammer to lightly tap around the edge to curve it in (REALLY EASY TO SCREW UP) and then ordered a nickel disk off Etsy with the same measurements... then dropped in and superglued in place.

Did the same previously with the holiday saber back end...

If you don't want to risk hammering the edge, you could put a solid tube insert inside and use that to support the disk (sunk in half a millimeter, if you know what I'm saying)

Good luck!

*I should also mention the end of my tube had slight curl in already from the tube cutter I used to make it to size.

Luke the Belter · Jun 16, 2014

Nice Graflex.

I started with one myself into propmaking and found out that this place is full of people who want to help you.

So...All I can do is to say: Have fun with this and enjoy the time you're working on this.
When you're finished you will search for a new project, I promise you

Flanman · Jun 16, 2014

Minor update. I bent one of the bunny ears back in place today. It was pretty well bent to one side, but this thing looks like its been used a lot. I was gentle because I didn't wanna break it but it required more force than I thought it would. I should get that end cap around friday, then I can see what I'm dealing with. I love the idea with the nickel disc from etsy. I looked those up, they may work. How strong are they with a d ring through em? Would they hold on a belt ok? Im worried that with nickel being a soft metal, that might be a lot of weight for it. I took some comparassion shots with my frankensaber MR Anakin. This thing has been through hell, Ive pieced it together with about 3 different MR lightsabers. Great for dueling and practice. No sound, I can chose between a red, blue or green blade and I don't really care it it breaks. For something thats and oversized copy of a copy of a Graflex, the dimensions are not too far off. Im kinda impressed with MR. That being said the Graflex does feel lighter and narrower, but not by much. Oh and does anyone know how to get those stupid bunny ears to stay in place? Mine are loose and rattle around. Drives me crazy! Im starting to get the prop building fever. Im already eyeballing the Obi Wan lightsaber......

thd9791 · Jun 16, 2014

It drove me crazy too! They, ironically, are supposed to do that. Some people put a drop of glue on the top of the rivet. Me? I wanted to do the least permanent thing possible as to preserve my graflex. I cut up a pencil eraser (or anything really, they just had more give) into two tiny rectangular boxes, covered them with black electrical tape and jammed them in the back corners of the emitter (where the bulb ring makes those corners) one on each side and it's rock solid.

p0sitr0nic · Jun 16, 2014

I actually glued mine when i was wearing my graflex saber for costuming. But it was such a hassle, its why i decided to have my own designs made. :\

NeoRutty · Jun 16, 2014

I used a drop of crazy glue... You can't see it, and if you want to break it free again, hot water will break it free. Worked great on my ESB version. Rattling was annoying.

Halliwax · Jun 17, 2014

NeoRutty said:
Well when I did the scratch built ROTJ saber, I took some of the ideas from the tutorial mixed with my own expirementation.

Having a threaded end could make it more difficult, but I used a hammer to lightly tap around the edge to curve it in (REALLY EASY TO SCREW UP) and then ordered a nickel disk off Etsy with the same measurements... then dropped in and superglued in place.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2915/14453644353_870aaeca20_c.jpg

.

amazing!!!

Flanman · Jun 20, 2014

I just got my bottom tube in. Im actually pretty happy with it. The cut out for the clamp is pretty clean and the brush finish is pretty good. Its a shade or two lighter than the Graflex top, but you got nickel vs aluminum. It doesnt bug me too much. Theres actually some pitting on it, that helps it match my top tube a bit. I think I'm just gonna get a sink tube end cap for my end cap and call it finished. Oh and in the package was this aluminum part taped to my bottom tube. I don't know why it was included but it looks like the top part of Obi Wans EP1/EP2 lightsaber.

p0sitr0nic · Jun 20, 2014

Holy crap that does look like an Obi Wan part...

As for the color difference, by the time you get the grips on it, i doubt many people would notice without being told.

Flanman · Jun 21, 2014

So I got some replica parts in today. Rubber grips, Clamp, and bubble strip. I really had to loosen the clamp, like a lot, just to get the top and bottom in. I got it as tight as possible when holding the tubes though. Any tighter and the lever will probably break. I put the grips on just by eyeballing it. Its not perfect but it gives it a little bit of character, like thee rest of my saber. Lowes didn't have an end cap so I'm gonna have to get one from TCSS, which is where I got all these parts(although the package with the grips, D ring and bubble strip all said blast-tech, weird). With the grips on, you can't tell the bottom tube is a different color than the top tube. They both match pretty well. So far I'm pretty happy with the results, although I'm really starting to eye the luxeon kits.....

New guy here, just starting my first graflex build.

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