TFA Graflex Research (That's a Graflex, right? Force Awakens teaser trailer #2)

Indeed welcome aboard SteakSauce ... looking forward to your G R A F L E X ANH lightsaber build :)

@Kbuckne4 there's also the ROTJ Vader G R A F L E X based stuntlightsaber at the Lucasfilm Archives.

Chaïm

Thank you! I'm going to look that up!


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Welcome aboard! It's a crazy, expensive ride, but so worth it! I'm on my 2nd vintage Graflex with a Roman's on the way. Roy's parts are the best and I love Slothfurnace's clamp cards.

Be sure to post pics of your builds!


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congratulations! you have completed the graftex initiation. :thumbsup

Indeed welcome aboard SteakSauce ... looking forward to your G R A F L E X ANH lightsaber build :)

@Kbuckne4 there's also the ROTJ Vader G R A F L E X based stuntlightsaber at the Lucasfilm Archives.

Chaïm

Welcome! Yes as I am discovering this can be very addicting! Can't wait to see how your builds turn out!


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Thanks for the welcome everyone!

Couple of other things I forgot. I also picked up a replica graflex top tube without the bent tabs (actually my first purchase). I originally thought I would pick up all the parts from various vendors and build a TFA from scratch, but have since made my other purchases. I'm not really a fan of the ROTJ stunt vader saber, which I have now learned that these unbent versions are used for. Does anybody need one? It seems like plenty of people on this and Roman's thread are big fans of them. I am still trying to track down a 3 cell bottom to use on the ANH build, even if it is a replica. The other option is to build a fighting saber from it....

Which brings me to what all got me started. I had a MR 05 Anakin ROTS saber that needed a ton of clean up. Recently I ended up replacing most of the internals with a kit from TCSS. But the outside is still pretty marred up from when I first took it apart back in the day. So I affectionately call that one my "illegitimate child" saber. I have a blade coming for it and will likely use that one for a battling blade or to let friends mess around with.

Looking forward to posting some pictures soon!
 
The Vader ROTJ stunt was the very first lightsaber I laid my eyes on in a comic book shop in Amsterdam ... a long, long time ago . . . it was a custom G R A F L E X look-a-like replica with metal and resin parts . . . alas it was not for sale . . . so much later I found one made by GRAFLEX Reborn, which was the very first lightsaber I ever purchased before I even knew about the G R A F L E X flashguns . . . and eventhough it does smell heavily of iron, since the body is another metal than a real G R A F L E X, yet it's one of my favorite sabers amongst my extensive collection :)

Chaïm
 
It's easy to see-- it's what Lucasfilm has been mistakenly calling the "hero" Vader light saber for a long time, using it as the model for toys and video games.
 
Hi all. Just wanted to share my finished first project of converting an Icons Skywalker lightsaber into the outside version of the TFA Skywalker lightsaber.
I really enjoyed doing this conversion although the hardest part for me, as I don't have any specialist equipment, was getting the grips/notches cut right. Also riveting the grips was a challenge because the rivet gun head was too big for the notch gap so I had to add a small nut to make the rivet gun sit flush with the grip. Lastly, putting the clamp and clamp cover on was a particular struggle but got there in the end.
I would like to thank all the people here for their advice and especially Roy for the wonderful parts that he supplied.....couldn't have done it without you Roy...Bravo!
TFA1.JPGTFA2.JPGTFA3.JPGTFA4.JPGTFA5.JPGTFA6.JPG
 
Hi all. Just wanted to share my finished first project of converting an Icons Skywalker lightsaber into the outside version of the TFA Skywalker lightsaber.
I really enjoyed doing this conversion although the hardest part for me, as I don't have any specialist equipment, was getting the grips/notches cut right. Also riveting the grips was a challenge because the rivet gun head was too big for the notch gap so I had to add a small nut to make the rivet gun sit flush with the grip. Lastly, putting the clamp and clamp cover on was a particular struggle but got there in the end.
I would like to thank all the people here for their advice and especially Roy for the wonderful parts that he supplied.....couldn't have done it without you Roy...Bravo!
View attachment 690023View attachment 690024View attachment 690025View attachment 690026View attachment 690027View attachment 690028


It looks beautiful! excellent job!
 
Well, I've pre-ordered Roman's Graflex flash as well as Graflex Shop's Graflex (stamped), and I have a TFA kit and an ANH kit on the way from Roy. Any suggestions as to which one I should use for which version? I plan on just doing static builds. No electronics, lights, sounds, etc...
 
Well, I've pre-ordered Roman's Graflex flash as well as Graflex Shop's Graflex (stamped), and I have a TFA kit and an ANH kit on the way from Roy. Any suggestions as to which one I should use for which version? I plan on just doing static builds. No electronics, lights, sounds, etc...

Whichever one has the nicest quality stamp on the bottom should be the ANH. The TFA one's just gonna end up getting covered. Also I can't remember if the graflex shop one has the stamp on the clamp either.. So that's a deciding factor too.
 
Whichever one has the nicest quality stamp on the bottom should be the ANH. The TFA one's just gonna end up getting covered. Also I can't remember if the graflex shop one has the stamp on the clamp either.. So that's a deciding factor too.

That's a good point!
I ordered my Graflex Shop one with stamping on the clamp as well as the bottom. I think both are shipping out in January so I'll be sure to post some pics.

Without having them in hand, I'm leaning towards the Roman's being the ANH. I'm chasing the look and feel of the original prop because I want to know what it felt like in Roger Christian's hands when he built it, to experience it how it was the way it was when George Lucas approved it, and ultimately to feel how it would have felt in Sir Alec Guinness and Mark Hamill's hands.

I know it's not an original Graflex, but for me right now, it's the closest I'll get and honestly it looks like you won't be able to tell the difference anyway.

I'll be reading Roger Christian's book after the holidays and hopefully that will bring another layer of appreciation to it as well.


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Remember the GraflexShop one is essentially gutted, it has no bakelite emitter part. So its really not a fair trade from Romans.
 
That's a good point!
I ordered my Graflex Shop one with stamping on the clamp as well as the bottom. I think both are shipping out in January so I'll be sure to post some pics.

Without having them in hand, I'm leaning towards the Roman's being the ANH. I'm chasing the look and feel of the original prop because I want to know what it felt like in Roger Christian's hands when he built it, to experience it how it was the way it was when George Lucas approved it, and ultimately to feel how it would have felt in Sir Alec Guinness and Mark Hamill's hands.

I know it's not an original Graflex, but for me right now, it's the closest I'll get and honestly it looks like you won't be able to tell the difference anyway.

I'll be reading Roger Christian's book after the holidays and hopefully that will bring another layer of appreciation to it as well.


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In that case yeah! The Roman's should definitely be the ANH. You also have extra bit of authenticity with the springy bulb contact pin and the black lip section above the brass pins.. Doesn't matter if it's vintage, they'll both be excellent shelf beauties! XD
 
Remember the GraflexShop one is essentially gutted, it has no bakelite emitter part. So its really not a fair trade from Romans.

Yeah I'm thinking the TFA one will just be more of an aesthetic prop. I may revisit in in the future with electronics or something, but for now they are just for display. I originally had just ordered the GraflexShop for the price and was only going to make it TFA because it wasn't stamped. Then they offered stamping and I couldn't decide whether or not to make it TFA or ANH because I like how the stamping shows on ANH. Feeling torn, I just decided to get a Romans.

Now I'll have both!



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i know this isn't TFA related, but i never noticed this before in ANH. im watching it on TNT as we speak and noticed a missing grip!!
http://caps.pictures/197/7-starwars4/full/star-wars4-movie-screencaps.com-4518.jpg

looks like they had issues with the grips staying on even before ESB!

Not trying to derail the thread, but going off that, I just saw this pic.

aceb4420028b1d37303f88327dfb1f45.jpg


I could be wrong, but these grips don't look like they have been notched yet. Does anyone know when they actually started riveting/screwing them one?

I just assumed maybe the cold weather/snow made the grips fall off so they used a more permanent method to attach them during production.


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halliwax ... the grips were not evenly attached onto the saber ... there were 7 for ANH and this could be a wider gap than we tend to glue them on ;)

Kbuckne4 ... indeed the extreme cold at Finse ... even 100 meters outside the hotel was enough to brittle the super glue and grips felt off often ... as with is the case with all such big productions there's always stage/set hands nearby to fix issues ... there's more carpenters/electricians than actors on any given production with huge sets :wacko

Chaïm
 
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i know this isn't TFA related, but i never noticed this before in ANH. im watching it on TNT as we speak and noticed a missing grip!!
http://caps.pictures/197/7-starwars4/full/star-wars4-movie-screencaps.com-4518.jpg

looks like they had issues with the grips staying on even before ESB!
it could be an illusion but the lever looks like it's out there.

either the bubble strip was wide or they lost the square washer that adds resistance to keep the lever swung closed.
 
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