Tom’s ROTJ Vader MOM saber!

Good point. Strictly speaking the part has not yet been positively identified. When I first joined the RPF the common thought was that it was a plug from a scuba regulator but, so far, no one has found one that is an exact match (I have a few left from my own attempts to find one, lol). Then, a few years later, -- it may have been Marcus who posted the idea, I don't remember-- a metal valve stem was discovered that was a much closer match to anything we'd seen before. It wasn't identical but it was very, very, close so the current thinking is in favor of the valve stem.

Although I haven't been able to find one that matches yet my own suspicion is that it might be a Michell turntable part. Michell parts are all over ANH/ESB and the same/similar part shows up on the back of the AT-AT helmets.

So the tyre valve is as good a guess as any at the moment -- I'm building mine to where it can be removed in case we ever nail the part down.

Dave
Hey Dave,

I actually own a transcriptors Michell engineering Turntable. I’ll have a look. But I’m not sure it’s on there. I know a lot of Parts were used in Star Wars.
 
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I have had SO many close matches looking for

RAF Switch
Vintage (or bakelite) circuit breaker
" " Fuse holder
" " in line fuse
" " reset fuse
" " bakelite push switch

WHy is this control box so hard! I'm having difficulty understanding the function of the component, which I thought would help narrow the search
 
It was Steve Day that I got the tyre valve info from. I have a pair on my ATAT helmet that he kindly gave me.

Definitely not a Michell/Transcriptors part though.
 
It was Steve Day that I got the tyre valve info from. I have a pair on my ATAT helmet that he kindly gave me.

Definitely not a Michell/Transcriptors part though.

I'm waiting for a nearly identical part in the mail. My first valve was a regular one I've shows here. Central hole was a bit too small and the bevel was too sharp. I ordered motorcycle versions that look closer to the prop!
 
That's what I ordered too, a motorcycle tire valve. It's pretty close but not perfect, I want to say the inner bevel was a missing on mine.

Were you the one that touched the center with a countersinking bit? Someone did that and it looked pretty good

I also am like 80% sure the control box is an RAF Aircraft circuit breaker.
 
Yes and no, I tried to reshape one but it didn't turn out very well. I don't have proper metal working tools.

Were you the one that touched the center with a countersinking bit? Someone did that and it looked pretty good

I also am like 80% sure the control box is an RAF Aircraft circuit breaker.
 
Yes and no, I tried to reshape one but it didn't turn out very well. I don't have proper metal working tools.

doing the best you can with what you have is still important.

I have a clamp vice on my kitchen room table right now - I'm grinding a fender washer to fit over the blade stud, and the shape isnt a perfect circle I'm finding out. WD-40 and a metal file I got at an estate sale are my weapons here :devil
 
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to hunt parts - so there’s not much to report. The socket is glued and screwed in with e6000 and the original graflex set screw. I drilled out the middle part of the socket with the same size hole as the top where the bulb spring used to be. So I took a cheap hex bolt, sawed the head off and screwed it down into the metal insert.

I also hand-filed a washer to fit the socket. It’s not a centered hole or a perfect circle so I had to eyeball it the best I could.
 

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Looking great!

I slapped together one of these “ugly but so cool” stunt sabers over the course of about 3 years as I was able to locate parts. It pretty much remains a work in progress with the most recent changes being replacing the grips with a set from Wanna Wanga and replacing the damaged socket pins with pins from TGS.

I still have not found a satisfactory answer for the control box and would love to see a talented artist do a run of accurate control boxes.

FDED980E-42CC-4040-AD7F-AEB379E7F08A.jpeg72A8C094-8C08-4141-A141-597B516E806A.jpegE78F8675-99E7-4775-8DB4-3CB40C23A3AB.jpeg7E24630F-4D82-49B8-A312-8B564F0CCB25.jpeg
 
Looking great!

I slapped together one of these “ugly but so cool” stunt sabers over the course of about 3 years as I was able to locate parts. It pretty much remains a work in progress with the most recent changes being replacing the grips with a set from Wanna Wanga and replacing the damaged socket pins with pins from TGS.

I still have not found a satisfactory answer for the control box and would love to see a talented artist do a run of accurate control boxes.

View attachment 834300View attachment 834301View attachment 834299View attachment 834302

VERY nice. What did you make your shroud out of?

I noticed on the "lost unpublished" 90s archive photos there are depressions on the back corners like its starting to cave in. I know there are flush pins on the top, where the MPP shroud holes would be but I also noticed this: perfectly round depressions on each of the 2 shroud parts
Vaderback.jpgvaderback1.jpg
Also the material is spotty, textured and breaking down. looks like cast metal?
 
I need a run of shrouds!

I have a tire valve from way back that will work fine...

But the shroud is a pain... I've seen simplified versions, but nothing very accurate.

Though I haven't been on shapeways in a long time.
 
Thanks for the compliment.

The shroud is a resin casting I picked up with a thumbscrew that I picked up, separately, at some point on the RPF.

VERY nice. What did you make your shroud out of?

I noticed on the "lost unpublished" 90s archive photos there are depressions on the back corners like its starting to cave in. I know there are flush pins on the top, where the MPP shroud holes would be but I also noticed this: perfectly round depressions on each of the 2 shroud parts
View attachment 834310View attachment 834311
Also the material is spotty, textured and breaking down. looks like cast metal?
 
Loving this build thread, and this saber, of course! Its so badass it has 2 d-ring attachments! :lol

I got mine 10 or so years ago: built on a Folmer with patent and a spectacular set of conversion parts from Obikenny. Ignore the Blast-tech grips, they will be switched with Roy's soon.
rps20180801_173828.jpgrps20180801_173805.jpgrps20180801_173751.jpgrps20180801_173736.jpgrps20180801_173857.jpgrps20180801_173843.jpg
 
NeoRutty ... check that shapeways website again, for some more gold pressed latinum you can choose a steel version shroud with black matt finish ;)
kalkamel ... those are some very clean holes for them black screws ... did you drill those yourself? The shape and shine of your front D-ring is perfect :)

Chaïm
 
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@kalkamel ... those are some very clean holes for them black screws ... did you drill those yourself? The shape and shine of your front D-ring is perfect :)

Chaïm

LOL, no. I wouldn't have the courage to mutilate a vintage like that. :p All the hard work was done by yodaman.
 
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