Luke V2/TFA/Battlefront Hybrid

SethS

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
I’ve always had mixed feelings about Luke’s ROTJ saber. I think, as a kid, it was the first one that made me realize that lightsabers were all unique, and it’s probably what made me a lightsaber nerd. But when I was a kid the toy lightsabers looked nothing like the real thing so it wasn’t until the Archives book and tech journals came out that I really was able to fully see the thing outside of VHS pausing.


Obviously, the fact of the Graflex being a real world object, and it’s more unique features, I was quickly won over into being a bigger fan of that design. As the “hero” ROTJ saber was replicated more and more for toys, models, etc. I started to actively dislike it.


The idea that Luke would need two giant buttons with arrows rubbed me the wrong way. When the discovery of the V2 was verified, I was overjoyed because it was SO much cooler and Star Wars-y than the hero.


That said, it had two features I really didn’t like. I hated the flat top emitter, and I didn’t like that the Graflex word wasn’t covered on the clamp. Minor details, yes, but it ruined the full-immersion factor that the ANH/ESB sabers had. So, in my lurk mode here, when I saw the various V2 runs and offerings I held back.


But a couple things have happened…


First, for some odd reason Battlefront’s artist chose to use the Vader stunt and V2 as their models in the game. Given that Luke’s saber gets a close up on a load screen, they of course omitted the GRAFLEX logo:


bf.jpg



Then, a behind the scenes video revealed Luke’s saber was recreated for TFA. Despite being based on the hero, which I dislike, I DID like the Obi-Wan style emitter that suddenly made it seem much more real to me.

tfa.jpg


When Dan decided to offer up this model in a unibody design, I realized I could make an idealized version that would make me happy. Given that my ESB Vader has an inverted color scheme, and my ANH Graflex had six holes drilled in it before the discovery of the toe-pic, it should be pretty obvious that screen accuracy isn’t my thing as much as something that makes me happy.

v2Tfa_1.jpg



So this is my happy-making idealized Luke build… I plan to basically recreate the V2, but with the emitter detail of TFA, and the clamp detail as seen in Battlefront.


Step one— I’m doing the scariest part first. Mostly because I don’t want to mess up the weathering and paint later if I slip, and also because I’d hate to get really far than ruin things. Using the work of many of you that have come before me, I’m to screw/tap holes for the cone-knob and mystery chunk. I did these both on my last custom saber, but that was on a tube— I’ve never done it on a solid piece… without a press.


Pilot holes first….


v2Tfa_2.jpg



I was sweating these the whole time… partially because I just moved into a new house, and built my little workshop outside because California… but it’s 100 out today…


Started great, then… SNAP


Fuuuuuuuuuuuu…..


v2Tfa_3.jpg


Okay… don’t panic. GENTLY use some pliers to back it out and.....

SNAP AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

v2Tfa_4.jpg


FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGVKJHVLHBOBKGKU


Sooo, maybe I start a new pilot, bigger bit, you know, an actual titanium one meant for metal, right next to this, knowing the real hole will encompass both… I didn't take any pics here because I was too nervous and cranky and working super slow. BUT...


THANK THE MAKER IT WORKED. I was terrified the tap was going to snap off too as I turned away.. again, no pics cause I wanted to get out of the dangerzone asap...

Thankfully, success on both pieces.


v2Tfa_5.jpg



The process added a few dings and scratches, but thankfully, the V2 has plenty of those, so by the time I'm done you won't notice...

Next— a bit of pre-weathering with ye ol’ oven cleaner. Two hits, 3-4 minutes each, warm rinse between.

v2Tfa_6.jpg


And apologies for the blurry pic-- but the Aluminum blackener was working so fast I had to snap and dunk. I plan to use Trent's stencils, but the emitter pattern won't work given the detailed TFA style. So I decided to blacken it as that might make for a more organic result. It worked GREAT-- but it bubbled over. At first I was worried that might mess me up, but I realized it actually was great. I used a scouring pad to scrape off where I didn't want it, and it actually gave the right kind of look on the underside of the emitter, where the stencils don't cover.

v2Tfa_7.jpg

v2Tfa_8.jpg


Next step should be paint... but I am going to go out of order and assemble the clamp. My concern is that the clamp is going to require some serious wrangling as while it technically belongs on this thing, none of the pieces being used have been exactly machined for this body. Plus, given that this is a unibody design, I'm going to have to expand the clamp a but to get it over the pommel.

All that muscle work done on top of a paint job? knowing my brute skills I KNOW I'd just mess up the paint, so I'd rather get it on and deal with taping it off for paint.

I'll be back with that step!
 
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Okay.. so this was probably the single most frustrating experience I've ever had with a saber build...

The clamp assembly, as I mentioned, is going to use different parts that in theory work together, but I'm throwing a curve into the mix. Basically, to get the V2 clamp sans the Graflex engraving I opted to use one of Roman's clamps along with Roy's V2 lever and TFA clamp cover. I'd practiced with the clamp cover on my last saber and it was easy. But this time... yeesh!

First, I removed the tabs from inside the clamp...

v2Tfa_9.jpg


That part was easy enough... but the next bit is where I almost lost it. Literally and figuratively.

The clamp cover is designed to work with the usual clamp bars, doing it with the V2 style block made it very hard to keep in place and flush. Plus, for some reason, the diameter of the saber, plus the clamp, plus the additional tension of the clamp cover made it difficult to get the lever pin into place.

v2Tfa_10.jpg


Like... VERY hard. SUPER DUPER hard. Get mad and swear and yell hard.

It caught once, but as I was screwing it into place-- BOING!!! the entire thing snaps apart and my V2 pic goes flying across the room. For awhile I didn't think I was going to find it, but I eventually did.

I swore obscenities at Roy, Roman and Dan alike (though none of them are to blame of course) and after buying the world's smallest set of spring clamps I was finally able to get the lever to catch and lock into place.

Again, I know I shouldn't do this before the paint, but I was right. getting it on and in place was a nightmare that would scratch up the paint-- and not in a cool, intentionally weathered scratched up way-- but a real, messed up way.

Just to make sure it would seat properly, here's where I am with a card from Slothfurnace added in.

Next up, clean up more of the blackened parts then begin the stenciling and painting.

v2Tfa_11.jpg
 
Being that the actual V2 is in a private collection, the one seen in Battlefront, I think, was based off of an early prototype of the hilt from either Icons or MR that was lying around in the archives.

Though I dislike the RotJ Hero, and despise TFA, I do love me some V2 action and your builds are always fun to watch; I'm definitely interested in how this thing winds up.
 
very cool!

Thanks! And I'll have Trent's tutorial and your V2 paint thread open very soon...

Being that the actual V2 is in a private collection, the one seen in Battlefront, I think, was based off of an early prototype of the hilt from either Icons or MR that was lying around in the archives.

Though I dislike the RotJ Hero, and despise TFA, I do love me some V2 action and your builds are always fun to watch; I'm definitely interested in how this thing winds up.

Aww, don't hate the TFA! It means well!

But yeah-- good point about the BF render being based on a Icons or MR... they'd have left of the Graflex clamp too. Still and odd choice versus using the hero... not that I mind...

And thank you! I used your V2 build and Roy's blueprints to make sure I was getting my cone and chunk in the right place.
 
Aww, don't hate the TFA! It means well!

Don't get me started...


...I used your V2 build and Roy's blueprints to make sure I was getting my cone and chunk in the right place.

You fool!:lol I hardly know what I'm doing half of the time so mine is off by, like, 2 millimeters and Roy's blueprint puts it square in the middle. I woulda stuck to using @Trooper_trent's or @MCM's builds for the chunk reference because I think they got their sabers bang on the nose.
 
HA! TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!!

Thankfully, again, this things isn't going for screen accuracy anyway so a couple millimeters isn't going to hurt....



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(he said sitting up at night staring at his imperfect creation)
 
Okay-- time to get to details....

Going boldly where many before me have also gone-- I took a hammer and some paint to the booster section and masked everything off for stencils...

v2Tfa_12.jpg


And paint...

v2Tfa_13.jpg


And now a lot of poking and peeling...

v2Tfa_14.jpg


Given that Trent's stencils were designed to fit Dan's V2, and this is not the V2, I had to improvise in a few places as the stencils just plain didn't fit. Thankfully in most cases there were just too tall and trimming the bottom was all I had to do.

We had company show up in the middle of this (an introvert's nightmare) so I was distracted and I actually applied one stencil upside down and didn't realize it until after it came off. Since this isn't a screen-accurate saber anyway I can live with it. It doesn't bother me too much, but I'm sure those of you with screen OCD can see where I went wrong.

Next time Trent offers up the stencils I'll probably buy another set, sand off where I went wrong and re-paint...
 
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And voila!

v2Tfa_15.jpg


For now I'm pretty happy. It's not 100% exact, but it was never going to be.

v2Tfa_16.jpg


I may try to make a little more uniformity between the stencils and the AB tints...

v2Tfa_17.jpg


But for now, there's no doubting what lightsaber it is and whom it belongs to when you see it on my shelf...

v2Tfa_18.jpg


Credit to all the people who did the real work...

saber body by @Anakin Starkiller
clamp by @Romans Empire
clamp band and v2 lever by @roygilsing
clamp card by @slothfurnace
stencils by @Trooper_trent
mystery chunk from @D3adrock
and apologies to whomever sold me the cone knob whose name I forgot because I'm a monster

And thanks also to @PoopaPapaPalps @halliwax and @MCM for their V2 build threads to guide me...
 
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Had you said something, I would've gladly sent you a sq. set screw in an envelope for free. I've got a small stack of them gathering dust.:wacko
 
I can't take credit for it-- a lot of people on here tried it ahead of me-- but it works great for dulling aluminum!
 
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