Tom’s ROTJ Vader MOM saber!

thd9791

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Finally getting to do this one! At least my way. This will be a first for me, testing my stunt saber theory.

To to start I have a real graflex top and socket and a 3 cell bottom machines from another flash unit. It has a 2 cell stamped bottom soldered in.

Now, I started by disassembling the socket. I believe the top two thirds of the socket are still intact and the lower is missing on the real prop. Thankfully the bulb socket just falls apart - I also believe the old stunt rod runs through this very hole. i replaced the long graflex screws with some set screws for now, so the socket parts have a flat bottom.

my other belief is that the screws in the body go right into one of those solid inserts. It will butt up against the socket - leaving some space for the tire valve! I bought a cheap one just as a test and don’t have any leads on any old ones or any good ball catches...
 

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Man, I haven't seen anyone tackle this one in many years!

I think Kurtyboy may have made some ball catches for this, or was it OdiWan72? I can't recall, but I feel like I just saw them in the junkyard the other day.

Can you share any details on how how soldered the 2-cell bottom plate on to the off brand flash?

Nice start, and good luck!

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk
 
Man, I haven't seen anyone tackle this one in many years!

I think Kurtyboy may have made some ball catches for this, or was it OdiWan72? I can't recall, but I feel like I just saw them in the junkyard the other day.

Can you share any details on how how soldered the 2-cell bottom plate on to the off brand flash?

Nice start, and good luck!

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk

thanks!

Marcus is out :(

I got the bottom from a fellow on ebay, and I'm not sure the seller even did it :lol I wish I knew.. looks like the slots were done with a big machine too. (cue the goo goo dolls song)

This started when I found the correct black oxide screws at an antique store and thought.... :devil
 
The option I used for my build (whenever I actually get the chance to work on it that is) is a Graflex 4-cell tube that's been cut down.

The advantage to this was that a) it's still a vintage Graflex tube, and b) since in all of the reference pictures we have there doesn't appear to be any stamping in the MOM, it satisfies that condition....
 
I still need a shroud, an emmiter piece and the glass eye replacement bit to finish mine....

Oh and to drill those holes.

Which I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend a drill press and cradle. I tried a practice run hand drilling into a sink tube and on hole 4 it jumped and I completely screwed it up.

When I did my actual, I used a drill press. And countersinking looks a lot better as well.

I love the MOM saber.
 
I still need a shroud, an emmiter piece and the glass eye replacement bit to finish mine....

Oh and to drill those holes.

Which I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend a drill press and cradle. I tried a practice run hand drilling into a sink tube and on hole 4 it jumped and I completely screwed it up.

When I did my actual, I used a drill press. And countersinking looks a lot better as well.

I love the MOM saber.

yes! I have a V block, which I think is a cradle. I use it to drill all my T track with a decent drill press from harbor freight :lol

Im starting to like it too - my tire valve is a stand in - I have to like grind down the threads and cut it short to fit in the half-cone area
 
I started collecting parts to build one of these some time ago. I've had zero luck trying to find an accurate ball catch. I've also been trying to think of a way to make or source the block on the clamp. I think for the band of the clamp I'm just planning to use a piece of metal conduit cut down and split on one side. The only other parts I've struggled with is inside of the emitter and the part that is attached just about the shroud(although that one doesn't look that hard to make from scratch).
 
Me as well. I spent hours today looking at ball catches and circuit breakers with a lot of close leads but nothing to show for it..

so so I worked on what I could. Dropped the empty graflex in the freezer for an hour, then twisted and pulled out the beer tab and rivet! I guess the brass shrunk

next I pushed the bunny ear tabs in with a needle nose plier set and then finished them off using vice grips. Got that trick from edraven or neorutty, just presser the pliers closed very slowly.

now that the tube was smooth I printed out that old template and taped it on for kicks. Still waiting on my Aluminum insert.

I then took a hacksaw and hand files to my tire valve. Considering the insert was in place before the valve, and the rod still has to pass through the socket (in red) I cut it to an eyeballed length and thinned the diameter. I then filed that flat edge we see in pics, and this will help it sit flush with the insert.

thinking here...with the insert screwed to the tube, and the upper socket part screwed to the tube, I won’t have to glue the socket pieces together, they’ll just be sandwiched.
 

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I think I'll have another go at flattening the valve now that I have a disc sander. It just wasn't working with a hand file!

The ball catches were new old stock and all sold out now sadly, and I haven't been able to find any since.
 
I think I'll have another go at flattening the valve now that I have a disc sander. It just wasn't working with a hand file!

The ball catches were new old stock and all sold out now sadly, and I haven't been able to find any since.

thanks for trying!

I recommend dropping a little WD-40 into the mix, it helped the filing go a lot quicker. I actually accidentally sprayed my workbench, and my cup of coffee first!

- - - Updated - - -

I didn't drink it.
 
Hey Tom, a word of caution before you drill those holes for them vintage screws ... use a slightly smaller drillbit than the diameter of the screws ... otherwise the occuring oval brass shape will become quite apparent when you add those screws lateron ... see my own G R A F L E X top which came pre-drilled :





It still bugs me after all those years I purchased this DV-6 ... I was hoping to find slightly larger screws than 12mm in diameter say 13 or 14 mm before finishing mine ... sofar no luck and I don't have equipment to make larger screws smaller in width either :wacko

Chaïm
 
Hey Tom, a word of caution before you drill those holes for them vintage screws ... use a slightly smaller drillbit than the diameter of the screws ... otherwise the occuring oval brass shape will become quite apparent when you add those screws lateron ... see my own G R A F L E X top which came pre-drilled :

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz258/Sym-Cha/DV-6A_zpsbjnbouo9.jpg~original

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz258/Sym-Cha/DV-6B_zpsqiagzy8d.jpg~original

It still bugs me after all those years I purchased this DV-6 ... I was hoping to find slightly larger screws than 12mm in diameter say 13 or 14 mm before finishing mine ... sofar no luck and I don't have equipment to make larger screws smaller in width either :wacko

Chaïm

ooh good call thank you! I... since I’m using solid material I don’t think I’ll be drilling wider than the threads. My countersinking bit will do most of the work. I’ll keep checking though, little by little.
 


As you can see the original drilled holes are a bit oval too, just not so extreem as mine were :wacko

What's the width (in millimeters) of your vintage black screws that you found?

Chaïm
 
Here we go. Got to test my theory! Yes my holes are oval, and some are jagged, and some screws went in crooked or too deep, but this was my first time, first I’ve seen anyone use solid stock and most props are beat up anyways haha

tapped the end for a 3/8 16 bolt, cut down. And all the screws are 1/4 20, countersunk the best I could in a harbor freight drill press. Got a fender washer for the emitter, cut the tire valve down some more and I had to glue a screw in for the graflex bulb socket screw. No idea what used to be there, must have dropped it!
 

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I’m pretty sure the “tyre valve” was a valve from scuba equipment? Marcus may be able to confirm?.
fdc98aea7f62e4e9f63a00c0f62b7661.jpg



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I’m pretty sure the “tyre valve” was a valve from scuba equipment? Marcus may be able to confirm?.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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
 
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