Yoda VD lightsaber discussion

Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

I was about to just scratch build one...hang on--Ed just answered.....

Okay.
Ed said that after he built the saber from the flash, he handed it over to Steve to add the greeblies.
He stated that Steve grabbed a bunch of parts laying in a box, and that he doubts even Steve knows the exact kit that oilpan came from.

So, no kits were harmed in the construction of the Yoda saber...lol. And the greeblies came out of a scrap parts box.
This is info straight from the fine gent that created that masterpiece, so this infi is accurate.

I greatly appreciate Ed's help!

Now--it's back to us....looking at oilpans again....lol.

BTW--Ed seems like a pretty cool chap. Not only did he help us out on this, but rather quickly. He even mentioned that he was aware of this discussion--THANKS, Chris!!!

Ed also offered to email me some closeups of the oilpan.
I've already sent the email. I'll post whatever shots he sends.

Ed--if you see this.....THANKS from all of us!
Your help is greatly appreciated.


Cool! great reserch man. Lets wait and see
 
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Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

Hi Guys!!!!
Sorry for the delay in chiming in on this conversation. Chris had emailed me and advised me of the discussion but Holiday stuff kept me a bit busy.
I'm sorry to say that both the oilpan and hubcap were, in fact, Steve's contribution to the Yoda sabre. He had also added white double stick foam tape to act as grips but I removed and replaced those with the rubber grips you now see.
I'll dig up some pics and "Behind the scenes" info you guys probobly don't know.....stay tuned.
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

Hi Guys!!!!
Sorry for the delay in chiming in on this conversation. Chris had emailed me and advised me of the discussion but Holiday stuff kept me a bit busy.
I'm sorry to say that both the oilpan and hubcap were, in fact, Steve's contribution to the Yoda sabre. He had also added white double stick foam tape to act as grips but I removed and replaced those with the rubber grips you now see.
I'll dig up some pics and "Behind the scenes" info you guys probobly don't know.....stay tuned.

And there you have it, fellas--right from THE MAN.

Thanks, Ed--really appreciate your help on this.
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

I just got a reply from Steve.

He DID use the oilpan from that Monogram 1:12 '67 Vette.
He said he sanded the lower portion to match the contour of the flash.

He said he had that exact kit laying around, and even sent me a picture of the box--same one!

In short, go ahead and call the Monogram 1:12 1967 3-in-1 Corvette the authentic kit used.
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

So he has added to it then... not just sanded, but added that curve. When I tried to replicate it, I just grabbed a pen lid and shaved it in half... I knew that wasn't quite right, but seemed easiest, as it was something on hand.

Is there another piece in that kit with the shape of the curved part running the length (don't know what to call that) he may have glued in place?

Have you asked him specifically about that part? Cuz that is the most confusing...

I just got a reply from Steve.

He DID use the oilpan from that Monogram 1:12 '67 Vette.
He said he sanded the lower portion to match the contour of the flash.

He said he had that exact kit laying around, and even sent me a picture of the box--same one!

In short, go ahead and call the Monogram 1:12 1967 3-in-1 Corvette the authentic kit used.
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

No--he sanded the TOP of the lower shelf of the oilpan to give it that curve.

He also sanded the bottom of the whole thing to radius it to contour the flash. I guess my wording was confusing there--sorry.

Gotta sand that top part to give it the curve.
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

Dont get it, the kit pieces are hollow, haw can you change the shape so much? and the shape of the top part is diferent to, its shorter with the added detail, thats why many people thought it was an smaller scale, but i think the curve on the top is an add on
its so heavily modified, that now im considering scratch building and save some money

No--he sanded the TOP of the lower shelf of the oilpan to give it that curve.

He also sanded the bottom of the whole thing to radius it to contour the flash. I guess my wording was confusing there--sorry.

Gotta sand that top part to give it the curve.
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

And this is the box, right?
Monogram%202801%201-12Vette.JPG
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

A long time ago. In a Galaxy far, far away….

Several years ago when hunting down Graflex flashguns to convert to Lightsabers I ran across an ad in a “Camera Shop” newspaper that was offering a box of various flashguns.
The seller listed several models that were in the box including a few Graflex and Heiland flashguns.

I called the phone number and asked how many were in the box and expressed my desire to purchase them. The person who answered the phone was the wife of the seller who stated that he wasn’t home but would let him know when he returned. I politely asked he call me and left my phone number with his wife.

Unknown to me was that a good friend of mine had also called after I did but the lady told him that they were already spoken for.

I got the call later that evening and we settled on a price and I mailed off a check for the box. I also told him that I was interested in more of the either the Graflex or Heiland flashguns. He told me that he often frequented camera shows and would let me know if he ran across more of them.

We kept in touch for some afterwards and he did obtain a few more for me. He even sent me a newspaper article (which I still have but need to find) that a local newspaper had written about him. It seems that he was a VERY famous photographer and had taken some VERY important photos of actors and political figures during his career.

I wonder what photos were taken using what we now know as the Yoda Lightsaber???

Anyway…the box arrived and there were several of the desired flashguns and their accessories.

That weekend, Steve stopped by and I told him about my “find” As he sat on my couch I started pulling out the various flashguns stating “Look…Luke’s Lightsaber, Another Luke, another one, Darth Vader’s Lightsaber, another, another and then I pulled out the diminutive flashgun and said (as a joke)…”and look, YODA’s Lightsaber!!!

After awhile, as we were going through all the stuff in the box I got the idea that it would be fun to really convert the little flashgun into a Yoda Lightsaber. I started to dismantle and experiment with the configuration. I asked Steve to take it home and go through his bottomless boxes of parts and see if he could add a couple of things to it. Steve thought it was a silly idea but finally agreed to do it (probably to shut me up).

About a week or so later he came back and handed it back saying “Here’s your stupid Lightsaber” He had added some parts to the unit such as the hubcap as the “Emitter” and the oilpan “Activator Box” I believe he also added the nut and used a white double stick foam tape for the grips. I wasn’t happy with that look and removed and replaced them with black foam grips.

Some time prior to this I had met and became friends with Captain Dr. David West Reynolds at the WONDERFEST model show in Kentucky. He had a table set up next to ours where my partners and I sold Resin Model kits under the name NECRO-NOMI CONCEPTS. David was a great guy and we frequently wrote one another for years.
Being an Archeologist and a fanatical Indiana Jones & Star Wars fan I gifted him an Indiana Jones MKVII bag which he carried along to his Archeologival digs.

At one point he called and told me he was then employed by Lucasfilm and was in the process of writing The Visual Dictionary for the Star Wars film…a dream come true for him!!!

We often exchanged photographs and one time I sent him a couple of photos of the Yoda Lightsaber project….which he thought was great!

Several months later I got a phone call from David saying that he was in the process of putting together the book and was at the section about Yoda but felt that something was missing. He asked “Do you still have that Yoda Lightsaber you sent me photos of?”
I told him I did and he then asked if I could mail it to him to have it photographed for the upcoming book and that in return he would mention my name in the credits. I told him that Steve had made some contributions to the final look of the prop and asked his name also be included. David agreed (although Steve’s last name was mistakenly printed as Cymszo in the credits)

What I found out later was that the prop was also scanned as reference and was to be used in the film!!! I was in heaven!! It would officially become part of the Star Wars Universe.

Many things happened after that that I won’t get into but I had to sign a waiver sent to me by Andrea Lake Myer releasing the rights to the Lightsaber to Lucasfilm.

The rest, as they say, is history. I hope you enjoyed a little of the insight as to how the Yoda Lightsaber come into being.

I still have it in my cabinet at home and it’s a really weird feeling to see it in magazines, films, toys, etc.

I have seen several of my fellow RPF members make their own versions and, as you all are now doing, researching the parts to duplicate it as close as possible to the “Stupid Lightsaber” we made for fun.

I look forward to seeing all your replicas. The RPF is the coolest website for props on the internet fueled only by the creativity of its members

All the best,
Ed Maggiani
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

Thanks for the story.
An is there any chance we can convince you to make a small run of the oilpan cast from the original? if not, no problem, thanks again

A long time ago. In a Galaxy far, far away….

Several years ago when hunting down Graflex flashguns to convert to Lightsabers I ran across an ad in a “Camera Shop” newspaper that was offering a box of various flashguns.
The seller listed several models that were in the box including a few Graflex and Heiland flashguns.

I called the phone number and asked how many were in the box and expressed my desire to purchase them. The person who answered the phone was the wife of the seller who stated that he wasn’t home but would let him know when he returned. I politely asked he call me and left my phone number with his wife.

Unknown to me was that a good friend of mine had also called after I did but the lady told him that they were already spoken for.

I got the call later that evening and we settled on a price and I mailed off a check for the box. I also told him that I was interested in more of the either the Graflex or Heiland flashguns. He told me that he often frequented camera shows and would let me know if he ran across more of them.

We kept in touch for some afterwards and he did obtain a few more for me. He even sent me a newspaper article (which I still have but need to find) that a local newspaper had written about him. It seems that he was a VERY famous photographer and had taken some VERY important photos of actors and political figures during his career.

I wonder what photos were taken using what we now know as the Yoda Lightsaber???

Anyway…the box arrived and there were several of the desired flashguns and their accessories.

That weekend, Steve stopped by and I told him about my “find” As he sat on my couch I started pulling out the various flashguns stating “Look…Luke’s Lightsaber, Another Luke, another one, Darth Vader’s Lightsaber, another, another and then I pulled out the diminutive flashgun and said (as a joke)…”and look, YODA’s Lightsaber!!!

After awhile, as we were going through all the stuff in the box I got the idea that it would be fun to really convert the little flashgun into a Yoda Lightsaber. I started to dismantle and experiment with the configuration. I asked Steve to take it home and go through his bottomless boxes of parts and see if he could add a couple of things to it. Steve thought it was a silly idea but finally agreed to do it (probably to shut me up).

About a week or so later he came back and handed it back saying “Here’s your stupid Lightsaber” He had added some parts to the unit such as the hubcap as the “Emitter” and the oilpan “Activator Box” I believe he also added the nut and used a white double stick foam tape for the grips. I wasn’t happy with that look and removed and replaced them with black foam grips.

Some time prior to this I had met and became friends with Captain Dr. David West Reynolds at the WONDERFEST model show in Kentucky. He had a table set up next to ours where my partners and I sold Resin Model kits under the name NECRO-NOMI CONCEPTS. David was a great guy and we frequently wrote one another for years.
Being an Archeologist and a fanatical Indiana Jones & Star Wars fan I gifted him an Indiana Jones MKVII bag which he carried along to his Archeologival digs.

At one point he called and told me he was then employed by Lucasfilm and was in the process of writing The Visual Dictionary for the Star Wars film…a dream come true for him!!!

We often exchanged photographs and one time I sent him a couple of photos of the Yoda Lightsaber project….which he thought was great!

Several months later I got a phone call from David saying that he was in the process of putting together the book and was at the section about Yoda but felt that something was missing. He asked “Do you still have that Yoda Lightsaber you sent me photos of?”
I told him I did and he then asked if I could mail it to him to have it photographed for the upcoming book and that in return he would mention my name in the credits. I told him that Steve had made some contributions to the final look of the prop and asked his name also be included. David agreed (although Steve’s last name was mistakenly printed as Cymszo in the credits)

What I found out later was that the prop was also scanned as reference and was to be used in the film!!! I was in heaven!! It would officially become part of the Star Wars Universe.

Many things happened after that that I won’t get into but I had to sign a waiver sent to me by Andrea Lake Myer releasing the rights to the Lightsaber to Lucasfilm.

The rest, as they say, is history. I hope you enjoyed a little of the insight as to how the Yoda Lightsaber come into being.

I still have it in my cabinet at home and it’s a really weird feeling to see it in magazines, films, toys, etc.

I have seen several of my fellow RPF members make their own versions and, as you all are now doing, researching the parts to duplicate it as close as possible to the “Stupid Lightsaber” we made for fun.

I look forward to seeing all your replicas. The RPF is the coolest website for props on the internet fueled only by the creativity of its members

All the best,
Ed Maggiani
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

Sorry, not interested in doing that. However, Steve did make a mold of it some years back.......
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

Thanks, Ed--great story!
I'll be posting "those pics" tonight ;)

As far as the oilpan--Ed has the saber under glass now.

- - - Updated - - -

Look at the bottom.
Steve apparently filled it and made it taller. That would also allow for sanding the curve.

I'm still scratch - building mine.
No point dropping $60+ for an oilpan.

Dont get it, the kit pieces are hollow, haw can you change the shape so much? and the shape of the top part is diferent to, its shorter with the added detail, thats why many people thought it was an smaller scale, but i think the curve on the top is an add on
its so heavily modified, that now im considering scratch building and save some money
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

Thanks Ed, a nice read indeed ... and from another earlier Yoda lightsaber thread posted by corliss1 came this picture of that monogram '67 Corvette Coupe :



here is the oilpan more clearly visible :



it's a far cry from the oilpan, which size is this by the way? ... is seen in this picture :



Also Steve talked about and I quote : 'Oil sump pan from a 1/12 scale Monogram 1967 Corvette' ... so is there another model kit instead of the Coupe?

Chaim
 
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Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

Yep.
I bet Steve cut that drive shaft half off and stuck it to the top.
The dimensions are about right, and would account for the heightened curve.
BTW--I think we're beyond splitting hairs now.....
 
Re: Yoda VD lightsaber question

... well that particular oilpan still lacks the extra BUMP on the back and 'droplet' on top though.



Again I mention ... Steve talked about and I quote : 'Oil sump pan from a 1/12 scale Monogram 1967 Corvette' ... so is there another model kit instead of that Coupe with a detached seperate oilpan perhaps?

Chaim
 

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