ANH Han Solo Belt Disk

phillbarron

Active Member
So, I was idly looking for vintage relays and anything else which might have some kind of white electrical box type thing in it when I somehow started looking at vintage electric cigar lighters.

As you do.

And I found these ...

images (1).jpeg1348724-1.jpeg3e5b16458ae7f982ad204aef0474b4c2--cigar-lighters-cigars.jpgs-l300 (1).jpg

Which, to me, look surprisingly familiar. I know none of these is the exact one, but is anyone else seeing the belt disk greeblie?
 
Certainly is good for thought.

Theres been several different proposals over the years, my favourite being a ‘tobacco’ grinder, which often has a different use for a certain herb...

my guess is it was either a machined component, judging by its seeming ‘newness’ and ease of manufacturability. It’d take someone on a lathe and mill all of 30 mins to machine that up. I can imagine the department being ‘we need somemore ‘bits’ on there. Send it to Dave to see what he has and can do’

just my two cents
 
Certainly is good for thought.

Theres been several different proposals over the years, my favourite being a ‘tobacco’ grinder, which often has a different use for a certain herb...

my guess is it was either a machined component, judging by its seeming ‘newness’ and ease of manufacturability. It’d take someone on a lathe and mill all of 30 mins to machine that up. I can imagine the department being ‘we need somemore ‘bits’ on there. Send it to Dave to see what he has and can do’

just my two cents

I saw the bud buster one, but that didn't look right to me. The metal seems too thick and the indents on those are teeth on the flip side, whereas the disk on Han's belt seems to have holes in it.

Also, in the close up photos of the ROTJ costume on display there's a split across the centre of the disk. I'm not sure metal splits like that. I don't know, mind you, it's not something I'm an expert on, but it just looks too brittle - almost as if it's plastic sprayed silver.

That's assuming the belt displayed as screen used actually was in any of the films at all. I get the impression they sometimes knock up multiple ones for travelling display/museum purposes.
 
I saw the bud buster one, but that didn't look right to me. The metal seems too thick and the indents on those are teeth on the flip side, whereas the disk on Han's belt seems to have holes in it.

Also, in the close up photos of the ROTJ costume on display there's a split across the centre of the disk. I'm not sure metal splits like that. I don't know, mind you, it's not something I'm an expert on, but it just looks too brittle - almost as if it's plastic sprayed silver.

That's assuming the belt displayed as screen used actually was in any of the films at all. I get the impression they sometimes knock up multiple ones for travelling display/museum purposes.

That split could be a massive scratch/dent, OR thin metal snapping. Its certainly possible for metal to fail this way, though do admit its hard to do.

Alternatively, might not be a split at all! just a cut.

If we look at the material, it looks to be some sort of Aluminium. However it could also be nickle plated brass or such. This info puts it into several possible categories of items, including old lighters as you say above. However, im not sure they give the depth were looking for? Its such an obscure part, it could be anything!

J
 
Its such an obscure part, it could be anything!

True. Just this week I've gone from thinking it's a template from a spaghetti maker to a microphone from an old radio/telephone to a wheel from a model car (larger back wheel for ANH, smaller front wheel for ESB/ROTJ) to a cigar igniter. This thread is a good example of why I should't be allowed near a computer when I'm tired.
 
I have both a speaker, and a light meter and I can't decide which is better for ANH. The speaker definitely for RotJ though.

Custom machibed for ANH? Not likely. ESB/Rot? Possibly.
 
I have both a speaker, and a light meter and I can't decide which is better for ANH. The speaker definitely for RotJ though.

Custom machibed for ANH? Not likely. ESB/Rot? Possibly.

Don't see why it couldn't have been machined. There is evidence they machined things, some of which had multiple operations (see V2). The operations suggest they had machinery and attachments to mill or drill radial cuts, so to make one of these wouldn't take long at all. Wouldn't surprise me if someone was asked to whip something quickly up.
 
I have both a speaker, and a light meter and I can't decide which is better for ANH. The speaker definitely for RotJ though.

Custom machibed for ANH? Not likely. ESB/Rot? Possibly.

Have you got any photos of those? Curious to see what you've you've found.

Looks like a carbon granule microphone for the 746 series Post Office telephones common in the '70s

That was my first assumption why I saw it, but I couldn't find one which matched. Most of the ones I saw tended to be convex or had no raised ring/lip around them.

I thought it might be an aeroplane one perhaps?

Don't see why it couldn't have been machined. There is evidence they machined things, some of which had multiple operations (see V2). The operations suggest they had machinery and attachments to mill or drill radial cuts, so to make one of these wouldn't take long at all. Wouldn't surprise me if someone was asked to whip something quickly up.

It's not impossible, but since it doesn't fulfil a function in the films and could therefore have been any shape it seems more likely they'd just have grabbed something handy and slapped it on.

For ESB on they needed to replicate the shape so may well have custom machined it.

That's just me speculating about the inner workings of someone's mind 40 years ago though.

- - - Updated - - -

I also thought it might be a socket for a breeze plug.
 
It could also be that something they used, fell off, was damaged etc and someone was asked to quickly make something up. I don't think its a stretch to say it was machined.
 
Don't see why it couldn't have been machined. There is evidence they machined things, some of which had multiple operations (see V2). The operations suggest they had machinery and attachments to mill or drill radial cuts, so to make one of these wouldn't take long at all. Wouldn't surprise me if someone was asked to whip something quickly up.
No way would they have spent time to machine something like that for ANH.

And as far as the V2 goes, pretty sure they turned the shape on a wood lathe, made a mold and cast it in aluminum along with the Shared Stunt (V3). I'm not sure about the pommel cubes (if someone knows for sure I'd really like to know this), it's possible a mill was used in conjunction with a rotary table (ala the Hero), but things were a little sloppy for ANH, so whatever was fastest and cheapest was done more often than what looks pretty.

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No way would they have spent time to machine something like that for ANH.

And as far as the V2 goes, pretty sure they turned the shape on a wood lathe, made a mold and cast it in aluminum along with the Shared Stunt (V3). I'm not sure about the pommel cubes (if someone knows for sure I'd really like to know this), it's possible a mill was used in conjunction with a rotary table (ala the Hero), but things were a little sloppy for ANH, so whatever was fastest and cheapest was done more often than what looks pretty.

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I don’t see any reason to rule it out.

Very surprised if they turned the shape on a wood lathe, Made a mold and cast it. Having experience in engineering practices, this would have cost a hell of a lot more than machinist time and required more tools and equipment (and skill), especially with the complex motor system and bored internals. I completely understand the fastest and cheapest metho, so probably is that there were purchased components, but machining wouldn’t take long or cost much. Nothing about that disk is complex at all or has any time consuming cuts. Pretty sure pinewood would have had a shop also for metal work, and if they went to all the effort to fabricate buckles, then this disk doesn’t seem unlikely either. I feel jumping and saying it was definitely not machined is a bit hasty.

I know they did it for the V3, but that was a whole different board game.

That chunk missing does suggest however a non-metallic material. Perhaps wood? That could splinter off like that. Or a resin?
 
Had a quick look at the Lightsaber guide and it seems to suggest the Shared Stunts were cast. Didn’t know that about the V2 (only V3)! Surprised there arent more imperfections however. Even after post processing there are some imperfections.

Anyway, I still think there’s a possibility that it was machined. Heck, if they went to the trouble to cast Aluminium, machine it down to a nice finish and then mill the pommels on an indexible head, a small circular coin looking thing wouldn’t be beyond them.
 
That's not what we're saying. Sure, they may have been capable of machining that little greeblie, but a little belt disc detail part isn't a front and center Hero prop like a lightsaber hilt. The folks who built the props would not have taken the time to setup a machine to make a part that insignificant.


And about the V2 and 3, I meant to say turned from wood, not necessarily on a "wood lathe". Isn't there a picture somewhere of the wooden master used to make the mold, alongside the mold itself?
 
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That's not what we're saying. Sure, they may have been capable of machining that little greeblie, but a little belt disc detail part isn't a front and center Hero prop like a lightsaber hilt. The folks who built the props would not have taken the time to setup a machine to make a part that insignificant.


And about the V2 and 3, I meant to say turned from wood, not necessarily on a "wood lathe". Isn't there a picture somewhere of the wooden master used to make the mold, alongside the mold itself?

Im still not 100% convinced. Going to the effort to fabricate all the buckles and such its certainly not beyond them.

V2 and V3 yeah apparently it was a wooden master, cast and then cleaned up, which does surprise me, but who knows!
 
That's not what we're saying. Sure, they may have been capable of machining that little greeblie, but a little belt disc detail part isn't a front and center Hero prop like a lightsaber hilt. The folks who built the props would not have taken the time to setup a machine to make a part that insignificant.

Hmm, not sure. It would have been maybe 10 minutes for them to make one - remember, many of the time consuming stuff we do when making replicas is due to the fact that we want them the same as the original (as possible).
Something the makers had no need for. Maybe one came into the shop, showing one of the above mentioned parts, saying "i like the look. It´s just easy bendeable stamped thin sheet metal and i need it more sturdy to bolt it to the belt, please make me something". They just could have chucked a piece of alu, eyeballed the dimensions, and 10 minutes later the job was done.
 
Someone say V2?!?!

5ca997c6a85d01332aba37727414ddc4.jpg


From our understanding today the v2 and v3 are sisters from the same mold

The v2 being built first had much more clean up time on the lathe and mill

And even then when you examine it closely it is very scary machine work..

The v3 on the other hand is so poorly machined it’s no wonder it was never seen in ANH.. I am willing to bet it was not used because they couldnt fit the same electric motor inside it like the V2..

When casting the v3, the mold shifted, probably because they were in a rush, and you can see a huge seam line in it, especially in the ring section


The pommels were cleaned up on the lathe then milled on a end mill with a rotoray table mounted 90*. You can still see milling marks on both boosters today

The V2’s pommel cubes are sketchy.. but look at the V3’s they pretty much didn’t give a sh%t about it, some big some small, nothing even close to being symmetrical, total rush job

Even the ring above the cubes on the v3 is so out of whack it’s like they had it in the chuck of the lathe not even anywhere close to being centered. Which is probably the most time consuming part of machining. “True-ing” everything

this proves to me it was a “yo Gary, these two laser swords need to be done tomorrow, this one is almost finish (v2) , go bang out another one”

Now that I’ve completely highjacked this thread, there was a lot of other greeblies machined for the film

Imperial officer cap buttons, the pocket tools for the jumpsuits

And 6 100% aluminum r2d2’s that we’re all 100% machined from scratch.. with rumors of costing 30,000 a piece..

A lot of r2d2 leg parts can be seen through out the film, especially inside the Xwings

Heck even Vader’s chest box has machined parts on it(though I’m no expert But remember reading it could have been record player parts?! Idk)

C3po’s arms in ANH were also 100% aluminum and built from scratch.. along with all of his greeblies on the suit

I can see them banging out this Han Solo belt greeblie in 30 mins, no problem


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Completely forgot about all the cap buttons, pocket tools, R2D2 bits, Vader etc etc!

and Re-V2, The must have done ALOT of work on it to make it clean up nice, allow the spinning head (would probably involve a lot of slicing, boring and cleaning up alone, most likely to show more imperfections from casting and horrendously weaken it internally, surprised if it was used as a fighting saber it survived!).

Want to keep the thread clean however so ill end my input here on the V2.

SOOOOO.... Back to this little disk, think my general stance is: Could be a found part, could be machined, who the hell knows...
 
Could be a found part, could be machined, who the hell knows... [/QUOTE]

Lol that seems to be my out look on every Star Wars prop!! Lol



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