New Luke ROTJ hero lightsaber model-Check out pics

[thd9791]

Gold and blue cards do exist, though they're rare it seems

That would make it all uniform, different sources of gold or brass for the neck, card and rails

I'll also submit Vadermania's photo for tarnish reference. I altered the color levels to get it a little unsaturated. As for the ROTJ Hero rail... it may look orange, but the shared stunt's neck IS copper colored. The shared stunt's gold taped card reflects as black too, hard to explain

 

[thd9791]

Also, here are some pics someone on the rpf took recently!
Return of the Jedi Luke MOM saber in London exhibit 2017

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

This pic is good for assessing scale. If we go by the casts that are out there or the MR saber as reference, we're really making undersized sabers

 

[Dann]

You're right, even though the Hero is in the foreground, it's definitely looking a little bit larger than I originally thought, and I've looked at that photo a billion times!

 

[kurtyboy]

Yes, in the close up shot in the film those are brass rails, but the "MOM" control box has a different rail setup and those still look like copper to me, even in Vadermania and Thomas Newton's pictures.

I never doubted that the rails were brass (with patina). In the actual shot seen in the film, they definitely have a brassy look.

I know a lot of people like having real copper necks and rails on their replicas, which gives them a cleaner and more consistent look, but the actual screenused prop clearly had a copper-painted aluminum neck and brass rails.

 

[Dann]

Only difference is the grey ABS rails under the "brass" ones, for the gag in the cave scene.

 

[thd9791]

the rails do look hot orange now. I don't think copper tarnishes that way, idk what happened to it in the 80s!

 

[Dann]

Took these pics tonight. Only settings I messed with were upping the exposure, sightly reducing shadows and sharpening just a little.

These are brass rails I made. The card is bare copper traces, and Tamiya flat blue in between. Notice how in this light the blue looks greenish, just like the real prop.

 

[Halliwax]

Looks great dann!

 

[Shingouki28]

Dann, that's an absolute beaut of a saber!

 

[Dann]

Thanks y'all, it's my old Rylo hilt, but I made some changes over the years.

I adjusted some proportions in the emitter, made a few of the grip rings a little thinner on the lathe, and obviously swapped out the old copper box cover/card and grey spacer for the new rails (grey and brass) and card I made.

It'll be retired when Dan does his next Hero run.

I was really just trying to show how brass can look a little like copper once it's been aged.

 

[thd9791]

What size brass rails are those again? I really like the dimensions - its hard to explain but this box can easily become too big if it's off by a mm or two when people make it, and I think your set-up looks almost exactly like the screen used box.

Your card there almost looks yellow, and i know its the exposed copper, so I'm having a metaphysical crisis

I think there are a few basic lightsaber finishing questions in Star Wars that could probably be easily answered in a perfect world:

1) The Obi Wan Stunt black/grey/brown finish that could even have been laquer to withstand such abuse

2) The decisions on the Luke ROTJ Neck, box and rails - the neck is not a metallic paint it seems

3) insert next problem we've run across

Does anyone know why Norank (sp?) Engineering was brought in to make this piece? Star Wars weas certainly able to fabricate lots of metal pieces on their own. I understand the Yuma swinger stunt came first, so were they brought in to make that for strength engineering purposes (abuse?) or were thy brought in to make it light up for the pick-up shot? Also, does anyone know if the batteries for that were put inside the saber body?

 

[Dann]

That's a good question about the batteries! I've wondered that, myself, and never thought to ask.

I don't think I've ever seen that discussed, but it'd be nice to know.

To answer your question, these rails were made from rectangular tubing, I'll have to check which size I used. They take a bit of work to make, but they have a sharper corner than the regular brass angle stock from K&S. Lemme take a look and get back to you.

Also, thanks for the compliments! My control box is too short, though, (see how the triangle LEDs are more or less touching the bottom edge of the grey rails? There should be a little more height to the aluminum box right there) and it doesn't have the little chamfer at the bottom edge. I didn't make the box itself, it's an old Rylo hilt. I've been wanting to upgrade the box, but I suppose I'll just wait for Dan's run.

 

[thd9791]

haha, I should clarify, I meant the ratio of the two sets of rails you've made. I did notice the aluminum box's differences

I think I'll start a new thread to not detract from Anakin Starkiller's discussion of his model

 

[Goodie2325]

So jealous of such an accurate Hero hilt. Amazing work!

 

[BRRogers]

I'm working on revising my Luke ROTJ hero model.

My old one is still the most accurate out there, I think. But, with today's technology, I think we can get just a little more bang on accurate.

Any hint or prayer of an update or ETA? FX capable? Would love to see an accurate control box reveal that could also function :3

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

This is a very old thread that should be left to die.

I have sent my new models to Roy. Once he has gotten the chance to do his comparison magic with the archives photos we have, I'll be starting a new design thread and chronicling this build on my (soon to be open) website.

 

[Goodie2325]

Thanks for the update!

 

[Dann]

Sorry Dan, for keeping this thread alive. It sorta became a general discussion thread for the hero prop.

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

Fair enough

Roy has my new 3d model and will be doing some comparisons for me again soon. Then I plan to start a new design thread to get the most accurate hero model to date, as we did with the v2