ROTJ Darth Vader Graflex Stunt (MoM)(a.k.a. DV6) – by WannaWanga

I think the funny thing is, just like the moon, we probably can date different weathering on this saber. The parallel lines are probably from a rough vise while drilling, for example.

On the moon you can date craters by how they overlap eachother, I should clarify
 
I think the funny thing is, just like the moon, we probably can date different weathering on this saber. The parallel lines are probably from a rough vise while drilling, for example.

On the moon you can date craters by how they overlap eachother, I should clarify
gosh, I just noticed this,
those paralell lines are very visible in one spot on that nice ref, and I think I have seen many people reproduce them that way:
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however, I just noticed that they are on both side on the whole length of the upper graflex!
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so yes, most probably some kind of vice, and they are catching the light more or less depending on the photos, but they are there on the whole length!

thank you for bringing those to attention and making me check :)
 
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I still need the guts I ordered the other day from Roman however, I’ve taken this as far as I could for now. I shot a dull clear coat over it and I think it worked out just fine. Some more messing with the finish still awaits after I get the bulb holder in with the last remaining pieces
 
Anywho... had some thoughts on the Vader mom control box, and am looking for previous discussion on what it could be...

Anyone know what thread that was in? not seeing it in my searching....
I won't mind if you post your thoughts here! Curious what you have to say.
All I know is that it might be a fuse box, nobody ever found it as far as I know.
 
Dude please share! In the past 3 years I’ve explored 5 different industries and gotten very close but no cigar. I do have a thread I started specifically to discuss this part, but that was some time ago. I’m okay doing it here too.

The Barbican/Energizer part and the Luke/Vader part are related, I’m sure. The access holes look a LOT like wire access for Ex MOD aircraft switches. However, the actual shape looks like a fuse holder or a terminal block. I can’t tell what was on top before they drilled the countersinks for the screws.

I’ve also looked through SCR Thyristors, re-wireable plugs, ceramic fuse carriers and microswitches. Although, not having any through hole mounts or anything, that last one seems like a bust.

I did buy a 5CW series toggle switch with almost identical access holes.
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Compared to Roy’s model
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Then I picked up an aircraft breaker too.

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Weird right. Well I also have a cast of the energizer saber, and after talking to Don Bies I guess he molded this part directly from the Barbican since they brought it to set for a bladed version on the commercial. I made a styrene version of that part from scratch and molded it.

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Not the most detailed but generally this is it. The holes on the original part are oblong I think because they were drilled crooked. I think the corners of some of the walls on the original are rounded too, I missed that, styrene is only so forgiving lol
 
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Yeah, but this is all pretty much exactly what I thought was going on with previous investigations/hunts…

sorry to disappoint!

I wanted to find the old thread, cause I was pretty sure toggle switches were covered

I saw a couple toggle switches where the casing behind it looked almost right… especially if there were plating that went around the side and into the front (because one side of that box is different than the other… and the little square indent would be great for folding the little tabs into)

So of course, I started searching for military surplus toggles… in the UK… looking for a two a two screw back piece.

I figured there was no way there’s that many technical people on this form that no one had seen a 70s toggle and not considered that.

So I was looking for the thread because (like has now happened) it would be like jumping into a thread several years back going “ hey guys that emitter at the end of the Obi-Wan saber… what about a sink drain?” Lol
 
Yeah, but this is all pretty much exactly what I thought was going on with previous investigations/hunts…

sorry to disappoint!

I wanted to find the old thread, cause I was pretty sure toggle switches were covered

I saw a couple toggle switches where the casing behind it looked almost right… especially if there were plating that went around the side and into the front (because one side of that box is different than the other… and the little square indent would be great for folding the little tabs into)

So of course, I started searching for military surplus toggles… in the UK… looking for a two a two screw back piece.

I figured there was no way there’s that many technical people on this form that no one had seen a 70s toggle and not considered that.

So I was looking for the thread because (like has now happened) it would be like jumping into a thread several years back going “ hey guys that emitter at the end of the Obi-Wan saber… what about a sink drain?” Lol
Totally get it, sorry for dumping info on you lol

I distinctly remember an older member claiming they’d talked to someone who either held the saber or knew about it and said it was a momentary switch but it wasn’t identified because it was probably grabbed from bins of neat looking parts tossed together in the shop

Or something to that effect. This was on the RPF but I can’t remember when.
 
Totally get it, sorry for dumping info on you lol

I distinctly remember an older member claiming they’d talked to someone who either held the saber or knew about it and said it was a momentary switch but it wasn’t identified because it was probably grabbed from bins of neat looking parts tossed together in the shop

Or something to that effect. This was on the RPF but I can’t remember when.
Naw that's exactly what I was looking for.

When I saw the random toggle's backing - it was so similar I thought "that's gotta be what it is..."

I mean they had full jet's to take apart right next door to shooting! There are SO MANY toggle switches.

Even an old lot of them on Ebay UK looked interesting. I didn't see any matches, but I wanted to buy and just pull apart... cuz looked damn close... like cousins. heh. Use for customs.

But the shipping would have killed me. I'm convinced it's from a toggle. I wish someone would find - it's my all time fave saber.

Still gotta buy some kit pieces off Roy! I have close to all parts for yet another, and want to do a super accurate looking one (I have an ideal... and a hardware version from an old websites instructions)
 
I am ready to tackle this beautiful lightsaber. I have a Romans upper and lower and the gorgeous Wannawanga kit. I ground off the rivets for the beer tab and the side switch. Now I am literally project paralyzed. I am sooo scared to snap the tabs, bending them down. I have reread this entire thead about 10 times and i see many have done it. Thd9791 statement that he has snapped many tabs has me frozen. Because if i snap a tab, my heart will sink and everything will go in a box until I get over it, maybe a year lol. At this point I am going to take thd9791 advice and get them going with needlenose pliers and finish with a vice, slowly. Do i grab them low and try to bend them back on the crease they were bent up on? This seems very risky as that crease is work hardened. I get there is no process that will guarantee it wont snap bit i am asking for any tips, tricks, advice, tutorial, procedure or explination that will help me put my best foot forward while attempting this step. Please and thank you, Ben
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You don’t have to heat it up until it discolors, room temp to discoloration temp has a lot of real estate between them. A few tips would be to do this indoors, not an unheated garage or shop in early springtime with cold tools. If a torch is too aggressive for you use a heat gun, a hair dryer, anything to add some heat. The idea isn’t really heat the metal to make it easier to bend, it’s more to remove the cold which makes the metal brittle.

…and yes it gets painted.
 
Thank you all for your help and input (more welcome). I think I have a plan. The interwebs say that the bend(blue arrow in pic below), has become work hardened. To be able to bend this area again, the material must be softened with an anneal. 800 degrees F min. for brass(but also the brass will still soften some if that temp isn't reached.) We have these tweezers at work that pass current between the tips to heat metal for things like soldering. I am going to put the tabs between the tips and activate to pass the current(green line representation in pic below). With an IR heat gun, I will aim it at the blue arrow area and try to get this to 800 degrees F, hold it for a bit and then let it cool to room temp naturally.(repeat on other tab) The red line, I figure, is my oxidization line. If the oxidation gets too close, I will need to stop. Once they have cooled to room temp, I will use a heat gun to get the tab area warm-hot and start bending the tabs with pliers to greater than 45 degrees and then finish with a vise. Does anyone see any flaws with this plan?
I really hope this plan yields flatten tabs on this piece but also helps others from cracking their tabs!
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