Hi all!
I've decided to join these forums after lurking and reading a lot of your posts! I posted an introduction in the padawan thread:
http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?topic=7629.0I recently won this awesome hilt from ebay. (see pic links below) It's definitely a graflex replica, I'm guessing a parks. Maybe someone could help confirm?
I bought it from a good fellow who was going to make a fan film, and had this made as a stunt saber. (thus the duct tape)
It is what it is, I have no clamp piece so that will be my next purchase when I've saved the funds for it. I'll probably go with the Parks unless anyone else knows of others? Parks looks REALLY good to me though and is a decent price for such craftsmanship. And to make it "A NEW HOPE" friendly saber replica (with the addition of the covertech male piece, I guess I could justify that as a transitional hilt between Episode 3 and 4. :P ) I'll also need a glass eye blade retention screw when I go to get my blade socket... most likely the new deluxe socet from graflexshop. 8) And even though it does have that covertech male piece, I'll probably get a d-ring for the pommel from Blast-tech supplies. You know, to give it that more authentic movie replica charm. :)
Now with the few questions I have right out of the gate for this lovely hilt...
Notice the square based brass pins in the "plug" area? I'm guessing the cool brass pins tool won't work for that? Any ideas what I could use there to remove those?
Also, any idea if the big red button by the bunny ears could be converted into the actual ignition button when the luxeon blade socket goes in there?
I know it's tight, but looking at the pics of the blade socket on graflex shop, it looks like there's maybe a little space there for a small switch and wires...
Am I being too hopeful there? And would just be better off putting the switch in the clamp area similar to the MR sabers?
Then in regards again to gutting the top end of the hilt. Everything seems pretty straight forward with the exeption of those wierd square based brass pins, but two spots, the pin/thing there below the big red button, and the small almost unnoticable chrome switch. How are those removed?
Help me oh ye sabersmiths of greatness... You're my only hope. ;)
Here's the saber.
Here are those strange pins.
And here's a look down the hilt.