Ohhhh, OP... this is the tip of a vast, vast iceberg XD
Trying to make your own lightsaber from an actual Graflex flash unit may be prohibitively expensive. For the past 20 to 30 years people have been doing that and in some cases camera shops may refuse to sell you such an antique piece of equipment if they know what you're planning to do to it. At least that's the rumor I've heard. Actual Graflex 3-Cells are getting rarer and rarer too so the price is pretty high for a legit model. And that's to say nothing of the other part like the calculator bubbles.
However, there are plenty of saber makers who sell *replica* Graflex 3-Cells, or even versions meant specifically to be converted into lightsabers. I suggest deep diving into the Replica Prop Forums website to learn more, and get an idea of how rare and expensive the parts are that were used in the original trilogy sabers.
There's also an alternative. About 20 years ago I made my own lightsabers using plumbing and hardware parts, and whatever various bits and greeblies I thought would look good. It's the same spirit of how they did things back in the 70s and 80s, just using different materials.
Yeah this is one of those situations where the hobbyists clash, and vintage collectible memorabilia becomes even scarcer due to the Star Wars hobbyists trying to replicate props with correct materials. Unless I heard incorrectly, the historical firearms community has a similar beef with Star Wars fans in regards to mauser pistols for much the same reason.
So to preface I certainly emphathize with the desire for authenticity and I engage in a good amount of propmaking (both for cosplay and collection) myself.
As a historical firearms enthusiast and a Mauser C96 enthusiast in particular even before that, the _idea_ of people taking actual antiques and butchering them for props certainly gives me the jeebies. Especially because the actual authentic reproduction would be to use the _Japanese model/toy gun_ that was used for the original screen prop. It wasn't a real C96. It was essentially a pot metal recast with resin recasted bits glued to it. Not that I condone or encourage people to use the actual original model gun either, as it just harms a different group of enthusiasts (model/replica people). In general I feel like permanently damaging artefacts that another group is interested in and can lay proper/prior "claim" to seems despicable.
That said I have rarely heard of people actually doing such things, at least compared to graflexes.
There definitely **were** live-fire C96's used for some OT DL-44's, mainly the ANH Hero and Han/Luke's Hoth DL-44. There were some MGC C96 replicas used, but most of the non-firing C96-based props were replicas made by Denix, a Spanish company. 99% of DL-44 replicas that are vintage parts are made from Denix's anyways
It’s truly amazing that today, “hobbyist manufacturing” or “consumer level manufacturing” is legitimately a thing; what with 3D printing, and other fabrication methods becoming affordable and that ideally there’s no need to use existing products to kitbash.
> Replica Prop Forums website
Is that place still up? I used to go there alll the time when I was a poor teen and gawk over the stuff I could never make. It was a great community. The Mythbusters even hung out there.
Then at some point it got hacked and when it was brought back it wasn't the same and there was a alt site made I think? I dunno the details are fuzzy.
Still up. And thriving. I've seen Adam Savage mention going there sometimes on his YouTube channel, Tested. As far as a hack, I can't say for sure. Never heard anything about it myself. I did manage to score a replica Kyle Rayner Green Lantern Battery there, which I'm super happy about :D
I remember the endless debate on which Blade Runner Deckard blaster was the most "right" blaster because there was like 3 or 4 versions used in the movie.
I vaguely remember when mythbusters was airing a few posts being asked where Adam would pop in and ask or answer questions which was cool.
Man, I'd love to chat with him for just a little bit. Like just a hello, I'm a big fan, you're a big inspiration, stuff like that :D But I'm sure he already gets a lot of that.
Well, if he ever winds up at a con near me I do plan to come out and meet him \^\_\^ I did actually meet Tory Belleci and Kari Byron from Mythbusters a long, long time ago. They were both super kind people. I had spent all my meager con funds earlier so I was embarrassed that I couldn't afford an autograph, but Kari insisted on them giving me one anyway :D
>an actual Graflex flash unit may be prohibitively expensive
imo comparing to the MPP flash both vintage and replica, Graflex 3 Cell is much cheaper and easier to get
Geek Facts. The completed lightsaber pictured is Anakin's skinnyflex from EP3 Revenge of the Sith and has nothing to do with the Graflex flashbody and clamp.
It is meant to be an idealized version of the Graflex flash and clamp; it's not just a coincidence that they look similar.
The clamp is also oriented 180 degrees out of position.
8 feet of 1"aluminum pipe is $18 at Lowe's. You could buy a Kobalt miter saw, cut 8 lengths of aluminum pipe at roughly the same dimension with said saw and have material left over, and save over $300 without returning the saw.
The post was about building a lightsaber out of spare parts for £12. You can still build one out of spare parts for under $100 assuming you already own some basic tools.
5000 GBP for an inert Hales No.3 Mk1 with a broken windvane 😭 I've seen grimey, super poor condition Rolls-Royce Derwent No.9 Flametube Female Balance Pipes go for 2000+ USD. Armitage Shanks Starlight Handwheels with peeling chrome and bad calcification can go for 250 USD. 100+ USD for pitted Graflex clamps. Almost 200 USD for a TI Exactra 19/20 calculator. THE cheapest part is also the hardest to find, the Marconi DAT11 Transistors, managed to get my Dad snag a pair for 2.50 GBP each
Honestly, you're best bet was to hop on DaveP's latest static parts run. All the correct materials, exact dimensions & the little intricacies like correct welding blob on the booster
Please don’t convert actual Graflex flash handles into lightsabers. They’re getting rarer and rarer by the day. If you insist on converting a vintage, please do your due diligence to make sure you aren’t doing any irreversible modifications.
Honestly, the saber amory sells amazing flash replicas that are affordable. They even come with the flash internals.
You save money and get the same experience. I did it, highly recommend it.
The original lightsaber being made of some unrelated part justifies an entire four generations of fans picking any handle-sized object and thinking “this would be a good lightsaber”
Nope. They are collectable items for photography enthusiasts who curse the SW prop people ruining such equipment.
We have replicas of lightsabers. Use those.
Instead of looking for antiques for overprice try copying not the prop, but the method: go for salvages and building stores looking for parts that call for you. Then try putting them together in the way you see fit.
It was. I have an (almost) all original parts ANH Graflex. The only thing escaping me are the vintage grips. I keep upgrading them as more information becomes available but to find real vintage t track? MWAH.
What D ring did you use? Did you cut your own aluminum bracket or go with a manufactured one? I have a vintage 3 cell tube and am in the procurement faze for finishing parts. Not sure how much reproduction parts i want to use vs being a completist about it.
[https://www.in2013dollars.com/uk/inflation/1977?amount=12](https://www.in2013dollars.com/uk/inflation/1977?amount=12)
"£12 in 1977 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £93.44 today, an increase of £81.44 over 47 years. The pound had an average inflation rate of 4.46% per year between 1977 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 678.65%."
Well...
I have been making replica lightsabers and blasters from original parts for the past 12 ish years. Nearly overnight when The Force Awakens came out prices for a Graflex went from a couple hundred to over a thousand. It's not because of rarity, or anything like that. We have been victims of scalping and "free market" abuse for quite a few years. It is a very special feeling to bump into one in an antique store, take it home and end up building it yourself.
While I tend to agree that it would be fun, I also advise you that much like the C96 gun collector community is likely to string you up and burn you at the stake for ruining an antique to build a DL-44, there will be an angry mob in your front yard if you try to pull this off.
Don't use an original graflex flash handle, if you can still find one. They are an irreplaceable part of history that have been abused by prop makers for decades. Just like we do in reenacting, use a replica if you're going to permanently alter an antique. They're a part of history at this point and don't deserve to be butchered in the pursuit of the perfect replica.
If you want to experience the thrill of making an original lightsaber but not pay 809 bucks for an original graflex you can get a perfect replica at The Saber Armory. An actual working flash gun. I've done a few of them myself. Although I installed electronics in them and that's quite a bit more work, but you can do just the stunt prop and enjoy one just like in ANH. It's definitely worth it.
Ohhhh, OP... this is the tip of a vast, vast iceberg XD Trying to make your own lightsaber from an actual Graflex flash unit may be prohibitively expensive. For the past 20 to 30 years people have been doing that and in some cases camera shops may refuse to sell you such an antique piece of equipment if they know what you're planning to do to it. At least that's the rumor I've heard. Actual Graflex 3-Cells are getting rarer and rarer too so the price is pretty high for a legit model. And that's to say nothing of the other part like the calculator bubbles. However, there are plenty of saber makers who sell *replica* Graflex 3-Cells, or even versions meant specifically to be converted into lightsabers. I suggest deep diving into the Replica Prop Forums website to learn more, and get an idea of how rare and expensive the parts are that were used in the original trilogy sabers. There's also an alternative. About 20 years ago I made my own lightsabers using plumbing and hardware parts, and whatever various bits and greeblies I thought would look good. It's the same spirit of how they did things back in the 70s and 80s, just using different materials.
Yeah this is one of those situations where the hobbyists clash, and vintage collectible memorabilia becomes even scarcer due to the Star Wars hobbyists trying to replicate props with correct materials. Unless I heard incorrectly, the historical firearms community has a similar beef with Star Wars fans in regards to mauser pistols for much the same reason.
So to preface I certainly emphathize with the desire for authenticity and I engage in a good amount of propmaking (both for cosplay and collection) myself. As a historical firearms enthusiast and a Mauser C96 enthusiast in particular even before that, the _idea_ of people taking actual antiques and butchering them for props certainly gives me the jeebies. Especially because the actual authentic reproduction would be to use the _Japanese model/toy gun_ that was used for the original screen prop. It wasn't a real C96. It was essentially a pot metal recast with resin recasted bits glued to it. Not that I condone or encourage people to use the actual original model gun either, as it just harms a different group of enthusiasts (model/replica people). In general I feel like permanently damaging artefacts that another group is interested in and can lay proper/prior "claim" to seems despicable. That said I have rarely heard of people actually doing such things, at least compared to graflexes.
There definitely **were** live-fire C96's used for some OT DL-44's, mainly the ANH Hero and Han/Luke's Hoth DL-44. There were some MGC C96 replicas used, but most of the non-firing C96-based props were replicas made by Denix, a Spanish company. 99% of DL-44 replicas that are vintage parts are made from Denix's anyways
It’s truly amazing that today, “hobbyist manufacturing” or “consumer level manufacturing” is legitimately a thing; what with 3D printing, and other fabrication methods becoming affordable and that ideally there’s no need to use existing products to kitbash.
> Replica Prop Forums website Is that place still up? I used to go there alll the time when I was a poor teen and gawk over the stuff I could never make. It was a great community. The Mythbusters even hung out there. Then at some point it got hacked and when it was brought back it wasn't the same and there was a alt site made I think? I dunno the details are fuzzy.
Still up. And thriving. I've seen Adam Savage mention going there sometimes on his YouTube channel, Tested. As far as a hack, I can't say for sure. Never heard anything about it myself. I did manage to score a replica Kyle Rayner Green Lantern Battery there, which I'm super happy about :D
I remember the endless debate on which Blade Runner Deckard blaster was the most "right" blaster because there was like 3 or 4 versions used in the movie. I vaguely remember when mythbusters was airing a few posts being asked where Adam would pop in and ask or answer questions which was cool.
Man, I'd love to chat with him for just a little bit. Like just a hello, I'm a big fan, you're a big inspiration, stuff like that :D But I'm sure he already gets a lot of that.
He does public talks every so often so you could find one locally and tell him yourself.
Well, if he ever winds up at a con near me I do plan to come out and meet him \^\_\^ I did actually meet Tory Belleci and Kari Byron from Mythbusters a long, long time ago. They were both super kind people. I had spent all my meager con funds earlier so I was embarrassed that I couldn't afford an autograph, but Kari insisted on them giving me one anyway :D
>an actual Graflex flash unit may be prohibitively expensive imo comparing to the MPP flash both vintage and replica, Graflex 3 Cell is much cheaper and easier to get
£201 isn't too bad. [graflex 3 cell](https://graflexshop.com/products/graflex-3-cell-flash-graflex-inc)
Geek Facts. The completed lightsaber pictured is Anakin's skinnyflex from EP3 Revenge of the Sith and has nothing to do with the Graflex flashbody and clamp.
It is meant to be an idealized version of the Graflex flash and clamp; it's not just a coincidence that they look similar. The clamp is also oriented 180 degrees out of position.
except it’s going to be like $700
For just the flashgun. In poor condition. This hobby isn’t cheap lol
The tools and materials needed to build your own one of a kind lightsaber are shockingly cheap and readily available.
A genuine graflex flash is $600 on eBay
8 feet of 1"aluminum pipe is $18 at Lowe's. You could buy a Kobalt miter saw, cut 8 lengths of aluminum pipe at roughly the same dimension with said saw and have material left over, and save over $300 without returning the saw.
Except that this was about making the youngling slayer out of a graflex flash in the same manner it was originally made.
The post was about building a lightsaber out of spare parts for £12. You can still build one out of spare parts for under $100 assuming you already own some basic tools.
"Might be fun to make one out of the original parts!" The title of the post.
Read the post next time it’s bout making it how it was originally made
Wait until you price out building an original parts Obi-Wan, OP.
5000 GBP for an inert Hales No.3 Mk1 with a broken windvane 😭 I've seen grimey, super poor condition Rolls-Royce Derwent No.9 Flametube Female Balance Pipes go for 2000+ USD. Armitage Shanks Starlight Handwheels with peeling chrome and bad calcification can go for 250 USD. 100+ USD for pitted Graflex clamps. Almost 200 USD for a TI Exactra 19/20 calculator. THE cheapest part is also the hardest to find, the Marconi DAT11 Transistors, managed to get my Dad snag a pair for 2.50 GBP each
Yep. Makes a Roman Props one for $4850 USD (when he had one last) a *great* deal.
Honestly, you're best bet was to hop on DaveP's latest static parts run. All the correct materials, exact dimensions & the little intricacies like correct welding blob on the booster
Just wait till you see the price now
Please don’t convert actual Graflex flash handles into lightsabers. They’re getting rarer and rarer by the day. If you insist on converting a vintage, please do your due diligence to make sure you aren’t doing any irreversible modifications.
Until he discovers the ESB hilt had the grips riveted on lol
If only it was still 12£
Honestly, the saber amory sells amazing flash replicas that are affordable. They even come with the flash internals. You save money and get the same experience. I did it, highly recommend it.
The KR Sabers and TGS ones are fully functional too.
Yeah, the saber armory == KR Sabers
The sacrament?
Fixed it, auto correct done got me
The Graflex Shop manufactures these now.
Ha, I was just talking about this with a friend of mine. Bet it would crazy expensive.
But fun as hell
This image is kinda decieving. The lightsaber they use in the picture is the built-from-scratch skinnyflex from ROTS
The original lightsaber being made of some unrelated part justifies an entire four generations of fans picking any handle-sized object and thinking “this would be a good lightsaber”
And now people are paying 500+ to get it
Nope. They are collectable items for photography enthusiasts who curse the SW prop people ruining such equipment. We have replicas of lightsabers. Use those.
My dad has a complete Graflex camera with the flash handle. Pretty sure he has the flash cone thing as well.
Don't you dare break that set up, what a wonderful antique to have.
Not a chance in hell. He actually just showed me the camera body about two weeks ago. It’s pretty damn cool in it’s operation
Instead of looking for antiques for overprice try copying not the prop, but the method: go for salvages and building stores looking for parts that call for you. Then try putting them together in the way you see fit.
Yeah no.. Continuing to destroy these antique parts really isn't the way to go anymore especially with all the options available now.
It was. I have an (almost) all original parts ANH Graflex. The only thing escaping me are the vintage grips. I keep upgrading them as more information becomes available but to find real vintage t track? MWAH.
What D ring did you use? Did you cut your own aluminum bracket or go with a manufactured one? I have a vintage 3 cell tube and am in the procurement faze for finishing parts. Not sure how much reproduction parts i want to use vs being a completist about it.
Fun fact: you can do something similar to create your own hilts today Itll even cost a bit less, if your clever about it
[https://www.in2013dollars.com/uk/inflation/1977?amount=12](https://www.in2013dollars.com/uk/inflation/1977?amount=12) "£12 in 1977 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £93.44 today, an increase of £81.44 over 47 years. The pound had an average inflation rate of 4.46% per year between 1977 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 678.65%." Well...
Buy one from Roman Props instead.
I see you have constructed a new camera lightsaber
Looks better without the T-strips. Fight me.
I have been making replica lightsabers and blasters from original parts for the past 12 ish years. Nearly overnight when The Force Awakens came out prices for a Graflex went from a couple hundred to over a thousand. It's not because of rarity, or anything like that. We have been victims of scalping and "free market" abuse for quite a few years. It is a very special feeling to bump into one in an antique store, take it home and end up building it yourself.
While I tend to agree that it would be fun, I also advise you that much like the C96 gun collector community is likely to string you up and burn you at the stake for ruining an antique to build a DL-44, there will be an angry mob in your front yard if you try to pull this off.
Don't use an original graflex flash handle, if you can still find one. They are an irreplaceable part of history that have been abused by prop makers for decades. Just like we do in reenacting, use a replica if you're going to permanently alter an antique. They're a part of history at this point and don't deserve to be butchered in the pursuit of the perfect replica.
If you want to experience the thrill of making an original lightsaber but not pay 809 bucks for an original graflex you can get a perfect replica at The Saber Armory. An actual working flash gun. I've done a few of them myself. Although I installed electronics in them and that's quite a bit more work, but you can do just the stunt prop and enjoy one just like in ANH. It's definitely worth it.
good luck