It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:20 pm

All times are UTC


THE PROP DEN is primarily a Darth Vader Prop Discussion Board, but we also deal with other Star Wars Props as well as Prop Replicas from other movies. If you do not yet have an account, set one up, sign in and jump into the Vader Prop Discussions!


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 
Author Enter your Message here
 Post subject: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 12:57 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:06 pm
Posts: 122
Location: Vancouver
While waiting for some pieces to arrive over the holiday season to let me continue working on my ANH Vader belt run I took a little time to work on another project. I've succumbed to the temptation to also work on some ROTJ pieces, drawn in by the desire to see a fully accurate hero ROTJ belt replica created using the fantastic reference seen in Brandon Alinger's Star Wars Costumes book. It would also be a good opportunity to nail down the details to be able to produce runs of ESB and ROTJ Vader belts after I'm done with the ANH run. Through my research into all this, I believe I can confirm that the belt pictured in the Costumes book is indeed the screen used hero ROTJ Vader belt, but I will leave those findings for a future post. My work on this new replica has also led me to some additional information that I will eventually add to my ESB belt box analysis write up.

I did some 3D modeling work to reverse engineer the accurate layout of all the components on the hero ROTJ belt boxes seen in the reference photo, nailing down as many of the asymmetries as I could. I then translated this into an accurate drilling template (I will post this for download at a later date) that I printed out at the correct scale so I could transfer the positions onto the aluminum enclosures I am using with a centre punch and a scribe.

Image

Image

I then mounted the box onto the mill table at the shop so I could drill the holes for the knobs and red light.

Image

Image

Image

Image

I used a step drill bit to make the holes for the green lights.

Image

Image

I then drilled out the thick of the material in the hose slot, just to make the final shaping a little easier to do.

Image

I used an end mill to cut out the remaining material.

Image

Image

I then used a small flat file to square up the corners of the hose slot. I cleaned off the layout fluid and the front face of the box was done!

Image

Image

I then flipped the box over and milled out the slots for the belt to pass through, which completed all the needed cuts.

Image

Image

After masking the insides of the boxes and lids (not totally necessary, but leaves things cleaner for attaching the various components and doing the wiring etc.) I sprayed them with some flat black paint.

Image

Image

I then screwed in the silver knobs that I had machined a while back, installed the red and green lights, and stuck in the section of braided hose.

Image

Image

After some quick soldering and assembling with the leather belt, lightsaber hook, and belt buckle (I didn't photograph the process on those parts this time around...) the belt was complete!

Image

Image

And the inner push button green lights on each belt box can latch into the "in" position, as seen in many of the ROTJ production photos when the lights are turned off.

Image

The buckle is functional and features black 1/8" pinstripe tape applied to create the faux 'slots' (rather than actual slots as seen on the ANH/ESB hero buckle) as seen on the screen used hero ROTJ Vader belt.

Image

Image

Image

The belt boxes have all the correct parts positioned accurately, which, as previously mentioned, aren't perfectly symmetrical with each other. The lights are the original incandescent bulbs rather than LEDs, as the goal here was to make a fully accurate replica of the screen used belt.

Image

Image

I custom made a lightsaber hook to match the ROTJ original and riveted it on the outside of the belt.

Image

I decided to attach a 4 x D cell battery pack to produce the 6 volts needed to power the lights in the belt boxes, which is the one thing that I don't have specific information on as far what was utilized on the original belt. For fun I used some of the same connecters seen on the original belt in its present day form, which may very well not have been used at the time of filming.

Image

Image

So that's what I've come up with. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Image

_________________
The Dude abides...


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:25 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2019 8:49 am
Posts: 157
Location: Aosta Valley, Italy
Wow amazing work!


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:23 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2016 5:20 pm
Posts: 55
Love it so much must have one for my rotj vader

Sent from my G3221 using Tapatalk


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:57 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:06 pm
Posts: 122
Location: Vancouver
Thanks folks! I do plan on doing runs of both complete ESB and ROTJ Vader belts this year once I finish my ANH run, so keep an eye out for that! :thumbsup

_________________
The Dude abides...


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 9:10 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:54 am
Posts: 162
Once again, an awesome build log. So you weld the all the buckle pieces together- decorative plates, backing plate, and hook? I have an old ANH buckle kit to which I need to attach a similar hook.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:49 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:06 pm
Posts: 122
Location: Vancouver
Thanks, I'm glad you dig it! I made the buckle on this belt to be all mechanically held together, not welded. The circular part of the belt buckle has a #10-32 threaded post on the back which passes through the "D" shaped plate, the black backing plate, and then through a hole in the buckle hook hardware, with a nut to hold it all together. You can sort of see all that in the "unbuckled" photo above, but you might get a better view in this old photo I have of an unfinished ANH/ESB style belt I made last year featuring the same buckle construction method.

Image

I need to file down the excess threads sticking out from the nut on this ANH/ESB example to finish it off, which I already did on the ROTJ one. I like the ability to take the buckle apart if need be, so the mechanical approach has that advantage.

_________________
The Dude abides...


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:55 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:54 am
Posts: 162
Perfect way to do it. Hope the threading matches up on my old kit, though I may need to get creative. Thanks.


Last edited by belloq on Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 11:06 am 
Offline
Random avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2006 1:51 pm
Posts: 1403
Location: Geislingen, Germany
Awesome work Mike :thumbsup


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 2:31 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:51 pm
Posts: 346
Wow! Youre the first Ive seen to do the different shade of the green light! Well done.


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:07 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:06 pm
Posts: 122
Location: Vancouver
Thanks! Yeah, there's a few of these details I haven't seen done before, particularly the different shade of green light, the fake "slots" on the buckle plate done with pinstripe tape, and the lightsaber hook done in this manner. That was the main motivation to make this replica in the first place as that reference photo in the Costumes book was just screaming out to be replicated! :lol

_________________
The Dude abides...


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Accurate Hero ROTJ Vader Belt Replica
PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:44 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:51 pm
Posts: 346
I actually never noticed the slots are not cut out and ive seen the photo in the costume book a million times!

There are people having a hard time believing that belt in the book isnt the screen used ROTJ because of the misssing stud near the buckle. Its been proven the buckle is broken thus laying flat instead of putting it on a display.

Too many details match, off color of the green lights and the spacing of the lines on the belt.

Excellent work!


Top
 Profile E-mail  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 

All times are UTC


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
Blue Moon by Trent © 2007
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Hosted by Freeforum.ca, get your free forum now! TOS | Support Forums | Report a violation
MultiForums powered by echoPHP phpBB MultiForums