Graflex blade adapter question

[Knight Of The Republic]

Hello guys. This is my first post. This is a great forum and I have learned a lot. I just have some questions:

I recently purchased a graflex blade adapter for my replica graflex saber that I got from the shop here. First of all, the blade adapter was much to tight to fit a 1 inch blade into it (I ordered the LED Graflex blade adapter). I had to do a major amount of dremeling on the blade to fit it into the holder.

Next, the small screw hole on the bottom side stripped out rather easily. No biggie, I just re-drilled it and re-threaded it for a 8/32 screw. Is the aluminum really soft? I didn't even screw it in that tight.

Next, I went to screw in my replica glass eye blade retention screw, the hole in the adapter was off set from the middle of the hole on the bottom side. I had to do some dremeling on the graflex to allow the screw to fit into its slot. Now it fits in, but there is a gap on one side of the screw and you can see under it and the other side it sits flush. The adapter is in the proper spot inside the graflex so it isn't that it is mis aligned or anything.

Lastly, the adapter has some play in it. If you handle the graflex saber and give it a wiggle, you can feel the blade wiggle. Or more accuratly, the adapter wiggle inside the graflex which in turn makes the blade wiggle. The blade is tightly screwed into place in the adapter and there is no wiggle room there, just the adpater itself is wiggling inside the handle.

Are they all this way? I was under the impression it was a solid piece that you could use to duel with, but I don't think I trust doing much with this other than displaying it. I also built a MHS saber replica of Obi-Wans saber and it is rock solid. I can easily duel with that saber.

The graflex saber itself came out great. It is very nice looking and I couldn't be happier with how it looks. I did a simple LED only build with no sound effects. I put a little switch on the lower bottom side and it is nicely done. Thanks for any responses ahead of time. Any tips on how I can make this more solid would be appreciated. Not really looking to glue it in or anything, just in case I have to replace the LED, I want to be able to get the blade holder out again.

Thanks.

Here are some pics.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

I had those same problems with that blade socket...thought it may have just been mine, but it must be all of them are like that....the hole for the glass eye thumbscrew is a couple of degrees off the center line of the hilt, making the glass eye go in at an angle and not fit in the hole in the Graflex body. Looks like you got yours to fit the same way I did mine. looks nice!

[Knight Of The Republic]

Ah, so it wasn't just mine. Thanks. Yeah, I am pretty good at making things work, but I was just wondering if maybe I got a bad one.

Any tips on removing some of the wiggle between the adapter and the graflex? Maybe I'll wrap it in tape.

Thanks for the reply.

[yell0w_lantern]

Yeah, I have 2 adapters with the same problems.

[Knight Of The Republic]

Well this morning I went out and took it all apart and added tape in the areas that needed to be shimmed up to keep it from wiggling and now it is much better. There is a super slight bit of wiggle, but it is 99% better than what it was.

[Strydur]

Sorry about this guys.. This obviously needs some work for future runs. A few questions so I know what needs fixed.

1. As far as blade not fitting, was that one of our blades that did not fit?

2. Glass eye hole, Is it drilled off center or threaded at a angle?

3. Fitment inside, What graflex are you using? IE.. Parks replica, Real, etc..

4. 4-40 screw hole, Where you only grabbing a small portion of the threading or was the screw long enough to grab the threads good?

[Knight Of The Republic]

Sorry about this guys.. This obviously needs some work for future runs. A few questions so I know what needs fixed.

1. As far as blade not fitting, was that one of our blades that did not fit?

2. Glass eye hole, Is it drilled off center or threaded at a angle?

3. Fitment inside, What graflex are you using? IE.. Parks replica, Real, etc..

4. 4-40 screw hole, Where you only grabbing a small portion of the threading or was the screw long enough to grab the threads good?

1- The blade was not from your store. But it fit into my MHS saber perfectly. I tried several blades. The adapter was just way to tight. I tried to just sand it but it needed the dremel to get it to fit.

2- I think the hole just off center. The metal on the Graflex would not let it screw in. I had to dremel away metal so the screw would fit into the hole. So now it fits but there is a bit of a gap on the right side and it is touching on the left side.

3- The Graflex I have is the replica I purchased from your store.

4- The little screw that is just above the glass eye screw that is a little off center is the scew that stripped out. The first time it screwed in it seemed tight but then after working on it I noticed it was a little loose and then I tightened it up. Same thing happened again, but this time it kept spinning. It wasn't the screw cause I tried it in the nut that came off of the original Graflex plastic piece that I took out and it fit nice and tight.

I am pretty happy with it. After I shimmer it up it's a lot better.

Thanks.

[Strydur]

1. Can anyone else verify this? I just tried one of our blades and they fit fine.

2. Are you sure it is the holder and not the replica that is off center? I just looked at one and they look in line to me. If it was threaded at a angle that would make more sense. Anyone else have input into this?

3. Anyone use anything besides a Parks replica? I was told that others such as real ones are slightly smaller ID which is why it was made smaller.

4. I would think this is just a case of using too short of a screw. When it stripped out did it just strip out the first few threads? I do not see anyway it would strip if the screw was long enough.

[Knight Of The Republic]

1. Can anyone else verify this? I just tried one of our blades and they fit fine.

2. Are you sure it is the holder and not the replica that is off center? I just looked at one and they look in line to me. If it was threaded at a angle that would make more sense. Anyone else have input into this?

3. Anyone use anything besides a Parks replica? I was told that others such as real ones are slightly smaller ID which is why it was made smaller.

4. I would think this is just a case of using too short of a screw. When it stripped out did it just strip out the first few threads? I do not see anyway it would strip if the screw was long enough.

1- I have several blades that I got from Ultra-Sabers and they are both 1 inch diameter blades. They fit like a glove in the MHS saber I built. Just the Graflex adapter was tight. It may be that I was using a wrong blade. Do you have blades in stock? I might order one and use it instead of the one I dremeled down.

2- The hole does look pretty centered when you look at it on mine. So it may be that it is just not drilled at a 90 degree straight down angle. If it is angled, it would have the same effect. So you might be right on that.

4- It may have been the screw that I was using wasn't getting enough purchase on the adapter. The new one I am using is actually longer and I use it as a blade retention screw along with the other larger glass replica blade retention screw.

[Strydur]

1. UltraSabers uses oversized 1" tubes so that is probably the issue. We always have blades in stock. Generally Ultra blades wont even fit MHS.

2. The holes are hand tapped so that is probably the case.