Okay... this set of directions is, in my opinion, the best way to do things. I've figured out a way to make just about every piece of the Graflex, and the rest can be purchased pretty easily. I'm a real perfectionist when it comes to this, as I'm sure you can tell since I've been researching since July and haven't even built the thing yet!
Keep in mind that I wrote this message off the top of my head; if something is hard to understand or gets really complicated without explaining itself at any point, by all means tell me about it! I might save this message and use it in the future, so *please* tell me about anything that I should change! I've tried to be as thorough as possible, and I hope that I haven't forgotten to describe anything to a point where it makes sense(it all makes sense in my head!).
Any name used in this message is the name that the person goes by on the Replica Props board or the Prop Builders Guild board. Also, I'm going to be mentioning some great sites throughout this message. Here are their addresses:
Graflica (Takan's site)You will probably need reference pics of a real Graflex for purposes of placement of different parts. Probe Droid sells them for the price of film and shipping (he only sells hard copies, not scans, and the quality is excellent)
A few things to keep in mind:
Glues--
When gluing two pieces of metal together, it is important to decide whether or not you want a seam. For example, there is a seam between the main tube and the clamp, but there is no seam in the middle of the red button housing (see below). When you want a seam, use a clear 2-part 2-ton epoxy. If you don't want a seam, use a metallic 2-part epoxy. You should be able to find both at Wal-Mart in the paint section, and I've seen them at Sears Hardware (not the hardware section at Sears, but the dedicated store) as well.
Tools--
The best tool to use for cutting is a "rotory tool" like a Dremel or a Black & Decker Wizard. I haven't done my cutting yet, but I've been told that it takes quite a few cutting discs, and to wear eye protection and a mask at all times. Other than this, the tools are discussed pretty well at Takan's Graflica page.
Okay, here we go, starting with the butt end and working our way up...
The main tube is a .049 thickness aluminum tube, 10 3/8" long. You can buy one from Online Metals. To achieve the proper finish, it must be sanded down. Hold the sandpaper around the tube in one hand and rotate the tube in the other, moving the paper from one end of the tube to the other as you do so. After a few times over, the tube will shine like chrome. Once this is done, repeat once, twisting from the top to the bottom, with a piece of steel wool to add the "brushed aluminum" finish that the original flash had. If you need to cut the tube to the right length, use a pipe cutter to get the cut straight.
The original butt end of a real Graflex is stamped and can't be made without machining the saber. Fortunately, there will be D-ring over the end anyway, so we only need to be close, not exact.
Using a flat file, shape the edge of the tube into a hemi-spherical/beveled shape. Next, you will need a round cap that fits just inside the tube. To do this, you will need a washer that just fits into your tube. Using your dremel, cut a circle of aluminum (from a flat sheet from Online Metals) that is a little bigger than the washer. Clamp the piece you have cut out to the washer, and use your file to even the edges out. The file will go through the aluminum like it's nothing, but won't affect the washer, so you will end up with a piece of aluminum that fits perfectly into your tube.
Glue the aluminum circle into the beveled edge of the tube, sunken in about 1 milimeter. You don't want a seam here, so use your metallic epoxy. Takan definitely has pics of this end method, but you'll have to ask him to send you the URLs... should be easy, as he frequents the board.
Next, we want to create an effective clamp, or the band that goes around the middle of the Graflex. The directions for doing this are pretty straight-forward (and perfect) at Gavidoc's page, so I won't waste the space reproducing them here. The only exception is the clamp lever/"activation lever." The lever can evidently be cut out of a 1/4" square rod of aluminum stock, but the process costs about $30. Gavidoc sells them for $15, so I'd just buy one from him. Also, put a screw through one of the ovals you've cut into the clamp and into the main tube (drill a hole for it). Glue the clamp into place with clear epoxy.
The top end of the tube can be cut from the pattern found at Takan's page. There are a few things to consider when cutting the pattern out, and they're detailed quite well on Takan's site. The areas below the button and eye (or both buttons if you're making an ESB) are dented outward on a real Graflex... this is hard to do without stamping the tube, which is really expensive, but there is a good method at Lez Cook's page (near the bottom)
The pins (they're for a sync port on the real flash, and called "recharge ports" in the Star Wars Visual Dictionary) can only be machined. If you want something similar, you can find it at Radio Shack. If you want something exact, Graflex Reborn sells a set of four for $20. When you mount the pins (they are anchored into the black insert, which I'll talk about soon), they should be 1/4" apart.
The red button is pretty easy to make. First take an RF adapter from Radio Shack (the exact name is in Gavidoc's materials list) and remove the outer housing (great instructions as to removing it at Project Graflex).
Next, shave the top of the housing (the metal that narrows the cylendar) off and glue a #10 finishing washer to the top of it (metallic epoxy, as you don't want a seam here). When the washer is attached, the button housing should be 3/8" tall. The button itself can be made from a combination of Super Sculpey and Sculpey Maroon (more info on the materials at Gavidoc's page). Just mix them together and shape a button from them, keeping in mind that it must fit through the hole at the top of the button housing (the middle of the finishing washer). To get the right shape, it really helps to have Probe Droid's pics handy. Once the whole thing is put together, glue it onto the tube (feed it up through the bottom, and it should stop because of the rim on the bottom of the RF adapter) with clear epoxy. You can get a great picture of the real Graflex button at Graflex Reborn.
Underneath the button is a teardrop-shaped piece, which you can get a good picture of at Graflex Reborn. Just cut one out with your dremel (with a good-sized hole so it fits over the button) and glue it on.
As for the "glass eye," I have found no way to recreate one. If you want to make an ANH saber, buy an eye from Graflex Reborn or David Stoneman, who goes by DStony on the board. If you want to make an ESB, just make two buttons as described above.
To the left of the button is a strange looking piece; this is the on/off switch that turns the Graflex flash on and off for use with a camera. To make one, cut an oval out of flat aluminum, then a circle that fits onto it (I really can't describe this well without a picture, but when you see one it will make lots of sense!). There is a small dent on the actual piece, which can be embossed on on your replica. Use clear epoxy to put the oval in the proper place on the main tube, then to attach the circle onto the oval. Drill a hole through the center of both, and put a rivet through both. Using a smaller drill bit, drill through the center of the rivet, but only about 1mm down. Then sand down a "finishing brad" (I don't have the actual name of this part) to about 2mm high and glue it into the center of the rivet with metallic epoxy.
In the real Graflex, there is a rather elaborate black "insert." To make an accurate one would be rather difficult, but since it's almost entirely inside the main tube it really doesn't matter so long as what is visible is accurate. To do this, you need a black PVC pipe that just fits into the main tube (if you can't find a perfect fit, find something slightly too small, cut a slit down one side, and force a strip of plastic in to widen it; glue it together with clear epoxy, as it holds more strongly). Place it in, and drill through all holes (for the button, eye, etc.). Epoxy the tube into place so that only the very top of it shows when the flash is viewed from the bottom. On the real insert, there is a lip that extends down from the insert. To make this lip, you need a metal hole plug (buy one at ACE hardware, found in one of the drawers, and preferably 1 3/8" in diameter). Cut one side of the rim off with your Dremel so that it fits over the edge of the main tube (again, use Probe Droid's pics as a reference for size and shape). When the size is right, rough the surface up with sandpaper and paint it flat black. When everything is dry, epoxy it to the edge of the insert so that it extends down over the bottom edge of the s-curve of the emitter. Paint black over any seams. Also, there's a screw in the original flash that goes into the insert; put it in. Finally, drill shallow holes in for the pins and epoxy them into place.
The last piece is the emitter, which no web page has gotten right yet, but you're going to! Regardless of what other tutorials might say, the emitter is in three pieces: two "ears" and a metal ring with a break at the top. Graflex Reborn's gallery has a good picture of an ear before being folded at all, or stamped in their case. I would suggest printing the pic out and using it as a template. Folding the ear might be difficult, and I can't help you there (yet!) because I haven't done much research here quite yet... sorry about that one!). Once the ears are folded, the ring goes around them (see Probe droid's pics of the emitter for this) and is held on by a very small, flat rivet on one side (or some epoxy on one side and a circle cut from scrap to simulate a rivet). When the ears are screwed on (see Project Graflex or Graflica for a good description of this), the emitter is perfect.
One last piece, and you may or may not be using it (I'm not). If you will have a blade, ignore this paragraph. If not, you want to make the "contact" on the inside. I'm not sure exactly which one they mean, but more than one person has told me that this contact looks just like the handle of a round X-acto knife, so if you use this handle it should come out perfect.
Well, that's about it... tell me how it comes out!