Julien’s Upcoming Hero Phaser & Communicator Auction

[Gregatron]

Looks like they must have had JLong restore the Beta comm. A t-jet hub and the morie and ring was missing back in February.

That would explain why the moire pattern looks more like Alpha than Beta.

Also, the slightly cockeyed angle of the front edge of the antenna grid matches the "Catspaw" shot.

 

[phez]

I was thinking the same …the studio prop shop colors on the midgrades are “close” to the Wah-created heroes, but just a shade or two “different”, including the handle color.

But…

The Jein handle appears to be less “bronzish” than the Finney / MOST phaser (photography and lighting?) and there also appears to be another layer of a different color of bronze / gunmetal paint on the handle, here:

View attachment 1839936

Pretty sure your arrow is pointing to the color of the material that the handle ridges are made of. It looks the same on the new one. There is no indication of any other color on the cracks in the brass areas. It could all be lighting and the same color on all of them (as the same phasers look different in different photos), but the hero's look like they are a different color than the midgrade's. Probably the only way to actually tell is to sit them right next to each other and take a photo with both in the same lighting with the same camera.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Pretty sure your arrow is pointing to the color of the material that the handle ridges are made of. It looks the same on the new one. There is no indication of any other color on the cracks in the brass areas. It could all be lighting and the same color on all of them.

So..no longer theorized that the material is wooden popsicle sticks / tongue depressors?

 

[Gregatron]

So..no longer theorized that the material is wooden popsicle sticks / tongue depressors?

View attachment 1839958

Maybe they molded the sticks to cast and apply to the metal handles, whereas the dummy handles were entirely cast in fiberglass.

 

[Chrisisall]

Pretty sure your arrow is pointing to the color of the material that the handle ridges are made of. It looks the same on the new one. There is no indication of any other color on the cracks in the brass areas. It could all be lighting and the same color on all of them (as the same phasers look different in different photos), but the hero's look like they are a different color than the midgrade's. Probably the only way to actually tell is to sit them right next to each other and take a photo with both in the same lighting with the same camera.

I've done extensive screen cap research- the mids' handles were definitely metallic gray, not dark bronze like the heroes.

 

[phez]

So..no longer theorized that the material is wooden popsicle sticks / tongue depressors?

View attachment 1839958

I could believe they could be wood, but is there any actual photo evidence where any wood can be seen at all on there or was it assumed because of the shape looks like a popsicle stick? I don't remeber ever seeing a photo where there is wood even where it is worn down. Could there be sealer over the wood?

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I could believe they could be wood, but is there any actual photo evidence where any wood can be seen at all on there or was it assumed because of the shape looks like a popsicle stick? Could there be sealer over the wood?

That is a great question.

 

[asalaw]

I could believe they could be wood, but is there any actual photo evidence where any wood can be seen at all on there or was it assumed because of the shape looks like a popsicle stick? I don't remeber ever seeing a photo where there is wood even where it is worn down. Could there be sealer over the wood?

Just guessing here, but since they had to make four heroes, meaning eight pairs of that feature, I'd surmise that they would have cast whatever it was rather than making it fresh eight times.

 

[phez]

Just guessing here, but since they had to make four heroes, meaning eight pairs of that feature, I'd surmise that they would have cast whatever it was rather than making it fresh eight times.

Or they could have just used this stuff and rounded the top with a file (I assume something like this was probably available in a pro model/prop shop). That would save time over casting it. Notice the sharp edges that match where that paint is chipped off.

Plastruct 90352 1/4" x 1/8" x 15" ABS Plastic Rod (Pack of 5)

This is a Plastruct 90352 1/4 x 1/8 x 15 ABS Plastic Rod (Pack of 5). Useful rectangular and square solid plastic rod for general scratch model building. Precision Extruded in Dark Gray ABS Plastic. Ideal for all facets of model building.Condition: Factory NewOperational Status...

www.trainz.com

 

[asalaw]

Or they could have just used this stuff and rounded the top with a file (I assume something like this was probably available in a pro model/prop shop).

Plastruct 90352 1/4" x 1/8" x 15" ABS Plastic Rod (Pack of 5)

This is a Plastruct 90352 1/4 x 1/8 x 15 ABS Plastic Rod (Pack of 5). Useful rectangular and square solid plastic rod for general scratch model building. Precision Extruded in Dark Gray ABS Plastic. Ideal for all facets of model building.Condition: Factory NewOperational Status...

www.trainz.com

Yeah, up against a sander that would go quick enough. Could be. Especially if you stack them.

 

[feek61]

So..no longer theorized that the material is wooden popsicle sticks / tongue depressors?

View attachment 1839958

It does appear to have wood grain

 

[Gregatron]

Just guessing here, but since they had to make four heroes, meaning eight pairs of that feature, I'd surmise that they would have cast whatever it was rather than making it fresh eight times.

Exactly. Create one master pattern from the sticks, then cast duplicates to accommodate all of the props. Same as the body shells--make a master, then cast multiples.

 

[Gregatron]

Ugh…

I have always hated that bronze handle color seen on some of the heroes…

I am so disappointed to see it verified as being on the Finney / MOST hero…

View attachment 1839890

Though, it appears to be an inconsistent issue as some of the verified midgrades have a more gunmetal handle color.

View attachment 1839891
View attachment 1839892


Perhaps the Bonze color is part of a Season 3 repaint and didn’t apply in earlier seasons?

One can see a darker paint layer under the bronze paint of the handle (as well as the early season one white handle color):

View attachment 1839893

(I am trying to find a way NOT to have to use that bronze color, you see…)

Y'know, ever since TOS was released in HD, I've not been entirely convinced that the early phaser handles were white. Possibly more of a very light gray.

 

[phez]

Exactly. Create one master pattern from the sticks, then cast duplicates to accommodate all of the props. Same as the body shells--make a master, then cast multiples.

None of the tombstone tops are really consistent. They are a little different shape on this one than the jein phaser. That's why I was thinking they probably shaped them by hand. They weren't even the same shape on the other side of the handle

 

[asalaw]

None of the tombstone tops are really consistent. They are a little different shape on this one than the jein phaser. That's why I was thinking they probably shaped them by hand.

That would certainly be dispositive, and rule out casting. It would also seem to rule out popsicle sticks or tongue depressors, which are mass-produced.

 

[AdmiralBaxter]

I think Wah Chang updated the Heros and the studio prop department made the mid-grades. It is probably as easy as Wah chose to use bronze paint on the ones he painted and the prop department used gunmetal (looks close enough) on the ones they made. There is really no indication in screen caps that they were ever repainted after they were updated is there?

Yes, Wah did the Heros and the studio prop shop did the mid-grades. The very first mid-grades were panted to match the crapozoid's but only were that color for 2 episodes then were redone to more closely match the Heros. It looks like the Hero's only got repainted if they were repaired and even at that it seems it was mainly the P2 bodies. The mid-grades were touched up as needed which is why we see a wider variety in the color of the P2 bodies. As far as the handles on the mid-grades they could have been a "gun metal" or "dark grey" metallic as both were common "One Touch" pin striping paint colors that were commonly in use at the studios at the time. I'm only speaking based on my firsthand investigation of screen used mid-grades.

 

[AdmiralBaxter]

Y'know, ever since TOS was released in HD, I've not been entirely convinced that the early phaser handles were white. Possibly more of a very light gray.

They were possibly an "Ivory" or "Bone" white which were two very popular colors for interior house paints in the 60's....

 

[AdmiralBaxter]

That would certainly be dispositive, and rule out casting. It would also seem to rule out popsicle sticks or tongue depressors, which are mass-produced.

We know that the handles weren't cast as the main portion of the handle is a brass tube and details like the tomb stones were added to them. So what we are seeing is a common variation cause due the fact they were hand made.

 

[newworld]

FWIW, some of the circled areas have to be seen in specific lighting but they're all there.John might have put the battery cover on backwards because those dimples are quite prominent.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Y'know, ever since TOS was released in HD, I've not been entirely convinced that the early phaser handles were white. Possibly more of a very light gray.

I 100% agree with you.

A very light gray.