TOPIC: Shine Through Glass Eye

I've seen that it's pretty popular to have the glass eye on graflex hilts allow the LED light to shine through. I'm wondering if this is just something someone liked the look of and it grew from there, or if that feature actually appears in the films and I've just never noticed it?

As far as I know there hasnt been any shine thru eyes in the movies.

If you convert a real graflex fllash gun the eye will shine thru. Pretty sure thats where the trend came from. I love the way it looks...


Can anyone comment on how to make a replica like a graflex 2.0 shine thru? Ive seen a few and Id like to do it on mine.

The shine through glass eye is sweet. Whenever I get my hands on a Graflex that will be a must-have mod for me.

Burns3558 wrote:
The common method relies on an authentic/replica glass-eye that threads into the Graflex shell, not the blade holder (if you're using a 2.0 kit, it's the same threading used on the pre-installed red button, not the 10-32 thumbscrews). This type of glass eye is just a ring of metal with a glass/plastic face, letting any light shine through. Then with the blade holder you either

a) Don't use a blade-retention set screw so that light will vent through the 10-32 screw hole.
b) Use a vented set-screw so that light will vent through the center of the set-screw.
c) Drill additional holes in the blade holder to allow light to vent with/without the bottom set screw.

~~~

Alternatively, I've managed to get a TCSS glass-eye thumbscrew to light up. The process is basically

1) Temporarily remove the "glass" part of the eye
2) Drill through the 10-32 threaded rod, starting with a 1/16" bit. I went up to a 5/64". 3/32" might be possible if the hole is dead-center, but I'd worry about structural integrity.
3) (optional) Optical clarity can be sacrificed for an eye that lights up better by sanding the "glass" to diffuse the light.
4) Glue the eye back together and install.

"For Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, genuine Graflex flash units were used to make the lightsaber props. They were based on a hybrid of the A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back versions, as they feature the "glass eye" and "beer tab" top half parts from A New Hope, and circuit boards and 'T' tracks attached via screws bottom half from The Empire Strikes Back. To hide the Graflex logo, a "wrap" was created that covers most of the flash unit's clamp. The clamp appears more golden colored in The Force Awakens. "

-Star Wars Wikipedia

Alternately, I plan on doing Kouri's method plus add a fiber optic strand in the resulting hole, just to optimise the amount of light shinning thru. It's a common trick I saw on a few Graflex groups... It has the bonus of being able to still use the glass eye button as the retention screw. Found a bunch of 10mm "glass eye" cabochon on Amazon and fiber optics strands on eBay, shouldn't cost more than 5-10$ for the mod.

Wow, thanks Kouri. I just got my TCSS glass eyes in yesterday and was wondering how to do this very thing. Doesn't sound too bad.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/471238619/parkskorbanth-replica-glass-shine?ref=shop_home_active_1

Kouri wrote:
Kouri, if all the above is done without sanding the eye, does this result in a pin-point of light coming through since the opening is the threaded rod of the eye? I have completed the drilling (pretty easy) but it looks like it might just be a small bit of light getting in. Thanks in advance!

Burns3558 wrote:
Oh f me. The one day I don't check for new items from KR...lol. Ordered.

I'm finding out that new TCSS glass eyes have a gummy, rubbery eye. My modified one was an older hard plastic eye that was easy enough to sand to diffuse light. The entire eye doesn't light up, but the pin-point definitely widens up after sanding. I don't know if the same holds true for the newer gummy eyes.

I may also have hit the hole on the eye-end with a 90° angled/countersinking bit to NB widen the area for light to bounce around before hitting the "glass".

As for Burns' link above, those look like replicas of authentic glass eyes and should work, but keep in mind you're sacrificing blade retention for shine-through, unless you modify the setup . A vented 10-32 set screw might work, and/or you could drill additional holes in the blade holder in that area.

I think I read in the comments on his fb page he uses the screw above the eye for a blade retention screw. Just gotta find a longer screw tho...

Kouri wrote:
Yeah, it seemed very gummy . The Loctite Gel (super glue) I used to reattach it made it pretty cloudy pretty fast as well. The light does get through, but it's not bright. Mine is in a Saberforge graflex emitter. I also had to tap a hole for 10-32 screw and widen the main indentation where the eye sits. I am now wondering if KR Sabers eyes might fit.