Hey thanks for hosting that file. I downloaded and it works great, but my problem persists. If I stick with the original head, the saber works perfectly. Here's the steps I go through to get the other head ingame.
1. I rename head to headold
2. I rename head2 and head2_visor to head and head_visor respectively.
3. I save the max file and close it.
4. I reopen the file so the script can do its magic.
5. I export.
I get this...
http://users.cableaz.com/~ryan_hutchings/nrc_ss1.jpg)
By the way, I'm getting this model into JO first, then into JA. I double-checked to make sure the bolt_r_hand is indeed weighted to the rhang_tag_bone.