Mike J's R2 Project

Powder Coating a foot shell

2009-09-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Been a long time since I have done this kind of stuff. Used a lot of scrap pieces to practice and finally got around to doing a foot shell this past weekend.

First I washed, rinsed and dried the shell to remove any oils from the metal. I then used Prep-All to remove any wax / grease buildup. Following that I sandblasted the foot shell with #8 glass bead at 90 PSI to smooth the surface and prep it for the powder coating process. Then I used a special high temperature masking tape to block off the various holes as I will be using regular paint for the interior of the shell. I wiped the whole shell off with Prep-All again and used a tack cloth to remove any lint left over from the rag. I went to Home Depot and purchased some building supplies that I used to create a jig to hold the foot shell.
I then powder coated the shell and baked it in the oven at 356 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. The foot came out looking very good with far less orange peel than rattle can paint.

DX7 Arrived

2009-08-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Well, the Spektrum DX7 arrived this afternoon and I can say it was a good buy for the price I paid. Everything checked out and it functions as it should. Next week I will purchase the components I need for the Senna drive train. I already have the main body for the wheels with the bushings installed from Jerry C's run and now need everything else. I'll also order the Roboteq AX3500 Speed controller and NPC 2212's next week.

Spektrum DX7

2009-08-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

I managed to score a Spektrum DX7 transmitter / receiver combo for $220 shipped, barely used and new since June. Comes with everything but the three servos, which at this juncture I don't need. It will hopefully be here by Friday.

Builder vs Assembler

2009-08-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Right now I am an R2 Assembler, not an R2 Builder. Some people seem to take issue with this distinction. I do not. All of the parts for my R2 build are the result of part runs and lots of hard work from other members. For this droid, I do not have the time to scratch build any parts. Droid #2 on the other hand, will see many scratch built pieces. Before I was employed by the Casino industry, I was an auto body technician. I learned metal forming, welding, painting and powder coating which will come in handy for a project like this.

Metal parts I plan on scratch building: Foot shells, legs, skins, pocket vents, side vents, coin returns, ankles, the skirt (hopefully) and possibly the frame.

The first Post

2009-08-12T08:45:00.001-07:00

I actually started this blog over a year ago and became very lazy very quickly. I made one post and stopped. So, I am starting over again.

I came across the R2 Builders Yahoo group shortly after I moved to Las Vegas, NV in April of 2000. The idea of constructing a life size, RC controlled replica of R2 resonated with the rabid Star Wars fan within me. Unfortunately, at that time real life was in a state of flux. I was going through my second divorce and had regrets about the job transfer I took in Las Vegas.

Fast forwarding to Spring of 2007, I was in a position to not only afford such a project, but life in general was working out great. I jumped in to an online auction for some resin legs and feet that turned out to be the biggest pieces of garbage on the planet. At that moment, I learned the first lesson any new R2 builder needs to learn: Do lots of research on the Yahoo group. Near the end of 2007 I started buying parts to build a PVC droid, including buying an aluminum dome. Just before Christmas I assembled my plastic frame and one leg. At this time I realized I wanted to go with a mostly metal droid and decided to start from square one.

Starting in 2008 and continuing in 2009 what I like to call the Great Aluminum Avalanche occurred. Aluminum and steel parts runs, once few and far between, popped up constantly. Suffice to say, as I write this I have 95% of the parts required to make a static R2 D2. My current goal is to finish him before CV in 2010.

In September 2008 I traveled to California for a gathering of fellow enthusiasts called R2 LA VI, hosted by a great guy named Mike Senna. I had a blast and seeing all the droids there got my fires burning again. While this blog will not be as detailed as some (Victor Franco is the God of the detailed Blog), I hope any new builders who come across it find some information useful.

Resin Parts

2009-06-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

I addition to prepping the skins yesterday, I started cleaning some resin parts I will be using on the droid. Eventually, they will be replaced with aluminum versions with the resin parts going on my static droid. I followed Keith's instructions to the letter.

1. Wipe down with rubbing alcohol.
2. Wash with warm soapy water.
3. Dry.

Skins

2009-06-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Started removing the panels and scrap from the skins today. A sharp razor, gentle pressure and a lot of patience served me well.