Vid of R2 with new holo eyes...one that lights up!

Here is a video. SOrry the quality is HORRIBLE...stupid camera. ANyways if you crank you speakers you will hear R2 play Leia's message when I ask for it...and the light go on again near the end when I say, "Light beam."

This was hard to do with one hand operating camera..the other moving R2...and the viewfinder on m camera wasn't working cuz the batteries were low so I had to look through the viewfinder.

Anyways..if you listen close you will get the idea. It works very well!!

Just wanted to update..have been working on R2 on my holidays a bit when I can. I just finished painting and installing my new HP's (generously given to me by my Danish friend Holse). They look GREAT!

I also extended the wires and added a quick release coupling (round serial cable) so that I coudl mount the LED from my interactive R2 in the new front holo eye. Now when I am using the interactive R2 for sounds and I say , "Light beam" or play message it will light up and play Leia's message. This will limit my dome rotation a bit (I have a long loose wires so I could probably do a few laps with no problems)...but I'll just be carefull.

I also received my new seed controller so as soon as my dome motor adapter arrives I can mount that and get that head spinning again!

Nice to get some progress in improving my R2!

I'll post a video soon of the HP in action, and R2 moving with his new C6C control system!

New Cheapo control system....SUCCESS!!!!!!

I am just pasting this from my post at the Astromech factory....no point typing it out 2 times...

I hooked up the C6C and adjusted the proper jumpers on the Scorpion. I plugged in the left and right foot motor wires (from scorpion to the C6C) and the picoswitch that plays my r2 sounds..and powered it up. I WAS BLOWN AWAY!

Not only does it work...it works GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very positive response...LOTS more power..battery life seems longer, range is good...no sign of interference through aluminum body...no lurching. ALL problems solved!!!!!

I didn't even have a single cable backwards or even need to recalibrate my foot motors in the scorpion (although I did to be sure). I NEVER get that lucky!



Ecstatic!!! I am going to LOVE only using ONE switch to power up the 2 12v batteries, and only having to charge ONE set of batteries!!!

Now the bad news...

I spliced my vex motor wire with a vex extension (cutting off both male ends) leaving me with a female end I could connect to the C6C. I conencted it..turned it back on, threw the dome on...and powered it up again.

Dome rotation is not working. The motor responds and the controls all work out (left stick turns dome) but that motor is struggling. It barely moves in one direction and the other it strains and pretty much wont move. My guess is the vex system was delivering more voltage to the motor...now that the C6C is working with 5v only..thats not enough for that Vex motor?

I was toying with replacing the dome motor with something quieter and larger anyways..and I do have a motor I bought for this purpose years ago. I attached a couple pics (see post at AF). I got it from Princess auto...I think its for a windshield wiper.

So...how can I add another small speed controller...with minimal wiring and no extra batteries?

New RC system arrived

I just got my new RC system for R2. My current Vex stsem seems to be interfering with my foot motor's speed controllers (Scorpion XL). This new one works with a wirless PS2 controller. It is very simple and cheap, but I hope it works well for me! To power it from my Scorpion XL speed controller (which can deliver the exact 5v it needs I had to remove the voltage regulator and solder a short in that line. I think I was successfull...I HOPE!

This means I wont need a set of batteries to power this new board..it will run off of my existing foot motors.

Battle Droid model done!

Finished the Battle droid model! I used acrylics...was tough to get the color right but I think it turned out pretty good!

My old airbrush was a real challenge because it works sometimes..not others. Took several coats of paint. I then applied and washed off some burnt sienna brown and some black here and there to weather it. The last think I did was use a metallic sharpie to add scratched and wear to the edges.

I am pretty happy with the results. Was fun to make a model again. I didn't bother with the STAP he rides on..I wanted him to be standing. SHame he doesnt come with a blaster tho.

The first pic was with no flash..the second pic I used a flash.

Pics of my models...no..the plastic kind!

Here are a few pics.


This is my model kit of the ship Serenity from the show Firefly. WATCH THE SHOW..it is great! I painted with a based of metalllic aluminum, them misted flat black. The picture below shows the one from the show. I REALLY need an airbrush..but I am pleased with how it looks with this base coat. Weathering and airbrushing the details should be a real challenge.




Here is the other model I am puttering around on. It is a Battle Droid with Stap (the pogo stick thing they fly on). I think I just want the battle droid (not the STAP). That means the base it came with won't work...but I am sure I can manage something.

Been fiddling on a few things

I have been wokring on a few small things...

I touched up the Firefly sign a bit..added stars..painted the edges black..and coated with clear gloss to make it shiny. I also have painted the ship parts a base color..metallic aluminum with a mist of flat black. REALLY seems to match the ONE picture I have of the ship. I cannot believe how hard it is to find screen grabs or reference images of the ship from the show.

My R2 had a problem with the dome rotation motor. The mounting screws loosened causing it to turn and bang when the dome switched directions. I have tightened it for now but I will have to redrill the holes.

I tried out my picoswitch and modified mcdonalds toy sound board with my Vex system. IT WORKED!! Now my R2 has 2 sound options...the interactive R2 inside as before..AND at the press of a button 3 sounds fromt he Mcdonalds toy. Nice to have the option of him playing a sound at the press of a button on my transmitter!!

I have also been gluing together a model (12") of a battle droid. It comes with a STAP (flying bike thing) but I think I just want the Battle Droid.

AGain I need a new airbrush which woudl really help me with these projects. Sigh...funds are too tight.

A little Project

Figured it was time to pull this little project out of the box and start on it.

This is just part of it...any guesses??

I tried to duplicate the look of the opening title from the show (Firefly obviously). It was trial and error, guessing at colors, adding here and there, wipingoff here and there etc. It was very tough to use my dying airbrush. It clogs with EVERY spray which makes precision and control impossible! I really need a new one but we can't afford it now. Maybe a cheapo one can get me by for now.

Chance Cubes...

I made 2 of these....took a pair of dice, covered it all with apoxy sculpt...sanded it down, then painted the sides. I then sanded the edges and the paint. I then took screen grabs from Episode I of Watto's and tried to duplicate the scratches. I then sanded lightly to smooth the scratches a bit, then dirtied them up a bit by handling with some brown and black paint on my hands..washed most of that off, they just can't look brand new.

I'm pretty happy with them...hope Cam is..since one is for is Watto (that I still want!!).

I wished afterwards that I had drilled out one side and added a weight to it..since Watto was a cheater. In Episode I it was supposed to land with red up so that Watto would lose Anakin's mother if Anakin won the podrace, but Qui Gonn used the force to make it land Blue side up so that Anakin would be freed. Would have been a nice touch if mine were weighted....

Battle Droid piece mounted

I got the piece in the mail yesterday. It came glued to a plastic cover over a picture and came with a letter of authenticity, with a picture of the piece on the exacst photo it came with. I decided that it would slightly discredit the letter if I remove the piece from the pic, so I attached the piece and the picture to my background. It fit nicely...just duplictates one of the pictures..which is ok.

Display for my new addition...

I am getting a small piece of a screen used Battle Droid from Star Wars Episode I..so I got a shadow box and made this display page.


Hope the piece arrives soon!!!

Jedi Training Remote...

This was the little project I wouldn't tell Calvin about. Nothing huge...but I had to withhold to keep the interest!

I have been at home this week because we had our new baby boy Cameron!! I tried to work on this here and there with my 2 year old..he would sit and color with crayons and I would work on this. Win win!

This thing was a challenge to paint!! First I had to glue on some parts and make the equator rectangles from scratch, and glue them one. Glued the crap out of my fingers ...still sore! I used liquid latex to mask off everything like the dark grey things the light grey rectangles and the reddish brown areas. That was a disaster. When I pulled off the masking latex around the reddish brown parts it pelled the paint everywhere. Same thing happened with the dark grey parts. This involved a lot of touching up with my reddish brown paint that I had to mix every time and the white primer base color. What a pain!!!!!!!!!!

I enjoyed adding the rust type weathering to the top and bottom parts...but it came out too prominenet and dark so I lightened it by painting the white primer over top a bit.

The chrome colored parts were also a mess. I tried cutting a circle in a piece of plastic to hold up to the part and paint...but I oversprayed insiode and then the damn reddish brown had to be touched up by hand AGAIN.

The second last part was a black wash that I did a couple of times. The first coat was really nice...second coat dried quick and I didn't get it wiped off quick enough...and as I was doing so a lot of the grey paint from the rectabgle was rubbing off!! I touched that up a bit and left them as weathered which is good.

The last step was to cut out and stick on circles insise all the round shapes. They were a 3M reflective tape that add shine to all these 'ports' when you take a picture.

Oh...the base..I used a banana hanger that I have hung on to for years for this...painted it satin black and tied a fishing line through...had to drill a small hole in the Training Remote to tie it as well.

The label..I found the Star Wars logo online...added the description myself and the border...printed it and glued it on.

Scratch built Raptor claws!

I decided to try to make a claw from Apoxy sculpt ( a 2 part putty) and here is the result. I had made some extra so I made a smaller second claw. Once it dried I gouged ot the other side a bit with a chisel and sanded with a course sandpaper to leave grooves along the claw. I had planned on sanding out all the gouges, but they looked to me like different layers of exposed bone so I left some of them. I also chiseled in some scratches and chips.

For painting I started with a coat of flat black, then a mist of bronze, then a mist of brown...then dabbed on satin black with a large brush.

I am pretty happy with the results! The first pic is with a flash...shows the colors better. The second one is without and shows the details better...

T-Rex model...

PIcked up one of these kits on sale at Toys R Us..adds to my modest Jurrasic Park collection. I still have a raptor claw to add to it..but here it is. Had to do some shuffling to make room forit but I have them in the windowsill...

Felt Clipping

I finally managed to get a hold of a clipping of felt that was used in making the hats for Harrison Ford for the newest Indiana Jones movie.

Here it is all mounted and framed! :)

Vader Back!!

I rebuilt Vader's legs since the last pair were too bent and he was in a slumped stance...never worked for me!

Here he is with the newly painted Helmet, and new cape and robes! I just have to find one of those clips to hold the cape chain on the top of the chest armour!

His boots are still the rubber riding boots, but I got some stuff to make tires shiny and applied it to the boots. Now looks way better!!


I also cluttered up my Indy/Yoda/Gollum area with a couple wall torches from Ikea. I LOVE the flickering effect they have...sooo cool! It works with the indy stuff and Gollum ayways. I have a freind with some fake vines I will be getting aftre they are done with them so I hope to use them to cover the cords a bit.

I also framed an INdiana Jones poster I got at the new movie.

Scaled Helmets and my Indy Gun!!

I got a couple Master Replicas scaled helmets (heads) thanks to John! I had never honestly heard of these until John emailed to tell me about them. Poor guy learned his lesson cuz I made him get me one of each..and now I have him looking again for me. They were one sale so the idea was I could use the motion sensor voice and lights in my 1:1 Vader and Threepio. Trouble is they are SOOOO COOL I refuse to take them apart and gut them.


I'll have to find a good spot to display them!!





I also just got my replica of a 1917 Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector. Nicely done! Wish I could say I made it myself...but it sure is nicely done!!

Improved Indiana Jones collection!

I hung the film used foam and rail spike, my framed Club Obi Wan poster (Thanks HOLSE!!), and finally framed my limited edition Ralph McQuarrie print of the Ark of the Covenant. I got a super cheap plastic frame at walmart that was too big and had to cut it with a razor blade to 12" x 18". WHAT a weird size!!!




I also weathered my whip using ink miked in hand lotion..and rubbed on! HUGE difference!!!! Here you can see it next to an extra whip that I didn't weather.



I also have a whiskey bottle label made by Jack daniels in the 80's as a reproduction of the ones they made for the movie (Raiders of the Lost Ark). Thanks Christian!!!


Now I just have to add my pistol when it arrives!!!

Vader Helmet Done!

Well now he has the ESB paint scheme...and doesnt look like black plastic any more.

The dome has some scuff marks from sanding it (guide I followed said to sand it with 800 or 1200 grit paper after clearcoat is one...I did..then polished polished polished with Novues 2 scartch remover and turtle wax.

I'm pretty happy with the results..

Now to rebuild his legs. His stepping forward stance never worked forme so I will try a straight leg stance with the left arm still outstretched (to Luke).

I will be getting new boots and a new cod piece and new gloves from a friend, and I just got a new cape and robe (rubies..which is a HUGE step up from my home made one!!).

Woohoo! Screen used Indy props!

I finally got my package from down under!!

I found a coupel of shadow boxes (had to repaint the larger one) and had the background artwork made up by a talented guy at the RPF (replica prop forum).

Here they are! One is a piece of the fake foam rock used in the Temple Entrance in the opening sequence to Raiders of the lost Ark. The second is a Rail Spike taken from the track where young indy got off the train in The Last Crusade.






I also got a few more goodies including a whiskey label made in the 80's by JackDaniels as a replica label to that seen in Raiders!! :)

Masking Tape Removed

Turned out pretty good! I took off the masking tape after the 3rd coat of black paint. The egdes were pretty good..just a few touchups!!

Now I have to let that sit for a week..then a few coats of clearcoat..then another week.....then light sanding..then some novus 2..then some turle wax and it will SHINE!




Indy is protecting him!

Vader Helmet repaint

Well I have a Rubies Supreme Vader Helmet...that was ok..but all plastic...not enough shine. I tried to spray it with clearcoat. It then looked all black and glossy...I would have been happy enough with it..BUT the clearcoat would bubble and peel off at the slightest bump. Would only be a matter of time it looks like crap so I decided to bite the bullet.

I sanded off the clearcoat a couple weeks ago, primed it, resanded it...primed again, and sanded with a finer sandpaper, then painted the face part gunmetal, and the dome part gloss black. Then I let it sit for a week..(almost) and last night I masked off the face. The exposed parts will be painted black soon.

While masking a chunk of the gunmetal paint chipped off on the lower left cheeck. Damn! That part wil have to be touched up after the black is done..but I am scared when I pull off the tape that more of this will happen which will make me VERY angry after all of this!!


Anyways..here is how he looks now:

OK...THIS TIME>>> R2 is DONE!!!!!

Since the last post I have added the back door (signed by Don Bies and Kenny Baker). I used magnetix magnets and ball bearings to hold the door closed. Worked out very well.






And here is a video of him running...with all parts on!!!

R2 Finished!!!

Well this is what my finished R2 looks like...from the front anyways. Still have to attach the back door.

I got the battery boxes and middle foot cylinders and wedges mounted last night.

I'm planning on getting 2 new batteries..slightly larger..in the hopes that they don't wear out in 5 minutes.

Haven't decided if I want to try to weather him yet. Scared to ruin the whole thing!

It's ALIVE!!

Well...I got him moving!! Had someproblems...had him all wiredup and he wasnt responding at all like he was supposed to...then I finally realized I had some jumpers in the wrong position on the speed controller.

The scooter batteries take about 3 hours to charge....sad part is..they seem to drain in about 5 minutes. R2's motion is 24v...so I have 2 12v batteries wired in series. I tried to use a lawn tractor 12v battery...and it did work..but it wasn't enough power...r2 was way too slugglish.

The batttery boxes are just taped in place for now (waiting for magnets for attaching them), I have to mount the middle foot cylinders and wedges when the wedges arrive, then the last thing is to mount the back door. Final stretch!!!!!

Battery Boxes...

I finished off the battery boxes. They turned out ok...not great..but at least they are done.

I sprayed my hoses with a brass color paint lightly and had to drill out the knurled fittings (mine are resin) so the cable would fit inside.

I have some magnets on order from ebay so I HOPE they are strong enough to hold the battery boxes on. The cables don't bed really easily so the magnets will be working against those.

Here is a pic. After all my foot problems you can see they are kind of tilted in...but at this point they are assembled and working...I'm not going to rebuild them again.

It's alive!!!!!!!!

FINALLY I get to post one of these videos where r2 is doing something!!!!!!

I got his head turning with a vex motor. YEs it IS noisy..I just hope with the back panel on it will muffle the sound a BIT. Maybe I can wrap foam around it to dampen the sound a bit too...

Foot #2 ON!!

I attached foot #2 last night....

No major problems!! The feet both seem to tilt lower in the middles..but at least they are symmetrical.



You can see the patches I made in these pics. Now when the battery boxes are in place there will be no holes (as there would have been if I used my original drive configuration). I guess that means this is all for the better.

You can see the patch (and crack at the top) filled here. Have to sand then paint. It's easy to see now..but once painted and sanded should look pretty good. Better than having a gaping hole!!




I patched the battery boxes too. Those cutouts accomodated the old drive assembly..now it fits INSIDE the foot shell so these cutouts aren't needed any longer!

Some good progress

Doesnt sound like much but I did do some good progress this weekend. My battery boxes were all cut up to fit around my last drive...so now that the drive is redone and fits inside the foot better I can actually have battery boxes that look right...so I cut out and patched the pieces that were cut out using sintra in the boxes themselves...

I also patched and filled a few spots in the feet...and used a heat gun to bend the sintra to fit. Now when the battery box is on all will look good....no obvious cutouts and drive housing sticking through.

I also got the second foot drive all mounted and glued into the second foot shell. That took some dremelling to fit the motor inside the shell...and then some filling at seams..and where I cut through to the surface when I dremelled.

I also fixed up the crack in foot #1 that was created when I bolted it to the ankle...just needs some touchup paint now. I also properly connected the wires in the foot and tucked them out of the way.

All tedious stuff that didnt amount to much..but I made some good progress. Should have foot # 2 mounted in a couple of days..after its sanded and repainted (after seams dry).

Then I have to add a bit of height to the center foot so the shell isn't dragging on the carpet...I should be able to just use some washers..

We're getting there....soon I will be back to where I thought I was 5 weeks ago. :)

One foot back on!!

I had to rebuild the left foot these past few weeks..too many squeals and was runnign too low. I remade the foot drive brackets...tried to fit them intot he existing shell..broke that in the process..reglued...rebondoed...repainted....YUCK!

I finally got the foot back on. It is much better..much more clearance inside, 2 wheels for better traction and higher off carpet so no more dragging. Now time to start rebuilding foot #2...YUCK!!!

Here is the rebuilt foot with new drive bracket inside..


Here is the old right foot with the new bracket beside it....I hope this one's rebuild goes better!!



Here is my new bracket. If you look in the top channel you can see a stopper plate. That will seat up against the ankle so the foot stays flat and does bottom out (eliminating the need for a caster in the rear foot to hold the foot flat).