NEWS

TIPS

LETTERS

PARTS

INTERVIEWS

DROID PROFILES

ARTICLES

BUILDER BIOS

Your Guide to better Astromeching...

Volume 2 October 2005

finally getting to an interview with

GUY AVERETT
pgs. 8&9

MEET YOUR FRIENDS

pg. 6&7

theJOYS of

AKUNG BABY!
pg. 12

ON A BUDGET
2 0 0 5

BUILDING
pg. 14&15

contents
REGULAR FEATURES

letter from the editor your droid at work droid profile

R4-P17... more than just a pretty dome!

pg. 3 pg. 4 pg. 5 pgs. 8&9

Sorry its been so long since the last issue :)

What does YOUR droid do around the house?

builder interview

Do you know that guy Guy ? Well youre about to... An interview with Guy Averett.

show us your droid

Scott Strong shows us his R7 droid.

pg. 10

ARTICLES

finally getting to meet your friends

pg. 6&7

Funny how we consider ourselves friends... and yet... many of us have never met!

meet ALEXANDER KUNG (AKUNG BABY!) pg. 12

Member number 2 or 3 (I cant remember... but he was one of the FIRST to join the R2 Builders!)

the joys of building on a budget Craig Smith shares tips, tricks pg. 14&15
and his bank account (ok... not his bank account)
PICK THIS UP

Vantec RDFR22 Dual Controller

JAG Aluminum Parts!

A must for any builder

can be seen at R2-R9.com

One of the most popular models for Combat Robot use. This is also a very compact dual-channel speed controller for smaller bots. Provides single stick mixing so you can drive your bot with a single joystick of your controller- a bonus for those who have an older or inexpensive radio system that doesn't allow mixing. Voltage Range 4.5 - 30 VDC Continuous Amps (each side) 20 Starting Amps (each side) 60 Dimensions 4.25 x 2.9 x 1.4" Weight 9oz Wire 16 AWG

- Suggested by JERRY GREENE

R-Series Editor Cory Pacione throws a punch at Nick Gillard at C3.

Letter from the Editor:

Heres where the fun begins!

Its that time again... the next issue of R-Series has been freshly picked from the tree and is ready for reading. Its a great second issue, chock full of cool stories, droids and fun. Its been a busy year... and full of Star Wars! This was the year of Star Wars... what with C3 in April... Revenge of the Sith in May, and an assortment of cons and builder gatherings this past summer... the amount of material to choose from was more plentiful than scrap metal after a podrace.

Issue 2, October 2005

credits
EDITOR IN CHIEF, GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT

Letter from the Editor

Last night, I took home a printed proof copy of this issue and ready it from cover to cover (all 16 pages... yep... this issue has 16 instead of the 12 pages the premiere issue had). I was amazed at the talent this group has... the wonderful members and their willingness to share thoughts and ideas... not to mention a droids worth of parts for the R2-KT project. There is a great article written by Marcus Kraus where he writes of the experience of meeting other builders for the first time, something Ive also had a chance to do since last issue. In February, I travelled to R2-ME where I got to meet Paul Bussiere, Jerry Greene and Jon Lyna... all fantastic guys. In April, I was able to attend the granddaddy of all Star Wars conventions and met a lot more builders at C3 as well as the Uncle Don (youre the best), Steve Sansweet, Mary Franklin, Warwick Davis, Nick Gillard, and of course... George Lucas himself. Please take the time to read the credits on the right... this issue couldnt be possible without their contribution. Why not drop them an email to tell them thanks. My R2 Builders hat goes off to you, all of you, for making this group one of the best on the net... hands down. Cory Pacione Editor in Chief

cory pacione

COVER AND ASSORTED DROIDS CG ARTIST

john jongsma
CONTRIBUTORS

guy averett don bies jerry greene marcus kraus alexander kung cory pacione scott powers craig smith scott strong
If you wish to receive a printed copy of this e-publication*, paypal 5 bucks (printing and mailing costs) to corkat@nb.sympatico.ca note: credit card payments cannot be accepted *This is a non-profit e-magazine
Although most images in this e-publication are either group photos or renderings, some images have been used without permission from Lucasfilm... but its all for fun... so hopefully... its ok!

Got a cool photo youd like to share?

Send it in: rseries@astromech.net
Subject line: Cool Photo for R-Series

R-Series, October 2005

we asked for them... you gave them to us

your droid at work

Theres nothing as interesting as going online and seeing progress pics of builders droids... so we asked for a few candids of Your Droid At Work! Fun Fun Fun!
Ever since the end of ROTS. R2 has been trying to make something out of his time. He was approached recently to be in a fan film called "Goldenrod". So soon the film will be done and you can see just how good of friend C-3PO and R2 really were. - Spanky

BONUS POINTS
My R2 assists as a reading lamp when reading my favorite magazine ;) - Heath MacMillan Windsor, ON R: Its always nice to see such a devoted fan of R-Series! :) Making its screen debut in Return of Pink 5, This R5 unit helped decorate for Christmas! Wonderful! - Mike Senna

Take ewoks for piggy back rides? - David Reed

Why mow when you can get an AstroMow! Thanks R4-P17! - Cory Pacione

Did You Know?

The ILM R2 had a yellow paint scheme for most of its filming at Leavsden Studios during Episode I. It was Bravo 5's (Celia Imrie) droid, and in a deleted scene, took a laserblast off it's shoulder on the way to the ship.

R-Series, October 2005

droidprofile: : : : :
Complete Astromech... or simply a dome?
A faithful astromech built into Obi-Wan Kenobi's assigned Jedi starfighter, R4-P17 assisted the Jedi Knight during his mission to track down Senator Padme Amidala's attacker. The truncated, dome-headed droid served as onboard navigator, technician and communications specialist for Kenobi. R4-P17 started off as a traditional R4 unit, complete with the characteristic conical head, when she was nearly destroyed in a trash compactor mishap on Gyndine. While inspecting the Jedi customizations of the Delta-7 designs, Anakin Skywalker happened upon the wrecked little droid and rebuilt it. The new R4-P17 sported an R2-series dome and would eventually become the prototype for other integrated droid navigators aboard the Jedi Aethersprite fighters. Rogas. The scene was never filmed -- in fact, the droid's

full body look was never finalized. The concept artists developed a tiny body for the droid that would accommodate its placement aboard the starfighter. When this scene was scrapped, it was decided that R4-P17 would instead be a permanent fixture aboard the ship.

In early iterations of the Episode II script, R4-P17 was to have a scene wherein it wandered away from the landed Jedi starfighter and was attacked by weird insect-like creatures called

Did You Know?

Did you know that the R4-P17 head that is ripped off of Obi-Wan's starfighter by the buzz droids at the beginning of Episode III is actually an R&J dome from the R2 builders group?

R-Series, October 2005

by Marcus Kraus
On Saturday, August 13 2005, Tom Jozwiak put on a show his neighbors will not soon forget. Packed with almost 40 R2 Builders Club members, family and friends and more than a dozen 'droids in various stages of completion, Tom's garage, driveway and backyard resembled more an Industrial Automaton showroom than a quiet suburban Chicago home. "I was concerned about pulling it off, hoping the weather would hold, that I would have enough people come out," Tom remembers. "My first idea was having a BBQ with some builders, maybe 45. Guys like Kelly Krider, "Dark Jedi" Keith Henry and Craig Smith, the guys I knew who live close by. So, when I started to get builders from all over saying they were coming, from Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, from as far as six hours away, it took on a life of its own. I had a rapidly growing guest list, and that's when panic started to set in!" Despite his initial alarm, Tom's careful planning and effort paid off. By any measure, the event was a huge success. It was a grand opportunity for friends to trade ideas, examine the work of others and show off their own craftsmanship. For some of the newer members of the group, it offered the unique experience of meeting people that they had previously only met on-line. R2 Builder Allen Jackson (yes, he's heard all the country music jokes already) explains. "One of the things I tried to do upon arrival was to listen to folks and see if I could guess who they were, and I succeeded only with Tom, Craig and his wife Cindy, and Keith. I met everyone, but it was after I got home and went back through old messages and reading new ones did it finally "click" with

1
6
R-Series, October 2005

2
some of the names and faces." Allen continues, "I have been active in the R2 Autonomous Group too, and I think that Wayne Nalley was the only one there that I recognized from that group. Unfortunately, I didn't make that connection until after the BBQ, while reviewing some old posts! Troy (Noel), Adam (Tucker), Bruce (Maley) and Ben (Lewitt) also didn't register for me until after I got back to the forum mes3 sages." Sharing ideas and encouragement is really what an event of this type is all about, and experienced R2 Builders always seem ready to assist those new to the hobby. Matthew Gilbert agrees. "I had a great time at the BBQ! I have not been very vocal on the boards, but I felt like I already knew a lot of the builders. Kelly, Keith, and Craig especially are like R2 celebrities at this point. All three were great to meet in person. I spent some time talking to Craig about his 'droids, and choice of materials. He was incredibly friendly and quick to share his knowledge. I was lucky enough to score one of the sets of PVC battery boxes from his demo. When I thanked him, he said he just felt it was pointless to make the molds and get all the material and then only make a set for himself. I also talked a lot with Bruce Maley. He is farther along than I am. We both have the

same type of dome, so he was able to give me some good tips on dome sanding, cutting, and painting. Bruce showed me a radar eye he built from sheet metal, and a utility arm he cut from plywood, both of which looked great." Tom Jozwiak agrees that seeing the efforts of other builders, and the opportunity to show off his own work, was a highlight of 5 the day. "Until the BBQ, I really had never met many of these builders, but as each one drove up and introduced themselves it was like I knew them personally from all the emails. It was fun putting their faces to their email names. And each one of them, including me, were like "proud parents" showing off their "kids". We could not wait to show what we have been working on or how we've solved a problem and everyone was enthused about the chance to work with other builders in helping them with their problems. I enjoyed talking with Ryan Wells about his R2 and its 2-3-2. At one time I inspired him with what I was doing with 2-3-2 and he ended up passing me up and now I am inspired by what he has done. The student became the Master!" The concept of growing from "newbie" to veteran builder has not been lost on Troy Noel. "Just about eight months ago I was at Kelly's group meeting and all I had was an assembled aluminum frame. Now, at this event, I've brought my radio controlled R2 and I'm answering all sorts of questions about my 2-3-2 mechanism and my pop-up domes panels. Suddenly, I'm the "expert!" Not really, I've got a lot of work left, and I'm always redesigning things, but I'm happy to share what I've discovered with anyone. I had a lot of help when I started, and I understand how overwhelming a project like this can be." The key to the success and longevity of the R2 Builders Group can be directly traced to the quality of its members. Events like the Midwest

BBQ serve to strengthen and cultivate the spirit of friendly cooperation that defines this group. "For days after the BBQ, I had neighbors calling me to tell me that they were fascinated by what they saw," said host Tom Jozwiak. "They would drive around several times trying to get a better look. The best part was comments about how friendly everyone seemed. My neighbors would drive by and gawk, and all the builders would smile and wave!" An event of this type requires a great deal of work to produce, and Tom is grateful for the help he had. "This whole event was a truly group effort. I want to thank everyone who came out, brought food, and helped with putting together the design of the Tshirts and spec folders. My wife Maryann and my daughter and son, Lauren and Brian had a great time meeting new friends and I can't thank them enough for all their help with this event." Plans are already underway for another Midwest R2 Builders meet, perhaps to be scheduled before the end 2005. Everyone will be warmly encouraged to attend, to share experiences, to ask questions, and to simply enjoy the company of great people!

1 2 3 4 5

DarkJedi Keith Henry waves to the camera. Craig Smith and friends look over a photo Album from C3. Anna Kraus and her R2. Very nice!

Craig Smith demo on building your own battery boxes. The Jongsma brothers (Jim and John) and a few of their droids.
R-Series, October 2005

The R-Series Interview:

Guy Averett
on

driving the dome and atomic pickles

By Cory Pacione
R. So Guy, First questions... how were you introduced to the R2 builders club and when did you first join? GA. I started following the club when Dave put up his web site on the Robot builders net. At the time I was heavy into hobby robotics, and when the first aluminum dome was spun, I started thinking seriously about doing a droid. I think that when I saw the R&J dome and Tim's aluminum skins I became hooked. I got in on those runs and piled parts for about a year before actually starting the build. R. Have you met (m)any of the club members? GA. At CIII I met a good bunch of the builders. It was my first time to attend a convention, and was a really great time. There's a lot of great people in the club. R. Do you remember the day when you decided "Ok... I'm going to do it... I'm going to build a droid" or did you just slowly get into it? GA. The aluminum thing was what got me hooked. I like to work in my shop on the mill and lathe, and I couldn't stay away when I saw people drifting to the aluminum side of the force.... R. Do you machine parts yourself for your droid, or do you have a shop somewhere that helps you out? GA. I make all of the AP kits (dome drives, leg mounts, etc) myself. My shop is one side of my garage. I have picked up most of the parts for my droid in club runs. I am a particular fan of Jerry's parts. He does a good job with them. I will be like Jerry when I grow up..... R. You've been offering the awesome "Guy Averett Dome Drive System" for a while now, where did you come up with the design idea for that? GA. The design of the dome drive actually took some time. It was to be my droid's first animated feature and I spent some amount of time studying the various drive methods post-

Guy Averett with the ILM R2 at Celebration 3 in April.

R-Series, October 2005

ed on the Astromech site and Dave's original site on robotbuilders.net. I found several ideas that were very cool, and made a list of what I considered to be the strong points and weak points of each example. I had an uber dome from Ron and Jason, and when Jerry posted his "experimental" frame to the Astromech site, I immediately decided that would be my frame. The design for the dome drive then started to come together. I designed the bracket to fit an existing hole in the frame, and made the outside curve of the motor holder match the frame ring. Work went along, I decided to use a Pittman motor because I felt it would be a good durable power source and conservative with power. Early in the summer 2004, I milled the pieces for a first prototype. I experimented with gearing to achieve a turning rate that I felt approximated the movie prop and had a pretty much working version by the end of the summer. I contacted Jerry, and asked if he would try it out on his droid to see if he thought it was "right". He was very positive about the design and made up a suitable set of drawings from my original cad work. About this time, I started conversing with Tom Jozwiak and supplied him with a copy of the prototype. He was also positive about the drive. I decided then that I would do a very small run of the drives for people going to CIII. I redesigned the drive wheel to a single piece billet for this "small" run (the original wheel was a two piece design that was very difficult to build). Since then the small run has grown to almost 100 kits. R. What was the response and feedback been on it? GA. I have had a very good response to the drive. People are very supportive in this club. I guess that is why I have made so many of them. Even when I have problems, people have always worked with me to get things right.... R. I know I purchased one with a "GT STYLE WHEEL" How many variations of the wheel did you play with and have you settled on a certain version? GA. The first drive wheel was a four spoke version with a separate bonded in hub. It took me about four

hours to build, but was a good solid design. It is featured on the drawing that Jerry did for me. The billet wheel was designed so that I could cut the entire wheel with one pass on the CNC mill. I got the idea for the spoke pattern from the Orange County Chopper show on TV, and when polished up a bit, I really like how it looked. I made a bunch of them, and then decided it was time to add some variety to the package. Along came the "GT". Designed to match the spoke pattern on some BBS wheels I had years ago on a really cool BMW Alpina. It really takes a polish well, and I liked it! Problem was that the tiny cutter required for the spokes added over two hours to the job on the mill. I only made two of them (your's and mine). So, there has been three wheel styles. Every kit that I shipped has had the OCC style wheel except yours and the two prototypes. R. What other parts do you offer to the group and are these presently available? GA. I've made a few small items including the bracket for the JAG center leg. I still offer that bracket on my web site, and make one or two of them every month. I have also made front vent holders, onboard PC cases, and lots of the Aluminum drink coasters. I am hoping to offer some larger items this winter when it cools off in the shop a bit. Thinking about doing some shoulder hubs or maybe even some billet legs for my next projects. R. You're presently building the "green" version of R2... R2-A6. Why did you decide to build that droid in particular ? GA. I wanted a different color from the standard blue, and liked the A6 color scheme. He also seemed to fit in to my web theme well. Was really for me a tough choice though, as I also really like R2D1... R. What is the present status of your droid? GA. I am going to say I am at 75%. He will be up and rolling as soon as Jerry's next center leg run is received. R. What is the most useful tips you can

give to any newbies who are just joining the group? GA. I think that one needs to sit back, read the forum, and study the designs. Get an idea of what you want your droid to do then how much time and money you can invest in the project. When the time is right make the move and "get 'er done"... R. One final question... what's an atomic pickle? GA. Hmmmm.... I've been asked that before. My answer has always been that the Atomic Pickle is an invention designed to replace the old diesel powered pickles that were around when I was a kid..... I'm sticking with the story....

Builder: Guy Averett Age: 52 Location: Mesa, Arizona R-Series droid youre building: I am building R2A6. I call him "ASICS". He is the green droid in episode 2. Building goal: I expect to eventually have him navigating on his own.

Some of Guys

Handiwork!
AP Dome Drive

an Atomic Pickle PC Case

R-Series, October 2005

show us your droid!

Each issue, we will be looking for someone (anyone) to show us their R-Unit! It doesnt matter what stage youre at... you can send in a pic and a few details of your droids status... and well put you in the mag... sound good?

This issue, Scott Strong and his R7 Unit.

The only things not done on the droid yet are: the installation of battery clips and under shoulder details, and electronics (four front logic displays and the rear). I can probably get the battery harnesses on pretty quickly making it 99% by the 19th. Other than that, the droid is complete for this Stage I. Stage II next year is going to be all of the electronics to make it RC, along with the lights for the logic displays. My droid currently has shoulder motors and working front and rear PSIs. As for stats about my R7, it is primarily constructed of wood and I fabricated everything wood. If I couldn't build it, I bought it already made (Resin parts are all Keith's aka DarkJedi) To see more of Scotts Droid and his building progress, visit his website:

PART CONSTRUCTION LIST

Started Construction: October 2004 Dome: Best Nest Aspect II Superdome painted with Glow-InThe-Dark Green, Clear Sparkle, and Purple. Silver pinstripe applied to outside of dome to define panels Logic Displays: Resin surrounds with PC breadboard for future implementation of fiber HoloProjector: Resin Mini Holoprojectors: Plastic Toothpaste caps Center Eye: Styrene with clear plexiglass lens. Backing of eye is plain holographic cardboard PSIs: circuit from online, housing PVC with milk jug faces to diffuse Dome Base: Sit-n-Spin (SnS) w/A&A Gears installed for Stage 2 upgrade Frame: Plywood and 3/4" wood dowel (A&A design) Skins: Styrene Set from Andy Schwartz's R7 run (All vents and ports) Front Vent Surrounds: Resin Skirt: Plywood Shoulders: Plywood buildup Legs: Wooden, with Cavity for future 2-3-2 setup Booster Covers: Wood Shoulder Hubs: Resin Shoulder Buttons: Resin Shoulder Hydraulics: Resin Ankles: Wood Ankle Details: Wood Ankle Cylinders: Wood Feet: Plywood Foot Detail: Plywood Foot Cables: 12" Braided plumbing lines with nuts removed

http://scott.the-strongs.net/show_portfolio.asp?ID=57

Did You Know?

There were no R6 or R7 units in any Star Wars Film. They became popular through the EU stories.

10

R-Series, October 2005

update
Jerry Greene gives us an update on the R2-KT (Artoo Katie) Project. We unfortunately didn't think Albin being a new builder would get the droid done in time. So I basically asked his permission to build the droid for him. Sadly time wasn't on our side and Katie passed away before it's completion. The project still moves ahead. A lot of builders have donated parts and money but a few builders have donated some time to building. Kelly Krider worked on the dome. Mike Senna worked on putting the skins together. Alex Kung is working on the Outer Feet Drive. All the parts come back to me for final assembly. I currently have 90% of the parts to build a complete droid. It's in various stages now. Sanding, painting and assembling resin parts. The skins were just painted with a white, wrinkle powder coat similar to mine, just a different color. It's just one more added detail that will make this droid all the more special. The painters shop is donating free powder coat paint where needed. One of the next steps for me is to get the skins mounted to the frame and start sticking on parts. Hopefully now that things are in the painting stage things will pick up more quickly and we can get Albin his daughter Droid. I'm also looking into having a local artist add a nice "Personal" touch for Albin in memory of Katie. More on that as time approaches. We build on for Katie :)

R-Series, October 2005

11

AKUNG BABY!
He was either member number 2 or 3... regardless... he was one of the FIRST to join the R2 Builders Club.

meet

ALEXANDER KUNG
R. So Alex... what brought you to the R2 Builders Club? AK. I was building sets and props for a student theatre show for over 10 years. These props and stuff were getting more and more complex, which was fun. I was thinking about something that would challenge me and the idea of building a movie robot or droid came up. I thought of various robots and droids but it always came back to R2-D2. I did some quick research and there was very little information out there. I was also inspired by an article in the Then the theatre show wanted to have a Star Wars sketch and I was asked if I could build a moving R2D2. I agreed because I knew the deadline would force me to solve a lot of problems that could kill a project. Without the deadline I knew the project could takes years and maybe even a decade. Searches on the internet led to Droidboy and Arnd's site. Then almost at the same time I found the R2 Builders group. Those early days starting with next to nothing was incredibly exciting and fun. R. The club now has almost 4400 members worldwide... how did that happen? AK. I find it amazing that we have so many interested people. I think the big things were Celebration 2 and the various interviews people did during that convention. The people who saw us at C2 and who saw the features and articles about the group, really raised awareness that we exist, that there are others in the world who want to build their own R2 and that it was possible. Also the big thing I think is that all the members at C2 were very friendly to those that asked questions. It put out a very positive and fun image of the group. The work that Jason, Gary, Kelly, the Jongsma brothers etc did to make the room look professional also helped. Of course Celebration 3 was just like C2 in boosting awareness R. You had one of the first Scratch built R2's in existence... do you still only scratch build... or have you purchase club parts? AK. I have purchased club parts but I purchase parts that I don't think I would be able to make myself at that price. One example is the shoulder hydraulics. For me to make those in Aluminum I could not guess how long it would take me to make with the tools I have available. I could also afford to purchase this item. Of course if I could not afford it then I would scratch build it. There is a certain satisfaction from scratchbuilding your own parts. R. Now that we've seen all 6 SW movies... is there another R-Series droid you'd like to tackle? AK. I have an R2-D2 and a mini mech (R5-SG). The mini was fun since I could design it any way I wanted but at the same time I wanted to have it easily recognizable as being from the Star Wars universe. The mini is entirely scratchbuilt except for one middle vent. Using lessons learned from my first droids I want to build an even better R2-D2. My first R2-D2 has limitations on what I can add.(ie 232, periscope etc) I do want to add a lot more

Builder: Alexander Kung Age: 40 Location: Toronto, Canada What R-Series Droid are you presently building: R2-D2 What will it's capabilities be: Using lessons learned from my first R2 I want this one to have at least the 2-3-2 and the periscope

magazine Sci-Fi and Fantasy where someone built a full size R2. Unfortunately the article had no useful dimensions.

12

R-Series, October 2005

Did You Know?

The R5 style head was remade by the UK crew for Episode 1, and used in all the subsequent prequels, repainted to look like different R5 units.

and for now that is my goal for my second R2-D2 R. How often do you and your droid go to events (SW events, fan club events, Charities, parades, etc.)? AK. The number of events come and go. Of course around Ep 3 the number of events increased quite a bit. I have done a parade, a wedding, scouts meeting, fanfilms, hobby shows, movie openings, Star Wars Symphony, conventions etc R. What has this club given you the opportunity to do that you might not have had otherwise? AK. Celebration 2 and Celebration 3. With out the club I would never have gone to those events and had the amazing experiences I did. It has also allowed me to meet friends from all over the world. R. Favorite R2 Builders Group moment? AK. The Don Bies seminar at C2. Don treated us well and we are forever grateful for all the help he has given to the club. I think the next best moment was walking into the room at C2 for the first time and seeing all these people I have only known through the group.

Finally walking into the room at C3 and seeing those familiar faces from C2 and meeting all the new friends. R. Anything else you'd like to say: AK I think anyone with the desire can build their own droid no matter what their background or skill level. The group has so many people that are

there to offer advice. I would like to see more people just dive into building. Yes there may be some mistakes along the way but I am sure a lot of people will be surprised at what they can do themselves when they try.

R-Series, October 2005

13

BUILDING a on BUDGET
by Craig Smith
frame run only to spend hundreds of dollars. Take that basic frame design that is out there and make your own. Three or four plywood circles spaced apart by aluminum "C" channel uprights and countersunk screwed, and BAM you are on your way. If you mess up a plywood circle down the road while trying to fit & mount something, you can make a new one. You can't do that with a bought frame. A styrene skin can be made and wrapped around the frame. The styrene scraps could be used for the vent inserts, octagon ports, and a ly and takes paint for accented areas like R2's blue details. You just need to sand off the sheen, prime, sand and paint. At $1,000 for a 20 foot length, your best source is a large commercial plumbing contractor that uses the stuff in jobs and may have some short leftover pieces in the back lot. I found a 7 footer in the back lot and they sold it to me for $25! My latest droid has an all aluminum frame. Much of the aluminum is from a large recycling center that sells aluminum at about $1 a pound. Many places like this even purposely set aside nice aluminum in racks to be sold to us project guys. Sometimes being a scrounger with an eye for materials is as important as making it yourself. My droid domes are; R2-D2; bare metal Weber grill bowl plucked from the assembly line, less than $20 R3-C2; an 18" plastic parking lot light globe, pulled from the dumpster at a mall reconstruction site. Aluminum R2; an extra warehouse light reflector slightly damaged at a lumberyard, they sold it to me for $5 Of course it takes some time and skill to Dremel the details into the

the joys of

Many new to the R2 Builders Club are overwhelmed by the costs that add up in buying parts from club offered runs. Totals easily reaching the $5,000 and up mark. Well there are a handfull of builders that do things the old fashioned way, we MAKE them! How easy is it to make your own R2 parts? Well of course the more experienced you are with handyman tasks and tools, the easier the task will be. If you never used jigsaws and hacksaws, tap and die, or mixed epoxy, it will be a much harder challenge. But you could knock that price down to the $500 - $800 range! Many builders are waiting for a

dozen or so other R2 components. Kelly Krider and Alex Kung are real talented in the art of making 3-D items from flat plastic sheet. They use methods that are labeled with the term 'flat-pack' to make the items to specs flat, then they are accurate once assembled. But of course there are other ways to make your own droid body, and feet, and skirt, and etc... Two of my droids and at least one future droid utilizes 18" O.D. PVC pipe for the body. With a 9/16" thick wall, the pipe needs no frame. But it is white, cuts easily, drills easi-

14

R-Series, October 2005

domes. But the thrill of getting the dome completed before the rest of the droid, is enough to keep you going through the whole project. I'm not saying that anyone can build every component on R2. But I am saying that you may surprise yourself on how much you can do. And it's ok to buy pre-made parts if you just cannot get it right. I have TWO non scratch built parts on my R3. Dave's radar eye and Ron's shoulder blocks. It's not that I couldn't make them or I didn't try. But it's neat to have a nostalgic creative part by a kindred spirit from across the country and across the globe.

A few facts about Craig Smith

- He is 37 going on 12 - Lives in South Milwaukee/Franklin - Hes presently building a custom 5-pie panel R8 aluminum droid with 2-3-2, scooter drive and several top secret 'James Bond' accessories. - He has hopes of winning the next droid races, having the fastest 2-3-2 in the west and an onboard wireless video camera, best sound system, brightest LED lightshow onboard! ( stop me before I go off the deep end) That about sums it up :)

Wayne Orr Aluminum Parts: wayne.orr@sbcglobal.net

R-Series, October 2005

15

M i c h a e l

M c M a s t e r

P r o d u c t i o n

Disc One

1. George's Visit 2. Builders Room 3. Celebration 3 Event 4. Don's Weathering Tutorial 5. Mike Senna's Autograph Room Adventure

A 2 Disc set with EXCLUSIVE footage of GEORGE LUCAS in the R2 Builders Room at C3! You Wont Find this Footage ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE GALAXY!

Disc Two

6. Builders Profiles 7 Droid Races . 8. The Real R2-D2 9. Jongsma Animations 10. Jason Smith's ILM Droid Adventure 11. Photo Gallery

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY: Contact Michael McMaster at mediamagic@lightspeed.net