June 30, 2020

Thingiverse - digital volt meter holders now online

Just uploaded the two versions of my digital volt meter holders.

A single version 2, without the extra unnecessary raised panel.



A a dual version, if anyone actually needs a holder for two.
Originally I did, so perhaps someone will as well. 

June 29, 2020

Thingiverse Page - James_R5-D4 = latest designs.

16.6.2020

Latest prints, printed by co worker Will and kindly posted as well.

Volume control box holder:
Designed this up to hold the volume control unit.
First attempt at thread inserts as well.
Was thinking of using acrylic sheet for the lid, but may just 3D print one.


Volume control box
Update: 22.6.2020
The volume control box holder, needed to be slightly modified. I should of made the cable hole larger as the two struggled to go through. So had to trim off the upper section. Not the end of the world as the idea was to fit a lid. Also the hole for the rotary had to be opened up a bit, printer tolerance. The best bit tho was the fitting of the thread inserts.
Volume Control box


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Volume control knob:
Yes I did look for a long one but thought why not just design and print one. It is designed to go through the 18mm thick base.
Volume Control Knob
Update: 22.6.2020

Volume control knob, needed only its shaft hole to be opened up. I wanted it to be a tight fit, but was a little to tight at first.
Volume Control Knob


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Utility arm bracket:
Three similar designs, to save time with seeing which one works.
Utility arm bracket: straight 1Utility arm bracket: straight 2


Utility arm bracket: straight 3Utility arm bracket: straight 4

Update: 22.6.2020
Utility arm bracket, these printed great, but still they need redesigning as I just can't get the flat parts to fit the curved angle of the arm. So back to the drawing board for these.....


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Next up:
The Digital Voltage units. I didn't have one to hand when I was drawing up this model for another project, so missed a few details. Both are not major things and one was easily solved by trimming the fixing tabs off the digital meter.
 Before tags were removed, seen on right of picture.

Once tabs removed and rear circuit board filed down a bit, the digital push fits in. The upper recessed tab I had originally intended to have printed labels stuck in stating the voltage. On hind sight though this is a bit pointless as you'd visually see the display.


-----------------------------------------

Lastly, the mini voltage regulator needed a new holder.
The regulator clips into the holder and is a snug fit. I need to add a securing holed tab.

When I'm happy with these, they will go up on my Thingerverse page.

June 28, 2020

Solo - A Star Wars Story - paperback from Aldi

I popped into Aldi the other day, [UK] rummaging as you do and saw some paperback books. Like everyone else (or is it just me??) I’m always on the lookout for Star Wars stuff 😂

And saw this bargain!!
Solo - A Star Wars paperback book

Yes.....£2.99!!
Been meaning to get for ages, and the wait obviously paid off.

June 26, 2020

New R5-D4 patches by Padawanbear Patches


Saw these over on Astromech.net forum and I had to get hold of them!!
They are available over on his Etsy store, for link click above logo or on the links below. [PS I am not affiliated with his site in any way! Am just info sharing]

These two in particular.....


Large 5 inch Star Wars Astromech R5-D4 DROID BUILDERVintage Toy logo inspired embroidered patch with iron-on backing


"The Capsule Collection"
Kenner Vintage style R5-D4 droid name capsule 3.5 inch iron-on 100% embroidered patch

link: R5-D4 droid name capsule

I didn't have plans for these two patch, but a recent something means I now do have something for these two to go!

More on this at a later date.

June 25, 2020

Throw Back Thursday - Han Solo costume for Celebration Europe 2016

This week’s throwback is to the Han Solo costume I made for my Son, to attend Star Wars Celebration Europe back in 2016.

Originally he wanted to go as a Stormtrooper, but I persuaded him it wouldn’t be very practical or that it would last to be worn again. After I showed him a pic of Han after they escape from the trash compactor scene & him wearing a Stormtrooper's belt, he was sold.

R5D4, Han Solo, cosplay, costume
The boots were off eBay second hand, but in perfect condition & the trousers were bought from Tesco’s. The shirt, jacket (vest) & scaled blaster, were made by myself with help from Karen.

Here are some of the links to the making of his outfit:


Hope these help if your thinking of making something for yourself or your kids.

June 24, 2020

Workbench lockdown 2020 - extra shelf

As part of my workbench upgrade, I needed to make some more space. So added this extra little shelf, which means I can fit other stuff under it.
shelf

The rear got boarded (white) to stop things falling down the back/side. I didn't get fancy with the curved end support, it was a scrap piece I had that was just right size.


extra shelf

I added a small lip, to stop things rolling off.

Workbench lockdown 2020 - Bench seat

Now that my workbench is.....well, was.....clear and able to be used, I got out my usual stool and realised that when sitting, I was literally as eye level with it!

As there's limited space in my garage, I started looking for small, tall, compact stools. A few popped up but some of the prices were ridicules.

So I looked on You Tube for DIY ideas and found some good ones. But I really liked the idea of a swivel bench one. What could I use tho that I had available in the garage.....

Some old broken, kids scooters. Well, one of them was steel version now Aluminium, so I went with that one.


modified scooter - steel version

After removing the wheel from the forks and stripping everything down to check it over. I opened out and bent the forks flat. I then filed down a M12 or M15 nut  (I can't remember now) and push fitted it into the top of the cut down steel scooter tube.
(It is now the correct height to fit between the upper and lower bench shelves)

Next up was location. I drilled down through the bench and the metal angle of the frame. This was so some of the studding could be threaded down through the bench into the captive nut in the frame.

The angle of the scooter was too steep, so I used a piece of angle steel, to form the extension arm seen in the next picture. This was held in place with two of the scooters bolts and spacers.


modified scooter - steel version
The bent flat forks had holes drilled under them into the bench and bolts fed through them.

I wanted to re-use the original stool seat, but how to fit it all together.
I started by cutting out a piece of square wood, this was for the seat brackets to fit to and then the wood would be connected to the angle steel arm.
seat, bench seat
The hole in the seat was for access to the pivot bolt. The pivot bolt uses the scooter wheel bearings to help swivel and space the seat up a bit.

Yes it takes my weight.
Yes it pivots out of the way.
swivel seat, bench seat

I might have to modify the actual seat in the future.
swivel seat, bench seat
Hope the above video clip works.....

June 23, 2020

Thingiverse - Vent for DIY air cooler unit


With the weather here in the UK set to get HOT this week again, I went to dig out the mini cooler I made a few years back for my youngest daughters bedroom.

I designed & 3D printed this vent. There are video's on You Tube, which was where I originally got the idea from. But I thought I'd have a go at designing my own vent.

  • AutoCAD Inventor at work.
  • Printed it on our older small machine (replaced with Ultiimaker S5)


air direction ventair direction vent


air direction vent

The idea is that you use a 12v fan that blows air into the tub full of ice cubes, the vent then helps direct the cold air out.
mini air con cooler unit
I power it with a 7.2v rechargeable battery, which last long enough into the night to cool you to sleep.

If you want to give this a go,
the vent can be found on my Thingiverse page here.

June 18, 2020

June 12, 2020

Workbench lockdown 2020 organised

Been meaning to sort things out in my garage for years....... well, not much I can do about most of it 😄 but with a bit of re-organising I was able to move one of the domes (R0) off the new shelf and onto an older shelf unit, that now had some space.

So now the R5 is off the bench & with R4 domes.

Next up was getting rid of stuff that I REALLY didn't need. I do keep stuff,with the intention of it possibly coming in handy in the future. Well....if it's not been used by now.... out it went. I went through boxes and sorted out and grouped/organised better all those little bits and pieces.

Clean and clear work bench
Clean and clear work bench

The above picture is what the bench looked like flippin years ago when it first got installed. A few little touches to help keep things to hand. The tapes were fitted onto a scrap piece of tube. I made a paper towel holder, mounted about the tapes. Three boxes were secured to the wall back board, which helps store smaller tools etc. [one can be seen top right of picture.

Next up was to make a little removable shelf. This holds two boxes with small components, electrical/electronics, recent small project work.
I didn't want the shelf to be fixed in case I needed the space. So I made it fit over the benches back board and has a support baton underneath.
small shelf


small shelf
small shelf

This word great...... and I started getting carried away with making stuff again. hahaha. I needed a soldering iron station, that I could move around, so after a bit of searching for material under the bench, I made this up...
soldering iron station
soldering iron station
 
The solder sucker needed a holder, just so I knew where it was when I need it. The paste tin has raised holder edges to stop it moving forward. Next will be either magnets to lock the base to the bench or the upper back board or location pins.....not sure yet.

The real reason for being able to do any of this was that I had to fit an outside security light. This meant having to fit new electrical cable. So ordered what I needed from Screwfix and got on with the installation. The plus side to this was I was able to add a plug socket nearer the front of the garage.....for use by my workbench. For the last I don't know how many years I've had an extension reel looped over and pinned to the wall to allow power to the bench. Now it will finally be fully independent.

So I just have to finish the electrics and I can start using the bench, much to the relief of the wife as it get's me back out of the front room hahahaha.

June 11, 2020

Throw Back Thursday - R0-D4 dome build

This week, throw back Thursday is a look at my R0-D4 dome I started to make.
The name is just my play on the R0 domes created by Lee & Oliver for 'The Force Awakens' film.

As with all my work it's built from wood, although a few years later I started an upgrade to change the rotation setup, requiring a new lower neck ring. This was going to be made out of metal, but due to tools, I had to make do with 3D printing it. This part is still uncompleted. He actually had a toy (not official) made of him by Mark T.....Blog link here.


So here's the dome,
semi completed and before the neck ring upgrade work had begun:
R0-D4 dome build


Frame work:
R0-D4 dome

Link to Blog history of build can be found here.
Thanks for reading.

June 05, 2020

Remote control holder - 3D printed

Whilst drawing up stuff, I thought I'd draw up a clip in holder for my mini remote control(s).
The idea being that rather that have it loose or stuck to the transmitter, the holder could be fixed and the remote could then be removed for battery access.

I drew version 1 up and got it printed off.

remote control holderremote controllers

It didn't come out to bad, see picture below.
A lip I thought it would need, that fits through the key ring hole, well it didn't, so filed it off.
3D printed remote control holder
Version 2 has a few other slight changes. These I can show when it has been printed.

Once happy with it, I'll add it to the other files on my Thingiverse page.

Sounds for droids 2020 - upgrade 1.5

So after sound testing, I found some better shielded cable and got on with soldering on contacts and also the volume control.

In my last sounds post, I had thought about 3D printing up a sound board to mount the components onto, but thought this was just me having tooooo much free time, so decided to just stick with a simple perspex sheet.

Utility arm servo linkage bracket redesign

Thanks to my co-worker Will, who printed off the new versions of the brackets and posted them to me.

These were great, but these designs also didn't fit the arm. So I redesigned them with a flat race, instead of the curved contact surface. I also shortened some of the versions too.
utility arm bracket

These along with a few other items will be getting printed over the weekend.
Hoping that these flat versions will be the final design.

June 04, 2020

Throw Back Thursday [part 2] - June 2019

Around this time last year I had started making a dome bag.

A dome bag, you ask???
Yes!

At an event, a co builder asked about how best to carry R5's dome (as it's wood and he obviously didn't want to cause any damage to it. This gave me the idea to make a carrier for it. One that can protect from dust & light bumps etc, but make it easier to carry.

So I started making the above Dome Bag.
Follow the link to follow my original bag making process.
I did start on a more correct size one, which would be used for my R4 dome.....that ones still to be finished tho.

Happy reading!

Throw Back Thursday [part 1] - June 2015

Missed a few weeks of throw back Thursday's, so making up for it this week with two posts:

Upgrade and screen accurate work to R5's centre leg.

Back in 2015:
This started because of a discussion about screen accurate droids, and R5 came up as people usually just swap over from an R2-D2 dome and then apply vinyl etc to add colour.
R5D4, centre leg, foot shell
R5's Centre foot Outer ankle
But it was noted that R5's centre leg was actually fitted with an outer ankle! The result of an unfortunate incident.....

Here's the link to the start of my Centre Leg upgrade.

.....second post out later today.