October 31, 2020

Trading Card Dispenser - TCD Video build coming soon.....

 So the other month I got asked if I could produce a short video showing the Trading Card Dispenser.

QR code link to files on Thingiverse
QR code link to the files on Thingiverse

.......it’s full assembly and it working, today that video was  shown as part of......


YouTube channel with Sam & Lee. If you didn’t get to watch the live show, you can watch it as it’s uploaded to the channel. See link below:

https://www.youtube.com/c/DroidbuildersUK

Afterwards I uploaded the original (in-edited) version lol, to my own You Tube channel, link below:

https://youtu.be/g0HNIc9j5m8

I am in the process of also doing an additional instruction/how-to manual on the activation side of operating the dispenser......will update on here once all's ready.

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If you have any questions, post them up below, I’ll be happy to answer them. You can also find me via Astromech.net’s forum.

October 26, 2020

Sounds for Droid 2020 - 1.8 installation

Made up a new bracket for holding one speaker, out of some MDF wood. The prev one was perspex and was attached to the old sound board.

new speaker position

I may mount the second speakers in a rear position.

Continuing on with organising the wires, the slip ring underside wires are always annoyed me as they are stiffer due to less strands. This makes it awkward reaching inside as they get in the way. So I decided to cut them short and connect new, more flexible cable. This will also be yellow to match up with identification of the voltages, yellow being 12v positive.

slip ring cable modification

Next up was to install the sound board. I changed my mind about which side to mount it on. Decided that it would be better over on the right hand side. I needed a spacer block, so cut a small piece of wood, marked the boards fixing hole position on it, then drilled clearance holes and screwed the spacer block to the frame.

spacer block

Next up was to then mount the sound board to the spacer block.

Sound board fitted to spacer block

I de-soldered the red power cable on the sound board and replaced it with a yellow one. I had some yellow heat shrink to cover the red wire for the Trading Card Dispenser electronics box.

Next up then is to connect the speaker, route the servo lead which operates the relay switch and test out the amp/speaker. Also need to look at where best to fit the volume control knob.

October 20, 2020

3D printed printer extras

 Drew up a tray which fits inside the open space of the printer bed. There was one on Thingiverse, but it fitted the previous Tevo Tarantula printers.

tevo tarantula pro tool tray

To keep 'stuff' out, I also included a lid. All low profile to avoid the guide wheels.

I wanted to save some material/time so reduced the support area, this resulted in not so great underside finish in places....so next time, keep the supports as is!

And here it is fitted:

Tray for Tevo Tarantula pro (orange version)
Link: to my Thingiverse page

Also uploaded a picture video to my YouTube channel.

Link: https://youtu.be/JiStWTJHITM


October 16, 2020

Logo Update.....

 Decided to create a new logo, not just for the Blog, but one that incorporated me....my name lol. :D

Logo Update

I also wanted to include the other two domes I've made,
R0-D4 & R4-D4

more updates coming......


October 15, 2020

Sounds for droid 2020 - 1.7 Sound board build

Back in August 2020   

 After lots of design layout ideas, and 3D printing a special holder for the sound components. I decided to just go back to basics and use Perspex.....as I had found some spare. I still utilised the digital voltage meter holders & also the Dual Relay Switch holder, as these don't have there own fixing points.

I dug out all the old nuts and bolts previously used and thought.....naaaa, I don't like the look of them. So I drilled a hole and test fitted a threaded Brass insert. It worked! So positioned the components, marked and drilled holes......all except the sound board (as this requires M2 size thread fittings) and then using my soldering iron tip, melted into place the Brass inserts.

Thread inserts added to Perspex board

Next up was test fitting all the components on the perspex board.

Sound Components going onto the board

Just waiting on the M2 thread fittings.....

I started routing and soldering the wiring next. I drilled holes to route the power wires behind the panel and to help identify the voltage, used yellow as positive for the Audio FX sound board as it uses a lower voltage than the amplifier.

The M2 inserts and bolts/screws arrived in a few days via eBay and where inserted into the rear of the board.


October 2020.....update

Got on with refitting the sound system. The extra perspex material has now been removed and a suitable location to mount it has been prioritised. A wood spacer block is needed to raise off the vertical frame support to allow the wires to fit behind. This new location is closer also to the 12v terminal distribution block.

I also fitted some of the new cable clamps I designed and 3D printed.

new [yellow] cable clamps installed    new [yellow] cable clamps installed
The board just needs terminals for the 12v power.

sound board ready for installation



October 05, 2020

Teeces LED work for Mike's dome [August 2020]

27th August 2020


     A few weeks back I was asked to help wire up a set of Teeces LED light and add some LED's to illuminate the Holo Projectors x3.

R2 type dome getting some lights fitted

I fitted a voltage regulator to drop the volts down to 5v.

Teeces lights lite up
These are the main lights for the dome illumination.

Mike also supplied some torch LED panels, which I managed to solder up wire connections to after figuring out why they all didn't light up with just one ground wire connected.
Torch LED units

After soldering these up, I had a thought about how to fit these into the Holo Projectors, without the dreaded 'Holo wire twist & break'. So I dug out my Holo Light units I made years back for my R4-D4 dome.

I did some updates to the LED holder, now that the 3D printer is better than the previous one lol and also upgraded the bearing holder.

Holo Projector LED holder

The bearing holder, is designed to be shaped with a file to be a tight fit into the rear opening of the Holo Projectors eye. The whole unit acts as a slip-ring arrangement, allowing the LED's to be connected and lite, but also allowing the Holo Projector to fully 360 degree free movement, without worry of 'Holo wire twist & break'!

Short video demo of new holo slip-ring

No more 'Holo wire twist & break'

Mike's dome only has two moving Holo Projector's, so these received these units. The third Holo is static. Nect up was installing them into his dome.

Panoramic view of inside the dome - LED's

Next up is to finish installing the power cables, the Teeces units & connecting up the power switches.......

wiring up the switcheswiring up the switches

And some pics of LED's illuminated.

illuminated LED'silluminated LED's

illuminated LED's from the inside of the domeilluminated LED's

Mike was kind enough to make this new tool storage box sticker, nothing wrong with the original lol, but hay....everyone should have their name on their tool box.

tool box stickertool box sticker



Interested in sign's etc, check out his website...

Click this link to his website ->>> Vinyl Designs

Transport sledge modification 2020

1st September 2020 

Yep, upgrading the sledge....again lol.

Well, due to circumstances, transportation of R5 may now have to be done in my small car. This does means him being disassembled, legs off, which was also part of his electrical upgrade. So now it’s just figuring out how to get it all IN the car.

Transport sledge upgrade

Looks drastic but it’s all part of the plan. The material being cut off will reduce the height when the sled is led down in the car. This also makes it lighter still. Also looking at the handle bar and the bracket that holds R5 at the top, again for when sled is led down. The bracket serves a purpose but also restricts having the dome fitted on the body if you needed to move him as one unit.

Well Hello there.....

 .....yes, it’s been a long time since my last blog post. A busy home life has been the reason. Had to convert half my garage into a usable area for my Son. This required new shelves being put up & new lights and sockets being installed. 

Another little project I was working on was installing an outside light to illuminate the garage door handle. Late nights in the dark, holding things etc and trying to find the key hole to lock the garage door.....no more! I wired up a timer delay off relay I had, along with a strip LED. So as I leave the garage, I can press the button and be able to see to lock it. This setup runs off 12volts.

light switch
light switch

testing the wiring 12volts
testing the wiring 12volts

delay off timer relay enclosure
delay off timer relay enclosure

the timer off relay board
the timer off relay board


Then, once all this was done, my work area needed more space as I have bought a 3D printer, Tevo/Tarantula Pro. This also required a shelf, requiring the moving of other wall mounted things for it to be able to be fitted. I wanted to be able to monitor printing, so grabbed a ‘action cam’ (budget GoPro) with WiFi, for under £10! It’s great and links up with my phone. Will only be printing on an evening whilst I’m at home, but piece of mind is good. I printed a bracket that slots onto the 20x20 extrusion, click this link here ->>> Thingiverse

And I designed and printed up my own brackets for some plastic sheeting i’ll be using for an enclosure, more on that in the future.

Did a rewire on Mikes dome switches to change their illumination orientation, I've not posted that yet but will do shortly.

I designed up a 'stop/reset' switch for the Tevo as the open hole was just annoying me lol.


Link will eventually work to Thingiverse......

I have been able to do small amounts of updates to R5, but these will hopefully take up more of my time now that these other projects have been completed.

Lastly for this post....a recent picture of my workbench area.....

Workbench update
Workbench update


And a collection of mugs.....???

3 mugs in a row
3 mugs in a row