February 24, 2012

Nuts for Bolts for Leg No.2


Needed some more M10 nuts and washers. Went back on wickes website to check prices, was £1.80 last packet I bought, now gone up to £2.01. So went on ebay and got a pack of 20 nuts for £2.75 (cheaper than two packs from Wickes) and a packet of 20 washers for 99p. Both free post! The real bonus though, is I didn't have to go driving on my lunchtime to buy them :).

Centre Foot 1.1 - sides

Found some metal sheet that I could use for the sides of the centre foot. It is slightly thicker than the material I found for the front and back plates. So required the use of an angle grinder to cut off a manageable size piece so it could be marked up. Once done, I could then use the guilotine to cut down to size.

The Up-right was just there to keep the sides up for the photo :)
I sanded the edges with the linisher to remove slight burr left by the guilotine.


Once this was done, I got on with bending the bottom edge of the front and rear plates.

February 22, 2012

Under Shoulder Detail

Decided that the under shoulder sockets for the Stabilisers, definatly needed covering up! Wasn't going to attempt to filler/smooth them out any more. So am going with the 'silver' look version.

I made a carboard template of the socket and transfered the outline onto some thin metal plate. I then bent them to fit and will glue them into place with araldite once painting has been completed.

Had to do a bit of filling round the edges of the shoulder plates for them to be a push fit into their recesses.
Socket plate
Socket plate in place
Just a mock-up of stabiliser fitted.
All will then be glued in place once leg is finally sprayed up with clear.

Centre Foot 1.0


Measured up and made cardboard templates for centre foot shell. Also looked at how i am going to build its internal frame to wheel. This supports the weight of R5, not the foot shell.




Found some angle that I had cut to size. These will be used for the internal wheel support frame.



Decided I'd attempt to make the centre foot out of metal, originally I was thinking of making it/them out of wood. But what with knocking etc and potential damage, for now, I'm going to attempt a metal build.
I used the templates to cut out the front and back sections and two pieces for the top, with the use of works guillotine.

February 21, 2012

Bolts for Leg No.2

Cut the second set of five, leg securing bolts to length :)
Just need to get some more nuts now.


Have been busy, so more posts to come, once pic's taken and uploaded.

February 14, 2012

Shoulder Stabiliser - continued [No3 complete]

Third shoulder stabiliser now complete (made in work).

Base - blanking 1.1

Prepared and applied several coats of grey primer to the two blanks I had to fit to the base. See post:-  'Base - blanking 1.0'

Next, after some light sanding, I'll then spray it up white and then clear.

Leg Assembly 2.2 - Hub hole

After several more coats of white paint, all over, the leg is now looking like the real thing!

I clamped a piece of wood in the vice, I then clamped the leg onto this. Placed some thick cardboard between the leg and the clamp to protect the paint work.

Next I drilled holes inside the area to be cut out for the Shoulder Hub to fit into. I then started to use my dremel fitted with a sanding drum to finish off the circle to size.

I started to sand the edges round. But my last sanding drum wheel broke. So that's all for now.
I still need make another counter sunk hole for the Hub to fit into. Have ordered an Adjustable Circle Hole Cutter Power Drill Bit Tool Saw to help with this next step. It will also save me time when making the second legs, hole cut out.

Shoulder Hub No1

I did this at the weekend.

After following the instructions on preparing the hubs ready for spraying, I sprayed with several light coats of grey primer. Once this had dried, I proceeded with silver spray paint.
R5-D4's shoulder hub made by Don Jarr
Still to come is a clear coat, to protect.

I still have to decide on how to 'fix' the hub into the leg. I may just go for a push fit.

Slow progress more like NO progress, due to cold conditions....

Work has been a bit slow these last few weeks, as the weather has been too cold to work in the garage, even with the heater on.

But that's all changed this week and am back, building R5 :)

February 03, 2012

Shoulder Stabiliser - continued [No2 complete]

Machined up two more of the straight knurled piece for R5's stabilisers.
Next, drilled holes for it in both the stabiliser legs and fitted it in.
R2-D2 Astromech, R5-D4

February 02, 2012

Motivator ideas.....

Got thinking the other day, what dose R5's motivator look like......?
Then thought, OK, what is the motivator and what purpose does it serve??


Found some images of other peoples ideas of what they think the motivator looks like. These should give me some ideas of how to create my own.

February 01, 2012

Pie hole

Along with the Motivator and what it might look like, I've been thinking and drawing ideas for how to show the Motivator off.

Should I get it to pop up? Be permenatly fixed in the 'blown' position?? And what about inside the Pie hole it's self. Still not sure about the first too, but I do know what the Pie hole insides will look like. Pics to follow.

R5-D4's Motivator - modifications 1.0


Found my old sheet of gauze that I bought for my Stormtrooper 'nose' vents. It's now looking a bit rusty.....which is great lol.


I cut out a piece and finding a correct size piece of bar, shaped it over it so that it will fit in the end of my Motivator.

It is flat, but looks curved, once fixed in and inside painted up this won't show.....much lol