Transit Data Reader - for R5-D4's Utility Arm Socket screen (Part 1)

 

This is a similar design based on this image (below), taken from the Solo 'Official Guide' book. I thought this would be a good idea to have to connect up with R5’s utility arm socket and use it as a data transfer terminal. Similar to those seen in the original Star Wars scene to download the plans for the Death Star & then similarly to when R2 downloaded the data in The Rise of Skywalker.

To keep things inline with the retro feel, I found some coiled cable from an old car mobile phone charger, that can be connected up to the reader and the plug.

The design was originally sectioned up into a upper and lower section, but I decided to print this as a hollow one piece. There is a ‘hatch’ in the bottom to allow access inside. This kinda helped getting the supports out, but for future printing, the sectioned version would be the way to go! This took over a day to print lol.

The next job was removing the internal support :(

I hate wasting time & material!!

Next up though was sanding the unit & a coat of filler primer.

Once dried, a test fit of the EL panel. Which needed some slight filing of the hole to allow the plug to fit through.

Cut a piece of opaque plastic as a cover screen. This will get marked up later or a second screen will, fitted underneath it.

A coat of black matt paint was applied and allowed to dry. Later I then masked off to allow the front button panel to be sprayed white.

I didn’t have a grey paint, so thought I’d try the silver. But this was TO silvery for my liking. No amount of buffing and over spraying with black was going to dull or improve the appearance lol. So once sanded back, another coat of matt black was applied all over.

I made a stop at a ‘Halfords’ on return from school run and picked up (hopefully) a more suitable grey colour.

I’ll then masked off the lower part to remain black and give this a spray.

Much happier now with this look.... next up was applying colour to the recess and buttons. Using a thin brush, I sprayed black paint into a lid and brushed it onto the recess & also dry brushed the grey paint too. I then swapped over to the white for the three main buttons.

And here is the finished painted Data Reader:

Compared next to the original design.

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On the plus side, this has given me time to update this with a better, more open bottom hatch, fixing screw holes for brass threaded fittings, meaning that this can be printed in three parts, less support material = quicker print time.....

.....I’ve just ordered some more filament :D so no doubt a second print is on the cards....or should that be print bed :D