MOT Inspector - Induction Training [2017]

28th September 2017

Sunday I was host to Ian H & Sam P, my self,

ran by Colin B & joined by Lee T.

The guys travelled down to mine for the afternoons

training session on how to inspect Droids for the UK Club.

UK R2D2 Builders Club,

is the only club that has an 'MOT approval' process,
ensuring that the Droids & their operators,
are safe for events attended.

You may ask, why do you need this??

.....Han Solo: Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy!

Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce

too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?

Well, it's nothing like dusting crops lol. But the point is, that yes, anyone can build an Astromech, but once you take it out in public (and your a member of the UK Builders Club) and are a representative of it and even more so, of Disney/Lucas films. "We wouldn't want a Droid 'breaking down' or 'bits falling off' or worse still, a run-away-droid as this wouldn't look good to the general public" ....quote.

So the UK Club set up an MOT process a few years ago, similar to what cars here in the UK have, providing the droids & their operators with reassurance that their Droids are to a safe standard, which is required to have for our PLI insurance cover.

2026..... This is still carried out and the list of MOT inspectors has grown over the years.

Throw Back Thursday - Collectormania 23 - 2015

This weeks throw back Thursday

is when I attended Collectormania 23,

at Milton Keynes football stadiums conference centre.

R5 & James' X-Robots R6

Click the link to see the pictures and mini event report:

Collectormania 23

@Milton Keynes,

event report 2015

Rogue One - two years on (2016-2018)

Can believe that I didn't post up pictures of the

Rogue One event we attended back in 2016!

So as a tribute, here's some of the photos taken on the day.

The UK R2D2 Builders Club,

(myself, Brad, Colin, Emma, Simon & Adam)

joined up with Joker Squad

to raise money for charity.

group picture

what do you mean you don't serve my kind!?!?!

Jedi, Wookiee & droids.....

~~~~~@@@@@@@~~~~~

I also forgot about this sticker on my old transmitter box.

Had to get it down to document a modification

I'd carried on to add the hand strap.

~~~~~@@@@@@@~~~~~

Following links to past posts......

Rogue One Print

Designed by Paul 'Wiz' Johnson.

Watching Solo at the cinema with my youngest.

The 'Rogue Ones' limited edition print - framed

On my way home the other night, I stopped off at The Range (a UK) store near me and picked up a frame, that a fellow club member had also bought.

Really impressed with this and now it hangs on my wall at home.

Optic 6 Transmitter - modified with a hand strap

When holding the transmitter down by my side, was giving me cramp in my hand from trying to grip the transmitter & steering R5 with my thumb. I do this to hide it whilst walking around at event's, so as not to spoil the illusion of who's controlling him.

I do have a neck strap attached to the transmitter, that I loop and wrap around my wrist, but this is only a safety thing so I don't drop it if it get's knocked. It doesn't offer any support to actually holding the transmitter.

So I looked on eBay for a strap of some sort.
I found two types, one that would clip onto the centre neck point and loop round your wrist or a SLR camera hand strap. The first one would just the same as what I had already, so I bought the SLR hand strap.

I already had some strap fixing loops from a previous project, my droid callers. So I dug out my nuts and bolts box and found two washers for inside the casing.

 Just need to re-fit the two grey side covers.

Then it was just a case of drilling one hole, as there was already a switch hole not being used in just the right spot. Fitting the nut/washer/locking split nut through these holes and adjusting so the rear case will close.

It feels a lot better tho the proof will be this Sunday

at R5's next event Optimus Comic Con in my home City of Bristol.

MCM Birmingham Comic con - March 17th - 18th 2018

So this weekend members of the UK R2-D2 Builders Club,

will be attending.....

MCM Birmingham Comic con - March 17th - 18th 2018

Well be joining up with the UK Garrison 501st, along with The Rebel Legion

on STAND 6100

next to the Comic Village

Some droids will be there for both days, others, like myself only for one of the two days.

I'll be attending with R5-D4 & bringing along my R4 dome on the Sunday.

There is so far about 13 dorid's attanding over the weekend!

Here's some from the last time I attended way back in 2015

Don't forget if you have your picture taken, and post on social, Instagram, to add at least one of these hashtags. And share your experience with others, big thanks

#ukr2d2buildersclub

#astromech

#astromechdroid

#R2D2

#R5D4 ......etc

UK R2 Builders - The Last Jedi @ Odeon IMAX 2017 - Event Report

Location: IMAX Odeon cinema, Milton Keynes
Groups:   UK R2D2 Builders Club & Joker Squad

An early start Saturday morning (R5 was already loaded up the night before). It was a crisp clear morning, stars were still out, no traffic on the motorway, tunes on the radio.... 😊

**This Event Report contains NO SPOILERS!!**

Arrived just after 9am (2 hour drive up), I met the others who were already unloaded & did the same. Then it was time for our viewing of The Last Jedi, in the IMAX screen. WOW!! I thought the film looked good when I saw it Thursday night with the kids, but the IMAX's depth of field, made the space scene's even more amazing!

Once out of the screening, we set up the droids to join the Joker Squad members who were trooping already. Just had time to say hi to fellow club member Stuart Bone, who was only able to attend for a few hours with his R2, but was good to see him out and about.

The rest of the day was then rolling around and having fun & photo's being taken.

 R5 & Matt's R2-D2

Just some of the Joker Squad group

Here more pictures, that were taken by fellow R2 Builder: Chris Williams.

The faces and the reactions speak for how great a time everyone had.

And here's a pics of some of us lol

Matt, Chris, Emma, Mike & Me.

Not in the pic's are Lee T & Adam S.

We all stopped for a sit down meal in TGI's, which was just next door, then back into the cinema for a last hour or so of fun, selfies, group pics and entertaining the visiting film go'ers.

We eventually finished up, loaded up and once Emma had cut the cake for Colin's birthday, we said our goodbyes and headed off home. Mine being the furthest, but as always, well worth it!

Checkout more pics of the event on Instagram using #astromech, #ukr2d2buildersclub #miltonkeynes as examples.

The combined efforts of the clubs,

we raised a grand total of £500!

For our chosen charity

UK R2 Builders - The Last Jedi @ Odeon IMAX 2017

** SPOILER FREE **

Members of the UK R2D2 Builders Club will be in attendance

at the Milton Keynes

Odeon IMAX cinema

on Saturday December 16th 2017

This is our third outing at the cinema

and again we'll be joining up with Joker Squad.

With 8 builders attending, this should be an extra special day for

visitors to the cinema on the day.

James R5-D4 Instagram link 👍

New Dome - woodwork frame for........ R4-D4

There's still a long way to go, and home life has limited my available free time to actually work on the frame for the new dome. So I took it all into work to try and utilise my early morning starts & lunchtimes to crack on with this build.

This was my starting point, over a month ago now. I'm now happy that this is going to work to be able to share more of my work. The idea for the framework is a modified version, but also simplified version, of what I had seen online by another builder. Credit goes to : Scott Kraft (pithyscott on Instagram)

The side triangle panels will be possibly/temp held

in place with panel pins for the building purposes.

The above picture gives you an idea, the rear triangle is pinned in place.

The centre dowel was to help support the top while I messed around with the uprights.

 There is a upright missing on this side, this is because I need space for R4's holo eye unit to fit. I need to make up a different upright arrangement to support the triangle panel etc.

All uprights temp in place. Next up is to cut out the top plate, to save weight and also give access to inside the dome.

Here's the work for the holo eye box unit. Grooves cut into side panels for the front panel to sit in. Glued up and fitted together.

And the semi completed box unit. There are several different looking box designs, I've gone with fellow UK R2 Builders Colin & Brad (slightly different again).
This simple design suits me.

Next up was to glue in support fixing blocks, seen in picture below.

Still need to add two more to the lower angle face, to make four fixing points.

And here's a mock-up of some of the panels with the holo eye temp screwed into place.

Am on my 3rd attempt at a 3D printed servo holder to fit behind, am 90% happy I've got this sorted now.....well, until I get it all fitted up and it doesn't work! lol