Front Vents - Fixing Bracket **UPGRADE** 2.1

Last night I wanted to mark and fit the top front Vent onto the brackets I had fitted ages ago, see Front Vents resin set post.

For whatever reason, rushing, it being late, not enough light in my garage..... I didn't notice that one of the two brackets I had fitted wasn't long enough to actually be secured to the Vent. So Plan 'B' is now in effect. This is actually how I thought I could of fitted them, just like the Power Couplers, in the first place lol.

So rummaged though scrap metal box and found some thin sheet metal. Measured, marked & cut a strip off. Then bent to shape and drilled fixing holes for it to be screwed to the inside frame.

The curved area along the bottom was so that only one of the Vents opening's won't be blocked. The one remaining, which can be seen in the picture below, will have it's opening traced onto the bracket, once it's been fitted and then this will be drilled out.

Next thing was to drill elongated holes [width ways, though not visiable] in the bracket and then drill and thread tap holes in the rear of the Vent. Am using M5 metric thread and hex socket head bolts.

R5-D4's Head 1.2 - Frame & some skin build work

So this afternoon, I fitted the four main skeleton frame pieces and then made up four smaller ones to help support the lower curve pieces. These also support the main band and help retain the curve shape.

When I'd screwed them all on, I got the feeling of Darth Maul :D Been watching cartoon Clone Wars recently lol

Then I got to cutting out two lengths of wood to go round the 'recessed' area. I would recommend a single length, but the material I had was all that I had to work with.

 

Panels are held in place with panel pins and will get some resin applied at a later date. Once 100% happy with what I've done. Next I'll be cutting out and fitting the lower curved pieces.

Octagon Port 2.4 - Rear Port build

Used masking tape to cover over the back plate, then marked out the slots to be cut out. Using a Stanley knife, I scored and removed these pieces.

Rough cut out of skiin for rear octagon port.

 

Then primer spray, blue & then clear to finish. Next is to make the side walls.

I also roughly cut out the hole for the Octagon Port in the body, but due to my not so accurate frame build, I needed to cut into the rear upright.

Coin Slot up-grade 1.2

Started on drilling holes in the back's of the coin slots to accept 4BA screws (smallest suitable thread I could find). These will go through the perforated metal angle [with clearance holes in] and then be screwed to the inside frame upright.

 Positions marked onto the angle.

Coin Slots all drilled and thread tapped.
Just need to cut down in length, the four on the left of picture


This is them starting to be assembled

A few of the clearance bolt holes were off centre, so had to file them up for the screws to fit.

I like the fact you can see the perforated metal through the slots :)

R5-D4 Body Skin 1.3 - Rear Hatch Section

Have been working on the second lower flat side piece of body. Cut a piece & a curved section to size and glued together. Then worked on it fitting correctly.
Creating a lower rear section, housing both rear coin returns & power coupler.
Cut a piece of board to size, that will be used for this. Measured half the gap between the lower & bottom panels that appear on the rear hatch/door & marked this as the mid cut off point. Frame will require two small end up rights & a curved upper piece to fix to. Then planning on the rear hatch haveing hinges.

Bottom Rear Left

Bottom Rear Right

I then cut out the first coin return slot [pictured above]. Already made up the coin return rear out of metal, cut and bent to shape. I need to next work on the hole for the Power Coupler & other coin return.

Not cut to depth yet.

Lower panel, test, fitted

R5-D4 Body Skin 1.2

Filed the extra extensions to which the lower side flats will be fixed too. These were made when I originally built the frame, and were a little bit wrong lol. Whilst I was at it, I filed the front up-rights by adding a slight curve to their fronts. This was so the skin fitted flush with the frame, top ring and bottom base. Next I drilled holes and screwed, to secure the curved parts, either side of the flats to again help them keep thier curved shape :). Once this was done, I could then finish off plaining the skin edge, flush with the base.

Screw holding body skin curve.

Using a cardboard template, I then cut a curve out of 3mm hardboard & glued it to the lower side plate no1. See picture above.

Fiitted top rear strip, above where rear door will go. Cut, drilled, nailed in place with panel pins. Applied some wood filler, later to be sanded & re-applied. This piece is now fixed in place.

Using the cardboard template, I marked out the first coin return onto some sheet metal and cut it out. Then bent it to shape.

Has since been modified to actually fit against the inside face of the skin/body frame.

Cut out first leg hole, as marked. But it wasnt quite central, so had to re-do it. Now I need to fill the gap. Already know how I'm going to fix it lol. What I did to correct this was to locate the leg disc onto the bolts. Shoulder disc fitted onto bolts, shows large gap :(

Hole in body skin, off-centre :( this will need some filling.

Leg holes marked ready for drilling....

Last night, I positioned the leg onto the shoulder disc and fixed it useing the clamp stud I had made up. I aligned it to the correct angle, using the help of a printed out template I had drawn up on CAD.

Clamping bolt in place

Then using the same 10mm diameter wood bit used to make the shoulder holes and using them as a guide, I taped the end of the bit to mark the centre position for drilling.


Here are some other pics of the leg clamped :)

Side view of  R5 [pic's been inverted, I wasn't standing on my head to take it]

The bolts in position, holding the shoulder disc in place 

Today I took the leg into work to drill out the holes using the pillar drill and a 12mm diameter wood bit. As the hole needs to be this size to accept the T-nuts shaft.


I'll take the leg apart to fit the T-nuts at home, using the actual leg bolts to align them correctly.

More Body work - Frame

Has been a productive Easter Weekend.
Friday, I cut a strip of aluminium plate, to mount the coin slots onto.

Also cut lower support section for it. Just needs outside curve trimmed.

Then cut out, drilled & fitted lower flat side supports.

Popped into B&Q Hardware Store, to see about material available to skin R5 with. Aluminium sheet, 3mm hardboard, flexible MDF ??? I like the idea of aluminium skin over the hardboard, strength with a 'real' aluminium skin. But they want around £40 for the aluminium plate & would need two plates to do front & back! So think I'll be going with the hardboard....... for now lol.

Saturday I only had 5mins to spare, so I trimmed & curved the lower coin support sections edge.

Then on Monday I was able to cut two rear upright frame supports & screwed them top & bottom. These will help with the wrapping around of the hardboard skin I'm hopeing to fit. Am also thinking there will be a rear access hatch.

Resisting the urge to stray onto other parts, I thought I should use up the material I have, so started on R5's skirt. Cut out lower 'ring' section, below..

Coin Slots

Cut the rest of the 'coin slot' blanks out, just need to machine them up.

Cut two lower side supports for the side flat parts of the body.

Lower Vent Support bracket - Frame

Friday I cut two smaller up-rights & radius piece for lower vent support & location.

Taking shape - Frame Build

Cut two front uprights for the arm enclousers, drilled and screwed them in place.

Had already cut two arced sections out of MDF, also for the arm enclousers. Had to correct the dimension for their position, due to the dimensions given for the two upright pieces, takes into account that they should be recessed into the base and top! Drilled and screwed them in place.

Still need to cut out and fit the upper most curved part of the arm enclosure.


Next I needed to fit two additional spacer plates, 8mm, to the shoulder disc's, one either side.
When I was working out the distance needed to clear the body dia, I mis-placed a dimension, meaning the two side pannels were not far enough apart. Ther one thing following planes, but following two different sets of planes, that's when it get's confussing :-D lol.

And here they are in place.

I drilled through the spacers to allow the bolts and power cables access. The extra holes are to help reduce weight. In principle that is lol.

And heres the body so far.

New frame idea...

Whilst searching the net yesterday looking for router-jig-tool for my Dremel. I also did a search for Lazy Susan's for the dome. And found that in one of the Blogs I follow, was probably the answer to my 'alternative-dome-rotation-problem' :-).

                                R6.E1 Astromech [Emy]      The info is in the archive list.

The design of the frame, also makes making it easier and simplier. And as this droid is being made on a budget lol, this is all good news to me.