Event Report: Droids @ Mshed 2026

Another great event, but...........

The first being that I wasn't able to attend and help out Mike and the others as I have done since the beginning,

but also that [unless things change re: 'the powers that be']

this year was the last one to be held at the Mshed.

The event is a free open to all, showcasing the droids that have been hand built / 3D printed etc. as seen in film and TV shows, along with stalls, lucky-dip, and attended by fellow groups who just want to share in the experience.

These include the Dalek crew, MK Garrison and others.

This year was even attended by, a close friend of mine who I've known now for many many year lol,

Samantha Alleyne [first female stormtrooper] from:

the new Star Wars films trilogy

the anthology films Rogue One & Solo a Star Wars Story

& also the TV series Andor (filmed here in the UK).

Other attendees include......

Nathan Pegler & Brian Wheeler

These guys had a great time and were also popular with the public.

The stalls outside were also very popular and these along with the MK Garrison, in full costume, helped catch the passing public who didn't know about the event.

Here are some photos from the day:

Here are just some of the amazing droids.

Visitors to the event were asked about their thoughts of the day and what they liked most about it.

The response was 100% positive.

(Thanks to everyone)

This years chosen charity was the

Great Weston Air Ambulance

Check out the amazing work they do here.

Total amount raised.....👏👏👏👏👏👏

Mike is looking for a new venue..... so fingers crossed for 2027!

#starwars #drwho #mkgarrison #droids #astromech #bb8 #bristol #mshed #charity #southwestairambulance #droidbuildersuk

Event Promo for Droids @Mshed 2026

Here in the UK we have been experiencing a change in weather lol, sunshine & HEAT!!! 😎🌞🌞🌞

 
Mike braved the extremely hot weather and set up some of his droids outside his work hut to advertise this Summers Droid’s @Mshed event.

Displaying his two latest creations.....

WALL-E & EVE

#mshed #bristol #summerevent #droids #r2d2 #walle #dalek #mkgarrison #greatwesternairambulance #k9 #drwho #starwars #kermit #elmo

Droids @ Mshed Museum Bristol: July 2026 - YouTube shorts

Uploaded YouTube short to advertise the event:

AND HERE'S THE PROMO FLYER PRODUCED BY MIKE B.

MORE UPDATES COMING, INC SOME VERY SPECIAL FRIENDS!

SIGN UP ON THE FACEBOOK EVENTS PAGE

TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS, THANKS

#MSHED #BRISTOL #DROIDS #FREEEVENT #MSHED2026 #MUSEUM

Machining parts for Mike B

 Just some more components, I made for Mike B.

Aluminium hex bar, drilled both ends and tapped with an M6 thread.

Enough so that if it needs the overall length to be shortened, it can be.

First picture also has part of the second component I had to cut to length, drill a 4mm dia hole in one end, with a milled corresponding flat length on the other end.

Droids @Mshed Bristol 2025 - This Weekend!!

 

Some of you may notice a few visual changes, due to circumstances, Johnny 5 won't be attending, but all your favourite droids WILL still be there.

#SWDB25 #DROIDBUILDERSUK #MSHED #BRISTOL

See you all Sunday!!

ps. there will be a link posted up for feedback, more to do with the advertising of the event, thanks.

Droids @Mshed Bristol 2025 - official website updated

We asked before but it didn’t happen [due to technical issues], but this year, with mere weeks to go…..

....they’ve managed to get the event added to their website’s official events calendar!!

Click on the image above to take you to website,

or

copy and paste this link:

https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/m-shed/droids-m-shed/

DROIDS @Mshed Bristol 2025

 DROID's @Mshed Bristol, are back!

Yes, all your favourite droids are back again, and a few new special attending ones as well!!

💥💥 'FREE ENTRY EVENT' 💥💥

Droids built by Droid Builders UK / UK R2-D2 Builders Club, we're a group of builders who make/build/3D print droids from TV & movies for enjoyment. From Star Wars to Dr Who. With members attending from ALL over the UK!

💥💥💥

👉 Check out this event on FaceBook's events,

please add yourself and share.

💥💥💥

We also have members from the MK Garrison - Vader and co.

Mike Berry of Vinyldesign's has been busy arranging & organising this event,

I'm just helping as his side kick/advertising/promotions guy 😄

Link to 2024's Event report over on the Droid Builders UK website.

Or over on their YouTube channel: Droid's @Mshed 2024.

We hope to see you there!

~~~~~

This is a non profit event, all money donated goes to the groups chosen charity for 2025: 'Supporting Alzheimer's Society'

If you wish to make a donation, please click this link to our JustGiving page, Thank you!

#droidbuildersuk #SWDB25 #astromech #droids #Bristol #Mshed25

Droids at the Mshed 2024 - Event Report

WHAT A DAY!!!

This post will also be uploaded to the Droid Builders UK website, events page, so for more events attended by the Droid Builders, checkout the the link here.

It was that time of year again, the Droid Builders invaded #Bristol, for our now annual, Summer event.

This was our fourth event, our biggest attended by Builders and also by the public.

I didn’t get to take many photos myself, so photo credit to fellow builders and my Brother.

video link to my YouTube Channel here.

Saturday 6th July:

Saw Mike Berry & Chris Williams and myself arrive early to set up everything, well they were early…

……ready for the big day. I wasn’t THAT late 😂

Sunday 7th July:

Arriving early [7:15am] to organise things with Mike with Helen (& family) and myself. It was cloudy but dry. The outside advertising boards were put out at strategic locations to catch the most foot traffic. An area just to the side of the Museum, allowed easy access for unloading and parking had been kindly been made available for us.

www.PodPadStudios.com's

Mr & Mrs Maker, arrived early doors to unload T1-FNY.

26 Club members signed up, four were 'spotters' these are helpers of droids being driven. They help keep the public in check lol whilst the operator, operates.

The area inside was arranged with the intention that the droids could be lined up, but we had that many that it was basically just cram them in wherever lol.

Here are just some of the droids, big thanks to Billy for the use of these photos.

Droid lineup

Droids grouped together

We had a few props table next, Chris & Helen displayed 3D printed items.

Photo credit: Kim Atkins

Our VIP for the day, was Sarah (as TC-14, silver) & would have been Chris (as C-3P0, gold).

Of course everyone is special, but unless you have, AND wear, a Protocol Droid suit at an event, then you are a VIP!!! If you've worn any sort of armour/costume, you will be aware of how limiting it can be, wearing a Protocol Droid suit is this x100%. Apart from from having to fit yourself into one, the face [head] is an extremely tight fit with very limited vision AND it can feel very claustrophobic! Both these builders were in attendance last year at Celebration Europe 2023 as well as other Club attended events.

Event Begins:

Organising, helping to unload droids and set them up, before I knew it, it was 10am.

The public was allowed in and within minutes the whole room was packed!! It was like this for the next few hours. Then the rain came mid morning . This didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds though.

After lunch and the rain had stopped, the clouds cleared and yet again, the sun shone down on our day. The crowds increased as the droids and cosplayers from the MK Garrison were able to venture outside, which attracted more people.

There were lots of happy people, having their photos taken. Following pictures credit: Matt.

Crowds

TC-14 and Dalek getting luv from the public.

The other side of the event was Droid MOT testing. A few renewals and two new initial MOT’s.

I did R2-B00’s, built by farther and son.

And the second initial MOT, was carried out by Mr Lee Towersey. This was a club first as well.

B2-EM0

Checkout the video of B2-EM0 in action.

Congratulations to both builders on their droids passing and being added to the ever expanding community of Droids.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up was the lucky dip which had some amazing prizes up for grabs & raised more than the two collection buckets put together!! There was Lego sets, posters, hats, t-shirts, key-rings and lots more. Big thanks to Clare and Mark.

The crowds didn’t abate and the sunshine just attracted more. Thanks to Helen and Sara for donation bucket duties, as well as parking organisers xx

Loads of positive comments from the public and lots of questions asked about droid building.

GRAND TOTAL RAISED ON THE DAY

£684.08

Including £100 via online donations

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Big thanks to all the builders who gave up (in some cases their whole weekend) to attend the event.

Nik, Matt, Jamie, Shaun, Mark, Clare, Emma, Andrew, Doug, Phil, Chris, Lee, John, Chris W, Paul, Sarah (TC-14), Loz, Dale, Andy, Helen, Ashleigh, Chris O, Susie, Glynn, lan.

(Don’t think I forgot anyone)

final bit: this could quite possibly be our last event held at the Mshed Museum. Due to the shed area being redeveloped by the museum for a new permanent exhibit. We won’t know for sure till later in the year, but we’ll keep you informed, on here or my YouTube channel 😎👍🏽

Droids at Mshed : Bristol 2024 - 1 WEEK TO GO!!!

 

Just 1 week left till #Bristol see’s the Droids arrive at the Mshed museum again, 2024!

YouTube channel: link

Please like and share for others to see. The event is a free one so don’t miss out on seeing your favourite droids, built by fans, of film and TV!!

Droids @ Mshed , Bristol : #SWDB24 ……….Sunday July 7th 2024

At the beginning of the year, Mike enquired about the possibility of the M-shed museum’s availability for hosting our South West Droid Builders Day 2024.

Unfortunately they were unable to due to planned work. A few months later he gets a message saying that the work had been postponed till later in the year.

So, Sunday 7th July, we will be hosting a bigger event, due to the shed being cleared so more space inside.

The usual Bristol crew will be in attendance along with loads of Droid Builder’s from all over the country! Who will be bringing their droids from a Galaxy far far away & other SCI-FI universes!

R5-D4 Astromech figure - The Mandalorian (Update 2)

Some really good news!

Saturday, February 3rd, Mike was at an event with R2-TNGO, and messaged me to ask if I had ‘this figure’. The picture he sent me was of R5-D4 from the Mandalorian show! The same figure I was expecting since last year.

Links to previous posts:

Post 1: pre-oder Blog post 2023

Post 2: Update, not good news 2024

Mike's Droid R2-TNGO : conversion upgrade Part 2

Thursday lunchtime I popped up to see Mike as he wanted to have his new droid MOT’ed.

New legs cut from wood.

New motor inner foot shells.

New metal outer foot shells.

New centre leg.

New Dome gear setup.

New batteries…….

A solid upgrade from two leg to three legs.

The electrical system was half new, wires for the motors and battery hookup, with the main Padawan 360 setup, including sounds, being all on a board that is a simple unplug and remove from one droid, and fits into another droid.

Mike showed me the new batteries he had bought, lifepo ones, these were SUPER lightweight!!!

Saturday was its first event. Mike had a great time and got to meet another Mike.

Mike Quinn with Mike Berry and R2-TNGO

Mike's Droid R2-TNGO : conversion upgrade

January 2024
Mike has been working hard on converting one of his static two-legged droids R2-TNGO, to a three legged mobile one.

He asked me if I could fit new plugs onto his new motors & power cables for him. And also to shorten his drive chains.

Done & done.

He shared some progress pictures:

Legs and feet are on. More updates soon.

Helping out: 3D printer re-homed

A project to service an Ender3 3D printer for a friend who was selling it as he’s upgrading. Swapped out the hot end for a new one, cleaned and dusted, checked belts and greased the lead screw (December 2023).

Emma had mentioned she’d love to get a 3D printer, so this was a perfect match. Mike had thrown in some part used reels as well as a full one. All his extras he’d bought, included (extra nozzles etc).

January 2024 and Emma & family, came over to pick up the printer. Very happy.

#3dprinter #ender3 #helpingfriends #blog

CAD work for a vintage Mercedes' glove box

December 2023:

I mentioned a side project for a friend of Mike’s.

He needed a copy made of his original worn out inner glove box for a vintage Mercedes restoration project, and could I CAD it up for 3D printing. It took about 3hours in total to CAD it up. This included:

• Hand measuring the whole box.
• Figuring out the best way to apply the different angles.
• Extruding and cutting away.
• Blending radius's.
• Then sectioning up for it to be able to be 3D printed on Mike’s Ender 3 printer bed.

Got a message of him saying to check out his friend’s YouTube channel.

Read my comment (jamesR5), to clarify that it wasn’t 3D scanned but good old honest design work 😎👍🏽

Go to the 8min mark for the 3D printing etc.
https://youtu.be/GuzJxtJOZvg?si=FhsYLPwojT0FEDWb

#SWDB23 - Sunday 2nd July 2023 - THANKS ALL

What a DAY!!!

Sunday's event held at the Mshed, Bristol harbourside,

was blessed with good weather

& a fantastic attendance from the public.

We were collecting for our chosen charity: Make a Wish (UK)

clicking on the above image will take you to our Justgiving page.

Oliver will be collating the donation buckets and will update us when finished. But I can say that yesterdays donations online (not including gift aid), came to £216.00!!

The total raised comes to......

A BIG thank you to all who came along and supported us, we hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did sharing it with you all. Plenty of smiles from everyone.

If you would like to make a donation, of any amount,

please feel free to use the above links, every little helps.

There will be an Event Report soon, and also a Video up on my YouTube channel.

So click the likes, share and subscribe to my channel for future event updates, and check out last years event whilst you wait for this years to be uploaded lol.

Thanks again Bristol (and outside are visitors)

your support was/is much appreciated.