The Age of Plastic 3D - website R5-D4 history info etc.

 May 2nd 2023

https://sites.google.com/site/theageofplastic3d/all-about-r5-d4

R5-2JE astromech: Anniversary

Today, September 5th, back in 2018, I got to work on a little project code named 'TRIXIE'.

Due to change of plans on set, I didn't get to operate R5 that day, but I did get to assist Lee Towersey, and R2, on set, stood opposite the Falcon 😍. Sam P, was eventually the operator of R5 as well as his own droids, a few days later.

Another amazing opportunity (the third one) that I am truly grateful for to of experienced. Being behind the scenes is hard work, but worth it 😊.

#R52JE is named so for three very special reasons 💓💓💓

R5 has appeared in three films (different colour schemes), this being the only time the droids designation suggested was used.

'2J' represents my two eldest children, Jessica & Jacob, and 

'E' for my youngest daughter Evie.

For those interested, R5 has the unique features of his centre leg only having one ankle cylinder, and a restraining bolt! Have a search for images and see if you can find him lol

#droidbuildersuk

#astromechdroid

#theriseofskywalker

#r5

#trixie

#droidfactory

#toy

R5’s centre leg - ankle detail update

 When I originally fitted the ankle detail, I hadn’t permanently fix it to the leg. I just used hot glue. It lasted surprisingly well. But as the retaining strap is used in this area for transportation of R5, it eventually got knocked off.

So it was time to fix in place properly. I made a cardboard template to mark suitable hole locations with.

I had to redo the hole position as I forgot the drill wouldn’t be able to reach the upper hole location, so moved it down a bit.

Of course this was after I’d already drilled the ankle detail lol.

So the upper hole was plugged. It didn’t have to but it did for me.

I didn’t need to glue in as the holes/dowels were a tight fit.

Next up: finishing installation of the electricals.

Throw Back Thursday [part 1] - June 2015

Missed a few weeks of throw back Thursday's, so making up for it this week with two posts:

Upgrade and screen accurate work to R5's centre leg.

Back in 2015:

This started because of a discussion about screen accurate droids, and R5 came up as people usually just swap over from an R2-D2 dome and then apply vinyl etc to add colour.

R5's Centre foot Outer ankle

But it was noted that R5's centre leg was actually fitted with an outer ankle! The result of an unfortunate incident.....

Here's the link to the start of my Centre Leg upgrade.

.....second post out later today.

Disney D23 Expo 2017 - R5D4 pin badge!!

Whilst searching up on eBay,
I found that these's!

A droid set of pin badges!

These pics are gleaned from internet searching...
(credit where possible has been given)

This group pic, posted by Jeremy Konrad.

These others are off eBay, no links, just search them up.

My fist thoughts were....fantastic!!

And then sadness at probably not being able to own one, well, not anytime soon lol

Then I noticed that this R5 has the 'round skirt' design, nothing new as this style of image appears on most of the trading cards, as I've mentioned in previous posts.

Then I noticed that this one tho had been given the 'film version', centre leg!

He has an 'outer leg' as his centre leg, therefore only having the ONE ankle cylinder!!

Check the first group pic to compare with R2.

Top marks to the person who didn't just copy an R2D2 body

and change his body panels to red lol

Well, I'm off to watch eBay for more Droids lol.

Centre Leg - Film version **UPDATE 1.4**

So i got home from work Friday 26th and gave the components a lite sanding over the primer paint.

I then set up my hi tech spray booth........My cardboard box......and set up the components for spraying. After a few coats, I left them to dry. It has been very hot here in the UK the last few days, so it wouldn't take long to dry.

new all white components

Saturday again the weather was fair, after a massive thunder storm early hours of the morning.
Out came my spray booth and i got on with clear coating the components. Again, these didn't take long to dry. A few hours later, I started to fit the components onto R5's centre leg and foot shell. They all fitted.

I dug out a tube of silicone sealant, but it had gone off at the ends. I cut it open to find the inside middle was still okay, so I scooped the good stuff out and used some to fix the front and rear ankle details onto the centre leg. Applied some masking tape to secure in place till it had set.

silicon applied to fix ankle details in place

ankle details taped into place till silicone set

The new centre leg & foot shell, pre-weathering

Rear ankle detail taped into place

Just back from a weeks mini-break..... Next up was to weather the new components to better blend in.

Centre Leg - Film version **UPDATE - 1.2 - centre foot shell**

With all the other work going on, the part that would need some real thought was the new side foot shell panels.

The original ones I made, were screwed onto the main shell, so these new ones will be too.

Centre foot shell with side panel removed.

Semi-circle at top of opening

is there to help remove the centre leg securing bolt.

First panel cut out, next was to apply watered down PVA glue.

This helps seal the wood for spraying, strengthens it as well.

Once done and dried, a light sanding of the edges & faces was carried out.

I marked out the second panel,

And then primer sprayed up the lot.

Next will be to spray up the lot in white.

Centre Leg - Film version **UPDATE - 1.1 - ankle details**

I already had the plans for the ankle details, which are available via www.astromech.net forum, so it was just a case of marking up some wood and cutting them out and shaping them.

detail pics:

Drew up a template and marked out on the wood the 'detail'.

Notice that only one of them has the upper 'tab' marked on it.

Next up was gluing the two pieces together.........then cutting out the details...

And here's the first on.

I sanded the edges and faces, before applying wood filler to the cut sides & faces.

Had to stop for food, then I was back out in the garage, marking up the second 'ankle detail'.

And here they both are, cut out and wood filler applied.

Left to dry over night, before sanding and extra wood filler where needed.

.....these versions as with the ankle cylinders, don't have any blue (that can be seen in the photos), so will be just white. Which is fine as they are going to be weathered to blend in with the centre leg.

The top 'tab' would normally be blue (or dependent on your choice of droid colour) and also there's a small rectangle recess, which would also be coloured accordingly. 

** I uses normal everyday tools, the hand saw as can be seen in the pic .

The most 'hi-tech' tool I have is a borrowed jigsaw,

meaning these projects are not beyond anyone's abilities to try **

Centre Leg - Film version **UPDATE - 1.0 - ankle cylinder**

A long time  ago.......... ;-) I realised that my nagging conscious wasn't going to let me sleep anymore lol.

This (zoomed in) image of R5 rolling away from the droid lineup, shows R5's alternate centre leg/foot shell.

The obvious things you can see is that there are:

• no side crescents on the foot shells.
• the ankle cylinder & wedge, are white (no silver or blue, like the outer leg)

But when you look even closer, you can just make out that the 'centre leg' is actually fitted with 'ankle details'. Well it would do wouldn't it, as it was an outer ankle unit.

For more on this, check back on my first blog via this link below:

New Centre Leg - Film Version 1.0

So, as I already had a spare ankle cylinder.....as my original centre leg was built to the club plans (based on R2 and all Astromech's having a 'standard' build) & before I fully knew about R5's centre leg incident during filming (see the link above for more). I thought I'd do a little bit of upgrade work.

So I dug out the spare cylinder/wedge and checked it would fit the centre leg fixings I already had installed. Yep, me and the plans in perfect synic lol.

Next I sanded the cylinder and then primer sprayed it ready for the next stage.

Next I'll spray it up with Satin white from Plasti-Kote, once I've finished the other parts.
This and the primer I bought from The Range (shop in the UK).

Centre Leg - securing bracket upgrade

The centre leg securing bracket needed upgrading.

Original pieces were two aluminium angles that clamped either side of the leg tongue, but there was still a bit of play, so the centre leg would wobble slightly.

I drew up the centre leg to see how best to re-do this.

So decided on a strip of steel angle, marked up a suitable length & cut it. Next was to position holes.

I'd already ordered some M8 cap heads & T-nuts to secure everything. It was just a matter of drilling holes, opening up the original ones on the centre leg tongue & then bolting it all back together.

Five free mins at the weekend (ok, more like an hour lol) and i got down to fitting the bracket. Drilled two holes into the wood base and installed two t-nuts from below. These were recessed slightly.

recessed t-nuts

Centre leg back on

Inside view of centre leg tongue bolted

Then it was flipping R5 upright again to install his centre leg and fit the new angle bracket.

Result = no more wobble!

Centre Foot - wheel upgrade......2.2

I fitted the wheel caster base back onto the internal foot platform, minus, the previously fitted wood MDF spacer pad, it's not needed now with the larger wheel; as I want it to sit at roughly the same height as before.

On test turning the wheel caster base, there were three points of contact with the foot shell's base ring frame. So out came the dremel and sanding drum to remove the extra wood to give clearance.

Then it was re-assembling the internal wheel frame to the centre leg (x2 bolts) one being the main ankle bolt, the other the locking ankle bolt. Next were the two side shell panels with half moons.

Lastly, re-fitting the centre leg back up into R5's base.

R5 is sooooo much easier to move around now! He is so much more free moving. Not had a chance to test drive yet, but driving and slow motion turning control should be a lot easier due to less 'friction' & the better wheel scooter bearings.

Centre Foot - wheel upgrade.....2.1

30.10.15
Whilst the centre leg was off and dismantled, I got my work friend [when he had two mins spare] to turn me a bush for the ankle lock bolt. I then drilled out the hole to size and clamping it and the centre leg in a vice, forced the bush into the hole.

Locking bolt bush to be fitted, next to said bolt

Got home to find post man had delivered bolts & locking washers the aluminium strip, so measured up and cut to length. I filed a rad to one edge to look good lol, but also so I would remember which outside faces I needed to drill.

02.11.15 - 04.11.15
In work first thing and got to measuring up and drilling holes. In order to fit the new brackets, the hole position needed is just a fraction off where the original hole was, hence new brackets. So had to cut off the wheel location hole to give clearance for the new bolt hole/bracket. Drilled and tapped M6 threads into the aluminium brackets and clearance holes in the wheel caster sides.

New centre wheel

Now to re-assemble it and centre leg.

R5-D4's transport platform 1.5 - UPGRADE

Saturday, I got to finishing off some things that needed doing to the platform to make it actually fully useable lol. As it was, there was no where to mount his centre leg and also he wasn't securely stable if platform was moved.

Original location bolt holes for the stand were no good once the car ankle stabiliser stands were used on the platform. So I made and fitted two location pins for the stand. These are just to help stop things moving around.

Platform now fitted with location pins for stand

The batteries can be stored under the stand.

The foot/ankle stands also fit on the platform. These may also get location pins, but as the whole lot gets strapped down, they may not be needed. 

In the previous pictures, you can see the new 'slot' to the rear of the platform, between his legs. This is where his centre leg 'slots' into place.

R5 fully installed on his transport platform. Just need to add some location points for the battery boxes to secure them and also some storage for transit bolts and tools.

I'm considering installing some sort of push bar to be fitted to the base, rather than have hand's on his shoulders.....

His head will be fitted onto his body, it is now for storage purposes.

New Centre Leg - 1.7 - Installation

So last night I started to re-assemble all the components for R5's new centre leg.

• First off was fitting the internal wheel platform into the foot shell.
• Then the locking bolt through the angle & Leg & into the M5 thread in the other angle.
• And next the M10 ankle bolt/locking washer/nut.
• On went the two side panel, half moon details.
• And finally, fitting the assemble up and into the bottom slot, where it was clamped with the two pieces of aluminium angle.

I did have to remove the cylinder holder to fit the wheel platform as the shell needs to move slightly to be able to fit the M10 bolt head into the shell. This is not a problem as the holder just pops snugly back in.

I've posted up on R5's Facebook page, the UK R2 Builders & the R2 Builders and have had good positive feed back, which coming from more experienced builders is great :)

One such comment was 'your the first to do this' !

Praise in deed, thanks.

New Centre Leg - 1.6 - White paint & Dirt

So here's the new centre leg all sprayed up in white with clear coat too.
Ankle cylinder unit and holder fitted in place too.

I did have a problem with fitting the cylinder holder, so had to trim some wood of it's inside curve edge. But it's not noticeable.

Next comes the weathering. This is the start so far.

Paint it on, burnt umber, then allow to dry, before wiping off excess.

New Centre Leg - 1.5 - Primer & Bush

After some more sanding of filler. I next cut up a piece of 8mm dia dowell. This was instead of the planned two screws to hold on the cylinder holder. This way it can all be removed without damage to the cylinder. I actually only used one piece, not two, to allow it to pivot in fitting and removal, along with the cylinder. The previously drilled holes were filled with wood filler.

Later on, after some more sanding, I applied some grey primer. This helps to show up spots missed that need more wood filler lol. Not going for perfection mind as this goes towards the 'used' look of R5.

-----

Also machined up a brass bush to push fit into the ankle hole. I included a washer style end to aid the extra piece of material I added for the thickness. To reduce any stress on it and prevent splitting.

Next is white paint.......