R5’s Bad Motivator 2025

 February 2025.....

Back on it again these last few months, waiting for delivery of different components to get R5’s bad motivator setup all working from one switch off the RC transmitter.

A new receiver paired to use a different channel not used on main body, worked when bench testing, but didn't work when both receivers were powered up. So it's back to the drawing board on this.....

An Adafruit sound board, mini amplifier, voltage regulator and utilising a speaker out of my parts bin lol.

Then 3D printing of brackets to mount these parts.

Then one new momentary servo controlled switch to control the adafruit sound board, and one on/off switch for the ‘Bad Motivator smoke setup’.

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-D4 dome build - on this day 2013

 

On this day going back to 2013........

R5-D4's dome build progress, link to original Blog post here.

R5-D4: Update April/May 2023

I’ve been giving R5 as he hadn’t been actually moved since Birmingham at the NEC.

New Dome motor wheel:

3D printed him a new wheel, as on the previous one the retainer nut wasn’t being held well and the PLA had been stretched. So I slightly modified some of the sizes and then printed it in ABS. Fitted the nut and 'o’ring and then fitted it onto the motor shaft.

Test was on Saturday at…..

 ...April

Next up was to connect up the new receiver. This didn’t take me to long, compared to the nightmare I had trying to sort it out when at Celebration 🙄.

I didn’t need to connect power (previous TX require power), this one utilities the power from being connected by the servo leads. Jacking up the wheels meant I was able to setup the drive and steering channels, plus the extra switch ones, for the utility arm, sounds and (once I have the long enough servo lead) I’ll be able to trigger the trading card dispenser.

Trading card dispenser:

A while back, I made a new trigger control box that utilised a servo controlled relay, instead of the previous remote control. Once the servo lead arrived, I crimped on new plugs to connect up the TCD control box.

View Blog post here.

But on testing it….. I realised that it needed to have a momentary activation rather than an actual ‘switch’. So I’ve been on Radio Model Workshops website and will be ordering a single RC switch relay, which has the option of it being a momentary one. So this control box will get another upgrade when it arrives.

In the meantime, I swapped the control box back over to the remote control version and 3D printed a new box for the remote, so that it could be attached to the new rear panel I’d printed off for the new Flysky transmitter.

I drew up a button bracket, that fits into one of the rear screw hole sockets, this will be upgraded again to look better and also hold the LED in place.

May 9th

Outer foot ankle lock:

The outer foot shell needed some repair to it, so with the legs off the body, I stripped the outer foot down. The ankle locks unbolted and the ankle bolt nut (previously held in place with super glue), fell out lol. I knew I needed a better way to hold them in place. I had thought about a lock washer, but then a lightbulb 💡 moment came. I measured up and drew up a nut holder to 3D print. It would be held in place by a bolt.

Nut holder loose.

Nut holder moved into position. I applied some thread lock to help keep it in position, but only nipped it tight to allow the ankle bolt to locate through into the thread.

I’ve added the file to my Prusa page.

The wooden foot shell got cleaned up inside to allow the new glass fibre to bond properly. Good as new again.

New (old) Dome Motor with new Bracket

R5's dome motor needs a new bracket!

Dome motor upgrade. This motor is an original I had installed years ago. It’s bigger than the previous one.

Drew up a simple clamp/bracket arrangement, with captive nuts.

(Just need to find some cap head bolts the right length).

I repositioned the motor to be at the front of the body. My thinking is that the motor won’t have as greater force to overcome when moving the dome, compared to when it was at the rear of the body….

Next up was a new wheel…… again 3D printed off my design and then cut a rubber o’ring to length and glued it on.

The shaft hole is a ‘D’ shape to match and I also fitted a recessed nut in the lower diameter for the locking bolt to have something firm to lock with, so preventing the PLA from breaking.

Time will tell how strong this all is with the R5 dome on!!

R5-D4 - annual maintenance

I had a photo reminder that this time last year, i gave R5’s bearing ring a clean. After removing the retaining grub screw, and allowing the bearings to escape into a tub, I then started to clean the inner grooves.

The above picture shows the clean and unclean groove. Once the grooves were clean I then used a pad to polish the grooves.

The bearings i put in a plastic bag and sprayed WD40 into, i let them soak to clean off the dirt. I then poured them back into the tub lined with paper towels to absorb the WD40.

Once fully dried off, it was inserting the bearings back into the race, free of WD40.

Thingiverse - search section and more

 

The other day on the Astromech.net forum, it was noted to me that some of my links were flagged up with the dreaded 404 error message screen :D

So I went though and checked them. Some had broken links, others had info missing that you needed to have in order to of published in the first place.....strange??? I then logged out and checked my files that way and they should be all there again.

One thing I did do was to add 'JamesF' to the 'tags'. As with most searches, it all depends on how you think people will search for a file. I thought it would be simpler to add my name 'JamesF' to the tags to make searching easier :D.

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

Next up is a list of 2021's interactions on my Thingiverse page. This was just interesting for me to see what people have been liking and downloading of my files. I'll be keeping track of these for 2021.

Thanks for reading.

#3ddesign #3dprinting #3dmodels #r5d4 #tevotarantulapro #funkopop

Dome Bag - 2.6 side stitched up. *CONCLUSION*

June 2019

Can’t believe it! Can't understand it either....

I did NOT included the extra thickness of the foam which would increase the circumference and length of the side materia??? Is this what's happened??

Seriously not happy!!! What I can’t figure out is that everything was ok when I originally marked everything out.

So Bag No2. will also not now be 'correct'. Measured the extra needed, marked out on material and cut it out. Next is to hem the edges etc.

Then try to figure out how to attach it to the main piece.

**UPDATE**

JUST TO BRING THIS PROJECT TO A CONCLUSION.

Well, I didn't need to finish this project as thanks to Mike & his contacts, he has been able to procure a much more substantial bag. These come in sizes to best suit your domes, including a bag for your 39.1% droids & are available over on Lee Towersey’s shopping page.

Bag links:

• suitable for the larger dome R0/R5/R4 & R6: https://artoo-detoo.co.uk/product/padded-bag-for-r0-r5-r6-domes/
• suitable for the R2, R3, R7, R8 & R9 type dome: https://artoo-detoo.co.uk/product/padded-bag-for-r2-r3-r7-r8-r9-dome/
• And for the 39.1% droids: https://artoo-detoo.co.uk/product/padded-bag-for-39-1-droid/

I enjoyed attempting to make my own bag and it will still be used for storage of the R4 dome.

Throw Back Thursday [part 2] - June 2019

Around this time last year I had started making a dome bag.

A dome bag, you ask???
Yes!

At an event, a co builder asked about how best to carry R5's dome (as it's wood and he obviously didn't want to cause any damage to it. This gave me the idea to make a carrier for it. One that can protect from dust & light bumps etc, but make it easier to carry.

So I started making the above Dome Bag.
Follow the link to follow my original bag making process.
I did start on a more correct size one, which would be used for my R4 dome.....that ones still to be finished tho.

Happy reading!

Thingiverse Page - James_R5-D4 = Free downloads

Not done much on R5 these last few days. Have been answering questions about my Adafruit enclosures via my Instagram and Thingiverse pages.

So whilst I was on my Thingiverse page, I thought I'd checkout the views and downloads counts lol.

First up, top 7 Things viewed over the last year:

No.1 top spot, is my Trading card dispenser, lol this is like Top of the Pops 😂.
Next up, top 7 Things downloaded over the last year:

The Fake electronics board parts are what I created to be used for R4-D4's electronic panel on his dome [check out the page at top for the build].

Next up is my Trading Card Dispenser, this one is also No1 in my viewed 'Things'.

In third place are my Frankenstein neck bolts 😄. These I literally drew up and managed to get printed in an afternoon for work college who mentioned he was doing fancy dress the weekend lol.

Littlebits - Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit - pt 9 (2019)

22.10.19
Lid update.....R5 now has a 'Bad Motivator':

Printed off the updated R5 lid, which now has the correct orientation 'antenna' and also the 'bad motivator'.

The antenna's front circle needed to be facing the front in relation to the pie panel opening and the bad motivator positions.

I've uploaded a short video onto my You Tube account, it can also be found on my Instagram page.

UPDATE: 12,3,2020
The files have now been uploaded to Thingiverse

Dome Bag - 2.5 base & side stitched up.

Friday evening I cut out the two pieces of material for the base foam. This time I allowed for the side of the foam, plus extra for hemming the edges. Next was to pin the two pieces together, this proved a challenge as some of the side material has to be gathered up so the two diameters match up.

Saturday I sewed the two pieces together and not without it's problems. The first being I pinned the two halfs the right way round, instead of inside out, so the stitching is on the inside when turned out the right way. The with areas of miss stitching having to be gone over again.

Side material for the foam diameter protection. Placed the foam onto the material and folded it over. Was going to pin but instead used a chalk line as a guide. I added pins away from the stitch area just to help hold the material in place. All stitched up and foam fed into the fold. Test wrap around the dome and..........there’s a gap?!?!?

Dome Bag - 2.4 Sewing begins

Back from short break and first free time, I made a start on hemming the edges.

I had already ironed the edges over, as trying to hold the fold and stitch, without using pins, was a nightmare last time!

Next up was to sew them. Borrowed my daughters sewing machine and got to it. Ironing the edges made a huge difference and was SO much easier!

I'm still a newbie at this and looking back on this,
I should have allowed extra material to add an
extra fold of material to hide the frayed edges when hemming.

Once the thread was loaded up and the stitching was complete, this took about an hour to complete. I thought.....whilst this is all set up, I could look at the fold for creating the draw string. I hadn't ironed this crease, I suppose I could of done, again making life easier, but I hadn't thought that far ahead at the time of ironing lol.

So I placed the cord and folded over and pinned along the edge as I removed the cord. This bit was a bit tricky to do. Due to the location of the cord, I couldn't leave it inside the folded material as the material wouldn't then fit under the sewing machine's foot.

This took about half an hour to pin and then stitch & then another half hour trying to find something long enough to feed through the length of the hole lol.

And the finished folded draw string fitted.

Next:

• cut material out for the base foam.
• sew base material & fit the foam inside it.
• sew main panel up & fit the side foam inside.
• sew the two pieces together.....might do this before fitting the foam!
• sew on patch and fit cord lock.

Dome Bag - 2.3 measuring & cutting

Spent ages last night marking out fold lines and ensuring extra material for the hemmed edges, also what I did and didn't need lol, and how it's going to be sown up lol.

I've documented all the dimensions so will draw these up on the plans.

Next up was to cut this out.....

When I next get two minutes free, the plan is to iron over the hem edges and then make a start on actually stitching them all up.

Dome Bag - 2.2 work has begun

Friday evening I was home alone, so put The Last Jedi, on the TV did got to work on marking and measuring the foam and material ready for cutting out.

First was marking the foam dome base. I first cut a square piece of the foam, then using the remaining of it, I wrapped the foam around the outside of R5’s dome & marked the thickness.

This was then cut around [no picture].

Next was to measure up a distance that will protect the upper edge of the R5 dome. This was thencut and wrapped around the dome. The foam material I have is enough, but it's not long enough, so an extra piece has to be cut. Well it would just be waisted otherwise.

Here the side is being measured for the extra piece of foam.

This was as far as I got, cutting wise. Once this was done and dimensions written down. I made a start on the sheet material. It was laid out and the elastic corners, trimmed off and corners opened up so the sheet could be laid flat. I then marked out the round base and the start of the main side panel. Ensuring that I had enough for edging, folding over and the pull cord at the top of the bag.

I'll post up more in 'Dome Bag 2.3'.

Bad motivator actuation upgrade 1.2 (2019)

I did some design changes and re-printed off a new holder.

This one fitted much better all round. I had made slots in the inside top face , but I hadn't made them wide enough to allow the crimped edges to fit. Also the clearance hole in the top, didn't clear the shaft enough. It didn't need to be so close a fit.

Next I needed to add a new joining pivot piece similar to the previous one which came fitted on the door actuator itself.

Hopefully I’ll get time to test fit this. I’ve included a hole to fit a locking pin through.

Dome Bag 2.1 - material obtained

Only just got round to buying more material.

The original dome bag had it's first outing on

May the 4th at Techniquest event. And it did it's job, well!

So hopefully, if I get time this weekend,
I'll be able to make the new (correct sizes) version, lol.

For Dome Bag v1, check out via this link

Bad motivator actuation upgrade 1.0 (2019)

With the electronics being worked on, another thing that needed replacing due to issues, was the door actuator that makes the ‘Bad Motivator’ pop up.

I bought ages ago a magnetic activated piston, as something to try. In testing it works great, but I still need to actually connect it up to the motivator movement arm.

So am back in CAD drawing up things in 3D, to then be printed.

Am looking at the idea of an attachement to this original arm.

Dome Bag 2.0

Ordered some more foam, just need to buy another sheet of material.

.......and before I do ANY cutting of material though, I'll be measuring twice!

Littlebits - Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit - pt 4 (2018)

It's almost a year since I last posted up about creating an R5-D4 dome for the Littlebits astromech. I had done some work since, but as it was still a work in progress so I didn't post anything up. Earlier this year I signed up to www.thingiverse.com to upload some of my work to share. My link is www.thingiverse.com/James_R5D4

This is just a representation of R5's dome, scale is roughly that of the Littlebit's R2 dome. The last print attempt failed, but that was OK, as the bottom ring was used to check the fit of the dome onto the body location ring.

I posted up images yesterday on my Instagram account and after a bit more work this morning, I've almost finished the build.

New dome features

New dome side rod

New rear dome rod

I redid the pie panels, now filled in & also added recessed areas for where the antenna & motivator will fit.

Antenna & Motivator sockets

I'll post up again once the last two parts have been drawn up. Not sure if to add these as one piece dome or as three seperate parts (dome, antenna, motivator), for ease of 3D printing orientation.