2-3-2 manual legs

This has been something that has bugged me for a while now. Transporting R5 in his 3 leg mode is not easy.

First was the new leg transport board.

This worked and R5 etc could be loaded up into my small car. But the legs then took up a lot of space (height wise) so making packing the dome(s) etc in, a tight squeeze.

I have been envious of droids that could be pivoted from 3 leg mode into 2 leg since i first made R5. If i had known then what i know now lol.

So after last weekend’s Builders meet, I decided it was time to upgrade……again.

I wasn’t able to use opposite bolt locations (4 off) due to my top plate bracket. So had to go with the four consecutive bolt holes.

This is fine as i can use the remaining hole as a locking one. The washers and wing nuts are temporary whilst the other side was worked on.

I’ve got some larger washers and nylock nuts coming.

Next will be designing a new transport sledge.

R5 - upgrade work part 1

Before I got to work on cutting R5's body to fit his centre vents, I decided it would be easier to work on him if I stripped him down, so legs & head off for easier working.

Whilst shoulder spacers were off, i decided to apply the same silver tape that i used on the dome ring. This now matches.

I might have to respray the power couplers in proper silver.

Marked lower edge of leg to be trimmed so its not touching the top of the foot shell.

(Sorry, thought I had posted this update, it's a month old now lol.........still, more updates to come)

Main Leg 2 - 2.3

T-nuts are now in place so I test fitted the leg studding through the body, shoulder discs & into the Leg. Thightened up the internal nuts, pulling the studding tight onto the T-Nuts [fitted inside the leg]. Once happy, I fitted all the screws in place, clamping the leg sections together. Next I attached the rear & front ankle plates, that thicken up the ankle. Before I went any further, I opened out the hole in the Leg to accept the Shoulder Hub, as I'd forgot to do this the other day, lol. I then added aluminium strips as guides to the side edge of leg & started to apply wood filler. Also applied to the ankle side edge & edge of shoulder radius. Once dried I started to file flat any high spots.

Main Leg 2 - 2.2

Main Leg 2 secured ready for holes to be marked

Under Shoulder Stabiliser sockets & cable channel view

Leg holes being drilled for T-Nuts to be fitted

First I marked and cut the recesses which will be for the Under Shoulder Stabiliser sockets.

Screwed the cut out centre section, to allow cable to be routed through the leg, all together with it's inside & outside parts. Next I screwed the lower rear piece onto the ankle area. I then marked and cut these off.

last night I then fixed both legs onto R5's body, via shoulder hubs (discs). Then new leg was held in place with a single studded bar, whilst it was angled and its leg holes were marked ready for drilling. Dia 12mm holes were then drilled through the 'inside' part of the leg.  The 'middle' part had clearance holes drilled for the 'T-Nuts' to fit. I also drilled a hole through all for the centre hub to fit in.

Body Skin 3.5 Body work, all over

The other day I started cutting out the slot's in the side vent.

You can just see them on the right of the picture.

Next I marked up and cut out some more perforated metal sheet,

that will be used behind these side vents as these are very weak by themselves.

SHOULDER HOLES

I applied watered down PVA glue to the cut hole edges, then used some more P40 resin in the gap around the shoulder disc (shoulder disc has been removed in these pictures). Then later I started to add wood filer.

Used the left over resin by applying it to the back of the vent 'pocket' back.

Whilst all that was drying off, I cut out the second hole for the shoulder disc.

No mistakes this time!!

I cut well inside the line, then repeatedly offered up the disc, locating it on the bolts, till it fitted and the clearance around it looked right.

Other work done:

I sanded the wood filler on the recessed panels again.

Primed and blue sprayed up the second pocket vent backing plate (this one will go on the rear of the body). 

R5D4'S BAD MOTIVATOR

Bought a new silver spray can so sprayd up the second rear Coin Return & the components that make up the Motivator.

Motivator bits [top of picture], rear Coin Return No2 [bottom of picture]

PANEL WORK

Lastly, I had time to recess the panel next to where the Coin Slots go.

 

The left picture shows the panel scored ready to be carved out. the right pictue shows job done, and with watered down PVA glue applied, to seal. This also helps to stop the wood soaking up the spray paint :)

Yellow shows work done

Body Skin 3.4

Finished off recessing another panel the other night.
Only took an hour to 'slice' the wood off to depth LOL.

Then once sanded to get rid of the fibres [bottom left picture], I applied PVA glue [middle picture], then with a paint brush and water [right hand side picture],
painted the PVA all over the recess.
Once dried it was all sanded over again and wood filler applied to areas to smooth over.


Whilst waiting for this to dry I got to work on filling in the gap around the should disc. This was caused by misalignment of marking to where the actual shoulder disc should of gone. (I'll know better for the other one). I'd wrapped cardboard around the edge of the disc and then masking tape to stop the resin coming out. I then applied the first coat.

I also screwed the Restraining Bolt bracket onto the frame.

Body Skin 3.1

Sprayed pocket parts white , then glued top part and bottom/sides together.

Marked up side vent slots.

Masked off the shoulder hole, to be filled in with P40 and then sanded smooth.

Sanded the filler around the rear Coin Return.
And then painted over it with silver to blend in.


Grooved and recessed one panel [pic below].
Then a lot of sanding and PVA glue to smooth and seal the cut wood.
Next, to apply some wood filler.

Positioned restraining bolt on body. There is a washer on the hex side of the bolt, but made up a restraining plate bracket and fitted it behind the skin, just to make sure it stays there lol.

This is to prevent the bolt from being pulled out/through the skin!

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.

Bolts for Leg No.2

Cut the second set of five, leg securing bolts to length :)

Just need to get some more nuts now.


Have been busy, so more posts to come, once pic's taken and uploaded.

Leg's with T-Nut's fitted

First picture shows the holes drilled in the leg. Note the one missing [circled with dots]. This position is not needed, as it's obscured by a bracket.

This next picture shows the T-nuts in position.

Marked cable holes, on the inside face you can't see here, to be drilled and also marked  clearance holes to allow the t-nut backs to lye flush.

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.

R5 doesn't have a Leg (bolt) to stand on.......

Sorry about the header, it was late and the best I could think of to do with leg :-)

After not being able to source M10 T-nuts in either B&Q or Wicks, I did pick up some M10 nuts and washers and two lengths of M10 studding. I did find the T-nuts found on e-bay. I also bought a dremel router adaptor which came with 3 bits and saved myself a few pounds over the 'shop' price.

These are great for 'clamping' wood together.

Today, I measured the distance required from the inside side wall face to the front of the shoulder disc[silver]. I then addded on extra for the depth required for the leg, 18mm thickness. So looking at about 120mm length of studding. Including enough for nut and washer, seen on the left end of the stud.

Shoulder Disc - No.2

At the weekend I cut out the two additional shoulder discs I needed to build up as spacers [three in total]. Drilled and screwed them together. Then turned them to right size on the Lathe in work. I need to drill out the bolt hole locations and extra holes to reduce some weight.

Next I need more wood filler, sand smoooooth and spray.

Shoulder Disc **UPDATE**

Had a busy family weekend, fortunatly I had Monday off. So managed to do some work on R5. Did a bit more trimming of the top vents internals. Wasnt 100% happy they were sitting squarely.

Sanded the shoulder disc. Sprayed it with primer, then silver paint. This helped show up the bits that needed more filling. I wasnt 100% happy with this first effort, couldnt convince myself it could be 'pitting' from 'wear-n-tear'. So re-sanded a small section, re-sprayed primer & then silver. Much smoother! 10/10 lol. Will be requiring some more primer & silver paint too!

This is the filler. It was cheap and sands easily.

Shoulder Disc, showing un-sanded filler on the left of photo, sanded on the right.

Shoulder Disc & Side Plates

Phew!! Just re-checked the build plans and double checked a few sites and I haven't messed up the height of the side plates! After measuring the position of where the shoulder discs will mount onto them, they looked like they were going to be to high and inter-fear with the top plate....... then I remembered there's a recess in the top plate to accommodate this...... phew.

Now to mark up the angles for the legs.

Shoulder Disc

Was able to start making up the shoulder disc's. These will go between R5's internal uprights and his legs. Fixed at the leg shoulders.

Template next to marked up hole positions on wood