Coming to the end of this Blog….

[15/3/2024] I have been documenting my R5-D4 build since 2011!!

As the title above states, after 15 years,

I feel it's time to call it a day!

I started writing this 'coming to the end' post back in 2024..... it's now August 2026!!!

This Blog started to show the progress of building my all wood R5-D4. Builders were/are encouraged to document their builds over on the Astromech forum, to help new builders understand building practices for their own droid.

You can read up on my builder profile on the DBUK page.

The Blog grew to include additional projects:

• Wood built R0-D4 & R4-D4 dome’s
• Designing and building R5's 'Bad Motivator' system.
• Wood built a GOUD-4 messenger droid from Solo.
• Designed and made my own Dome storage/carry bag.
• Developing and printing lots of 3D items (see link below).
• Trading cards featuring R5-D4 and his other aliases.
• Events attended over the years, all over the country, check out my YouTube video channel.
• Jabba’s gate build with Mike and 3D printing and building TT-8L Y7 droid, for Celebration Europe 2023
• My Treadwell WED-15-77.

Check the page links at top of Blog

I’ve also documented my 3D Printing progress from novice to advanced. Little 3D projects and not so little ones lol. As well as wood and metal working too.

• 3D files available free via Prusa, originally uploaded to Thingiverse and a few others, all are now transferred onto the Prusa one.
• Even had an Etsy shop for some of my creations, this was closed at the end of March 2024.
• I designed and had a patch run of my own design for R5.
• I had stickers too, design based on the patch as well as special stickers for events.

James' R5-D4 designed and produced, patch

I’ve had the privilege to be a member of and represented the UK R2-D2 Builders Club , in a few very high profile public events. 'Force Friday', Legoland Windsor etc.

The Club has also expanded into the Droid Builders UK club, encompassing ALL types of droids, and not just Star Wars.

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Some people will of seen, but probably not of been aware of R5 as he was in disguise lol, in three ‘celluloid outings’. See the IMDB link below 😉.

These have led to R5 being immortalised as a toy, three times, as well as my name appearing in the credits of two of the three film productions. IMDB link. And a blurred image of myself and R5-232 in Rob Bredow's making of Solo a Star Wars Story, locations book.😁

His last appearance I was able to name R5 after my three children’s first name initials. Something I will cherish forever 🥰 R5-2JE.

R5-2JE astromech

R5 and just been seen in the above picture

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My latest build was a Treadwell WED-15-77 droid. This has been in progress for a few years now and is almost finally completed. This also includes making one storage box for the head, and one for the mast.

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.....But family life has changed and my free time is limited. So WED-15 was my last build. Also, I feel that as build techniques have evolved, my Blog has become less relevant, less views etc, due to how people make stuff.

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I hope this Blog etc has been of use to you and has been interesting to read and watch.

Please leave a comment below or via my socials.

Facebook R5-D4 page

Twitter (X) R5-D4

YouTube R5-D4

Prusa

IMDB

Droid Builders UK

The Droids your looking for:

Wookipedia R5-SK1

Wookipedia R5-232

Wookipedia R5-2JE

👇👇👇👇👇

Thank you.....

....to all who have followed, commented, liked, shared, this has meant a lot to me that my work, thoughts etc have been seen.

It's been a journey.

#starwars #r5d4 #rogueone #anewhope #treadwelldroid #bristol #mshed #youtube #facebook #tradingcarddispenser #3dprinting #soloastarwarsstory

BlueSky social media

November 2024.....

Well, the time had come to say see-ya to Twitter.

So have joined up on Bluesky!

Click on the above picture will take you to my account page.

A lot of people/friends were already on there which is nice, so now I'm rebuilding my followers. I'll be posting up on Twitter to share my change of location, hopefully everyone follows again.

Social Media for updates and more 2023 -> 2024

April 25th 2023

(updated October 2024)

Its been a while, but R5’s back on Facebook 😁. (2023)

Since Google+ ended, Blog notifications ended and so did the amount of visitors to this site. I do Tweet 😂 and of course have my YouTube channel. No adverts as I’m not here for the money lol, just entertainment/knowledge/help.

So to keep up with what’s happening in R5’s world of Droid Building, I would say you can follow me, like, subscribe, search up 'James R5D4'. And any questions, comments, feel free to post up or DM me if you’d prefer.

Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Instagram

Droid Builders UK: Events in the UK 2024

Here’s the link to find out where club droids will be attending

(2024).

https://droidbuilders.uk/public-events/

Don't forget to check out the clubs links below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/droidbuildersuk

Twitter (X): https://www.twitter.com/DroidbuildersUK

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DroidbuildersUK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/droidbuildersuk

Instagram - I'm Back!

It's been 4 years since I was last on Instagram!

I gave myself a break from my social media when COVID hit (well nobody was going to be doing anything during lockdown (here is the UK)). And it was actually healthier for my mental state as I would get anxiety about not liking someone's post or missing one that then showed up a few days later in my 'feed'.

With Droid event's starting back up, I gradually came back online with Facebook then Twitter (why it's called X, as everyone still calls it Twitter I'll never know 😁).

Finally I’ve decided to jump back on Insta, search for james_r5d4, to catch-up with everything and also to help promote the upcoming event we'll be hosting here in #Bristol in July..... Have I mentioned it??? 😁😁😁

So I'll be liking a lot, post a little, but generally, re-joining the wider world again.

Blog views hits 180k plus

 It’s always nice to see that people do actually use/see/read my Blog lol.

And today it tripped over the 180k hits!

Monthly figures have been down since Google+ ended 🙁 and I’ve not been on social media much since the beginning of 2020 (no instagram or Facebook), though I have been back on FB recently. Twitter is my only other outlet for letting the outside world know about updates, that and the few astromech forums I’m on.

I do write articles/event reports that as well as my Blog, get uploaded to www.droidbuilders.uk though there’s no link back to my Blog.

Well, there’s more Blog posts to come, future events, 3D printing, droid building etc. so stay up-to date by ‘following’.

So a big thanks to everyone.

** YouTube - click/watch/subscribe **

Don't forget that there are loads of video's up on my

YouTube channel,

so go click the link, watch,

thumbs up and subscribe 😎👍

#youtube #jamesR5D4 #videos

You can also find me on Twitter, for Blog/video updates,

latest events I'll be attending this year 2022 as

well as info on the UK R2D2 Builders Club / Droid Builders UK

When you post a meme up on Twitter

The other day i had a light bulb 💡 moment 😄 when someone asked me about Christmas and that I was actually thinking about after it and the new

Book of Boba Fett.

And I then heard Drake mention on the radio….. I put the two together and came up with this ….. 😄

Added a few #hashtags and booom!

More likes than anything I’ve posted before lol 😄😄😄😄😄

Event - @'The Galleries', Bristol October 30th 2021

A day in the life of droid builders event.

The Bristol club members set up to raise awareness and funds for #MNDa. We were joined by three other members, Doug (all the way down from Scotland!) with his R2, Chris to help as a spotter & Marine, also as a spotter. The droids rolled around entertaining the public whilst their owners (us) chatted with them, with questions ranging from 'why we were collecting/publicising about Motor Neurone Disease?' to 'how the #droids were constructed?'

Waiting for the lift, in the basement loading area

Event's video up and running

Setting up the area

Mike with his R2-XL & Marine

Mike's brother Marc, also attended and was there to make a video of the day, with interviews of us as well.

Check out his video over on the 

Droid Builders UK YouTube channel, click this link.

Two of Mike's droids, R3-T2 & R2-XL

R5-D4 & KN-B1

R2-D2, GOUD-4 messenger droid & R5-D4

The flyer time stated 10am till 3pm, but we were all set up and rolling when the shopping centre doors opened at 9am. And as there were still people milling around, we kept going right up until closing time, with people still asking us questions and kindly donating to our cause.

click image to go to my YouTube of the day

This video (& photo link above to YouTube) is just a collection of shorts as to just highlight the day. We all had a great time, as always! I got to use my Trading Card Dispenser which work a treat….except when it ran out of cards lol. And to see Chris operate it with ease was good to see, as it means it is easy to operate.

If you'd like to support us, you can donate online @

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/droidbuildersuk21

Thank you

#droidbuildersuk #astromech #r2d2 #r5d4 #ukr2d2buildersclub

Thanks to Mike B for arranging the event and The Galleries #bristol for having us.

We raised a total of over £232.00 pounds.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed.

....more event's planned, so stay tuned and follow me on Twitter!

Star Wars themed Panel - fitted to an A-LT Droid

Got asked by friend and fellow builder Glynn, if it was possible for the panel to be shaped to fit the body of his A-LT droid.

So to save on him having to work it to fit, I CAD’ed up the panel with some modifications so that it would fit the outside diameter without any work. Finished results look great!

Can’t wait to see everyone & their droids in person again.

Transmitter switch cover update.....3D printed

 What a nightmare trying to match up the thread for the new switch nut on the transmitter. After three attempts, I decided to go with one of my original ideas, which was to fit a switch cover/lock. So after a few iterations, I settled on this version.

I recessed the nut into the lower part of the bracket, making it easy to fit onto the threaded part of the switch. The locking part is pinned with a sel-lok pin through and is not too snug a fit onto the switch arm itself. This just means that the switch can't accidentally be triggered, not that it could be as it requires an amount of actual force to click it. But it looks good rather than just having the nut.

I'll post up on Thingiverse soon. So click follow and/or on Twitter for notification of it going live.

'Droid Builders UK' a new central builders hub

Droid Builders UK (link)

A new central builders site for Droids has just gone live!

It's for all droid builders from Mouse to the new D-O from the new film

The Rise of Skywalker

With a lot of builders who have now become cross over builders in similar groups, the site aims to link all up together as a central point for news and info. It has links to the Facebook pages for the droid groups and also events being attended.

There is also a Twitter & Instagram account

 

@droidbuildersuk

Page header image change - R5-D4 (2019)

Trying to simplify things for my accounts, by standardising the images used.

The previous page header was taken back in 2016 at Celebration Europe.
click link for part 1 of my event report....

Now going for this simpler design.

Also updated Twitter, & Instagram & Facebook pages.

Will be changing this page title to James' R5-D4 at some point in the future,
as long as it doesn't mess links up etc lol

Lee Towersey - DeAgostini's R2-D2 & Meningitis Now (re-post)

Re-sharing this for a good cause!

Lee Towersey is fundraising this DeAgustini R2-D2 for Meningitis Now

This mini R2-D2 was built by Lee and 'painted & weathered' by Henrick.

Both have worked on the Star Wars movies together,
since The Force Awakens,
in the CFX Department.

Check out Lee's twitter account here.

And here's the link to the JustGiving page for
your chance to win this awesome R2-D2

All it's all for a good cause.......

Birmingham MCM Comic Con - March 2019

MCM BIRMINGHAM COMIC CON - MARCH 23rd-24th 2019

The Club will be attending this event over the whole weekend,

with droids attending either both or one or the other day,

Saturday or Sunday, in my and R5's case,

we'll be there on the Saturday only

Last Novembers group photo

Follow the club by clicking on these links

 Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

Lee Towersey - DeAgostini's R2-D2 & Meningitis Now

Lee Towersey is fundraising for Meningitis Now,
with this DeAgustini R2-D2.

As you can see, it was built by himself

and expertly 'painted & weathered' by Henrick.

Both have worked on the Star Wars movies since

The Force Awakens in the CFX Department.

Check out Lee's twitter here.

And the link to the JustGiving page for your chance to win this awesome R2-D2

All for a good cause.......

Littlebits - Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit - pt 6 (2019)

So yesterday on my lunchtime, I had a look at the 3D drawing of the dome. I had done some upgrades since I had last printed (and it failed), but I wanted to look at splitting the dome into two parts. This would save on 'support' material (needed) to support the top area, which may of led to the print failer on the last attempt.

R5 dome for the Littlebits R2D2 droid

And here's the lid. It has a lip to locate onto the main body.

Images also on my Instagram 'james_r5d4' account

I left the antenna on, and again, I'll see how well this prints as it may be easier to print it as a seperate item.

You can see from this next image the differences & improvements made.
Also the motivator hole was in the wrong place, this I've removed from the updated version.

I've tried to make this as simple as possible as it is just for fun. I'll post up both the two part and the single part dome on my Thingiverse account once I've printed the two part dome.

To get instant notification of when this is uploaded,

as my Thingiverse account is linked lol,

follow me on Twitter @jamesr5d4

Ron Howard follows me on Twitter

Had to double check myself today, as not five minutes after liking a tweet by ‘realronhoward’ the famous film producer, credit, the recent ‘Solo A Star Wars Story’, than I had a notification saying that he was now following me on Twitter!!

I clicked on the followers link & sure enough it WAS his account........except for a few minor details lol.  Ah well, am sure if did known who I was, he would follow me lol.

The lack of the blue tick and a few other details lol, give the game away. I follow the REAL Ron so I know his recent posts but this other ron, retweet’s every post Ron does. Well the other Ron Howard now follows me, so that looks cool on my followers list lol.

Thandie Newton Star Wars dress on Twitter

So last night/this morning I was scrolling through my Twitter notifications, when I saw someone mention that Thandie Newton's dress was of Star Wars characters! Designed by Vivienne Westwood.

I made a simple replay to Asad Ayaz's tweet,

'Zoomed in on images on her dress 😎👍'.

Forgetting that I was replying to not just Asad Ayaz,

but also Ms Newton.......

which became clear to me

when she 'liked' my reply....WOOOOW!!

Am sooooo looking forward to the film coming out next week!

Blog Title Change......

When I first started writing this blog,
I didn't really know what Title to use,
so called it what it is, 'My R5-D4 Astromech Droid', lol.

Now that I also have a FaceBook page, Twitter & an Instagram account, I thought I should rename this one to better match up with the others.

So am thinking of changing the name to:

James' R5-D4

This, I hope will make finding this age easier as it matches more with the other accounts.

.....just hope this doesn't mess anything up lol.