Cole Horton's HoosierTrooper Blog

History Repeats Itself: George Lucas' Retirement

2012-01-21T21:58:00.001-05:00

When History is New News

The internet's reaction to this week's "news" that Star War creator George Lucas was retiring was a bit over the top. You couldn't visit a geek forum without seeing plenty of comments. After all, the New York Times reported that Lucas was stepping away from big blockbusters and getting into smaller films. But this "huge story" isn't so new; history indeed repeats itself.

In a 2006 interview with TIME magazine's Richard Corliss, Lucas speaks very openly about his "retirement" and his desire to make movies that aren't blockbusters.

The area I'm interested in now is to go do some form-experimenting—to try and figure out different ways of telling movies. I grew up in the Godard, Fellini world and all that. To me that's where my heart is. But I realize that's not commercial. That's why I can say I managed to do something that everybody wants to do—all those guys wanted to do—which was to get a pile of money so I can sort of waste it, burn through it. It's like a government subsidy, which is what (the Europeans) were able to deal with. I have my own little government subsidy that I've built myself, and now I can go and do stupid things with it. I mean, I'm old enough and I'm kind of retired...

R.C. What do you mean, you're kind of retired?

G.L. In that I don't have to do Star Wars anymore. I don't have to make money any more. I can just waste it. I call it hobby filmmaking, where you just get to do what you want to do, and you don't have to worry about what anyone thinks about it.

R.C. So you're finally going to make good on your promise to do your own little movies?

G.L. Yeah, after the TV series, I'm going to do my own little movies. The stuff I'm thinking about it has to do with pushing the vocabulary in the medium. Basically, you have to accept the fact that it's going to be the land of THX (the movie), and worse.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1173216,00.html#ixzz1k9Sa3R8q

In the end, I guess nothing's really changed. Lucas finally completed his 20+ year old project in Red Tails and can finally get back to that retirement he started in 2006.

Review of Red Tails

2012-01-21T14:48:00.003-05:00

Last night was the nationwide release of George Lucas' World War II film about the Tuskegee Airmen; Red Tails. The story follows a small group of African American aviators as they battle both German fighters above the skies of Europe and racial injustices on the ground. I joined friends to brave an ice-storm here in the midwest to check out the film for ourselves.

Red tails is a largely feel-good action flick that isn't trying to shock. It certainly has its fair share of emotional moments, but Red Tails is not a gritty modern war film in the vein of Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers. The tone is, however, exactly how Lucas designed it. According to Lucas in a recent Daily Show interview:

"It was designed to be a film during the war - its very patriotic, very jingoistic, very old fashioned, corny. Its just exactly like flying leathernecks only this one was held up from release in 1942 when it was shot and I’ve been trying to get it released ever since."

This style is most obvious when the bomber pilots comment on the Tuskegee Airmen above the skies of Europe. The way they describe the action and their feelings about the airmen feel very propagandistic. Certainly the sentiments were true, but the delivery feels like something right out of a signal corps newsreel. Viewers who are willing to take this style for what it is will be fine; viewers expecting modern dialogue risk missing the mark.

The most impressive aspect of the film are the visual effects. I would argue that no air war film has ever looked this great. The waves of B-17 bombers are breathtaking. The fighters' movement is sweeping and exhilarating. The action is fast, but so well laid out that the audience never loses their bearings. Considering that much of the action takes place in the vast, cloud-filled sky - this context is quite impressive. For any war or aviation fan, the visuals alone make Red Tails a must-see.

Red Tails is also complete with some references to Star Wars. Fans of the saga will notice that the airmen's call signs are Red 1, Red 2 (and so on). As the pilots approach a target, they are even told to "Cut the chatter" in the same way that Red Leader instructs his group of X-Wing pilots.

Overall, I thought Red Tails more than lived up to expectations. As advertised, it is corny yet inspiring and the aerial combat is unparalleled. Even my wife enjoyed it (even going so far to say she enjoys this type of movie to Star Wars.) I recommend it to anyone; Star Wars fan, history buff, or just the casual movie-goer.

Research Tools

2012-01-19T22:59:00.011-05:00

When doing ongoing research for a project, I love is to keep all of my research findings in one place where I can reference them on the go. Usually it's just thought-starters and ideas to further explorer short quotes. Later I'll type them up and organize the various images to support the text.

Here are my secret tools for successful research:

Moleskine Notebooks - Preferably the Star Wars Versions. I have filled one of these already and am almost done with the second. The Star Wars versions are limited edition, so I picked up multiple for the future. I also keep a small one in my jacket pocket for ideas on the road (like when listening to an audio book in the car). The big ones can be found at retail for about $20 - and much less online.

Retro 51 Pens - I have two of these Retro 51 pens and absolutely love 'em. I have them in Red and Stainless. I keep a few Retro 51 refills on hand in both blue and black ink.

Messenger Bag - This simple black bag doubles as my transmitter bag for R2 events as well. Daren and I both have one to hide our controllers and tools in. It can hold my 15 inch computer and multiple notebooks. It has four side pockets and one internal zipping pocket. It's beauty is it's simplicity. You can also easily sew patches to it. BONUS FEATURE: This bag (in black) was used in the BSG spinoff Caprica!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 Confirmed

2012-01-17T22:59:00.001-05:00

The Facebook page of Star Wars: The Clone Wars director Dave Filoni reveals what many of us already knew: the animated show will be back for a fifth season. Expect to learn more in the next year, particularly big reveal events like San Diego ComicCon and Star Wars Celebration VI. In the mean time, we know the following:

"I hope you all enjoy the episode tonight. I think the Death Watch has gotten significantly cooler, and we are going to build on that next season."

Filoni shares a great sketch just to tease us about what the new Mandalorian character, voiced by Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Galactica fame, might look like under that owl-inspired helmet. If you needed another reason to go to Star Wars Celebration VI, he also mentions that those of us in attendance "might get to see more Death Watch than ever before."

MINOR SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LATEST CLONE WARS EPISODE: If you are a fan of droids, more Mandalorians could mean less droids. After all, last weeks episode showed that the Death Watch aren't fans of friends of our obtuse little friends.

Still, more episodes means more Star Wars; I'll take whatever I can get. More Lucas-style Mandos might also mean a few unhappy custom Mando fans... and that appeals to my Dark Side.

A Simple Finish for Your New Dome

2012-01-16T11:41:00.001-05:00

There are many ways to make a dome, and many different looks you can create by working on the aluminum's finish. On my first dome, I spent a lot of time wet sanding with many grits of sand paper to create a not-quite-mirror-like finish.

If you just want to take out the sand lines, grease, or small scratches, I would recommend using 3M 7447 Scotch-Brite 6-by-9-Inch General Purpose Hand Pad, 20-Pads

These things are cheap and easy to work with. Just rub in a circle motion. It softens the spin lines and removes blemishes. It won't be shiny, but it won't look so fresh off the spinner either.

Red Tails Memorial - US Air Force Museum

2012-01-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

Monument to the
Tuskegee Airmen

With buzz around George Lucas' latest movie, Red Tails, in full swing, I wanted to share some local Tuskegee connections. The National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson in Dayton, OH is the largest museum for the Airforce in the country, with galleries from WWI, WWII, the Cold War and present day.

My personal favorite is the gallery from WWII; in one section you will find a whole display dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen. Less known is that there is a Tuskegee Memorial in the park outside the museum. Dedicated in 1985, it commemorates the airmen of 1941-1946.

If you have a chance to visit the museum, be sure to check out the monument outside.

OVMS Show of Shows - Feb 23-26, 2012

2012-01-12T21:48:00.001-05:00

One of the premiere Military Collectors shows is coming up next month in Louisville, Kentucky. The Ohio Valley Military Society will hold its annual "Show of Shows" at the Kentucky Exposition Center (fairgrounds).

Show of Shows vendor shows off a flare gun fit for a
Bounty Hunter.

I found that this show by itself is an all day event - you'll find hundreds of items with Star Wars ties. Militaria vendors from around the world converge on Louisville to sell members of the OVMS and general public all types of military collectibles. The majority of the pieces available are from the World Wars, making it a valhalla for people like me looking for pieces that were used to make Star Wars props.

A huge bonus to this show is the unassociated but equally great "National Gun Day" that takes place in the neighboring convention hall. These two shows together are by far the best place to find military surplus and military collectibles. Its hard to communicate the magnitude and exapnsive collections that will be available for sale. If you are interested in Star Wars military items this is probably the best weekend you'll find anywhere.

If you go, each show charges admission (typically $10). As with most of these shows, if you plan to buy something, cash is king. To see both shows, you'll want to attend Saturday (Feb 25th) or Sunday (26th). I recommend allowing a full day to see both shows at their fullest.

Red Tails New York Premiere - Live Tonight

2012-01-10T14:00:00.015-05:00

Red Tails Who's Who
Photo by Bonnie Burton

Can't make the New York premiere of George Lucas' World War II flick Red Tails in person? Check out the live stream from the red carpet on Ustream tonight starting at 5:30pm eastern.

UPDATE: If you missed the red carpet live, you can still watch the feed on replay at Ustream. The stream is chocked full of interviews with the Stars, crew, veterans, and other special guests. Special video features include stories from the real Tuskegee Airmen and interviews with cast and crew. Definitely worth a watch.

Heads up for RPF Members

2012-01-09T23:19:00.000-05:00

If you are a member of the Replica Prop Forum, you might have already seen the news. If not, here it is.

*******VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE*******

DO NOT USE WWW.THERPF.COM or THERPF.COM

ONLY USE WWW.THEREPLICAPROPFORUM.COM

There is a FAKE SITE at www.therpf.com

EVERYONE, BE SURE THAT YOU ARE AT WWW.THEREPLICAPROPFORUM.COM, AND CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD

IF YOU KNOW OTHER MEMBERS ,PLEASE LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED

Help the 501st Legion Win a Shorty Award

2012-01-08T21:20:00.000-05:00

If you have a Twitter account, please take a moment to vote for the 501st Legion in the Shorty Awards. The group has been nominated in the charity category for our good works around the world.

All you have to do is make one tweet filling in your own response to this tweet "I nominate @501stLegion for a Shorty Award in #charity because..." Just fill in after the "because..." and you have voted! The Legion is already in great position to win with your help.

Missing Astromech.net today? Check this out...

2012-01-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

For all the R2 Builders out there, Astromech.net is down for some fixes today, so here are a few things to keep you busy while you wait for it to come back online.

http://www.artoo-detoo.net/ Chris Jame's site is a perennial favorite. Great resources that all builders should see.

http://vfranco.blogspot.com/ Victor's building blog is the best of the best of R2 blogs. But you already know that!

http://mcmaster.com/ If you are like me, you are going to need some hardware soon. Go ahead and order it while you wait.

https://www.facebook.com/ColeAHorton Friend me on Facebook and find fellow R2 Builders and Star Wars Fans.

http://twitter.com/colehorton If you have any time left after using the other links, there must be nothing better going on. Go ahead and follow me on twitter.

My 5 Year Droid Building Anniversary

2012-01-06T12:02:00.001-05:00

5 years! Thats got to be a milestone or something. January 6 2007 I ordered my first R2 part after months of research. Now, all of those parts have been pulled apart to make way for the next big chapter in my R2 Building story.

All aluminum, welded body construction - R2.0 Droid Build

The biggest news from the last year has got to be R2.0: the complete rebuild and revisit of my R2 with friends Daren Murrer and Chris Reiff. When its all said and done, we will have the most rugged, reliable, and hopefully accurate droids possible. Since last year's Celebration crash, I really needed to make some changes. Similarly, Chris wanted to build his first and Daren had ideas for improvements. These droid are coming along nicely and will be done well before Star Wars Celebration VI.

2011 was my first Comic Con. San Diego was everything I had hoped it would be. What makes it great isn't just the convention happenings; in fact, I saw nearly everything I wanted to see in the first 3 days (most Star Wars events were Thursday/Friday). What makes Comic Con great is the people; old friends from Celebration and many new ones.

Speaking of cons, DroidCon in Indianapolis was great! If a gathering of passionate fans getting together to celebrate and share a common interest for 2 days sounds like something you would like, DroidCon was exactly the right event for you. It should be back in 2013 after Celebration VI in 2012.

Another great fan organization event I loved in 2011 was TrooperFest in Detroit. It was great having out with folks from garrisons around the country and spending lots of (quality) time with Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas.

The new theme to this blog should be a major hint of something on the horizon. I have been working since November of 2010 on an idea that brings my two passions together in a big way; I hope to be able to share more news on that soon. It truly does bring together A Long Time Ago and a Galaxy Far, Far Away....

New Futaba 7c Transmitter Ordered

2012-01-03T21:26:00.003-05:00

I picked up a new transmitter to go with the completely rebuilt R2. This time around, I'm going to use a 2.4 ghz version of the Futaba transmitter I've used for the last 3 years. It's pretty rare that I'm around another builder with a similar frequency, but I did have an issue at Celebration V during the droid parade; that was one of the few times that nearly every builder had their droid on.

In addition, I want the added security of not feeling like I will catch outside (non-droid) interference. The thought of the new all-aluminum R2 going anywhere I don't want it to go is not pleasant. The 2.4ghz is more reliable.

This time, I'm only buying the transmitter and receiver. No need for servos this time.

Getting into Star Wars: The Old Republic

2011-12-23T12:50:00.000-05:00

Since the official announcement way back in 2008, I've been eagerly awaiting Star Wars: The Old Republic. Its the latest Star Wars themed online game. Similar to World of Warcraft or Star Wars: Galaxies, SWTOR is a massive game.

I'll be playing on the Sith Meditation Sphere Server where XFOR, the 501st Legion Guild can be found. My primary character is actually on the republic side. The character name is Hoosier, a Trooper class toon.

R2.0 - Complete R2 Rebuild

2011-11-29T21:29:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen it yet, stop by Astromech.net to see updates on the brand new R2 builds. http://astromech.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8833&page=1

http://astromech.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8833&page=1

Astromech.net just keeps on growing!

2011-11-02T19:03:00.002-05:00

Fun Statistic for the R2 guys out there: Astromech.net has accounted for more than 76% of the club's discussion in 2011; more than 85% in the last month!

Tell your friends!

eBay Biggest Star Wars Fan Contest! Help us win!

2011-09-18T11:29:00.001-05:00

Last week, I posted a photo of me and the guys in the replica Rebel Troop carrier as part of eBay's Biggest Star Wars Fan promotion. Since then, we have jumped out to second place, with more than 220 votes. That puts us in second place out of more than 540 entries!

Help us win this one with your vote. All you need is a facebook account - once click lets you vote. http://ebay.promotionexpert.com/starwarscontest/view/738

Don't forget, you can vote once a day! http://ebay.promotionexpert.com/starwarscontest/view/738

Star Wars Blu-Ray Day

2011-09-16T08:00:00.021-05:00

Today will be a day long remembered: We can finally get our hands on the Star Wars Saga on Blu-Ray! In many ways, this feels as big as when we first got the saga on DVD back in 2004; a major change in how we view the film thanks to improved quality. The Star Wars films are never first to any new media - I speculate that its a marketing move to take advantage of higher household penetration of the new format and to maximize the ROI of the advertising around the launch.

I will be digging into the new disks over the next week. My first priority is the bonus features where I hope to find Rebel Troop Carrier footage and any new droid related shots.

Restraining Bolts - a Found Part!

2011-07-31T19:30:00.000-05:00

I'm very happy to announce that we have found the real life part that was used as a robot restraining bolt in Star Wars! To learn more, check out the R2 Builders Club forums! http://astromech.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7890

Comic-Con Star Wars Exclusives?! Where?!

2011-07-18T19:42:00.003-05:00

The big list of goodness at Comic-Con this week. I'll see what I can snag!

My favorite is the Revan mask Chris Trevas did.

http://www.starwars.com/vault/collecting/2011_comic_con_exclusives/index.html

Star Wars At Comic-Con

2011-07-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

If you can't tell from my twitter feed, I'm getting pumped about San Diego Comic-Con.

Star Wars.com has posted their guide to all things Star Wars at the event. I have my eye on more than a few of these event.

http://www.starwars.com/fans/events/comic_con_2011/index.html

Perhaps my two favorites are the Clone Wars panels and the Star Wars: The Old Republic panel. Hoping to get some play time while there.

See you at Comic-Con

2011-07-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

I'll be at Comic-Con International in San Diego next week for geek homecoming. It's my first comic con, so go easy on me. After Celebration IV last year, my friends at DK Books and the Chrises (Reiff and Trevas) convinced me to go. I'll be arriving for Preview night on Wednesday.

More Record Breaking Months for Astromech.net

2011-06-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, January '09 was a major milestone for the forums at the official club website, Astromech.net. Since January '09, the forums had outpaced the original yahoo! group in posts by a significant margin. This calendar year though, the amount of discussion has skyrocketed, leaving the email list in the dust.

Recall that in February, Astromech.net servers were moved by the hosting company, leaving us without the forum for half a month. Since coming back online, the Astromech.net forums have accounted for 78% of the R2 Builders Club discussion. I've said it before but it's worth repeating: if you aren't reading the forums, you are missing more than you are seeing by a wide margin.

Star Wars Weekends 2011 - Opening Weekend

2011-05-25T09:25:00.112-05:00

Star Wars Weekends - Jedi Mickey

After years of watching friends make the trek down to Orlando for Disney's annual Star Wars Weekends, my wife and I finally took the opportunity to attend the event this year. Every summer, Disney puts on a series of weekends where Star Wars fans, celebrities and members of the 501st Legion converge on Orlando where Disney's Hollywood Studios is transformed into a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

This year was Clone Wars heavy and featured George Lucas who attended the opening ceremonies.

When you enter the park, you'll see the transformation with signs and Star Wars music playing. Above the entrance are a couple of Disney stormtroopers, acting out a brief pre-scripted skit with Star Wars banter. Their comments are piped over the speakers at the gates for everyone to hear. Signs with Star Wars characters are seen on every post and the Disney Star Wars swag is available to purchase right inside the gates (and various kiosks and gift shops around the park). All content is (as expected) family oriented for fans of all ages.

The biggest draw this year was the grand reopening of Star Tours, the virtual reality ride that closed in 2010 during Star Wars Celebration's "Last Tour to Endor." You will have to sport 3D glasses for the new experience. The new ride sports an all new story that changes each time you ride and a new pre-ride experience. The ride has a 2 different beginnings, 3 planets to visit first, 3 messages from Rebellion leaders, and 3 closing planets to visit. It took me about 10 rides to see every planet - Coruscant never came up for me. During the day, the lines were longer (about 45 minutes). One night Hollywood Studios had extended hours; late night there was virtually no line. Line or not, the new ride is greatly improved and worth any wait.

Video plays before you board

My personal favorite part of the new ride was the inclusion of both a red R2 unit and a rebel troop carrier. Get in line for the ride and you might have to wait outside under the Ewok village and AT-AT walker. If the line isn't bad, you'll quickly find yourself in the air-conditioned building where you will receive "flight information" and watch travel videos for the various planets. These videos are a mix of live action and 3D animation. In these videos are some 3D animated astromech droids. One of those droids is red and white, just like mine. In the video that plays just before you board, an animated troop carrier drives around your transport. Be on the lookout at the end of the ride, that Red R2 is featured front and center in 3D at the end of one of the scenarios you might encounter.

501st on Parade at Star Wars Weekends

In addition to the ride and decorations, the 501st Legion is part of a daily parade. Special celebrity guests ride along waving at the crowd and Disney characters have special themed floats.

R2-DK Goes On Tour

2011-05-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

Check out some pictures of the R2-DK charity droid built buy Chris Reiff, Daren Murrer, and myself.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150175163848389.318716.574893388
Photos by Chris Trevas

R2-DK will be on tour for the DK Books Attack of the Authors East Coast tour this month.

Star Wars On Blu-Ray - With Troop Carrier Footage?

2011-05-04T21:18:00.001-05:00

Today's Star Wars Day announcement for the Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-Ray had the internet buzzing. The massive amount of extra content coming out with the 9-disk set was worth the hype. As someone who has spent unbelievable amounts of time researching the minutia in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, I am perhaps most thrilled about the Blu-Ray release of a 1980 documentary.

The Empire Strike Back: SPFX should be full of behind-the-scenes footage behind Episode V. I'll be on the lookout for video of the Rebel Troop Carrier and possibly of the mysterious Red R2 unit seen in Echo Base.

UPDATE: The Complete Saga is now available! Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray]

Prep for DroidCon

2011-04-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

We're quickly approaching the R2 Builders Club DroidCon event, so that means I've got to get prepared for the event.

Daren Murrer and I will be holding an "everything dome" panel for builders. If you are would like to see how to build a dome from an aluminum or styrene offering, this is a great chance to see the finer aspects of the build. We'll show off basic instructions, talk hints and tips, and take questions along the way. Even if you only listen to the safety section, the panel will be well worth your time.

I'll also be bringing up my droid for the event. That means I'll be scrambling to gather everything up and charge batteries right before we head up.

If you have not made plans to attend, please check out DroidCon.info now!

Don't Forget: Droid Con is Coming!

2011-03-26T19:12:00.002-05:00

Heads up Builders, the first R2 Builders Convention is happening this May. I'll be there with a few special surprises...

The event is happening May 13, 14, and 15 2011 at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Daren Murrer and I will be doing a panel called "Everything Dome", covering.... everything about domes!
If you are a droid builder, or perspective droid builder, you should plan to attend! For more info on Droid Con, head over to http://www.droidcon.info

See you on Twitter!

2011-02-13T21:28:00.002-05:00

Want short, timely commentary on Star Wars and more? I'm on Twitter providing all of that and more!

Find me at http://twitter.com/ColeHorton

Best of Astromech.net: January 21, 2011

2011-01-21T10:16:00.001-05:00

After a downright embarrassing week of nonsense on the Yahoo! group, I'm really happy to see tons of droid building and great community building going on at the official club website. Following up on last Friday's feature, here are some of my favorite posts from Astromech.net this week:

Holy $@!% fiber optics are expensive. GreyJawa notices how pricey fiber optic can be, but luckily some experienced members are there to offer some work arounds. Check out TinyP's great pics of how he created his amazing - or downright beautiful - fiber optic logics.

IrishJedi's Finished Laser Cut Styrene Dome Check out some pics of Carl's excellent styrene dome. He turned a couple of pieces of laser chopped plastic into a work of art. Now with more snow!

Paul Makes the front cover of his work newsletter. Happiness really does come in a can!

Upcoming Club Activities There are numerous events around the country to see other Builders and droids! You will learn more in a day from talking with another builder than you will from months of reading.

If you find this feature helpful, drop me a comment, post online, and tell your friends! If you found a topic noteworthy, let me know!

Star Wars Pickers - Finding Star Wars Parts in Dayton

2011-01-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

If you've turned on a TV recently, you've probably seen some of History's American Pickers series. The premise is simple: two guys head off to various home, barns, and sheds in search of antiques and other valuables.

Here in Ohio, Daren and I headed out for our own version of picking. We've done this before in search of various pieces, parts, and materials needed to build Star Wars props. Many of the props you see in the films were found items rather than newly created props. Everything from lightsabers to R2-D2 parts were pulled off of real life items. That means that with a little research and hunting, we can actually build our replica props with the same items that were used in the films.

Today, we headed up to a potential gold mine called Mendelson's. It was a short drive from Cincinnati up to downtown Dayton, Ohio. Mendelson's Industrial Surplus is a giant - and I do mean giant - multi-story warehouse in Dayton that buys and sells various industrial surplus parts and materials. They are open to the public and are known for having some very obscure parts for a variety of items. The literally have decades worth of "junk" collected on shelves, just waiting to be discovered.

On this particular Star Wars pick, we were looking for vintage electronics to be part of our Star Wars Mouse Droid robots. We went prepared for this task, taking a number of tools along to help. First, we had a folder of high resolution printouts of the original Mouse Droid prop. Should those not be enough, we also were armed with iPhones, an iPad, and a Verizon portable hotspot for internet.

We spent a few hours and still only saw about 40% of the store. Most of our time was spent looking at various 14 and 18 pin chips to match the ones on the side of the Mouse shell. We had to go box by box comparing to the reference pics.

Overall, I think we were mildly succesfull, finding some chips and electronic pieces that should work quite well. I still need to go back to look at their knob and dial collection. Especially in the Original Trilogy movies, knobs, dials, and other aluminum greeblies dotted the props and sets of the movies. Having some of these on hand is always handy.

How to Care for your Star Wars Club Apparel

2011-01-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

One of the bonuses to being part of fan clubs like the 501st, Rebel Legion, and R2 Builders Club is the cool swag they sometimes make. I know plenty of people who could make their entire wardrobe out of the various graphic T-shirts and embroidered polos offered from these various clubs. Over the years, I’ve accumulated plenty of them myself. One thing I’ve learned is that preserving those screen printed shirts requires slightly different care than my average laundry loads. Here are some tips for keeping those great graphic T’s looking great over time.

Wash Inside Out. That screen printing ink is pretty tough, but washing inside-out will make it last even longer.

Wash in Cold Water. Most of those club t-shirts come on 100% cotton shirts. They almost all say “pre-shrunk”, but the inevitably have plenty more shrinking they can do. To minimize this, wash in cold water. If you are looking for good cleaning even in cold water, I recommend picking up a bottle of Tide Coldwater for these loads.

No Bleach. This should be obvious,but hypo bleach (the big white bottles) is not good for your graphic T’s.

Tumble dry on low heat. Still dry inside-out, but make sure you aren’t using the rough and tumble settings on your dryer. If you are worried about shrinkage, let the shirt dry flat on a drying rack.

Authors note: As some of you know, my day job is working for the Tide brand. I'm a bit biased.

Don't listen to what someone is "planning" to do

2011-01-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

Over the years, people have always asked for the best approach to any number of subjects. People ask about paint, people ask about parts, people ask about electronics. In response, various builders will offer up their methods, saying "I've done this" or "I've done that". Usually, there will be people who will chime in with "I plan to do this or that". When you hear that, I urge you to be a little cautious.

A person's R2 build is an ever evolving project. What I planned to do in 2007 was very different than what actually worked in 2008 when I finished my droid. I urge you to follow in the footsteps of people who have completed something and had time to test it out - let them learn the hard way. If someone says they "plan" to build or do something - always keep in mind that it could change and that the method might be untested.

When someone tells you their plan, keep a close eye on their progress and investigate more yourself. Just don't jump to make your plans off their plans.

Star Wars Picking at the Indy 1500 Gun Show

2011-01-16T13:46:00.000-05:00

I spent a little time at the Indianapolis 1500 Gun Show this weekend. The show is the largest in Indiana - and possibly the largest east of the Mississippi. The great thing about these shows is the vast number of Star Wars related items that pop up there. Although pictures aren't allowed, I did take some notes about some of the items I saw.

I ran into a couple of Starling submachine guns - the same guns that were the base for Stormtrooper blasters. One of which was a new manufacture complete with a law-abiding 16 inch barrel. This one was unique because both the barrel and shroud were oversized. This, unfortunately, would likely not make this new production gun a candidate for E-11 conversion.

Similar to the Sterling, there were a few MG34s and MG42 machine guns as used by the Sandtroopers and choice Bountyhunters. Unfortunately, the $20K+ price tag took me out of the running.

There was one Navy talker helmet, used as the base for both Rebel and Imperial helmets. The finish was rough and no price listed- although there was a sign that it cost $10 to try on any helmet at this booth.

I did not see any grenade handles used to make lightsabers.

Best of Astromech.net: January 14, 2011

2011-01-14T10:14:00.005-05:00

Today I'm trying a new feature I'm calling "Best of Astromech.net". The goal is to pick a few of the cool threads I noticed throughout the week. There are hundreds of other posts that I haven't featured, but these are a handful of cool ones. Let me know if this is helpful.

Dome Topper Specs/ Reference Pics Forum user bolidelorean offers up information about the various dome toppers available. Also found here are some pictures of a screen-used droid's dome top.

Digital Soldering Stations Lynelle brings up a great question about digital soldering stations - a big improvement over simple irons for anyone doing a lot of soldering in their droid.

Buhatkj's Mostly plastic R5 Build Log buhatkj shows us how he built a foot drive system for his droid.

R2 Has a New Brain Marc from California installs a leg control application for his droid. Best of all, he has multiple videos showing how it works!

Again, let me know if you think this is helpful. If you have a favorite thread or topic, feel free to drop me a comment.

EDIT: Comments are now enabled!

How To: See All the Latest Forum Posts in Just one Click

2011-01-10T20:10:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share a helpful trick I use to always stay up on the latest forum talk at Astromech.net. When you go to the forums, its broken out into various sections - like domes, for sale, off topic, etc. Thats great if you are looking for a specific topic for your droid. If you want to just see what's new however, there is a great link you can bookmark that will take you straight to the latest posts that YOU have not seen yet.

http://astromech.net/forums/search.php?do=getdaily

First, notice that when you click the above link, it will almost immediately change in your address bar. Thats because when you click it, the forum automatically generates a special search result tailored to you. The forum knows what you've already seen and weeds old posts out. That way, it only brings up topics with new discussion in them.

In order to bookmark that link, I like to make it my home page. That way, all I have to do is click the home button and it takes me straight to the latest forum posts. To do this, you will want to find your browsers options or preferences. When you open the preferences screen, it will have a space where you can enter in a link for your home page. Often, this is set to google or sometimes your internet provider's page. Cut and paste the link above - you want the it to be the exact link I have posted. Save those preferences and now your homepage will be set to the official club website.

My 4 Year Droid Building Anniversary

2011-01-08T10:45:00.003-05:00

Four years ago I ordered my fist part! Every year, I take some time to reflect on the previous year in droid building. The past 12 months have been full of droid-building and Star Wars fun.

In 2010 I completed a number of projects.

The first being the creation of the first ever full size vacuformed mouse shell. I was really surprised that after all these years, the mouse droid builders were still using undersized shells. This was done for various reasons, one of which was that many people didn't have thermoforming machines that were large enough. What surprised me however was how complacent the community had become about it. If the R2 Builders didn't have full size droids, the club probably wouldn't exist.

The second project was massive: The full sized operational Rebel Troop Carrier.

This was what Daren and I built for the R2 Builders room at Celebration V. It took months of work - sometimes as much as 50 hours per week - to complete in time. With over 220 CNC cut pieces of plywood, simply making all the parts was exhaustive. On top of that, there were no blueprints and very few screenshots available. All of that info had to be collected and we had to create the plans as we went along. Thanks to Chris Reiff, we got all of the electrical finished; even this was a daunting task. Lights, flashers, electronic lifts, stereo and more required hand crafted electrical work.

In addition, I was also the team leader for the 501st Legion Troop-Athlon event at Celebration V. My goal was the up the quality of the event by making the course more action packed with higher quality props and displays.

Did you know you can follow me on twitter? Check me out at http://www.twitter.com/ColeHorton

First Sign of Successful Droid Building - Reading Comprehension

2010-12-31T10:35:00.000-05:00

It never fails. Everytime I open up a parts run for the R2 Builders Club, I get emails that make no sense.

The first kind is people asking when the run will start – right after I announce the run is open. Before a run starts, I get a handful of emails each week asking when the next run will be. I try my best to respond or point people to a thread where I have posted my tentative plans. These are pretty harmless requests because people are just excited to get started building. The emails that really bother me are the ones asking when the next run will start…. AFTER I’ve announced that the run has already started. I typically post the announcement in multiple places and the threads take off with activity, so they are never hard to find. Despite these seemingly obvious announcement, immediately after the run has begun I get a flood of emails asking when the run will be. I’m not talking one or two emails here – I’m talking about dozens over the course of the run. Its as if these people have a sixth sense that the run is stirring, but they just didn’t take the time to look in all the obvious places.

The second kind is questions that have already been answered. No matter how many times I announce that we do no recut domes, people will still email, PM, or post the question. If I say the price is $XX, people will always email asking what the price is. If I post the paypal adddress to send payment to, people still ask who they need to pay. Maybe its just people getting excited, but these questions do tend to wear on me.

If you want to be a successful R2 Builder, the #1 thing you must do is practice your reading comprehension. Take the time to read, read, read. It will make your life – and the parts supplier’s life – much easier.

See You At DroidCon!

2010-11-13T11:05:00.003-05:00

Just confirmed: I will be attending Droid Con 2011! Droid con is a gathering of R2 builders from around the world in Indianapolis Indiana. The event is happening May 13, 14, and 15 2011 at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Daren Murrer and I will be doing a panel called "Everything Dome", covering.... everything about domes!

If you are a droid builder, or perspective droid builder, you should plan to attend! For more info on Droid Con, head over to http://www.droidcon.info

My Design Work hits StarWars.com

2010-09-20T16:31:00.002-05:00

In all of the crazyness leading up to Star Wars Celebration V, I didn't have time to appreciate when some of my work made StarWars.com. Thanks to some great PR work by Ed Karl of the Golden Gate Garrison, Bonnie Burton did a cool little story on the 501st Legion Troop-Athlon event I led. One of the coolest aspects of the event is the exclusive medals we give to the winning teams.

Here is the full story http://www.starwars.com/fans/events/celebration_v_troopathalon2/index.html

My 501st Legion Troop-Athlon logo design was also featured on the website. Our friends at Lucasfilm are always great to work with and super-cool to let us mess around with their universe. The event really is for fun - I hope that comes through in the design.

A Few of My Favorite Celebration V Photos

2010-09-17T07:46:00.002-05:00

I'm still catching up from Celebration V, but I wanted to take a very quick moment to share a few photos (taken by others) from the con. There are a ton more.... and many that I've surely missed, so be sure to check out the Celebration V section of Astromech.net.

Yellow, Red, and Blue R2 units. Photo by Jeff Barnes.

The Rebel Troop Transport leading the droid parade, piloted by Wayne Orr and Dave Everett. Photo by Charlie Dunn.

Why Reinvent the Droid Wheel?

2010-09-14T08:32:00.004-05:00

Its been a long time since I've posted on the blog. Most of my time since January was spent on the last laser cut styrene dome run and then a 5 month marathon to complete the Rebel Troop Carrier and lead the 501st Troop-Athlon committee for Celebration V. I've seen a bit of a trend lately that I just wanted to comment on. So before I get started, here are a few disclaimers:

1. I'm writing this on my personal blog (and not the Astromech.net forums) because these views are my own. I don't want to imply that the site, the other admins, or the leadership of the club feels the same. They might, but I can't speak for them.

2. Innovation is a great thing for the club. Smart people working to improve the process of droid building are the foundation that the group is built on. Keep innovating!

Since Celebration V, there has been a giant wave of new people and thats awesome! With being new comes a lot of questions and a lot of excitement. We've all been there - its part of the fun.

Whats a little different about this wave of newbies is their "creativeness." A good number of these new folks are looking to dive in and build a droid on a budget. The unfortunate part is that they are doing so in ways that seems to set the club back. There are accurate budget domes out there now... why try to find some hemisphere online? We have styrene droid plans that allow you to build accurate droids for VERY low cost.... why are people still using body tubes? People are talking about using all of these alternative materials when the superior option has already been identified.

I understand that people don't always have a ton of extra cash to use for this hobby, but there are some places where it just isn't worth it to cut corners. If it isn't to club spec, DO NOT BUY IT. I can't say this enough. You will end up doing more work on this "found part" and in the end, it will most likely not be accurate.

I love seeing new things that actually improve on what we have available today, but the increase in "reinventing the wheel" might be giving the wrong message to new people. I encourage new folks to really do their research, understand what you are buying, and know what the best available techniques & parts are. You don't have to reinvent anything.

Video of the Rebel Troop Carrier

2010-08-25T21:19:00.002-05:00

Since Celebration V, a few videos of the Rebel Troop Carrier have been posted on YouTube. Enjoy!

The Rebel Troop Carrier from Star Wars Celebration V

2010-08-20T21:10:00.002-05:00

Just in time for Star Wars Celebration V, we completed our 5 month long project: The Rebel Troop Carrier. Code named “Nerd Wagon,” the carrier was built from scratch here in Ohio. We trailered it down to Orlando and showed it off as part of the R2 Builders Room Hoth display. Here are some final pictures from the professional photo shoot (photos by Christian Dohn).

Interior Styled After Classic Star Wars Design

Cole Horton, Chris Reiff, Daren Murrer

Follow me on Twitter

2010-07-15T10:10:00.001-05:00

Want short, timely commentary on Star Wars and more? I'm on Twitter providing all of that and more!

Find me at http://twitter.com/ColeHorton

Happy Birthday Astromech.net

2010-04-13T12:28:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked the 2 year anniversary of the relaunch of the official website of the R2 Builders Club: Astromech.net.

The R2 Builders Club is unique among the Star Wars fan community in that so many of its resources are found in one place. No where else can you find such a great repository for knowledge about such an intricate topic. If you aren't reading and participating at Astromech.net, you are missing more than you are seeing!

3 Year Droid Building Anniversary

2010-01-06T11:20:00.005-05:00

Today marks the 3rd year anniversary of starting my droid!

3 years ago today I sent off for my first parts. Some 20 months later the droid was complete. Now I am fast approaching a time when I will have been a droid owner longer than I was a droid builder. If you ever hear that "building is the fun part", you aren't talking to someone who's finished. Having the completed droid at events and conventions is definitely the most fun for me.

Over the past year, I've had a lot of fun with the droid: I've done two Star Wars Concert Events, one as part of the official tour, another a special engagement in Cinciannti. I've done a few cons; GenCon in Indianapolis and DragonCon in Atlanta. Both times the droid has provided opportunities to meet new people and celebrities.

On the parts front, 2009 was the year we offered the Laser Cut C&D Dome. I've done some upgrading too. A new dome motor was needed. I will also finally be getting some real logics in my dome.

Daren Murrer and I hosted a great Droid Builders Day in Cincinnati back in May. I think we need to start thinking about the next one very soon. By then, I hope that I've made more progress on the second droid!

Red R2 (R2-D1) in The Empire Strikes Back

2010-01-03T11:14:00.003-05:00

Although I had no idea when I started building this droid, there was actually a Red R2 unit seen in the original trilogy. Specifically, there was a red droid just like mine in The Empire Strikes Back. Thanks to an excellent fan site, we now have very clear evidence of this "blink-and-you-miss-it" background droid.

Notice that in the back of Rebel base is a red and white R2 unit. Thanks to some new pictures I hadn't seen until recently, the photos are much more clear.

If you are keeping count, that means that a Red R2 unit was seen in The Phantom Menace and The Empire Strikes Back. A digital version was also seen in a naboo fighter in Attack of the Clones. That quite possibly means that this version of an R2 is the most-used droid outside of R2-D2!

For more on Hoth droids and tons more, visit http://www.angelfire.com/droid/astromechs/

Red R2 (R2-D1) in The Force Unleashed

2010-01-03T10:58:00.006-05:00

I received a copy of The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition for Christmas this year. This rerelease of the original game also comes with all 3 DCs that have since come out for the game. The final downloadable content was an alternate universe play on the battle of hoth. In the halls of the rebel base I found two different red R2 units, just like mine.

The first is by itself in a hall way. It plays the same sounds as the other droids in TFU. The animations are the same, including the split-in-half destroyed animation.

The second red R2 is found in the

next room. Sitting off to the left, this droid is the target of a Wampa who jumps out of the wall when you enter the room. Timed right, you can grab the Wampa and toss him out of the way. Also in this room is a Yellow R2.

Join the R2 Builders at Celebration V

2009-12-29T10:03:00.003-05:00

In case you haven't heard already, the R2 builders club will be in full force at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida.

We've currently got nearly 60 droids signed up!

If you have never been to a Celebration before, you don't know what you are missing. I've done plenty of cons, but as a die hard Star Wars fan, nothing comes close to a Celebration. You will never find a gathering of builders like you will in Orlando. At no time will there be more Star Wars in one place.

I would gladly miss DragonCon for the next decade just to make this one celebration. Its that good. If there is any chance that you can come out to Orlando next August, you won't be disappointed.

Keep up with all the latest R2 @ CV news at Astromech.net

If hobbies are expensive, and R2 building is a hobby...

2009-12-18T10:43:00.004-05:00

... then R2 building is expensive!

In case you builders out there saw the latest dog pile on the Y! group, I have a few thoughts:

Droid building will cost money. Going to conventions will cost money. Doing events for charity will cost you money. Things will break and cost you money. Upgrades will cost you money. Being part of the builders room will cost you money. Your wife will continually remind you that R2 costs you money. Nothing you can do will ever change the fact that this hobby will cost you money.

If you want to travel around the country to hang out with your friends, don't expect (or demand) to do it on someone else's dime. Doubly so if you don't even have a completed droid.

On a more positive note, check out some sweet Star Wars money by Mark Brooks

What I wish someone would have told me back when I started a droid

2009-12-05T15:12:00.003-05:00

Now that I've completed a droid, made some improvements/repairs, and been active in the club for nearly 3 years, I've got a few things I wish I knew "back then." I've said it before, and I'll say it again here: anyone can build a droid now days. The resources are better than ever before, and the community around building is great. I am proof that anyone can do it. But to improve your chances, follow these simple rules.

1. Don't reinvent the droid.

If you think you have a new idea, or want to do something crazy, just don't. Nearly all (call it 99%) of people who show up to the club with some new or exciting (to them) idea fall away very quickly. I've seen all sorts of talk about 'my droid will do this' or 'my droid will do that.' Almost none of them are around today. This goes for custom droids too. Think you are special? I think you aren't.

2. Follow in the footsteps of successful builders.

Don't buy anything from a parts supplier who hasn't finished a droid you would be proud of. Stick to Senna wood frames, JAG/Com8 aluminum frames, 300mm or R&J domes, etc. These parts are all PROVEN. A wood frame and a styrene dome are good bets even if you are on a budget. The Dave E plans have been used to completion multiple times too. There are some parts out there that lots of people buy, but few have actually been used in completed droids; this is a sign. And this should go without saying: If something isn't accurate to club spec, don't buy it! 18.5 inch bodies are not club spec!

3. Only buy council approved parts or from reputable club sellers.

Don't buy on eBay, don't buy on the RPF, don't buy from guys who sell their stuff on their own website. Buy from people who post on the forums, for the club. Ask anyone who was around for the Daniel Deutsch drama... the council is around for a reason. He sold his parts on his website, without any council oversight. His radar eye turned out to be inaccurate and people got ripped off.

4. Find a local builder who has completed a droid already.

If someone nearby you has already built a droid, then they've also probably got a lot of advice... and made a lot of mistakes. Learn from them; leverage their experience. People who build their droid in a vacuum aren't nearly as successful as people who had a local expert.

5. Don't try 2-3-2.

Do you want to actually finish your droid some day soon? Then don't try 2-3-2. Most (call it 90%) of people who attempt 2-3-2 fail. If you really want to set yourself up for heartache and failure, go right ahead and try. If you want a dependable, more affordable, faster-to-completion droid, then make a 3 legged droid from the outset. Still wondering what 2-3-2 is? Its the automatic transition from 2 legs to 3 legs.

6. You don't know what you don't know.

I was building a droid for over a year before I worked with Daren to complete my droid. All that time, I thought I had it all figured out. I had worked it all out in my mind.

Then, in the last month, we made a big push to get the droid done. When putting the whole droid together and finally getting him moving, I realized that I didn't know anything. I had no idea what was still ahead of me. I assumed things would fall together as planned, only to realize they wouldn't. This taught me one thing: until you finish the droid, you just don't know it all. Thats why its important to talk to and follow in the footsteps of those who have done it before.

Back from DragonCon... Getting Back in the Action

2009-09-07T18:50:00.002-05:00

Whew! I just got back in town from DragonCon in Atlanta where I got to hang out with few old friends, and made a few more. I have to say a huge Thank You to Andy for making the trip easier by organizing the group and hooking us up with rooms!

Ran R2 for 3 days without ever having to charge his battery. I am still recharging however! I'll be catching up with orders and messages over the next few days. I know that I have some work to do to get caught up on C&D domes. We still have plenty of laser cut outers, but need to make inners and rings in-house. Keep watching Astromech.net for more updates on domes.

Happy Birthday Astromech.net!

2009-04-13T18:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked the 1 year anniversary of the relaunch of the official website of the R2 Builders Club: Astromech.net.

Here is a very interesting statistic: Since the beginning of the year, Astromech.net has outpaced the Yahoo group in both new users and posts. Astromech.net has had 34% more users than the Yahoo group since January and had over 700 more posts in the new forums.

The wiki is ever expanding and there are over 7000 images in the gallery!

That is a huge reflection of all the great work that Wayne, Chris, and Greg do to keep the site running and continually making it better.

Droid Builders Day - May 2nd in Cincinnati!

2009-03-15T12:11:00.000-05:00

or check out Astromech.net to sign up.

Start of the second droid!

2009-01-25T10:10:00.002-05:00

If you've been following the boards at the official club website, you might have noticed that I've begun work on my second droid. This time, I plan on making an R2-Q2 seen in A New Hope rolling through the halls of the blockade runner. This droid will be almost entirely made of styrene and resin and will only be a static 2 leg model. I plan to take this one to conventions to leave at the table while the fully R/C droids roam around.

I picked this droid because I've always like the way it looks. He's the second R2 unit you see in Star Wars (behind R2-D2) and is an imperial droid. I have posted pictures in my gallery.

While I'm posting, I might as well apologize for a lack of posts here. Now that we have the all new Astromech.net, I really have been trying to post as much information as possible there. As someone who has built a droid for much of the time without the new club website, I know how difficult it is to track down information to build an R2. Now that the new Astro is up and running, I see no reason why people should have to track down 30 blogs, 10 websites, 2 yahoo groups and a forum just to keep up. Droid building should be about building, not about tracking down hundreds of disjointed websites or digging through broken, convoluted yahoo group posts. I am making a consistent effort to put my energies and knowledge in one centralized place. Astromech has all the features you need; now all it needs are the people to put as much droid building information there as possible.

If you are a new builder, I urge you to post your progress on the new Astromech.net. Post lots of pictures in the gallery, place yourself on the builders map, and be part of the solution that makes this hobby easier and more enjoyable. Even though I put a lot of time and effort into my blog, the droid building community is better served by a more centralized source for information.

2 Year Building Anniversary

2009-01-06T21:46:00.002-05:00

Today marks the two year anniversary of my R2 building journey. In the two years since I started building, I've completed my first droid, worked to create the plastic R2, R3, and R4 domes, worked on a total of 3 aluminum domes, volunteered in the droid room at Celebration 4, traveled half way across the country with my droid, and much more. Perhaps the best thing building has brought was friends. If you are looking for the most rewarding Star Wars hobby around, please head over to Astromech.net right now and check out all it has to offer.

Working on the R3 dome

2008-12-22T10:03:00.003-05:00

Now that the droid is mostly done, I've been working on a third dome. Like the R4 dome I've already made, the clear R3 dome can be installed in seconds to my droid body. The rockler bearing holes are the same, so the dome just slides on and off.

I am using an aluminum base ring on my R3, so I had to do some extra work. The normal base ring has a plate to mount stuff on and holes for the bearing. Since the aluminum ring is empty, I had to make a base plate and include rockler bearing holes.

I've put pictures over on Astromech.net: http://astromech.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1245&page=2

Tiki Con Wrap Up

2008-10-20T21:46:00.003-05:00

Screaming Tiki Con was great! I've posted pictures over in the gallery at http://astromech.net/?q=gallery&g2_itemId=19898&g2_page=1 and there is discussion over at Astromech.net.

Screaming Tiki Con 2008

2008-10-13T15:59:00.002-05:00

Just a last minute reminder to all those in the midwest or even further east looking for something to do this weekend; many R2 builders will be attending Screaming Tiki Con in Niles Ohio this weekend. Don't let that small town fool you: This event will be huge!

Check out their website at http://www.screamingtikicon.com and be sure to post on Astromech.net to let us know you'll make it!

Collecting Warehouse - www.collectingwarehouse.com

2008-10-05T10:24:00.005-05:00

I want to give a huge shout out to the guys at CollectingWarehouse.com for hooking me up with great supplies for my Star Wars and Lord of the Rings collection. After I moved, I was looking to get some display cases for my figures, and a few action figure stands for the loose figs I opened.

I picked up some plastic cases from them at good prices and even in low quantities. It was nice to get cases and stands for all the different variations I want to display. The have ProTech cases and even custom action figure acrylic tubes that come in sizes just for my Star Wars collection. Now I just need more space for the displays! Their website is http://www.collectingwarehouse.com

Video of the Droids in Action

2008-09-19T21:06:00.003-05:00

This video was posted on YouTube showing the droids owned by Daren Murrer and I. This was at GenCon Indy. We ran the droids continuously for over 6 hours.

R2-D1 is Complete!

2008-09-11T19:56:00.002-05:00

It took one year, seven months, and two weeks to do: build my very own R2.

The last few months have been crazy. I got married, bought a house and moved to a new city. Sometime between moving and starting my new career, I found time to work on some great new dome-related projects and complete my own droid.

With a TON (and I mean a TON) of help from fellow builder Daren Murrer, my droid was up and rolling in time for the animated Clone Wars premiere. In just a few weeks, I completed the cosmetic work and watched as Daren worked his magic with the drive and electrical systems. Here is a video of the droids in action.

Over time, I'll post up various points of my progress. Until then, I can't urge you enough to join the discussion over at Astromech.net. For the past 5 months, that has been my home for all things droid. Its the official website of the R2-D2 builders club, and quickly becoming THE spot for R2 building.

Waiting for a Break in the Action

2008-05-13T12:21:00.002-05:00

Progress on my droid has virtually ground to a halt. Last week, I graduated from college and moved out of Bloomington. This week, its off to Cincinnati to buy a house. After that, we have to move both my finance and I to Cincinnati before coming back to Evansville to get married. After the wedding in June, we are off to Jamaica for the honeymoon. Finally in July, its back to building.

By then, I should have my steel outer feet from JAG and can finally put this stuff together.

In the mean time, we still have plenty of R4 dome kits available. We really want to sell these because proceeds go to help astromech.net.

Astromech.net is Back!

2008-04-13T11:26:00.003-05:00

After months of hard work behind the scenes, the official website of the R2 Builders Club is back! All of the best features from the old Astromech.net are there, including the galleries, resources, and more.

Best of all, the R2 builders now have an official forums. While astro won't completely replace the yahoo group, the forums are a big step ahead. While every other respectable fan group has had a great forum for years, we now have an up-to-date place to call our own. Get on there and register, then be sure to add something cool.

While you're there, please add yourself to the new builders map. The old map was bouncing people off, so we need this more than ever.

Great job to everyone involved. See ya on Astromech.net!

CNC Cutter Video

2008-04-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

Here is a little video of the CNC cutter used to make my final parts.

Priming, Painting Skins

2008-04-09T14:40:00.002-05:00

I finally dug up the picture from last month of the items I used to paint my aluminum skins. First, I used Klean-Strip Prep & Etch. I bought this at Lowes for about $10 or so. This stuff will last forever, because you dilute it down per the instructions. I used disposable brushes, covering all surfaces of the skins with the liquid. The aluminum might begin to look slightly "frosted" as the liquid etches into the metal. Sometimes this doesn't happen though.

After that, I primed White colored Rustoleum Clean Metal Primer. This stuff is supposed to stick well to metal. Because it is white, fewer top coats will be required later.

Finally, I painted the skins with Rustoleum Satin White. Be careful when painting with this rattlecan. Other builders and I have noticed that it likes to splatter. Shake it up really well and use it at the correct temperature to avoid problems. I only painted the exterior of the skins. The interior will retain the metal look.

CNC Cut Styrene Side Vents

2008-04-08T15:31:00.004-05:00

Earlier this year, I really wanted to build some of my remaining parts by hand using styrene plastic. I eventually made some decent coin returns, but progress on other parts was less than stellar. While the idea was noble, I realized that I could make all of these parts in seconds with a CNC router owned by another builder.

Using the club blueprints, I changed the PDF files to vector images in Adobe Illustrator. These files were then converted to CAD and plugged into the machine. A few trials later, I had all the parts I needed.

The parts are scored by a knife, and just need to be punched out. Thin areas are cut with a knife to ease removal. After everything is glued up right, I'll use Rustoleum metallic paint to make them look like aluminum.

RPF Prop Party

2008-04-07T21:38:00.004-05:00

This Saturday I had an Artoo related adventure with Daren Murrer and Dave Reed. Members of the Replica Prop Forum were meeting for the annual Indianapolis meet, held in Anderson Indiana. Lots of cool stuff to see and plenty of folks to talk to. Before I even got in the door I was already chatting it up with some big time prop makers. The place was filled with super nice folks with lots to show off and share.

Daren brought the R2, Dave had almost every LOTR sword ever made, and I had the new R4 dome to show off. This post is worthless without pics, so I'll shut up now.

Sorting Dome Topper Kits

2008-04-01T18:42:00.003-05:00

While I have some other projects in the works, I've taken some time out to sort and pack all the little pieces for dome toppers. These kits I've put together are used to fill the hole at the top of a 300mm dome. The hole is from the spinning process.

The topper itself is a push pin from the interior of a Volvo. I had to purchase them in bulk, so I am selling the rest to other builders.

For info about the toppers, go over to http://www.3oommdome.com/sandcrawler/sale.html

Futaba 7CAP Transmitter

2008-03-20T19:35:00.002-05:00

I've taken my first step into a larger world. While I am still completely ignorant of all things electronic, but my Futaba 7 channel transmitter and receiver are the first things I bought to make R2 run. The transmitter has seven channels, which is much more than I will ever need. Honestly, you could probably get away with four if you just want the droid to drive and dome to move. Many builders are using higher-end 9 channel units, but I don't plan to add too many bells and whistles, so I couldn't justify spending considerably more money on two unneeded channels.

I purchased mine from www.towerhobbies.com. I got the ground frequency model so I don't bomb any nearby airplanes. I don't want the FCC to come after me! It came with two servos, but I don't know where I'll use them yet. Maybe a door or fire extinguisher, but that is a long way off.

Resin Parts and Wood Legs

2008-03-19T11:53:00.007-05:00

Before I could paint the legs, I had to test fit all parts to see how they fit. Test fitting also showed me where I could place masking tape in preparation for bonding the resin parts to the wood.
The first picture is a diagram to show roughly where I masked the wooden legs prior to priming them. Don't forget, you also need to mask off the corresponding areas of the resin parts so that the raw resin will hold to the unpainted wood. If you can avoid it, don't glue two painted parts together.
To bond the resin parts to the wood, I used a 5 minute epoxy found at Lowes Hardware. This stuff is easy to work with, but only plan to use it on one or two settings. The tube has two applicators and you will use it up rather quickly. Always have all the parts ready, because you will only get about 5 minutes to make adjustments. You don't want to be scrambling for pieces. Things need to go on in a certain order, so dry test everything.

To align the parts and hold them more secure to the legs, I used dowel rods. Similar to how woodworkers dowel two pieces of wood together, the same technique can be used on the parts. I just purchased a piece of dowel rod from the hardware store and cut it to my needs, but you can also buy doweling kits in stores and woodworking shops.
Here are two pictures of the legs all put together. The first shows the booster covers. The still need to be hand painted with some aluminum model paint in detail areas.

The second photo shows the ankle group. The dowel joints and the epoxy combo is strong enough that I can lift up the entire leg just holding the booster or ankle cylinder.

Battery Boxes Arrive

2008-03-17T15:07:00.003-05:00

Here's the first of tons of updates! Last week was spring break, and I had seven days to devote to wedding plans and R2 building. The first thing I found when I walked into the droid workshop was a nice big box from Ohio. Just as ordered, I found my aluminum battery boxes from Ryan Huffman. Back when the run opened, Ryan said these things were tough; and thats an understatement. The battery boxes are solid, well made, and well worth the funds. Just a little bondo will be needed to smooth the surface, then they are ready to paint and go on the droid.

I highly recommend working with Ryan. Communication was great, and he was always looking out for the people in the run. Delivery was as speedy as can be considering the work that went into these and the way shops work with club parts.

Once I get the feet motors I can start putting the feet together and get these battery boxes attached. This was the last big cosmetic piece I need for my droid.

Clone Wars: R4-P17

2008-02-22T17:24:00.003-05:00

I'm snowed in here in Bloomington, so I can't get home to grab more parts. In the mean time, I'm really struggling to find some new material to update. I need parts & tools from home and until I do, no real building for me. In the mean time....

The only other astromech unit seen to date from the animated Clone Wars series has been Obi-Wan's R4-P17. Again, the droid is highly stylized and the model looks to be just like R2-D2. The image shown here is a screen capture from the Clone Wars trailer shown at Celebration IV. Check it out at StarWars.com

Celebration IV DVD

2008-02-21T20:54:00.003-05:00

I finally got around to taking a picture of my valentines day gift! For the second year running, my valentine ordered me something R2 related. This time it was the latest R2 Builders club DVD from Star Wars Celebration IV.

Michael McMaster does an amazing job on these DVDs. I took a couple hours to sit down and watch the whole thing... and about half way through I realized I was grinning ear to ear. Its cool to see different people who I might have met at CIV, or others that I recognize from the internet.

Because of my responsibilities with the 501st, I wasn't in the builders room as much as I would have liked, so this is the next best thing to being there. Kenny Bakers visit was particularly special and Chris Bartlett's C-3PO adventure is very fun as well. If you would like to get a DVD set for your valentine, or just get one for yourself, head over to McMaster's Artoo page.

More pictures of 3D Artoo

2008-02-19T02:05:00.003-05:00

Here are three more screen shots from the new Clone Wars feature on StarWars.com. If you thought the radar eye was wacky, check out the liberties they took with the back side of the dome.

Accurate or not, I think its pretty cool. It fits the design used in the rest of the series... and everyone still knows its Artoo.

2008: Attack of the Droids?

2008-02-17T17:36:00.003-05:00

Toy Fair 2008 is coming to a close and droid lovers everywhere should be pretty happy with the robot related toys in line for the coming year. As I mentioned before, the droid factory line will be a favorite for astromech lovers. Each 3 3/4" figure will include a different piece of a droid... when you collect all of the figures, you have all the pieces you need to put together a droid. Each wave has at least one unique, never released droid. In addition, the parts have universal connectors, meaning you can swap the different parts and customize as you see fit.

Wave one features figures from Return of the Jedi and 8 figures. Collect all eight to build R4-D6 and R7-Z0.
Wave two features figures from the original Cartoon Network Clone Wars and will include the parts to build R7-T1 and R4-J1.
Wal-Mart will offer 6 different exclusive 2-packs that allow you to build C-3PX. These exclusives all feature a figure and droid. For example, one two pack will feature Jedi Master Plo Koon and his droid R4-F5, and a part you need to build C-3PX. In all there are tons of astromechs to be had in this line.

In addition to these classic figures, we will also get an R2-D2 from the animated Clone Wars series. Target will have an exclusive Asyla Secura Jedi Starfighter with droid, and even some Galatic heroes droids for the kids.

For all the updates on collecting, head over to Rebelscum.com now!

More Coin Returns

2008-02-15T22:12:00.000-05:00

Styrene building continues, this time with the rear coin returns. Just like the front return, they are very simple to make. Just be careful not to break the thin strip on the bottom. These two parts are simply the same part mirrored. Once you cut one, you can use it as a pattern for the second.

To add some strength to the coin returns, I added extra styrene strips on the back to help hold together the pocketed part. They now feel very substantial and should hold up well in the droid.

Styrene Foot Strips

2008-02-15T12:54:00.000-05:00

Another small detail that is easy to make with styrene is the foot strips. The first one I built was the center foot strip. The outer strips are just a bit more difficult because they require cutting a hole in the middle for the hose fitting to go through. That will have to wait until I get back home and use the drill press.

I built the strip using two layers of styrene. The first layer is thin: .04 thick. The top layer is .08. That brings the total thickness to just under the required .125. With primer and paint, the strips will be just thick enough.

Making the strips is very simple. Just cut the two rectangular pieces, glue them together, and after they have dried, file one end by hand to give it the correct chamfer. Use lots of glue, especially around the edges.

Droid Build-A-Figure Promo

2008-02-14T16:31:00.000-05:00

First reported by JediDefender.com, now confirmed by Hasbro, it looks like there will be some cool droid toys in 2008.

STAR WARS 3 ¾” BASIC FIGURES DROID FACTORY
(Approximate Retail Price: $7.99; Ages 4 & up; Available: July 26, 2008)

Collect and build a never-before-created droid action figure with every new wave of “Droid Factory” figures. Beginning in July, one part of the unique droid will be packaged with each action figure. A total of 30 figures will be released in 2008, with seven unique droids that kids of all ages can collect, build and combine.

We'll have to wait to see what exactly the seven droids will be. Sounds to me that the idea is similar to what other toy lines have done. When you buy an action figure, you get a little piece of another figure. Put them all together, and you have a droid. Sounds pretty good, but it won't make the carded collectors too happy.

Scratchbuild Coin Returns

2008-02-13T15:49:00.001-05:00

The first of my scratch built styrene parts is now complete. The first part I tackled was the front coin return. Looking at the blueprints from the R2 builders club yahoo group, this piece looked like it would be pretty easy. All straight edges were key. The hardest part was the thin section at the bottom. This part was so thin that when I tried to cut out the center, it split. I had to remake that part by tracing the broken one. Most of the cuts can be snapped off, but the center cutout needs to be cut clean.

I cut all the parts without a 1:1 blueprint. If I had a full scale drawing of the part, cutting would have been much easier. Instead, I used a digital caliper to help me get the correct dimensions. Had I not used the caliper, converting the dimension form decimals to fractions would have required way too much time and effort; the conversion also is not very accurate.

The last photo posted here is a shot of one of the coin returns from a film-used droid. Notice just how rough they are. Scratch built returns will definitely look as good or better.

The Clone Wars R2-D2

2008-02-12T17:34:00.000-05:00

The Clone Wars cartoon will be here in August and perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of Lucas Animation's premier cartoon is the highly stylized 3-D animation. When I was at Celebration IV where supervising director Dave Filoni introduced the first audience to The Clone Wars, we learned that the animation was a sort of bridge between the previous Clone Wars cartoon and real-life video. Many of the main characters are highly stylized and have strong, angular features.

But how does this animation style work for out three-legged friends? Here are a few screen shots from the very end of the latest video posted on StarWars.com. Again, we see plenty of angles; particularly in the radar eye and utility arms. We also see that many of R2's features are simplified, especially areas like panels and skins details.

As the series theatrical release draws near, we will surely see more of 3-D animated R2.

Clone Wars Theatrical Release!

2008-02-12T12:01:00.000-05:00

Just posted tonight on StarWars.com was a major update on the Clone Wars animated series. The two big announcements are that there will a theatrical release on August 15 and the series will continue to air with 30 minute episodes on Cartoon Network and TNT. For a new video and a press release chocked full of executive banter, head on over to the official site!

My new goal for this droid is to have it ready to run at the premiere. Many people thought we would never see Star Wars in theater again, so I don't want to miss this opportunity.

Began Dome Drive Assembly

2008-02-11T00:21:00.000-05:00

For a few months I've had some pieces of a dome drive sitting in a box. I picked these up from Daren a while back and finally got some time to start putting it together. The wheel itself can certainly be considered "scratch and dent." The etching isn't pretty, but its going to get the job done. I think it adds some character to the setup!

Assembly is super easy. Just line up the parts and put some screws in. Use these photos that Daren provided here.

Now I'm off to find a good motor to go with it. Looks like I'll be reading Chris' blog again...

Ordered Styrene for Scratchbuilding

2008-02-10T18:35:00.000-05:00

I recently ordered some plastic so that I can build the few remaining parts I need to complete the droid. I already have (or have ordered) all of the major components. I have a 300mm Dome, A&A frame, Matthew Henricks wood legs, Krider budget aluminum outer feet, JAG steel center foot and skirt, Keiths resin parts, and Ryan's aluminum battery boxes. I only need a few more smaller cosmetic pieces to round out the remainder of the build.

I could order many of these pieces in aluminum, but the prices are rather high. They certainly look amazing, but I need to cut some corners to stay on budget. Of course, the only way to get something really cheap (usually) is to build it yourself. I have decided to build all of my parts out of styrene. Styrene is an inexpensive, easy to work with plastic that can be ordered from many sources. Some people recommend buying from local plastics suppliers or a local sign shop.

I chose to get my styrene from an online retailer. I ordered from www.indplastic.com. They are located in Anaheim, California and the transaction was very easy. I ended up ordering 4 pieces of .080" white styrene and 8 pieces of .040" white. The .04 will be used most, because many of the parts I plan to build require this thickness. The prices were reasonable and the shipping was quick. If you need some plastic, I would recommend Industrial Plastic Supply Inc.

Blog Highlight: Artoo-Detoo.net

2008-02-09T14:14:00.000-05:00

Over the last year, and especially the last few weeks, I have spent a lot of time reading one very cool building page. Chris James has built an amazing blog with tons of information and pictures to show his progress and provide invaluable advice. The domain should be easy enough to remember: Artoo-Detoo.net!

Some of my favorite posts:
How to finish JAG skirt ribs. Great info for anyone using a JAG aluminum skirt.
Dome Drive Motors. Tons of info on dome drives.

There is a ton of great content over there, so go check out artoo-detoo.net today.

I am for Sale on Ebay!

2008-02-08T22:48:00.000-05:00

Fellow legion member Diane sent me an email today to let me know that I am up for bidding on eBay.com! Well, not me personally, but my 501st trading card is.

Looks like someone who got ahold of my card and others at Celebration IV is trying to sell them. I am currently being sold for $5 but have no bids. Heck, even I don't think I'm worth $5!

300mm Dome Tutorial v2.0

2008-02-07T19:49:00.000-05:00

The latest batch of domes are at the laser cutter and many builders will soon be getting started on this very important part of their droid. I have reworked the old tutorial to clear up some points, added a few pages, and included some new pictures. You can download the tutorial here.

The tutorial is now 15 pages long. All of the extra unimportant photos and tips have been integrated into the rest of the tutorial or replaced with better information.

When you start working on your dome, I urge you to read the entire tutorial before you get started. As with all parts, you want to be thinking ahead as you start building. The tutorial will guide you through basic dome assembly, but you will have to think for yourself when it comes to any special features you might add. Also remember that the techniques described in the tutorial are my favorites, but there are certainly other ways to get the job done. There is no 'right' way to build a droid!

I have to thank Daren Murrer for walking me through the entire process, Chris James for his awesome page and photos, and Jerry Chevalier for letting me help out on the Dallas Children's Hospital droid & providing the test dome for the tutorial.

If you have any questions, shoot me an email or post them up on the Astromech.net forums (when the site relaunches).

Vote in the 501st Legion Elections!

2008-02-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

For all of the 501st members out there, be sure that you stop by 501stforums.com to vote in the annual legion elections. For the first time in legion history, all voting is taking place in one location; voting only takes a few minutes. Simply log onto the members only forums and click the Legion Elections banner on the right hand side of the page.

Photo on Star Wars Official Site

2008-02-05T22:06:00.000-05:00

Last week I was checking the starwars.com photo caption contest when I saw a familiar picture. Not only did I recognize the trooper, but I was the one who took the picture. The photo was taken at the Speedway Indiana Spring Fling, a charity event that Bloodfin Garrison has trooped for a few years now. The trooper is my buddy Ed (aka Music Trooper). I submitted the story to Bantha Tracks, and although the story didn't make the final cut, they did keep the picture. Now the funny captions have been posted, so go check it out here.

Scratch and Dent Dome Parts Still For Sale!

2008-02-04T18:06:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that I still have some aluminum rings for sale. These rings are leftover from the development of the 300mm Dome run. Most people who have purchased these plan to use them with plastic domes or R5 domes. There are tons of uses for these things, so Daren wanted to get them out of his shop and into builders' hands!

All the info can be found at the Scratch and Dent Section of 300mmdome.com

Mounting Resin Parts to Wooden Legs

2008-01-21T11:49:00.001-05:00

Last week I got the legs patched up and am nearly ready to paint. Before I could do that, I had to figure out a way to mount the resin pieces to the legs. There are all sorts of ways to do this, but I have decided to try mounting them using dowels.

I purchased a 1/4 inch dowel rod from the hardware store to use for this. Then, I cut shallow holes in the wood legs and in the resin ankles. I pre-measured the holes so the two would line up. I then put a small bit of silicone in the holes, placed small pieces of the dowel in them, and installed the resin piece.

The ankle is supposed to look like it is part of the leg, so I used some Bondo around the edges to smooth it up. Now, the wooden leg and the resin beefy ankle now look they are are one piece.

The rest of the parts will mount similarly, but need to be painted first.

R2-D2 Ditto Droid

2008-01-20T13:05:00.000-05:00

Let the obscure Red R2 references roll! While digging through some old Star Wars stuff in the basement, I found another red R2 unit product. Made in 1997 by Tiger electronics, this piece was called the R2-D2 Ditto Droid and looks to be a Star Wars branded Simon game. Its never been played, and has been in storage for years.

Gluing the A&A Frame

2008-01-19T11:45:00.000-05:00

While I was home for the weekend, I took some time to finally glue some parts of the A&A frame. To do this, I needed some clamps, a rag, PVC cleaner and PVC cement. The cleaner and cement can be purchased at a home improvement store. At Lowes, its on a shelf in the middle of the pluming section. There are many cans of different glues, primers, and cleaners. I am using a medium duty cement.

The actual gluing is pretty easy. Just wipe down the area with the pvc cleaner, then add some glue. The PVC will kinda fuse together, and the frame will stop squeaking and shifting. To make some parts rest together nicely, I did use a few clamps.

Red R2 in A New Hope

2008-01-14T00:26:00.000-05:00

Think that a red R2 unit like R2-D1 is a prequel era design? Think again. In fact, R2-D2's red counterpart can actually be found in the very first Star Wars movie, A New Hope.

Back in 1976 or so, the model makers at ILM created a number of studio scale models to film the Death Star trench sequences. There were at least three X-Wings, one of which is knows as the Red 2 model because it represented Wedge Antilles with the call sign "Red 2."

The astro droid used for this model is actually different than the prop used in the live action filming. In the scenes filmed with the actor, it seems that they recycled an all red dome that can be seen in Mos Eisley. This dome be viewed over the actor's right shoulder for a few seconds.

For the actual model, ILM painted a red/silver astromech. It makes perfect sense: red does not interfere with compositing and is easily separated from R2-D2's distinctive blue dome. Luckily, Wedge was one of the few pilots to survive the battle, and so did his Red R2!

For more images of the Red 2 model, and tons of great resource photos of other Star Wars and Sci-Fi craft, please visit the great folks at StarShipModeler.com.

Polishing Aluminum

2008-01-13T23:55:00.000-05:00

A few months back, I spent a lot of time sanding the outer dome. The spinning process creates lines the run along the whole dome, and I needed to sand these out to match the look I was going for. I started with 320 grit sandpaper to remove most of the lines. I then sanded the whole thing with varying higher grits, eventually giving me a dull polished look. In the end, I had wet-sanded the whole thing with 1200 grit sandpaper I ordered from McMaster-Carr. While this finish matched the painted fiberglass domes used in Episode I, it did not match the factory shine of the bottom ring. I wanted to polish it up just a bit... but ended up with an almost mirror-like finish! In just a few hours, I had gone from a dull look to a great shine. All I used was a small container of Mothers Aluminum polish and some shop rags. Just add a small amount of the white polish and spread in small circles. A black residue will form, and you just wipe it away to reveal a great polish.

R2-D1 in the Star Wars Toy World

2008-01-08T23:39:00.000-05:00

Browsing one of the best Star Wars collecting sites the other day, I stumbled upon a number of Red R2 units that have been part of various toys throughout the modern Star Wars toy lines. Rebelscum.com has an extensive gallery of nearly every Star Wars toy made.

The first one I found was a Hasbro Power of the Force Y-Wing fighter. It was a Target exclusive in 2000. The droid was the dome only but the dome did turn. The vintage Y-Wing released in 1983 had an astromech slot, but no droid came with the vehicle.

Some time before this Y-Wing was released, Galoob produced a Y-Wing as part of their Action Fleet serious of Vehicles. There were a number of Y-Wings, but only the "Gold Leader" version featured a Red R2.

Lego packed a Red R2 unit with the Y-Wing. Although he has the same head shape as the R2-D2 mini-fig, they call him an R5.

Red R2 units are not just limited to Y-Wings though. In 2006, Habro released a repaint of the 3 inch titanium Naboo fighter. Complete with a blue paint scheme and a red astromech, this small fighter was called the Naboo Patrol Fighter.

Most recently there was a red R2 unit packed as part of the Entertainment Earth multipack series. For some reason, they called this droid R2-M5 despite most other references (both before and after) calling the red R2 unit R2-D1. Unlike the Red R2 unit from Episode I, some of the details on the ankle are painted red, and the panels on the back of the body have red outlines. Perhaps R2-D1 and R2-M5 are different droids?

I can't say enough good things about the Rebelscum image archive. All of the images above are part of their extensive and meticulous gallery. Kudos to the whole Rebelscum team!

One Year Anniversary

2008-01-06T21:10:00.001-05:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of my droid building career. A year ago I read that building a droid takes 12-24 months and now I understand why. It was last January that I ordered my first parts, and have now collected nearly everything I need to complete the appearance of the droid. Once the battery boxes arrive, I will have 90% of the cosmetic pieces needed to complete the droid. The rest will be made by hand from styrene and other cheaper materials.

The last year has certainly been eventful. November and December 2006 I did tons of research before ever buying a part. By January 2007, I had purchased the legs and frame kits. Later in January, I went to my first builders' meet in Cincinnati. By May I was out meeting more builders in Los Angeles at Celebration IV. By the end of the summer I had published the 300mm Dome tutorial, and at the end of the year finally had a dome of my own virtually completed. As it stands now, many of my parts are partially completed. The skins need only a few hours of work to get them done, and most of the details are painted and ready to go. The legs need a few pieces attached and some paint to complete them. The feet will require some clean up, but the center leg is almost done.

Over the last year, the biggest challenge to building has been moving and side projects. I have built two other domes over the last year using them to help write the tutorial. These side jobs took lots of hours, but were well worth. Moving back and forth between home, school, and different apartments has also consumed a lot of time and held back progress. I have worked on my droid in one dorm room, one basement, two apartments, and in two different cities. Moving the parts and tools back and forth has caused considerable delays. Considering these setbacks, I am very happy with what has been completed, and cant wait to settle back in and grind out some more.

The Holiday Haul

2008-01-05T23:05:00.001-05:00

Being a Star Wars fan means one thing at Christmas time: you're never too old to get toys under the tree. Everyone knows that I'm a softy for anything from a galaxy far, far away, so many of my gifts are Star Wars related.

The first thing I opened was a Master Replicas custom lightsaber kit. This thing is tons of fun, even though some critics gave it a negative review. They complained that the blade was shorter than normal FX sabers, but I prefer this size... a longer blade means more broken lamps. The blade can be changed from Red to Green to Blue with the switch of a hidden button. I was surprised that a number of parts are actually metal and make the saber feel pretty solid. Other pieces are plastic, but they sure look cool!

In my stocking were the last few issues of Rebellion I needed. To decorate the bookshelf I got a Gentle Giant animated Stormtrooper statue and the Jawa minibust two-pack. The coolest part about those busts is the R5 head that one of the jawas is examining. I guess he's looking for that bad motivator. To further fill the bookshelf were two books: The Star Wars Vault and Dressing a Galaxy. The later is a must for any costumer, especially folks who like prequel-era material. The Vault has been getting rave reviews, and I have to give it my full endorsement too. Being able to touch and see replicas of Star Wars related items and read the story behind them is a lot of fun. I'll probably do a whole post about this book... and barely touch the surface. Be sure to look for the picture of the R2 builder's club at Celebration III.

Spot Filled the Legs

2008-01-02T00:18:00.000-05:00

Months ago, I purchased a set of wood legs from Matthew in California. They were CNC cut, but required lots of assembling and finishing. One of the final stages in this is filling in the smallest blemishes prior to painting. After the legs were glued, I filled the holes with a filler to cover the deepest holes. Bondo got most of the deep spots, but left a little more work to be done.

To fill in the small blemishes, use a Spot filler. It is made by Bondo, and can be found in the same isle of the auto parts store. No mixing is necessary, just quirt the filler out of the tube. Once the filler has dried, sand it smooth and add more as necessary. All of the red in the picture is the spot filler. If done correctly, you can primer the legs, paint, and they will look like smooth aluminum.