Flashback April 2009: Cutting the Skins

     One of the many distinguishing features of R2-D2 is his white outer shell. It is what R2 builders refer to as his "skins." The skins housed many of Artoo's apparatuses such as utility arms, vents, and power couplings, just to name a few, but it's what made up his cylindrical appearance that we are most familiar with.

     In the realm of the astromech building world, the most popular choices for skin material are styrene, which cost the least, and aluminum, again, the more expensive option that seems to rise proportionally with the price of gas. Both have their pros and cons, but we'll save that for another discussion. Since I was on a budget, I chose the former and to keep the spirit of "building" alive, I decided to hand cut them from scratch.

     The skins can be generally divided into four parts: front-inner, front-outer, rear-inner and rear-outer. The four parts are categorized further into two different layers, hence "outer" and "inner" (total of 2). According to the club specs, the accepted thickness of each layer of skin is 0.04". Just to get an idea how inexpensive styrene plastic was, I spent no more than $25 for two sheets of 0.04" x 48" x 96" at my local plastics supplier.

     Regarding the order of the build, I chose to construct the skins first because I wanted to use them as a guide when I later made the wood frame. More specifically, the completed skins showed me exactly where to place the "uprights" and how far to space the "rings" (I'll cover this later on).

Materials & Tools:

2 -sheets of 0.04"x 48" x96" Polystyrene
1 -11oz can Duro All-Purpose Spray Adhesive
   -Adobe Reader 9
   -Computer & Printer
1 -ream of white printer paper
1 -heavy duty box cutting  knife with extra blades
1 -Xacto Knife with extra blades
1 -4 foot metal ruler
1 -1 foot metal ruler
1 -Klean Strip Low Odor Paint Thinner
1 -Transparent Scotch tape
1 -utility light with low wattage bulb
1 -15" x 40" clear plexy glass
1  -assortment books of even thickness
1 -roll of paper towels
1- pack of 600 grit sandpaper

     Dave Everett, founder of the R2 Builders Club, created full-scale cutting templates for styrene skins and has kindly made them available to the group. Rather than going to a Kinko's or other large office supply store and spend a fortune have it printed "professionally," I decided to stay home and save some major bucks by using my own printer. Using Adobe Reader and its Snapshot Tool feature, I was able to span the templates onto several  8.5" x11" sheets of paper.

     I created  a makeshift lighted view box by using books to prop up a scrap of plexi glass with a utility light placed underneath it. This little gizmo allowed me to accurately join and tape all the printed sections into one complete full scale template. During this process, I double and tripple checked that the templates were accurate by measuring several sections and comparing them against the club blueprints.

     After the templates were created, I lightly misted the backs of them with an all-purpose spray adhesive (repositional type of bond used for scrap booking) and being extremely careful not to create air bubbles, I attached them to the blank sheets of 0.04" styrene using my hands to smooth them out. A heavy duty box cutting knife was used to make the long straight cuts and an Xacto knife was used for the smaller curved sections :

     ...and here's a completed portion of the front outer skins cut:

    

     After all the parts were cut, the paper was peeled away and the excess residue from the adhesive was cleaned up with a non-toxic, low-odor paint thinner. The cut pieces were washed with water to remove any remaining paint thinner on the styrene. 600 grit sand paper was used to smooth any sharp edges and burrs created by the cutting blade. Although this hand cramping experience was long and tedious, the end result was self-rewarding and well worth the effort. ...and because I was so excited and impatient, as I already wanted to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I had to stand it up to make a more tangible example. Wow! I see you Artoo!

     Installing the skins will be covered later on.

Coming up next... Creating the Frame

Research and Planning

     Using the Comscan of search engines, Google has detected an energy field protecting an area of the third planet of the Solar System. Err, what I meant was a search led me to a nice and  knowledgeable group of people called the R2 Builders Club, found on  Astromech.net. The discussion forums alone contained all the information I needed to build a complete astromech such as the basics about proven construction techniques, materials, mechanics, electronics, and an elaborate listing of part suppliers.

     The first major decision for a new R2 builder is how much money he or she is willing spend. A basic radio-controlled droid with motorized feet & dome, lights and sound, can be had in the range of a few hundred dollars for a all-styrene droid and upwards as much as $10,000+ for an all-aluminum droid, with similar features. Add more stuff to the build like a motorized life-form scanner, periscope, or even a 2-3-2 system, and watch as more Benjamins fly out the door. No matter how you look at it, this build was going to be expensive which is the reason the majority of builders are over the age of thirty, which at this range, already have an adequate and stable source of income.

     After two months of research, I decided to budget my project with respect to what materials I felt comfortable working with and what tools I had available. Based on this notion, an initial plan was formed:

_______________________

PROJECT ASTROMECH (R2-D2)



Main Objective:  To build a full-scale, basic remote-controlled R2-D2 replica, complete with motorized feet, motorized rotating dome, sound system, and lights.

Construction Materials:

  
   Birch (veneer) Wood Plywood: Main Frame, Legs, Ankles, Skirt
   Hardwood Board: Legs
   Solid Poplar: Booster Covers
   Styrene: Skins, Foot Shells, Dome, Greeblies, Skirt
   Resin: Greeblies
   ABS: Foot Shells
   Fiberglass: Reinforcements; Foot Shells
   Steel: Motor Holders, Leg Axle; Reinforcement; Fasteners


Electronics:

   Audio System:
      -VMusic 2
      -Alpine 3542 Amplifier
      -VR3 100 watt Speakers


   Dome Drive System:
      -3" Servo City Plastic Disc Wheel
      -Pittman Motor 19V
      -Syren 10 Motor Controller


   Foot Drive System:
      -Sabertooth 2x25
      -Currie Technologies XYD-15B  135watt Scooter motors (Belt Drive)
      -Razor E-100 Belt Drive Scooter Rear Wheels (Polyurethane Tires) +Belt


   Other:
      -J.E.D.I. Controller
      -Power Sonic Battery SLA 12V, 18AH  & 4AH (for dome electronics)
      -Digital Energy NiMH 9.6 1600mAH Battery Pack
      -VEX Transmitter and Receiver
      -Senna Front Logic Display PCB's
      -Custom Built Rear Logic Display, PSI, and Holoprojectors lights
      -Carl's Electronics PIC Flasher
      -Arduino Uno

_______________________

     I knew going this route would not break the bank but to be quite honest,  I would have not even dared to add up the receipts because I knew this would end up more expensive than I thought it would be!

Keeping the Spirit of  Building Alive 

     The impression of the R2 Builders Club has always encouraged the concept of  "building," as opposed to just  "assembling." A prime example of "assembling" would be putting a table together that was purchased from an IKEA store. Conversely, creating an exact copy of the same IKEA table from raw pieces of un-finished lumber moves more along the lines of "building." I can agree with this concept, as seeing no fun or self-rewarding satisfaction in purchasing items already made, and then assembling it on the project. Keeping this in mind, my goal for Project Astromech was to scratch-build every item that was feasible and purchase the rest. In other words, Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. -Theodore Roosevelt.

Coming up next...   Cutting the Skins

The Spark of Astromech Building

     As with many astromech builders, I share the familiar story where the love and fascination for R2-D2 began as a child. In 1980, my mother took my little sister and I to watch Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, at the old Fox Theater in Covina, California. Being that this was my first real exposure to the saga, I never saw A New Hope until I begged Mom to rent it on Betamax a few years later. But as a kid in the fourth grade, watching Empire out of sequence never really mattered because most of my attention was diverted towards the "sights" and "sounds", with  R2-D2 being on top of this list, rather than the storyline itself. Having been the energetic and easily entertained little boy, this white and blue little droid was thought to be the coolest contraption in the entire world, equipped with all kinds of neat gadgets that popped out from concealed compartments and a battered grimy quality that made him appear very life-like.

     Since a child, this collector's card has been my most favorite of the set (1977, Series 4).

     ...but it wasn't until I went to Star Wars Celebration 4 (C4), on May 2007, which took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where it sparked the idea to someday build my own R2-D2 replica. Talk about being in the right place at the right time, I was about to experience one of the greatest surprises of my life. As I was waiting for my wife outside the women's restroom, I was suddenly swarmed with astromechs galore! There were droids everywhere!

 

     With my digital camera in video mode, I stood there in complete awe when these rolling, three-legged works of art, in an entire array of differing color schemes, sounds, and head shapes surrounded me as their makers maneuvered them towards the end of the hallway. It turned out that this parade had actually been a scheduled event. In a nutshell, C4 was such a mesmerizing experience that I will never forget.

     A few years had gone by after C4 and my wife purchases this little knickknack (...umm, it's the knickknack on the left):

     Imported from Japan, "Little R2," as I've named it, is a beautifully made, painted plastic figurine. When you press the pedal on his center foot, his dome opens as a lid to reveal a hidden trash can! ...and yes, folks, this is a fully licensed Star Wars collectible.  Although it was really nice having this cute two-foot version of R2-D2 around house, I wanted something bigger and more accurate. A few seconds later, I had an epiphany, as I realized that this was something I always wanted to do since my droid encounter at C4.  Even if I knew that building my very own full-scale astromech was going to become one of the lengthiest and most expensive projects of my life, I told my wife, who originally persuaded me to go to C4, that I was actually going to go forth with it. I haven't looked back since. Little R2 currently sits on my desk as major inspiration for my build.

      Project Astromech will be here to cover my past, present and future progresses.

Coming up next...   Research & Planning