This is the first time we’ve had one of our R2s running. This turned out to be a test of the drive train as well as the RC control. Everything went very well and now it’s only a matter of working out the bugs.

With work slowing down a little, we were able to work on the drivetrain and get it finalized. It’s nice to get back to work on this project.

I’ve decided to get rid of my Aluminum R2 and transfer the money into the wooden frame version. Ugh. I know…..right. As beautiful as it looks, the aluminum R2 is a bit of time that I can’t afford. It’s much faster to work on the wooden frame R2s for sure. What a bummer.

Nothing pisses you off more than kids pounding on the dome of what now represents thousands of dollars for you. Not to mention the months of hard work you put in to finished this thing. Why not install some fire power into your R2? For about $20-$30, you can purchase a stun gun that can easily be outfitted to work with your R2. Let’s face it, the batteries in your R2 are more than enough to render a small child unconcious…heck….two gel cell 12vdc batteries should be able to render an adult linebacker unconcious.

I’m just in the planning stages of my R2 Self Preservation System

…I’m completely kidding. Please do not do this or take me seriously….

These are the finished dome drive swing arms. These are designed to easily attach to the wooden frames with minimal work. We installed and were up and running withing 10 minutes. There’s not measuring required. Just screw it down and place the spring. That’s it.

Dome Drive Swing Arms Final

Pittman Dome Drive Swing Arms

Mike Senna designed the circuit boards that allow you to run both front and rear logic displays from the same PIC flasher board. This is our first test but everything worked perfectly.

I painted the first set of steel R2 feet today. So far so good. They look great and they are super strong. The newer version of these feet will be significantly cleaner now that we are past the prototyping stage. The dome drive motor and bracket are now installed and working perfectly. Almost no slippage with the dome on at full speed.

Spring Loaded Arm

Primering the Steel Feet

Steel Feet Painted White

As if I didn’t have enough on my plate, I’ve started my all aluminum R2-D2…..

R2-T4 is finally starting to take shape. With a few moments to spend on my own R2, I was able to get some body components mounted into the frame and paint the skins. I will be attempting to get doors and other body components mounted this week so I can start on some of the more the difficult things.

Up close and personal