Victor's R2D2 Building Diary

Mike's Verizon Shoot

2012-01-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

Before anything else, this post is about Mike Senna's R2, not mine. I went along as the "delightful assistant" (as the production company later wrote).

First, here is the commercial on YouTube.

The quick backstory is that Lucasfilm was looking for a screen-accurate droid in Southern California that had a fully deployable life form scanner for a Verizon commercial. Mike posted to the group, but after not finding a suitable match, he decided to build the life form scanner into his droid and do the shoot. He had the life form scanner done in an impressively short amount of time (like under 2 weeks from having nothing to being done).

On Tuesday, January 3, 2012, Mike and I headed up to Sony Pictures in Culver City, CA for a production meeting scheduled at 1:00pm, on Stage 23.

We arrived early and unloaded Mike's van. He actually brought both his droids, in case they wanted some 2-legged shots.

The stage had a perfect replica of a Verizon store built within it. When inside the set, you'd be convinced that you were in a real store.

We went over the next day's shooting plan with the director and crew, and Mike's R2 took it's spot on the set for the following day.

The production company put each of us up in a nice hotel in Santa Monica and treated us to a fancy dinner with them.

On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, we returned bright and early for the shoot. Gotta love craft services!

In the morning we did the shots facing the actors, with R2's back to the camera. We did 83 takes(!), changing up the pacing, dialog and lens width (wide, medium & tight). Mike operated the dome and foot motors, while I handled the deploying of the life form scanner and the holoprojector (which was cut from the commercial).

In the afternoon we did the shots facing R2, with the actors' backs to the camera. The visual effects supervisor asked if we could make the holoprojector brighter. I had brought the super-bright LED array that I had prepared for a high-profile event that got cancelled, so it finally got put to use. Unfortunately, the hologram sequence was cut from the ad, so those lights are cursed to not be seen.

Love those hi-def displays!

We did another 40+ takes from this angle, as well as various close-ups.

After a nice 12-hour day on set, we were finally done, and the crew took the usual pictures with R2.

The only proof that I was actually there.

Commercial shoots are always really interesting to me, having done two or three of them myself. When you consider the writing, storyboarding, shooting, editing, visual effects, legal, etc., it's pretty amazing how much work goes into a 30-second spot. And then there's the blogging...

The full photoset is here.

Over 80,000 Served

2012-01-15T22:15:00.001-08:00

Over 80,000 served, quite literally. I missed the rollover!

I believe we hit the 80,000 mark on Friday, January 13, 2012. When I checked the SiteMeter the next day, I saw we hit 80,079.

This is the first time I missed a multiple of 10,000 visits, so no one gets the mythical, non-existent award this time.

Time to update the stats.

It took 1 year, 10 months and 24 days to get to 10,000. It took another 1 year and 17 days to get to 20,000. It took another 11 months and 19 days to get to 30,000 visits. It only took another 7 months and 15 days to get to 40,000. It took an additional 5 months and 1 week to get to 50,000. Slowing down, it took an additional 6 months and two days to get to 60,000. It took almost exactly 5 more months to get to 70,000. Finally, it took 5 months and 10 days to get to 80,000.

Thanks as always for all the visits!

R2 Builders at Discovery Science Center

2012-01-13T23:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight the local Southern California R2 Builders paid a visit to the Discovery Science Center, which is hosting the "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination" exhibit, a collection of props, costumes and displays from the Star Wars movies.

My droid was joined by droids and droid parts supplied by Gene Arena, David Annetta, Tom Piedmont, John Boisvert and Roy Powers. We arrived between 5:00pm and 5:30pm, and started setting up.

The members-only event started at 6:00pm, when were joined by the 501st and Rebel Legion, as the guests made their way in.

At 7:00pm I gave a presentation in the theater about the R2 Builders Club, and also how I built my droid. Before the audience came in, we gave it a quick test. That screen was really nice.

Afterward, we came back out for more fan interaction.

This guy was all smiles after I let him play one of R2's sounds.

Before:

After:

The Tuskens must have some sort of adoption program.

The event wrapped up around 8:00pm. It was a very successful evening, we're scheduled to be back on Sunday, February 19, 2012.

The photoset is here.

Worked on Front Logics, Finished PSIs for Mike's Second Dome

2012-01-01T23:59:00.000-08:00

Today I worked on the front logic harness and finished installing the PSIs for Mike's dome on his second droid.

My half-baked idea for the front logic harness is to leverage the mounting holes that are in the board. These holes align with the bezels, and in theory align with the holes in the aluminum surrounds that I drilled and tapped earlier. I drilled four holes through a piece of flat PVC to use as the main mounting board.

I then screwed in the bezels and surrounds from the back with two of the four mounting screws, and did a test-fit. My plan is/was to build a base that attaches the mounting board to the dome ring. The pieces for the base and supports have been cut and fit, but they have not been glued up yet.

Unfortunately, I'm having trouble getting the aluminum bezels perfectly lined up, so I've put this on the back burner for now. Instead, I worked on the PSIs. I cut two layers of partially opaque plastic to tape onto the inside of the dome for each PSI hole.

I also cut a round piece that gets taped halfway into the PSI pipes, to act as light diffusion.

Finally, I decided to use the PSI circuits I soldered up, rather than those that come include with the JEDI electronics, for a couple of reasons. First, I think mine will be brighter, and second, the PSIs with the JEDI system require the front logics to be set up, and I'm not there yet. Yes, I use masking tape to hold the small circuit board in place.

Not bad. The rear PSI looks to be in good shape as well. I loose-fitted the front logics in place just to see how they would look.

Not much time remains to work on this, as the week is about to get busy.

Started Gluing Up PSI Holders, Started Dome Wiring for Mike's Second Dome

2011-12-31T23:17:00.000-08:00

Once again I didn't have much time to work on the dome electronics for Mike's second droid, but I did manage to get a little done.

I started with gluing the PSI holder for front PSI, and the DC/DC converter & Display Controller board holder.

Next, I worked on the power distribution system. Where better to start than the on/off switch?

There won't be much activity without batteries, so those got wired up next.

I then added the 9 volt and 5 volt power distribution strips, and the DC/DC converter and Display Controller. The batteries feed into the 9 volt power distribution strip, which feeds the DC/DC converter. The 9 volt board can also power other electronics, such as the PSI circuits I recently assembled. The DC/DC converter sends 5 volts to the 5 volt power distribution strip, which feeds the various JEDI electronic components. I gave a quick test with the rear logics, and all is well.

Still a lot to do.

Second Power Strip, PSI Supports & Dome Bump Work on Mike's Second Dome

2011-12-30T22:48:00.000-08:00

Work on Mike's second droid's dome continues.

I decided to add support for a second power distribution board. One board will supply 5 volts to Scott Gray's JEDI electronics, and the other will supply 9 volts to any 9 volt circuits that may be added.

The 9 volt board can serve two purposes. First, the JEDI DC/DC board will get its input from this 9 volt board, and output the 5 volts to the other power distribution board for the rest of the JEDI electronics. Second, it turns out that Mike already had PSI circuits with Scott's JEDI electronics, so he doesn't necessarily need the ones I wired up. But should we choose to use them, we'll have a 9 volt supply for them readily available.

So, I cut another small piece of PVC to host the small power distribution board.

And as was the case yesterday, I needed to cut a groove with the Dremel cutoff wheel to accommodate the pins on the underside of the board.

Now the board fits flush on the PVC. The pins are short enough that they do not poke through the bottom.

I also needed to drill the dome ring for this additional part, adjacent to the existing power distribution board.

Next, I moved on to the vertical supports for the PSIs. I needed to sand a curve at the top of them, to hug the piece of PVC pipe I'm using to house the PSI circuits. I used a drum sander attachment on the drill press to get this started.

Unfortunately, when it came to fitting everything together, I found that I needed to make an adjustment. The right support needed to be recut, in order to move it closer to the bottom of the pipe in order to avoid the mounting screw on the base plate. I need to sand the curve into this new piece. Poor planning on my part, even though I copied what worked on my second droid!

Finally, I returned to the drum sander to sand the square bezel of the dome switches to be circular.

I also needed to sand the threads off the switch, otherwise the switch would not fit through the holes in the dome.

The switches are pretty circular, but I may try to get them even rounder, if my inner perfectionist prevails. My inner pragmatic may tell me to leave them alone.

Later I used acetone to remove the white dots.

I wanted to get a lot further today, but other commitments prevented that. Tomorrow may not be much better.

Cut More PVC & Drilled Dome Ring for Mike's Second Dome

2011-12-29T21:47:00.000-08:00

Today was mostly a replay of September 29, 2010, as I drilled Mike's dome ring for his second droid.

Before getting started on that, I had just a little more PVC to cut, for the vertical supports for the PSIs, and the base plate for power distribution board. I also recut the DC/DC converter base plate to be a little larger.

I started with the small PVC rectangle for the power distribution board.

For the power distribution board, the pins on the back side prevent it from sitting flush on the strip of PVC.

I used the Dremel with the cutoff wheel attachment to cut a groove for these pins.

Now the board sits flush, and the pins are short enough that they won't poke through to touch the aluminum dome ring.

Speaking of the dome ring, it was time to start drilling the holes for all the base plates, having marked their locations yesterday. I used a #33 drill bit for the #4-40 1/2" screws I'm using to mount these base plates.

I also drilled the mounting holes for the battery holders. I have a 4-pack holder and another 2-pack holder for the six C battery cells that I plan to use, to provide 9 volts to the DC/DC converter board.

The front PSI base plate overlaps the front Rockler bearing hole, so I attached the base plate to the underside, and drilled through it where the #10 screw goes. Mike had already drilled the holes in the dome ring for the Rockler bearing.

Once I was done drilling these holes, I filed down the aluminum volcanoes that formed on the underside of the dome ring.

The last item of business was to drill holes on the vertical mounting board for the DC/DC converter board and the display controller. These will share the same piece of PVC, one board will be mounted on each side.

I'm using #6-32 nylon screws to attach the boards to the PVC holder. I drilled three holes total, each diagonally. One of the holes is shared by both boards, the other two are diagonal from it for each board.

Winter 2011 CHOC Hospital Visit

2011-12-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

Today was R2's quarterly visit to Childrens Hospital Orange County. Last year he wore his New Year's Eve party hat, this year he was a little more subdued.

We visited somewhere between 30 and 40 young patients in their rooms. I always bring goodies to hand out (stickers, action figures, coloring books, etc.). This time one of the employees at the Discovery Science Center was kind enough to have some patches and pins made up for today's visit.

As usual, I can't post pictures of the patients, but the staff certainly enjoyed the visit as much as the kids.

It's always nice to spread some cheer, especially during the holidays.

Marked Mike's Dome Ring for Drilling

2011-12-28T22:02:00.000-08:00

Today I had just a few minutes to work on Mike's dome electronics for his second droid.

I laid out the base plates for the various electronics mounting assemblies, and traced their footprints.

Similar to my dome on my second droid, here is the layout for Mike's second droid's dome. I plan to use six C batteries rather than the D cells I use, as I was able to find the proper battery holders at Orvac Electronics in Fullerton, CA. This will help make the dome a bit lighter, yet still provide plenty of run-time on the dome electronics.

I still need to do a little more PVC cutting. I need to build the vertical supports for the PSI holders, and I need to use the Dremel drum sander to work around some of the weld points on the dome ring. I'm also going to recut the DC/DC converter base plate to be a little longer, to help accommodate its dome ring mounting screws.

Cut Dome Electronics Housings for Mike's Droid

2011-12-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today I worked on the PVC housings that will host the dome electronics on Mike's droid #2.

Most of the time was spent measuring, marking and cutting the assembly for the front logics. I recycled an old piece of PVC for the base plate, and then marked where to cut the piece that will hold the logic boards.

Time to bring the Dremel out of retirement and get some cutting done.

I cut a few vertical strips that are used to mount the assembly at the proper angle. Everything is loose-fit for now, but I plan to start gluing it up soon.

I also cut a couple of base plates for the front and rear PSIs. I still need to cut the vertical supports for each.

Drilled and Tapped Mike's Front Logic Surrounds

2011-12-26T22:03:00.000-08:00

Today I returned to working on Mike's dome for his droid #2. This time, it was preparing the front logic surrounds for mounting.

These need to be drilled and tapped for a #6-32 screw. I taped down the bezels to the surrounds for use as a template to locate the four mounting holes.

I set the drill press stop to the proper depth, for the #36 (0.1065") drill bit I'm using.

Time to drill!

A short while later I had the four holes drilled for each surround.

Next up, tapping each hole with a #6-32 tap bit. I'm not very good at tapping, but it worked out fine.

A quick test-fit with the bezels on the surrounds, to make sure the alignment looks okay.

So far, so good.

And finally, a test on the front logic circuit itself. Again, things look good.

Hopefully I can start making progress on the housings for the various dome lights shortly.

Finished Wiring Up Rear PSI for Mike

2011-12-22T22:27:00.000-08:00

Today I went by Mike's to finish wiring up the rear PSI for his second dome, and to pick up some dome parts (and the second dome itself), so I can continue work. I also wanted to check out his progress on the life form scanner on his first dome.

I got to work on getting the green LEDs soldered together. These are a pair of NTE part #30038 LEDs with a 100 ohm resistor.

Green works.

The yellow LEDs are of uncertain vintage. Mike had some in a bag, so we just guessed at typical specs (25 milliamps, 5 Vf, 2 in series). Mike suggested using a 100 ohm resistor with a pair of these yellow LEDs, so that's what I went with. One way or another, it works.

In the meantime, Mike was busy at work hooking up the car antenna that will serve as the mast for his droid's life form scanner. This involved dome hacking and other fun construction tasks. It's coming along nicely!

I'll try to get some more work done on the dome electronics for Mike's dome #2 soon.

Office Christmas Party

2011-12-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

Today R2 was invited to an old building I used to work in, to provide some holiday cheer during the office Christmas party and lunch.

One nice thing that I miss about this building, especially on rainy days, is the underground tunnel that leads from the parking structure to the offices. This way, R2 can travel incognito.

It didn't take long before people started getting lined up for pictures with R2 by the tree. Of course, he brought his Santa hat.

Even without mistletoe, R2 attracts the ladies.

In the meantime, there was lunch to be had.

Everyone enjoyed R2's company, it was a nice 2-hour visit.

Electronic Arts Visit

2011-12-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Today R2 visited the Electronic Arts offices in Playa Vista, CA, to help celebrate the launch of their game, Star Wars The Old Republic, an MMO game.

R2 joined several members of the 501st and Rebel Legion, many of whom were wearing costumes that are chronicled in the games. We lined up in the lobby area, where excited employees took pictures with the characters.

What's a game company without a game room?

There was a tasty looking cake to celebrate the game's launch.

We also stopped by the employee store, where R2 was given copies of The Old Republic, and Portal 2.

It was a nice visit, everyone seemed to enjoy it and had a good time.

The full photoset is here.

Finished Soldering Front PSI for Mike's Droid #2

2011-12-19T22:04:00.000-08:00

Today I went to Orvac Electronics in Fullerton, CA to pick up some LEDs. Once I got home I was able to finish soldering up the front PSI for Mike's second droid.

This is pretty much exactly the same work I described on October 10, 2010.

Time to try it out!

Red works.

And blue works.

I must be getting good at this. (That statement pretty much guarantees the rear PSI won't go well.)

Started Soldering Mike's PSIs

2011-12-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

"Started Soldering Mike's PSIs," now there's an odd title for a blog posting. What could that possibly mean?

It means the world has gone topsy-turvy. Rather than Mike Senna helping me build my droid, I am lending a hand to put the finishing touches on his droid #2. Mike never did finish the electronics for the dome on his second droid, so while he's busy with WALL•E and another project, I'm helping with the electronics for his second dome.

Mike mentioned that he has Scott Gray's JEDI system for the front and rear logics, but he does not have any PSI circuits. I ordered a couple of my favorite blinking light kits from allelectronics.com, and got to work on them this afternoon.

Part-by-part, I started soldering them up.

I had to stop at about the half-way point, as I plan to swap out the LEDs, capacitors, and two of the four resistors on each board. This will allow for brighter LEDs. I want to wait until I have the LEDs in hand before continuing, but that shouldn't be long.

Toys for Tots Charity Event

2011-12-10T20:02:00.001-08:00

Today R2 joined several members of the 501st and Rebel Legion to help raise funds and toy donations for a local Cub Scout pack on behalf of Toys for Tots.

Folks lined up with toys for donation, and $5.00 to get a picture with the characters. The line snaked around the outdoor mall for three hours.

Odd thing, it snowed here in Southern California. (Well, kind of.)

We worked through the line as efficiently as we could.

We had poor Santa's line bested by at least 10-to-1.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

It was a good day, a lot of donations will be going to families in need during this holiday season.

LosCon 2011

2011-11-27T22:40:00.001-08:00

Today I joined several R2 builders for a panel at LosCon 38 at the LAX Marriott in Los Angeles.

LosCon is a science fiction-oriented gathering, and they invited Southern California R2 builders to present a panel on R2 building, and to hang out in one of the display rooms during the weekend. I was only able to make it today, but other builders were there the past two days as well.

Our panelists included William Miyamoto, Randy Eubanks and Mike Senna. I served as moderator.

As you can see, we had droids and parts on display, to help illustrate what goes into droid building. William and Nikki Miyamoto had some of Nikki's "Million Dollar R2" parts on display as well.

Among many topics, Mike showed how he can transform his R2-D2 into Dee-Dee, the droid from the Pink 5 fan film series. This shows how you can effectively have a second droid at a fraction of the cost of building a complete duplicate. The transformation took mere minutes.

I presented a series of questions, and we took questions from the audience. After an hour, our time was up, and we packed up and headed back to our display room, where we answered more questions and were able to provide a better close up view to the attendees.

I think our visit was much appreciated, and we'll likely be back in the future.

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination Grand Opening at the Discovery Science Center

2011-11-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the grand opening of the Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, CA. This is the same exhibit that came to Los Angeles in 2007, and has been touring ever since.

I arrived around 5:00pm and parked. It was like Three Card Monte, except with three Honda Elements and a droid.

Star Wars characters, including R2, were invited to participate in the Museum VIP preview at 6:00pm, followed by the general audience admission at 9:00pm. Besides greeting the visitors, R2's main roll was to lead the Science Center's president down the red carpet for the 9:00pm opening. I did a few rehearsals, but there were no surprises. Just drive straight.

Once the VIPs entered, the characters provided plenty of photo ops for visitors and media.

This guy was definitely a favorite.

This being a Star Wars exhibit and all, I managed to get a few pictures of the official Lucasfilm props on display.

At 8:30pm they cleared the place out for the general audience, and we went back outside for the red carpet event.

Rich and Sarah Woloski were there. You may recall R2 was the ring bearer in their wedding.

At 9:00pm, the fanfare sounded, and R2 took to the red carpet. The picture is dark and grainy, but R2 is leading DSC president Joe Adams (dressed as a Jedi Knight) to the stage.

Once inside, folks lined up for the exhibit, and formed a second line for pictures with R2.

I ended up staying until around 11:00pm, which is about how long it took to get through the line for pictures with R2.

It was a fun event, and there's a chance R2 will be back for an R2 Builders event before the exhibit ends in April 2012.

On Stage with Weird Al in Hollywood

2011-11-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight R2 got to participate in the last stop of Weird Yankovic's Apocalypse tour, at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, CA.

I actually hadn't planned to do this show, but with the tiniest last-minute arm twisting ("Wanna go?"), I was there. The call time was 6:00pm for the 8:00pm show, although we were to go on around 10:00pm for the encore. I picked up fellow R2 Builder William Miyamoto on the way up to Hollywood, as William was to be on stage as a stormtrooper, and was our main point of contact for the evening.

Once all the characters had arrived, we ran through a rehearsal on stage. It's a reasonably big theater, and has staged many famous musicals throughout the years. I test-drove R2 over the mats that covered the cables. A little bumpy, but nothing he couldn't handle.

More rehearsals and pictures in the dressing room, where we were treated to a pizza dinner.

We were invited to watch the first half of the show from the balcony seats, which was really nice. It was a neat to look down on the stage, and realize in a little over an hour we'd be back down there performing. In the meantime, R2 was parked to the side of the stage, waiting patiently to go on.

Around 8:45pm we headed back to the dressing room and the characters got dressed. Then, it was one final rehearsal session before going back upstairs to the stage. For those that haven't seen the routine, Al starts singing "The Saga Begins," to the tune of "Bye Bye Miss American Pie." The characters stand at attention during the initial slow verses, and then start bobbing their heads as the pace picks up. Soon, they are dancing semi-wildly. They are not supposed to be in sync with each other, so it's not as bad as it looks.

Since I didn't have to worry about changing into costume, I was able to hang out at stage-left, and sneak a picture or two of the performance from a distance. Here, keyboardist Rubén Valtierra wears a beehive on his head while playing "I Perform this Way," a parody of Lady Gaga's song, "I was Born this Way."

Finally, the show "ended," the crowd cheered, Al changed costumes for something like the 20th time, and he came back out to do the encore. As the music started, the Star Wars characters took the stage, with R2 trailing at the back. As the pace picked up, we all started to jam. With my hands full with the transmitter, I was only able to take one picture. Scaffolding mostly obscures R2 in the picture, but he's there, along with the other characters.

Darrin Forsythe, our Darth Vader for the evening, uploaded this video of the performance.

Shortly thereafter the show ended, and all the characters except R2 went out to the lobby to take pictures with the fans. R2 stayed backstage due to the complexity of getting him from the backstage area to the lobby, and the somewhat mobbed conditions.

Princess Leia's real-life father has a star on the Walk of Fame right in front of the theater.

After we were done with the fans, we went back to the dressing room area and ambushed actor/Robot Chicken co-creator Seth Green. He was ready with his 501st challenge coin.

The characters changed out of costume, and a little while later Al came out, signed autographs, and posed for the group picture. (I live vicariously through R2.)

And that was a wrap. It was another fun concert, I hope I get to participate again in the future.

The full photo set (yes, there's more!) is here.

FIRST Robotics Competition in San Diego

2011-11-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

Today R2 made an 85 mile trip south, for an appearance at the FIRST Robotics competition in San Diego, CA.

FIRST stands for "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology." Today's competition was hosted by High Tech High School, its FIRST team and its leaders. The competition was for middle school students in the FIRST LEGO League, using LEGO Mindstorms.

R2 made his appearance at the lunch break.

It didn't take long for the kids to join in for pictures.

I guess I'm kind of partial to any team that wears In-n-Out hats.

Refs need a picture too.

After lunch, R2 took a spot on the stage, while the competition resumed.

At the end of the day, after all the middle school kids had gone home and the tables put away, I did a demonstration of how R2 works for the high school team. I even mentioned that all that trigonometry didn't go to waste after all.

Thank you to Cathy Schulz for inviting me to join them, and to Paul Bussiere for putting her in touch with me.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:29:00.001-07:00

Another year, another trip to the garage for R2 to help hand out candy. Only this Halloween, he was joined by his identical twin for the first time.

Since droid #2 doesn't have a drivetrain and can only play sounds and turn his dome, he was dressed as a ghost droid, and played the Halloween soundtrack provided by starwars.com.

Things started off slow, but they definitely picked up around 6:30pm.

It wouldn't be Halloween without at least one Vader.

Hopefully next year droid #2 can dress up as R5-D4, and the kids will have two droids to ransack.

R2 Las Vegas

2011-10-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday was R2-Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas goes on the blog.

R2 Builders Club founder Dave Everett and Mike Senna discuss Mike's WALL•E build. (There must be some irony there somewhere.)

Meanwhile, Max Cervantes, William Miyamoto and Michael McMaster discuss the superior R2-D2 with Mike Johnson.

We had an opportunity to see the amazing fiberglass R&J dome that Brett Landon produces.

R2 can stop traffic, even when it's toward the back of an industrial park.

In an apparent experiment in team droid building, Dan drills without looking, while William coaches on the position and depth of the cut.

The group picture. Sure enough, we had even more show up later in the day!

It was a great time, and I really appreciated meeting many builders for the first time.

On Sunday, we made he obligatory trip to the Las Vegas sign.

And then we were on our way home, avoiding exits to nowhere.

Thank you to Damien Metz for hosting R2LV,and to Mike Johnson for helping arrange the gathering. Much appreciated!

R2 Las Vegas Road Trip

2011-10-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

R2LA is taking this year off, so it was time for a road trip to Las Vegas for R2LV!

Mike Senna and I left from Mike's house, and we rendezvoused with William Miyamoto, Max Cervantes, and Michael McMaster at the near-halfway point at the In-n-Out in Barstow, CA. Fanatics of my blogs might remember this visit from 2006.

A few Double-Doubles later, and we were back on the road, in some cases getting odd looks by passers-by.

I swear there's a fossilized Dewback in this mountain.

Thank goodness for air conditioning.

At last, we motored up to Damien Metz' shop, which is a wonderland of tools, electronics, and helium-filled, remote-controlled flying fish.

Droids were unloaded, as we prepared for the the big day, Saturday.

R2LA Build Day

2011-09-24T23:27:00.000-07:00

Today was an R2LA build day at Mike Senna's place, in lieu of the cancelled Wizard World Los Angeles convention.

Michael McMaster brought his WALL•E drivetrain down. When fitted with the WALL•E body, head, and arms that Mike Senna has built, things were really shaping up.

Ed Perello brought his nice, shiny dome. All the electronics were functioning great, and it had the periscope and life form scanner deployed.

At one point we attempted to shoot a wooden frame glue-up tutorial. We'll see if that ended up working out once we review everything we shot.

Mike Senna had Kayla Miyamoto literally drooling over my droid.

For over a year, Max Cervantes' display from Star Wars Celebration V had been living behind Mike's shed. A circular saw helped end all that.

There was a little pouring of resin as well.

Zoe Miyamoto tries on Max' old TRON helmet.

We wrapped things up with pizza. It was a good build day, and it was great meeting several new builders in person for the first time.

CHOC Late Summer Visit 2011

2011-09-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Technically it's still summer until Friday, so we'll call today's visit with R2 to Childrens Hospital Orange County the "Late Summer Visit."

As usual, no pictures with the patients, but there were plenty of room visits, along with visits to the activity rooms.

And as usual, the staff paused to get pictures with R2.

One neat thing they do is bring well-trained dogs in to visit patients. These pups have R2 beat in cuddliness.

It was another good visit, and I look forward to the next one.

Star Wars Night at Dodger Stadium 2011

2011-09-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

"The third time's the charm" is a lot better than "three strikes and yer out!"

After two years of trying, tonight R2 finally made it onto the field for Star Wars Night at Dodger Stadium. Being the ardent Dodgers fan that I am, this was really exciting for me. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

For the third year in a row, Star Wars characters including R2 were invited to Dodger Stadium for Star Wars Night. Mike Senna agreed to wrangle, so we drove on up and arrived around 4:20pm. Stadium Operations allowed us to park as close to the character rendezvous point as possible, which was nice.

The characters were to be split into two groups for pre-game activities. One group was going to "Autograph Alley" behind center field (where we all were last year before the game), and the other group was going down onto the field! Very thankfully, R2 was part of the field group. Characters suited up from 4:30pm-5:30pm while R2, Mike and I stood by.

At 5:30pm, we started our way from the Club Level (3rd deck) to the Field Level. Our trip took us through elevators, memorabilia stations, and dining areas I had never seen before.

Finally, we reached the bottom, which was actually a few feet below field-level. Some stairs allowed the characters up to the field. Of course, R2 can't take stairs, but never fear. There was a small elevator that took us up to the field.

That was one slow elevator, but it was really neat looking up out of that box and seeing the sky, followed by the stadium lights, followed the upper decks, and finally the field itself.

R2 and the characters were led onto the warning track around the field, where we did the usual photo ops with other people in the same area, while the visiting Pittsburg Pirates took batting practice. (I realize it looks empty, but this was 5:30pm for a 7:10pm start time. As game time approached, the stands started filling up.)

During batting practice a ball ricocheted off one of the protective screens on the field and bounced my way, so I snagged it. Not the first batting practice ball for me (I've caught many in the bleachers over the years), but certainly the first when I was on the field.

Longtime official Dodgers photographer Jon Soohoo and I chatted before the game.

Jon was kind enough to take this picture and send it to me of Dodgers All Star slugger Matt Kemp shaking hands with R2. © Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2011

Little does Matt know that earlier R2 posed with that very same bat of his!

Some of the players jumped in for pictures, as did LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who at one point started to put the cuffs on Vader.

A little before the playing of the national anthem, the characters gathered behind home plate, and they were announced to the crowd over the PA system, and shown on the scoreboard. I didn't get a picture of that, but Mike may have gotten some video on his iPhone that I'll try to get later.

[Edit: For better or worse, here's the video Mike got. If you zoom to full-screen, you can make out R2 in the center of the scoreboard.]

Alas, our time on the field came to an end.

Back into the elevator R2 went, along with two clone troopers whose costumes were not stair-friendly.

At that point, most of the characters made their way to the right field pavilion to interact with the fans. However, the pavilions are all stairs, and R2 does not do stairs. The Dodgers folks said that we were done, and that we could put R2 back in the car and enjoy the game. So, that's what we did.

Although we were provided tickets for the right-field pavilion, Mike and I decided to take an opportunity to check out the Stadium Club, one of the very few places in the stadium I had never been.

There we found a buffet, where we could eat and watch the game (for a fee, of course).

There's no denying we were pretty far from home plate, but we were close to the dinner plate, and it was a fun way to watch a ballgame.

The Dodgers ended up winning 7-2, making the game that much better. I like to think R2 had something to do with that. :-)

It was a great night, and I hope to be back again next year. Not sure how to top it, but we'll see.

The full photoset is here. Thank you to Mike Senna for taking almost all of them!

The Lucasfilm/ESPN Commercial

2011-09-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

The commercial we shot for Lucasfilm and ESPN back on August 17, 2011 is now airing, so I can finally share more details about it. First, here is the commercial on YouTube:

As you can see, R2 has a very small roll in the ad, but I couldn't really say much about the other characters until now. The real stars are the ESPN crew and Vader.

Storyboards on the set gave us an idea of how the ad would flow.

501st members Dean Amstutz and Michael Bender served as the stormtroopers, and Christi Ladnier was our Boba Fett. Lucasfilm provided the Vader, Chewbacca and Admiral Akbar characters. ESPN hosts Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi rounded out the cast.

Lucasfilm's archivist accompanied the Lucasfilm costumes for the shoot.

The commercial was shot with two cameras, and many, many takes were done from different angles, with different characters on the set at any given time.

The audio for Vader and the stormtroopers was piped in via speakers on the set, so the characters kind of pantomimed their rolls (although "Can't wait" was missing, so Vader spoke the line through his helmet on the set, and the final audio was added later).

One of the particularly interesting things to me was that even though we were on a green screen set, they used a system that was able to composite an animatic background in real-time as they shot, so the director could get a good idea of what the finished shot would look like. I was able to get a picture of the computer system that modeled the finished design. Neat stuff.

Most of the morning was spent shooting Vader and the stormtroopers with poor Mark Schlereth, who must have done that choking at least 50 times during the day. Because of the somewhat crowded set and the fact that I couldn't use the camera flash, I wasn't really able to get anything other than blurry pictures of the monitors.

After the lunch break, there was more shooting with the troopers and Boba Fett, along with some of the others. I was able to move in a little closer.

I'm sorry, but it's the law, I have to say it: "It's a trap!"

Finally, at the end of the day, R2 was called to the set for his shots. First, we set up the profile shot, and then the over-the-shoulder shot, which open the commercial. This was easy stuff. No driving around trying to hit my marks. Just turn the dome and stop at the right spot.

We also did the head-on shot of R2 flailing his arms and turning his head, while playing the scream sound. Since I only had two hands to work with, I worked the transmitter with the director, as he opened and closed one of the arms, while I handled the other arm, the dome, and the sound.

With R2's final shot complete, they called it a wrap and started striking the set.

The crew and others got the usual photos with R2.

It was another fun an interesting shoot, and I appreciate having had the opportunity to participate.

The full photoset is here.

Clone Wars Season 4 Premiere Benefit Screening

2011-09-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

Today was R2's 100th event, a benefit for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern California at the Aquarium of the Pacific, in Long Beach, CA.

The event was a special screening of the first two episodes of season 4 of The Clone Wars. There were probably at least 100 kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs in attendance. They all got goodie bags, light sabers, and other prizes, in addition to being able to see the season premiere early. This was courtesy of Lucasfilm and Cartoon Network, both of whom had representatives on hand. Cartoon Network and G4 TV had camera crews as well.

The characters greeted the kids and other visitors throughout the day.

We also had the Jedi Training Academy going.

Around lunch time, we entered the VIP area to join members of the voice cast, along with director Dave Filoni and others. Everyone was super-nice. I've always found that to be the case with the Clone Wars group.

Ahmed Best, everyone's favorite Gungan.

Cat Taber, the voice of Padme in the series.

Director Dave Filoni. Later, he chatted a good 30 minutes in the changing room with us about the show, especially the clone uniforms, easter eggs and other fun trivia.

Former Angels shortstop David Eckstein is the husband of Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka. Remembering the good times with the Angels.

Daniel Logan also stopped by to say hi for a moment.

Matthew Wood, who supplies the voice of General Grievous and the battle droids, and is a very accomplished sound editor, kindly signed R2's back door, and checked out the insides of the droid afterward.

Lest I give the impression that I was getting undue attention, I was mainly lucky, and pretty much all the guys got to talk to the Clone Wars crew, and do some TV as well.

After the VIP session, we went back to entertaining the crowd.

It was a fun day.

The full photoset is here.

Installed Rear Power Coupler, Finished Droid #2

2011-08-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

Today I installed the rear power coupler, thus finishing droid #2.

First, I lifted the droid onto a couple of chairs, to get the frame parallel to the ground.

I cut the fuzzy side of some Velcro to size, and stuck it on the back of the power coupler.

The other side of the Velcro gets attached to a wooden block.

I applied some wood glue to the block, and glued it down onto the bottom of the frame.

I then attached the back door with the power coupler in place, and made very slight adjustments to the location of the wooden block, so that it holds the power coupler in perfectly.

And with that, droid #2 is done.

Poor droid #2. He didn't get any of the fanfare that droid #1 got. For one thing, droid #2 is not yet remote-controlled. I'm going to leave him static for the moment. At some point I'm sure I'll R/C him, but I don't need to for now. He does have the dome and sound automation circuit installed and working, so he's not completely moribund.

So, what's next? Well, no more droids(!). I do have a couple of projects for the two I already have, though.

First, I have an A&A R5 dome that I want to build, so that I can change R2-D2's personality to R5-D4, along with some red overlay panels. Second, there are some improvements on droid #2 that I'd like to apply to droid #1, such as the electronics panel, and I want to bring the shoulders a little closer to the body on droid #1, and apply the same aluminum flashing on the shoulders that droid #2 has.

So things will slow down here a little bit, but I have events on the calendar, and I can't stay away from building for too long. :)

Thanks for following along, it's been a fun ride, and it's not over yet.

-Victor

Wrangling for Matthew, Finished Installing Back Door

2011-08-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I assisted Matthew Henricks, as he brought his droid (not mine) out to the Orange County, CA fundraiser kickoff at the local Boy Scouts of America office.

As the scouts and parents waited to view an instructional video, Matthew talked about and showed his droid to them.

A little later, he went upstairs for an incognito bird's-eye view, while I worked as droid security. "Be gentle..."

In the afternoon, I was able to finish up installation of the back door on droid #2.

I sanded smooth the area where I glued in a toothpick and some JB Weld last night, and then I temporarily installed the bracket.

I drilled through the hole in the door, and through the bracket.

I then removed the bracket, and took it to the vise, for tapping with my new #4-40 tap bit.

I installed the bracket one last time, and then countersunk the remaining three holes on the back door.

Door installation is complete!

All that remains is the installation ofl the rear power coupler, and then droid #2 will be done.

Recut Top Right Door Bracket, Tapped Other Brackets, Widened Door Holes, Countersunk Lower Left Back Door Hole

2011-08-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Back to work on the back door.

I cut a replacement bracket for the one that I snapped the end of my #4-40 tap bit in.

I used the original bracket as a template for the mounting holes used to attach the bracket to the frame. I drilled through the holes and through a 1/2" scrap piece of plywood.

I used the block of wood as a guide for where to drill the replacement bracket.

After drilling the new bracket, I countersunk the holes.

Unfortunately, I was not immediately able to screw the bracket onto the frame. This is the ill-fated bracket that I also snapped off the drill bit on the upper hole the other day. The digging with the pliers to pull the drill bit out left enough slop that I wasn't getting a tight fit when I tried screwing down the replacement bracket.

I decided to use wood glue to glue a toothpick in the hole, and then I covered the mess I made with the needle nose pliers using JB Weld. An hour or two later, I smoothed this over little more, and I will sand it smooth once it's all dry.

In the meantime, I got to work on widening the holes on the door. Previously, I had drilled these holes with a #43 drill bit, so that when the drill bit drilled through the door and the bracket behind it, the hole in the bracket would be the rights size for tapping for a #4-40 screw. I used a 0.116" drill bit to widen the hole to be large enough to allow a #4 screw to pass through.

I also bought a replacement #4-40 tap bit (two of them actually). Rather than attempt to tap the brackets while they were still in the frame, I removed them, put them in a vise, and tapped them there instead. Much better, no broken bits today.

I reinstalled the three brackets, and screwed the door in place. The upper-right bracket isn't installed yet, until the JB Weld and wood glue dry and have been sanded smooth.

I was able to countersink one of the four holes on the door, the lower-left hole. I need at least two diagonally opposing screws to keep the door on, so this was the only hole I was able to countersink tonight.

Hopefully I can install the upper-right bracket tomorrow, drill and tap it, finish the countersinking on the door, and be done with the door installation. Then all that's left is installing the rear power coupler.

Finished Attaching Door Brackets, Drilled Back Door for Mounting Screws

2011-08-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Work on installing the back door continues.

I taped the door back onto the body, so I could locate where the two bottom brackets go, and trace their locations.

After tracing where the brackets belong, I removed the door, and used the holes on the brackets to trace where to drill. (Blindly tracing the bracket when the door was on also produced to nice scribbles.)

I drilled the holes and installed the two bottom brackets.

Now all four brackets are installed.

I taped the door on yet again, in preparation for drilling through the door and brackets as pairs, using a #43 drill bit for the #4 1/2" machine screws I plan to use to secure the door. I then got to work drilling.

Close enough.

The location of the vertical ribs on the frame dictate where the brackets go, which in turn dictate where the holes get drilled. I'd prefer that the holes were a little closer to the edge of the door, but there's not much I can do about it.

Next, I started tapping the holes with a #4-40 tap.

What's worse then snapping a drill bit in the wooden frame, like I did last night? Snapping a tap bit in a metal bracket.

There is virtually no part of the tap bit sticking out of the hole I was tapping. That segment will be in there until the sun consumes the earth, billions of years from now. I will need to cut a new bracket, drill and install it, and I'll need to replace my #4-40 tap bit.

Disgusted with my handiwork, I decided to call it quits for tonight. I still need to finish tapping all the brackets, and I also need to widen the holes on the door to fit the #4 screws, and then countersink those holes.

Attached Top Two Door Mounting Brackets

2011-08-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I got started installing the door mounting brackets on the frame.

I lined up the left top bracket with the line I traced on the frame last night, and marked where to drill one of the holes.

I repeated the process for the right top bracket as well.

I then drilled a pilot hole for one of the two #4 1/2" wood screws that I'm using to attach the bracket to the frame.

Here's something I don't recommend, snapping the drill bit in the hole.

About 20 minutes later I managed to pull the sucker out, and switched to a larger bit. This one was 1/16". Not the first time I've done this, and probably not the last.

With the first screw in place, I drilled the hole for the second screw.

Time to do the bottom two brackets.

Oh, wait. I can't. The intersection of the horizontal and vertical ribs is uneven on both sides. I thought I had finished work on the frame a year or two ago, but it was time to break out the sand paper again.

Now it's smooth, but in the process I sanded off my bracket alignment mark. I'll need to tape the door down again and retrace it.

Same thing for the right side.

As much as I would have liked to finish up the bracket installation tonight, it started getting late, and I decided this can wait, hopefully just a day.

Worked on Back Door Angle Brackets

2011-08-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight I spent a little time working on the brackets used to mount the back door.

First, I drilled a pair of holes into each bracket for the #4 1/2" mounting screws, using a 0.116" drill bit.

I then countersunk the holes.

Next, I used a hammer to slightly bend the brackets, to accommodate the curve of the door.

I taped the door in place, and traced with a pencil where the brackets should be mounted.

I ran out of time, so next I'll screw the brackets in place, and then I'll be ready to do some drilling on the door, and the brackets behind it.

Abandoned Pins and Magnets for Back Door, Started Cutting Brackets

2011-08-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose deep down I had a feeling this might happen. I decided to back off using the magnets and pins to secure the back door, and I'll go with the screws and brackets that I used on droid #1.

I started the day by jamming the wooden segment that will go on the frame onto the pin that's in the wooden segment on the door. I held the door in place, and traced where the wooden segments that go on the frame should be.

I then used the two holes on the wooden segment to mark where to drill, by spinning the drill bit lightly manually.

Then I drilled the holes and screwed down the segment. The magnet is not yet glued in.

I repeated the process for the other side, and did a test-fit of the door.

With a little fidgeting, I was able to get the pins on the door segments into the holes on the frame segments. However, I did not like the fact that I almost needed to flex the door in order to get the pins to line up. Even then, the fit was very snug.

I could have kept adjusting things, but I decided that it was more grief than it was worth. When I started this process, I figured if it worked easily, then great. If not, I'll back off and attach the door like I do on droid #1. So that's what I'll do. I haven't removed the pieces I JB Welded to the door yesterday. I can probably just twist them off, or if need be I'll Dremel them off. They actually aren't posing any problems, so for the moment I'll just leave them there.

In the evening, I cut four segments of 1" angle iron. These will be screwed onto the frame, holes will be drilled, and the door will be attached, just like on droid #1.

JB Welded Wooden Segments to Back Door

2011-08-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today I finally had a little time to work on the back door mounting.

I am using JB Weld to attach the wooden segments I cut earlier. These segments have a steel dowel pin and screw head attached on them. A matching wooden segment on the frame will have a corresponding hole for the pin, and a magnet for the screw head.

I applied some JB weld to the side of the wooden block that gets glued to the inside of the door. Afterward, I spread it around a little.

I then applied it in place on the door, where I had made guiding pencil marks earlier when I did a fit inside the droid. The pin is just pressed in for now. It will be glued in later.

After the JB Weld on the first block had a chance to cure for a while, I worked on the other one. The block is sitting a little above the pencil alignment marks, ready to be flipped over and glued down.

And down it goes.

I'll let the JB Weld cure overnight, and then I can work on the matching wooden segments that get attached to the frame.

Yet Another Lucasfilm Shoot

2011-08-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

It never gets old.

Today, R2 participated in another video shoot for Lucasfilm, this time at Smashbox Studios in Hollywood, CA. As usual, I can't be specific as to what the shoot was for, or when it will air. Once it does air (and it sounds like it will be in the reasonable-future), I can share a lot more pictures and information.

I got up at 4:55am for the 8:00am call time on Stage 1. With a 50 mile drive through Southern California traffic, you never know how long the commute will take. I arrived an hour early.

Today was a case of an eight hour day for 20 minutes of shooting at the end of the day. Of that 20 minutes, I suspect that R2 will appear for less than five seconds of the resulting video. Thus, R2 spent the vast majority of the day in his dressing room, standing by.

Once R2 was called on the set, he made friends with one of the video editing bays.

This was a green-screen set, and the shots involving R2 were either over-the-shoulder, or profile shots.

Once we were done shooting, many of the crew took pictures with R2.

At 6:00pm, we wrapped up. I loaded R2 into the Droidmobile, and made the 2-hour commute home in rush hour traffic. (Yum.)

As I say, I'll have a lot more to share once this airs.

More Work on Back Door Mounting Pieces

2011-08-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight I continued work on the back door mounting pieces.

The first thing I needed to do was tape the back door in place. I carefully lined it up to where it should be, and taped it down with the blue painter's tape.

One thing I realized is that the pieces that I cut that get glued to the door won't sit flush without some work. The radial angle of the ribs requires some sanding.

I actually cranked out the math, and marked where to sand.

After a little while, I had the blocks sanded.

The fit is better on both sides now.

Next, I needed to drill matching holes that will meet up with the steel dowel pins and magnets. This isn't as bad as it looks, I'm merely using the top piece as a template of where to drill the middle piece for the steel dowel pin. I lightly spun the drill chuck by hand to make a mark.

I drilled the 1/8" wide hole, 3/8" deep on both door pieces.

The steel dowel pin can now match the hole on the piece that gets attached to the frame.

Then, I needed to match the magnet holes on the frame pieces with holes that need to be drilled for matching screw heads. I placed cross-hair marks at 90 degree angles that help show where the center of the hole is.

With the steel pin locking the two pieces of wood together, I translated the markings from one piece of wood to the other.

With the cross-hairs as my guide, I drilled and countersunk the hole for the screw that will attract the magnet.

That's as far as I got tonight. The magnets and screw heads should line up, as should the steel dowel pins and their corresponding holes.

I still need to cut the screws down to size (they stick out of the back), and then I can start gluing the door pieces to the inside of the door.

Droid #2 Part Count

2011-08-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the posting for what I believe to be the final part count for droid #2. If I discover any errors or omissions, I'll come back and fix this posting.

I counted parts as follows: For those parts that I built from scratch, every constituent part that went into the whole counts as an individual item. For example, if each leg is made from 5 layers of plywood, then that counts as 5 parts per leg. However, if I purchased a part that was partially or completely assembled, then I only counted the number of parts as they arrived to me. For example, the Ben and Jason front logics are made from many parts, but I count them as 2 (top and bottom).

The part count does not list any paint, although I went through many, many cans. Nor does the part count list wood glue, though I applied a bunch for the wooden frame, legs, horseshoes, etc. Same with silicone, CA glue, and PVC glue. I counted small amounts of tape here and there (LDP, front vents), although I skipped the VHB tape that I used to attach the dome panels.

So, the final part count total is.... 1,470. I was surprised at how high the total ended up being. I thought it might hit 1,000, but not this high. I know for a fact that droid #1 has many more parts, as I did more scratch-building (the foot shells especially), and there are more electronics in it. Droid #1 probably has upward of 1,700 individual parts.

So here's the list, in all it's glory. Scroll through and double-check it for me. (Unfortunately, scrolling through the spreadsheet may not be supported on some mobile browsers.)

Started Working on Back Door Holders

2011-08-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today I started working on the pieces of plywood that I plan to use to help hold the back door in place on droid #2. On droid #1 I use screws, but I'm going to give this alternate approach a try first.

First, I cut a couple of 1" square segments of 1/2" spare Baltic birth. These will be glued onto the back panel.

I then sanded one side to match the profile of the curve of the back door, using an old scrap piece from the skins.

The curve is subtle, but it's there at the top.

Next, I cut four more 1" square segments from the same 1/2" Baltic birch. These will be attached to the frame, and will hold the rare earth magnets.

I drilled the holes for the 8mm-diamter, 3mm-tall magnets, using a 5/8" drill bit.

A loose fit show that the magnet fits in just right.

I also drilled and countersunk holes for the screws that I will use to attach the four segments to the frame.

Finally, I drilled 1/8" diameter, 3/8" deep holes into the two bottom segments that will receive the steel dowel pins that will be glued into the segments that will be attached to the back door.

The idea is that the segment on the right will be attached to the frame, and house a rare earth magnet and the hole for the steel dowel pin. The segment on the left will be attached to the door, and house a magnetically attractive screw head, and the steel dowel pin. Two more screw-head-and-magnet pairs at the top of the door and frame will help keep the door in place. At least, that's the idea.

This is as far as I got today. Nothing has been attached to the door or frame yet.

Next up, I need to tape the door tight to the droid, and start marking where attach these wooden segments.

Finished & Glued In Ankle Brackets

2011-08-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

See? I told ya I wasn't quite done with droid #2.

One of the few remaining tasks was to finish up the ankle brackets. The backing strip on the right bracket fits fine.

The backing strip on the left, however, doesn't fit quite right. This is due to a combination of the strip not being cut perfectly straight, and the main body of the bracket not sitting deep enough against the booster cover and leg.

I sanded the backing strip to be straight.

I also sanded some of the inner perimeter of the main bracket piece, so that it can fit more snugly around the booster cover and leg.

I cleaned up the dust, and glued the backing strips in place, using Testors model glue.

A toothpick helps clean the excess glue.

The fit on the left leg is better. I didn't noticed that I scuffed a little of the aluminum paint on the back of the strip, I'll probably touch that up with a brush shortly.

All that's left is installation of the back door and rear power coupler. (The to-do ankle locks don't count, as I don't consider them an official part of the droid.)

Over 70,000 Served

2011-08-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

We passed another multiple of 10,000 visits today: 70,000. Congratulations go to someone in Colorado who inadvertently stumbled across this site via Google, while searching for an "industrial l-bracket." Too funny.

Time to update the stats.

It took 1 year, 10 months and 24 days to get to 10,000. It took another 1 year and 17 days to get to 20,000. It took another 11 months and 19 days to get to 30,000 visits. It only took another 7 months and 15 days to get to 40,000. It took an additional 5 months and 1 week to get to 50,000. Slowing down, it took an additional 6 months and two days to get to 60,000. Finally, it took almost exactly 5 more months to get to 70,000. We picked up the pace again! Good job, give yourself a pat on the back, and treat yourself to something nice.

Thanks as always for all the visits!

Tested Repaired Vantec Speed Controller

2011-08-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

Back on May 14th, I had shown Matthew Henricks my failed Vantec RDFR23 speed controller. He thought the guys where he works at Orthodyne Electronics might be able to repair it, provided I funded a few replacement parts (H-bridges and capacitors). The other day I got the repaired speed controller back from Matthew.

I swapped out the speed controller I've been using since that time with the repaired one, temporarily making my messy wiring even messier.

With the foot motors unplugged, I pressed the stick on the transmitter and measured the voltage on the signals to each foot. It measured a nice, 12+ volts. Prior to the repair, I was only getting a maximum of five volts on one of the feet. (Try taking a picture while holding two leads on a multimeter, a camera, and moving the stick on a transmitter.)

Next, I hooked up the feet, and tried out driving the droid. Everything worked during the few minutes I drove it in the confined space of my entryway.

I took the repaired speed controller back out and swapped back in the other one, and closed up the droid. I will keep this repaired speed controller as either a backup for droid #1, or perhaps as a primary for droid #2, when he gets the R/C treatment.

Thanks Matthew and to your coworkers!

Finished U-Bolt Replacement Work

2011-08-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight I wrapped up replacing the U-bolt that goes around the gas pipe on droid #2.

First, I finished cutting the notches that help with traction around the pipe.

Then, I pulled out the vertical rail, along with the old U-bolt, so that I could hack it off.

Unfortunately, this was the only way to remove the bolt. That nut just would not come off.

I then successfully installed the new U-bolt, along with the vertical rail. The legs are cut shorter on the bolt so that the electronics panel will clear it, and so a socket wrench can fit it. I will eventually file a flat spot on the pipe to help lock in the 36 degree angle at which R2 leans.

I also fixed another minor problem. When I installed the small block of wood that holds the roller switch that detects when the dome is centered, the drywall screws punched through the underside of the top plate of the frame, leaving a bit of a mess.

I removed the screws and cut them down a little. Those drywall screws are tough!

I reinstalled the shorter screws, cleaned up the wood splinters on the underside of the top plate of the frame, and used a black marker to conceal the area.

Still a few minor things left to do on droid #2.

Started Working on Replacement U-Bolt, Back Door Strategies at Matthew's

2011-07-31T22:02:00.001-07:00

I need to replace the U-bolt that goes around the gas pipe for droid #2. I apparently managed to strip the threads quite some time ago on one of the legs. Furthermore, one of the legs needs to be cut down to avoid interfering with some of the nuts on the back of the electronics panel that help secure mounting screws on the other side.

I have an extra U-bolt, so I started hacking it down to size. Even without the electronics panel, the bolt needs to be cut down to accommodate a socket wrench.

The top also needs to be filed to more easily get the nut on.

I also started hacking notches on the "U" portion, which helps with friction around the gas pipe. I ran out of time before I got very far.

Next, it was off to Matthew Henrick's, where he is re-reoofing his house himself!

I'm considering using magnets to mount the back door on droid #2, so I wanted to check out Matthew's setup, which is based on Frank Cerney's. Matthew attached a wooden rib to the inside of the back panel, toward the bottom. On the underside of the rib is a steel pin and a screw on each side.

This attaches on the frame to a matching hole for the pin, and a rare earth magnet for the screw head.

Likewise, there is another rare earth magnet that magnetically attracts a steel washer that is attached near the top of the door on each side.

Matthew reports he's had no trouble with this setup.

I see the pros and cons of this approach versus using screws, which I use for droid #1.

With screws, you never have to worry about the door falling off, or possibly some curious kid (or adult) pulling the door off unexpectedly.

On the other hand, with screws, you had better have a screwdriver handy if the door needs to be removed, and it does not come off quickly. There are times I've needed to take the door off droid #1 for a quick autograph or some maintenance job on short notice.

Since droid #1 will probably be the droid that goes out in public the most, and because I can always try the screw method later, I am likely to try the magnet approach first with droid #2, and see how it goes.

Yet Another Circuit Repair

2011-07-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

So last night I lightly sanded the inner perimeter of the Rockler bearing with 150 grit sand paper, to help give the dome drive wheel some traction. Of course, I covered the race with masking tape to protect it from the dust.

After cleaning up the dust, I removed the masking tape, and the surface looked sufficiently scuffed.

I reinstalled the bearing on the droid and tried it out. It was working great, no wheel slippage, everything was fine... until I heard a loud pop! and smelled the wonderful odor of some burnt electronic component. I immediately powered off, too disgusted to diagnose what blew up this time.

Today I pulled the electronics board out, and discovered the problem. Neither Mike nor I realized this past Tuesday that one of the two decoupling capacitors (the 0.33µF) was a tantalum capacitor, meaning it has polarity, unlike the 0.10µf ceramic capacitor, that has no polarity. Of course, odds being 50/50, the capacitor was installed backwards and survived a few days until it could take no more. Thus, the source of the bang and smell.

Fortunately, I purchased two of these guys, so I pulled the spare out of the package. Yup, one lead is longer than the other, and there is a "+" on the markings.

I actually managed this minor surgery on my own. I replaced the capacitor, using the proper polarity this time.

I hooked everything back up in the droid, and the circuit ran flawlessly and the dome wheel never slipped for forty-five minutes, until I got tired of hearing him and turned it off. So until the next time something blows up, I hope to leave the electronics alone for a while.

The Big Droid Put-Together - The Movie

2011-07-29T23:21:00.001-07:00

Just for fun, I did a time-lapse of the final assembly of droid #2.

Pictures were taken once per minute. There are a total of 941 pictures, or 15 hours and 41 minutes worth of assembly.

Unlike droid #1, which I built from the ground up as I went, with droid #2 I only fit together adjoining parts to see if they would work together. I held off final assembly until the very end. This was partly to make accessing individual parts easier as the build went along, and because I didn't want to have a partial droid sitting around staring me in the face all the time.

I'm still not quite 100% done with this droid. I need to install the back door and rear power coupler, and glue down the backing strips for the ankle brackets. At that point, I'll consider it done. Soon, soon...

Installed Electronics Panel

2011-07-27T23:14:00.001-07:00

Tonight I had a chance to install and try out the electronics panel for droid #2. This time, I didn't blow anything up.

The dome drive wheel occasionally slips on the slick Rockler bearing, but otherwise things are working as expected. I'll probably lightly sand the inner perimeter of the Rockler bearing to see if that reduces the slippage.

Poor droid #1 is getting no love these days, but he gets all the cool gigs.

Electronics Panel Work at Mike's

2011-07-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Last night I worked on correcting my mishap from a couple of days ago, when I inadvertently reversed polarity on the power connectors between the battery and the electronics board, and fried my voltage regulator. The first thing I did was remove the old power connector from the electronics board, and swap it with the proper connector, so that won't happen again.

I also took a shot at replacing the voltage regulator. After a couple of hours of trying to solder no less than five leads (two decoupling capacitors, receiver ground, automation circuit ground and 12-volt ground) to the center pin on the voltage regulator, I surrendered and asked Mike for help.

He had it done tonight in less than five minutes. It helps when you have the tools and skill to use them.

Mike suggested that I avoid frying anything in the future by attaching diodes to the power inputs on my components. He provided some 1-amp diodes, which I soldered in parallel for the input to the CFSound III card.

A short time later, I had the CFSound III and automation circuit protected from reverse polarity.

Meanwhile, Mike continued working on his WALL•E build.

Sparks!

WALL•E's arms are the current item under construction.

Back home, the electronics panel is ready for duty. Hopefully tomorrow I can get it installed and running.

Adjusted Dome Height, Installed Speaker, Blew Up Voltage Regulator

2011-07-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Today I got off my lazy seat and did just a small bit of work on droid #2. In retrospect, I may have been better off remaining seated.

I tackled the easy stuff first, adjusting the height of the dome. The dome ring rests on #10 nuts and screws. Each screw has a nut on the bottom to anchor it, and two more nuts lock together to adjust the height.

Facing the droid, the left side has almost no gap between the dome and the skins. The right side has just a very small gap.

Next, I installed the speaker. I used the screws that secure the front vents to mount the speaker. The speaker lives just behind the lower vent, and is not easily seen from the front.

I also installed the tension spring for the dome drive, to keep the dome drive wheel pressed against the Rockler bearing.

I needed to drill a hole underneath the top of the frame for the screw that the spring attaches to on the frame.

Finally, I slid the electronics panel into place and tried it out. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that I managed to reverse the polarity of the plugs on the batteries versus the power connector on the electronics panel. I was very lucky that only one component was damaged, the cheap LM7805 voltage regulator that I'm using to convert 12 volts to 5 volts for the dome and sound automation circuit.

I need to pick up some decoupling capacitors, and then I should be able to replace this part of the circuit. Hopefully I can get to that soon, I want this mess off my table and in the droid.

Almost Done

2011-07-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

July 20, 1969: Man walks on the moon.
July 20, 2011: The Big Droid Put-Together comes to a conclusion.

I'm not quite done, but it's close.

This morning I painted the utility arm backstops black.

In the evening, I glued them in place.

As I did with yesterday's test-fit, I located the backstops such that the arms will close flush with the skins when the back of the arms make contact with the backstops.

With that, I worked on final assembly of the droid.

First, the left leg.

Then, the right.

Followed by the middle leg.

Next, I attached the feet. I propped up the outer legs off the floor, so the foot shells wouldn't get damaged under the weight of the feet.

Back on three legs, I added the leg decorations.

Oh yeah, this. I expected the bottom knurled hose fitting to bump into the front wheel since it happened with droid #1, and it did, just a little.

I shortened the fittings with a hacksaw by removing a couple of threads from the end.

That's better.

Everything is on but the dome (well, almost everything, I'll get to that in a moment).

And finally, the dome.

Droid #2 on the left, droid #1 on the right.

So, what's left? Well, after I take a bit of a breather, I still need to install the back door and rear power coupler.

I also have some minor things to do, like gluing the backing strips for the ankle bracelets in place, installing the electronics panel, and tweaking the dome screws on the Rockler bearing to get the proper height for the dome. I'll also cut and install some ankle locks to keep the feet from pivoting on the ankle bolts. None of these should be too much work.

I'm not going to make droid #2 remote-controlled immediately, but he'll be ready when the time comes. In the meantime, the electronics panel will automate sounds and dome rotation.

Phew!

Made Backstops for Utility Arms

2011-07-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight I cut out some segments of MDF that serve as "backstops" to keep the utility arms from rotating into the body when they close.

All I need are some small rectangles of MDF of the proper height. I placed a piece of scrap MDF on the vertical ribs just below where the arms meet the skins, and marked where to cut.

And cut I did.

I cut a second small segment of MDF, and rested it upon the first segment.

With the arm closed such that it was flush with the skins, from the back I marked where to glue down the MDF segment.

And glue I did.

Soon I will paint these black, and glue them onto the frame.

Painted Drivetrain Screws

2011-07-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

Since I forgot to do this yesterday, today I painted the drivetrain screws white.

I didn't have time for anything else, but at least this is done.

Cut More PVC Covers for Battery Terminals, Painted Skin Screws White, Widened Knurled Fitting Holes on Foot Shells

2011-07-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Today I came up with a semi-legitimate R2-building reason to return to Mike's. I needed to use his band saw to cut segments of PVC to cover the terminals on the second set of batteries I recently purchased.

About five minutes on the band saw, and my R2 Building at Mike's house was mostly done. These get glued onto the batteries with PVC glue.

Mike did a quality test to make sure the PVC glue is still fresh. It is.

And on they go.

Meanwhile, Mike Senna and Michael McMaster continued working on their WALL•E builds. Mike was busy working on parts for the arm.

Glad those are his fingers and not mine.

Michael finished up the main part of the build of his front box and button panel. He used Mike's finished parts as a guide.

Michael also worked on casting treads from the mold he and Mike made yesterday.

Ever wonder what would happen if the resin decided to harden while it was still being poured? Today is your lucky day (and Michael's unlucky day). That surface is supposed to be smooth, but it looks a little like the aftermath of a lava flow.

As Michael had a 3-hour drive back home, we wrapped things up and headed out. Poor Mike's R2s... they've been demoted to living under the staircase.

Back home, I took a few minutes to paint the screw heads that secure the skins to the frame. I told myself not to forget to paint the screws on the drivetrain too, but of course, I forgot.

There are six screws in this picture, but once painted, they don't stand out anymore.

I finished by fixing a minor problem on the foot shells. The holes on the front foot strips on the outer feet didn't perfectly align with the holes in the styrene foot shells. I needed to file down a few microns of styrene, using a half-round file.

That's better.

Other than installing the back door, and painting the drivetrain screws, I think things are very close to being done now.

WALL•E Build Day at Mike's

2011-07-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

What is a WALL•E building post doing in Victor's R2D2 Building Diary? (And before you ask: No, I am not building a WALL•E.) I'll work an R2 angle in before the end of this posting.

Michael McMaster came to town to work on WALL•E building with Mike Senna, and I came by to help. Michael inspected Mike's handiwork to date.

I was put to work to help with the gears, which are made from 3/4" Delrin. First, I needed to cut the Delrin into squares on the table saw.

Three WALL•Es worth (two for Senna, one for McMaster), 12 gears total.

Next, I screwed down the gear template that Mike and Michael made earlier from a similar piece of material, to use as a template for routing.

Before routing, Mike's friend Mark cut the corners off of each Delrin square, using the band saw. Lots of cutting corners.

I took the resulting piece of Delrin to the router, and used the flush-cut bit to cut the Delrin to match the MDF template.

I then drilled a 1/2" hole in the center, for the future motor shaft.

Repeat 11 more times.

Mike and Mark cut keyways into the center hole, using Mike's keyway cutting tool.

A square piece of keystock locks the shaft to the Delrin gear, much like how the Senna R2 drivetrains work.

Meanwhile, Mike and Michael molded a few of their scratch-built parts.

There were other miscellaneous WALL•E building activities as well. I sanded a lot of resin parts of Mike's that he had previously molded and casted, and Michael worked on the screen on the front part of WALL•E.

I told the guys that since this had nothing to do with R2 building, this wasn't going on the blog. They told me it had to, so as a total cheat, Roy Powers and Michael McMaster ended up looking at pictures of my R2 build on my iPad as I was leaving for the night. That was the extent of any R2 involvement. I don't think you can stretch the definition of R2 building much further than this.

Attached Ankle Cylinder Holders, Installed Large Data Port

2011-07-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight I pretty much finished up work on the legs by installing the ankle cylinder holders.

I'm using silicone to attach these to the very bottom of the ankle cylinders.

I simply pressed the parts in place, and I'll let them dry overnight.

Next, I worked on installing the large data port. It rests on the rib just above the top utility arm. I needed to remove the Rockler bearing in order to install the LDP.

I tried various approaches to taping this down. In the end, I used 3M Very High Bond tape on the top and bottom to secure the LDP to the frame.

You may not think so, but the bond is very strong. I was not able to wiggle the LDP out of place. I reattached the Rockler bearing, it rests just above the LDP and skins.

That pretty much fills out the last hole on the skins for droid #2. I still need to paint the screws that attach the skins white, and come up with a strategy for securing the back door. (I'm leaning towards magnets this time.) After that, I'll be able to install the rear power coupler.

Finsihed Installing Under Shoulder Details, Installed Ankle Cylinders, Wedges on Center Ankle, Half Moons, & Foot Strips, Repaired Foot Shell Damage

2011-07-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Back to The Big Droid Put-Together for droid #2.

Tonight I finished installing the under shoulder details on the outer legs. I used the Household Goop product, as I did the other night, this time applying it with a toothpick, since the applicator was somewhat gummed-up.

In it goes.

The legs on the final under shoulder detail were uneven, one was slightly longer than the other, and too long to fit in its spot on the leg.

I used a file to even it out with the other leg.

I again applied Goop to all the surfaces that make contact with the armpit area of the leg.

The fit looks good, these are done.

Next, I worked on installing the ankle cylinders on the center leg. I'm using 1/4" dowel segments to attach the cylinders.

I matched the holes in the backs of the cylinders to the dowels, and started pressing the cylinders in place. It's a tight squeeze, which is good. They won't fall off.

A little more pressing, and they're flush with the leg.

I then worked on installing the cylinder wedges on the center ankle. I again used silicone on the surface that makes contact with the cylinder.

I centered the piece and pressed it in place, and repeated the process on the other side. I'll let the silicone cure overnight.

Next up, installing the resin half moons on the center foot shell doors. I'm using three #4-40 1/2" screws to hold each half moon to its door. I screwed the screws in from the back such that they were barely sticking out of the front surface of the door, so I could align the holes in the back of the half moons to the screws.

A few more twists of the screwdriver, and the half moons were holding tight to the doors.

A quick test on the foot shell shows that things are looking good.

I then installed the foot strips on all three feet. Similar to the installation of the half moons, I started the process by screwing in the screws from the back side, so they just barely stuck out the front side.

And as with the half moons, another couple of turns of the screwdriver had the foot strips holding tight as well. One thing I did differently from droid #1 is that I did not have the screw go through the foot strip, it stops short of bursting through.

Same deal with the center foot shell.

I wrapped up by doing a little foot shell repair work on all three feet. On each shell, I had managed to crack some of the styrene filler out from the top corners. I applied some CA glue using a toothpick to the area needing repair.

I then glued down the stray piece of styrene.

I repeated the process for other two foot shells, which had the exact same problem. I may spray a mist coat of paint later, to help conceal the repair.

Another Lucasfilm Shoot

2011-07-13T21:57:00.001-07:00

Today R2 and I were fortunate enough to be involved in another video shoot for Lucasfilm. Again, I can't say anything regarding what the shoot was about, and I can't post pictures that give away any info, but once the video goes public I'll have more to share.

Call time was 12:00 noon at Hollywood Center Studios, in Hollywood, CA. Traffic was horrible as usual, but after the one-hour forty-five minute commute of 45 miles, I arrived a half hour early.

The main action was happening on Stage 7, but R2 was needed on Stage 2.

The neat thing about Stage 2 is, it is where the TV show "I Love Lucy" got its start. There were large pictures on the walls of the show being produced there.

Our sound technician attached a wireless mic inside of R2.

Shortly thereafter, R2 did his bit with an actor. I'll cover that in more detail in the future.

At a break in the shooting, folks stopped by to take pictures with R2 on the soundstage.

At the lunch break, R2 grabbed a fork and plate and lined up for lunch. Unfortunately, they didn't serve motor oil.

The cast and crew joined us for lunch.

After lunch we made our way back to Stage 7. Oops, better wait a few minutes...

The cast and crew on Stage 7 took an opportunity to get pictures with R2, before we headed home. I'll post more of those later too.

I was lucky enough today to add an additional autograph to R2's back door. Whose was it? Stay tuned...

Painted Cylinder Holders (Again), Unmasked Side Vents, Started Gluing in Under Shoulder Details

2011-07-12T22:40:00.000-07:00

This evening I repainted the cylinder holders. Third time's the charm!

Next, I unmasked the side vents that I glued in with silicone yesterday.

The vents are in there pretty solidly. I was able to grab one of the vent ribs and rotate the droid on the carpet, so I'd say the bond is fairly strong.

I wrapped up by gluing the first two under shoulder details in place. I'm using the "Household Goop" product for this job, because it seems to bond a little better than silicone, and sometimes folks try to help me lift the droid by the "armpits," where these details are located. I don't want them coming loose.

I applied some Goop on the main body of the part, where it makes contact with the armpit area of the leg, and also the very ends of the legs, again where they make contact.

And in it goes. Note that unlike droid #1, I did not paint the armpit area to be aluminum-colored, for a couple of reasons. First, the area is mostly hidden by the part itself, and second, it faces the ground, so unless someone gets down on their hands and knees and looks up, they won't even see what color the paint is.

I repeated the process for the other leg.

I'm only doing one part per leg, so that the Goop can fully cure, before turning the leg over and doing the other side.

Attached Side Vents & Outer Ankle Wedges, Cleaned Up Ankle Cylinder Holders

2011-07-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't see a reason why I will need to remove the skins, so I decided to glue the side vents down today, thus somewhat bonding the front and rear skins together. I did consider alternative methods of attaching the side vents, but in 4+ years I haven't had to remove the skins on droid #1, so hopefully I won't have to do so on droid #2 anytime soon.

I used a utility knife to scrape clean the back perimeter of the vents.

I then applied a bead of silicone to the perimeter of the skins where the left side vent goes.

And, on it goes.

Blue painter's tape holds the vent in place while the silicone cures.

Same deal for the right side vent. First silicone.

Followed by the vent.

Followed by tape.

Next, I worked on gluing down the ankle wedges, again with silicone. I worked on the left leg first. I only applied silicone to the bottom of the wedge piece, where it makes contact with the cylinder.

And on it goes.

I repeated the process for the right ankle. (I really like how that slot above the wedge turned out on the ankle.)

Finally, I wrapped up by doing a little clean-up work on the ankle cylinder holders that were trimmed yesterday. The band saw left a few small bumps and ridges.

I sanded them fairly smooth. I fought the temptation to use Evercoat to make them perfect. These things face the ground with only less than an inch of clearance above the foot shells. They are ready for painting (for the third time!!).

Trimmed Ankle Cylinder Holders

2011-07-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not seeing enough clearance between the top of the foot shells and the ankle cylinder holders on the outer feet for droid #2, so I decided the radius of the holders needed to be trimmed.

I cut a small piece of 3/4" scrap plywood and drilled a hole for a segment of 1/8" rod, that can match the hole on the top of the resin ankle cylinder holder.

I attached the cylinder holder to the rod, and used a compass to mark where I wanted to trim. About 1/4" of material will be removed.

I drilled a pivot-point into the scrap wood and the MDF that held everything, and inserted a nail into the hole. I then went over to my friend Kelvin's house so we could use his band saw to trim the holders.

We decided to do a smaller test cut first, to make sure that this would work. It did.

With the test cut successful, we moved on to cutting along the line.

We repeated the process on the second cylinder holder, and it went well too. Four pieces of scrap, and two reduced ankle cylinder holders.

On Stage with Weird Al

2011-07-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight R2 got to join several Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, and a Jawa on stage for Weird Al Yankovic's concert at the Pacific Amphitheater, in Costa Mesa, CA.

This was an interesting event for me for several reasons. First, I'd never done this concert before, and wanted to do it. Second, R2-building buddy Matthew Henricks is a huge Weird Al fan, and although he did the show last year, he would have loved to do it again this year. He graciously wrangled for me and took pictures and video, as I operated R2 on stage. Finally, my lifelong friend Kelvin's wife Patti is also a huge Weird Al fan, and I was determined to try to help her meet Al in person.

Call time was 7:00pm, and the characters gathered at the bottom of the ramp that leads to the backstage area. The show was to start at 8:15pm, and the Star Wars characters were scheduled to perform during the encore to Al's song, "The Saga Begins."

Before the show, Matthew and I scouted the stage for the inevitable cables. Luckily, Matthew brought a large section of board, and the stage crew laid down carpet and taped it down for R2 to drive over.

Due to the relatively late call time and the fact that the audience was already starting to get seated, we did not get a chance to do a stage rehearsal.

Instead, Shawn Crosby walked everyone through the moves. (This also comes in handy during a holdup.)

Meanwhile, R2 hid incognito near the dressing room. I had to wait until after dark to park him backstage, or else the audience would have seen him hiding back there, even with the dome lights off.

Unfortunately, we were not able to see the show from the dressing room, although we could at least hear it. It was plenty loud.

About 45 minutes before the encore, the Star Wars characters started changing into costumes. Al's daughter wore a costume supplied by wrangler Wellington Eng, made from the authentic material that was used in the original Star Wars film.

The Stormtroopers and Vader suited up as well. I had nothing better to do than take pictures.

As the encore approached, everyone got ready backstage for their entrance. I already had R2 ready to go behind the curtain.

And on we went! R2 was on the very right, our Jawa on the very left, and the troopers and Vader in the middle, along with Al and the band.

It looks like I should have had R2 positioned closer to center-stage, but I wanted to make sure I didn't interfere with the dancing troopers. More than once the spotlight was on R2. At one point, Al walked over and sang tenderly to R2.

By the nature of a nighttime outdoor concert, the pictures and videos won't be very sharp. You may want to click the Full Screen icon for the YouTube videos.

[Update, yet another version that has the whole song, mostly of the video board. Unfortuantely, when Al sang to R2 at the 4:50 mark ("...the battle droids were broken..."), R2 was below the camera's field of view.]

Once the song ended, R2 led the characters off the stage. The concerted ended shortly thereafter, and then we lined the characters up for pictures with other friends and fans that had backstage passes. Lots of pictures!

Heck, I even jumped in for a quick picture.

This was a rare occasion where Al was so mobbed, he didn't have an opportunity to meet with the Star Wars characters after the show. However, all hope was not lost...

Best of all, thanks to Shawn, I was able to get Patti backstage to meet Al, which was a chance of a lifetime for her.

Thank you to Matthew Henricks for the backstage video and for helping Kelvin and Patti with tickets, and Kelvin and Patti for the pictures and video from the audience vantage point.

The full photoset is here.

Repainted Center Leg

2011-07-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight I (re)painted the center leg, after all the hacking and minor repair I did to it this past week.

I started with a couple coats of white primer.

And I finished with three coats of Rustoleum Satin White.

Hopefully I won't need to do any more work on the center leg.

More Center Ankle Finishing Work, Attached Ankle Details

2011-07-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

I applied some more primer to the center ankle, and found a few small areas that could use just a little more filling.

These areas will hardly be seen (if at all), so I'm not going to worry about them much more. On goes a some Evercoat.

After it dried, I sanded it smooth. I think I can move forward with primer and paint soon.

I also attached the resin ankle details to the ankles. I'm using short segments of toothpicks for this, and they work remarkably well. (I just remarked on it, so there's your proof.)

I cut the tip off of each toothpick, and measured and marked four 1/2" segments.

I used the wire-cutting part of my needle nose pliers to cut the segments.

I inserted one end into the backs of the ankle details. It's a nice, snug fit.

The other end goes into the matching holes I drilled in the leg, back in January.

I pressed the ankle detail flush with the leg. It's on there nice and tight, I don't think it will be going anywhere anytime soon.

I decided to do a test fit of the ankle cylinder holders. They fit well when R2 is standing straight up.

Oh yeah, this problem. When the foot tilts the required 18 degrees, things don't fit correctly. I had this with droid #1 as well, and it's similar to the problem I've been having with the center leg.

For droid #1, I trimmed about 1/4" off the outer radius of the ankle cylinder holders. As of now, I plan to do the same for droid #2.

I'm still not sure what's the root cause of this problem, but it either has to be that the ankle bolt hole in the ankle is too high, or the hole in the drivetrain for the ankle bolt is too low. Or some combination of both. Either way, I don't much care anymore, I'm gong to trim the cylinder holder.

Evercoat for Center Ankle, Installed Ankle Bracelets, Booster Cover Slot Fillers

2011-07-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

This evening I put in a little (re)finishing work on the center ankle.

The silly thing is, most of this work will never be seen, as it faces just millimeters above the top of the center foot shell. Still, it's not a lot of effort, and some small areas on the sides needed a little work. This was a first pass with Evercoat, I probably need to make another light pass tomorrow.

Next, I worked on fitting the ankle bracelets back on. As was the case yesterday when fitting the booster cover parts together, today I found that the paint thickness made it difficult to get the bracelets around the booster covers.

I sanded the paint from the inner perimeter of the PVC ankle bracelets.

After iterative sanding and fitting, I finally got the bracelets around the booster covers.

Finally, I wrapped up by fitting the booster cover slot fillers into the slots on the booster cover top pieces. I had painted these aluminum a little while ago, and once again, the thickness of the paint made for too tight a fit, so they needed to be sanded a little bit too, and then they were able to fit in. It's still a very snug fit, so I didn't need to glue these in. They will be difficult to remove if I ever need to do so, I'll have to push them out from the front.

The Lucasfilm droids have these slot fillers aluminum colored, so that's what I did here. On droid #1, I painted them blue. I think I actually like the blue better, but this is okay too.

Fixed Leg Holes for Booster Cover Top Pieces

2011-07-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

Way back in July 2009 (almost exactly two years ago), I drilled the legs for the booster cover top pieces. Well, now that the booster covers parts are each covered in literally about half a dozen coats of primer, paint and clearcoat, things don't fit so well anymore.

I needed to lengthen the holes on the legs a little bit in the top/bottom direction, so I used the #19 drill bit to do a little gouging

That's better.

Same deal with the other side. A little drilling, and we're good.

I still need to return to finishing the cleanup on the center leg. Soon.

Center Leg Hacking

2011-07-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

Today I returned to Mike's for consultation on how to get the center leg to lean back the required 18 degrees.

The first thing we tried was redrilling the ankle bolt hole 1/8" lower. While I didn't hold out much hope that this would solve the lean problem, it would help solve another - that the bolt had trouble fitting through the foot shell door since the hole was so high.

Mike marked the spot to drill, and did the drilling.

I forgot to take a picture of a test fit, but suffice it to say that the lean problem didn't improve much. The protractor shows where the lean should be.

Alright, fine. I knew what I had to do, so I did it.

Well, it leans now.

This means that my droid is out of spec. So is my first droid, and I haven't been cast out yet. I've even seen pictures of a Lucasfilm droid that has the curved area of the ankle squared off.

I JB Welded the flange back in the hole.

The hacked leg got the Evercoat treatment, followed by a coat of white primer. I can't use gray primer now, since I can't easily hit the spots that were hacked.

I'll probably clean this up just a little more, paint it, and call it done.

I really don't know what went wrong, as all the parts are to club spec, but for whatever reason things didn't come together like I hoped they would. Oh well.

Car Dent Removal & Plugged Center Ankle Bolt Hole at Mike's

2011-07-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Sometime this past January, I managed to back my car's trunk into a metal staircase banister, as seen in this picture snagged from Google Street View. Click here for a full-sized picture.

In fairness to myself, while it looks like the metal banister is very far away from where the cars are parked in front of it on the right side of the picture, there was a very large and wide truck parked along the curb to the right of the car in the center that is driving away. I was parked where the black car with the large red tail lights is parked on the right. I was not able to even begin turning as I was backing out until my car was about as far back as the car that is driving away. Anyway, I managed to bump the rail, and put this dent in the trunk.

Nasty

Mike thought he might be able to literally take a whack at pounding it out, so today I went by to see what he could do. The job was accomplished with MDF and a hammer.

Many taps later, and the dent is 97% gone. Senna Auto Repair is in business!

Next up, the WALL•E report. Mike has finished painting the bodies, and they look amazing!

Finally, I showed Mike the problem I'm having with the center ankle/foot combination not being able to tilt a full 18 degrees from the vertical. I showed this earlier, but here it is again. (With the foot shell on, it's even worse.)

We discussed several options, including shaving some of the curved area of the ankle just above the wooden foot, and relocating the ankle bolt holes on both the ankle and wooden foot.

In the end, we decided it would be worth taking a shot at moving the hole on the ankle a little lower. Moving the hole up on the wooden foot presents other challenges, such as not being able to slide the bolt in under the top of the foot shell door frame. For those who pay an insane amount of attention to this blog, you may recall I went through this on droid #1 as well.

From a blueprint perspective, the hole is definitely not too high. In fact, per request, Matthew Henricks' CNC legs locate the ankle bolt holes at 1/2" from the tips of the ankles, which is actually a little closer to the tips than the blueprints call out. But in this case, I think I need the hole to be even slightly closer to the end, perhaps more like 3/8" from the tip.

The first step is to remove the bronze bushing. I cut a 1" segment of 1/2" steel tubing to help force the bushing in the ankle out.

I cut a small piece of scrap MDF, and drilled a 1/2" hole in it. Then, I used a C-clamp to push the steel tube segment into the bronze bushing, which caused the bushing to move up into the hole in the MDF.

After a few twists on the clamp, I was able to pull out the bushing.

The ankle tip is 1" wide, so I cut a pair of 1/2" thick x 1/2" diameter plugs from some scrap Baltic birch plywood, using my trusty plug cutter.

Mike had some Gorilla Glue handy, so he swabbed some on the inside perimeter of the ankle bolt hole, and on the wooden plugs.

In they go.

I plan to return to Mike's tomorrow to redrill the hole. If all goes well, the 18 degree tilt problem will be solved. If not, I suppose we'll start considering Plan B (give up?).

CHOC Summer 2011 Visit

2011-07-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today R2 returned to Children's Hospital Orange County, for his Summer 2011 visit.

As usual, no pictures of patients, but a typical room visit looked a lot like this. Amber, the special programs coordinator, escorted us from room to room, announcing the exciting guest to each patient we visited. One youngster in particular went from somewhat groggy to instant elation when he saw R2.

As always, the staff loves R2 and they don't miss a chance to take pictures.

There are also activity rooms for patients and family members that we visit each time. Goodies are handed out (action figures, Star Wars PEZ dispensers, Star Wars stickers, coloring books, etc.) in both the activity rooms and the patients' rooms. I managed to avoid getting any patients in this shot.

Another very good visit.

The Big Droid Put-Together Continues

2011-06-30T23:09:00.001-07:00

The work on assembling droid #2 continues.

I started with an easy step, mounting the shoulder buttons and hydraulics.

In November 2008, I was careful to drill the angle for the top button at 5 degrees, so that it has the proper tilt.

Next up, installing the channel on the drivetrain. It's tough to hold the nut in place under the hole, so I used a very thin piece of scrap wood as a tray to slide the nut under the hole.

I'll paint the screw heads white with a paint brush later.

Another easy one, installing the half-moons on the outer doors.

Time to put the legs back on. I first installed the covers for the wooden shoulder discs.

The part I hate, installing the feet.

This is why I hate it. It is easy to damage the foot shells. I should really put something under the ankle area to prop them up off the ground. I guess I'll need to repair this sometime soon.

I wrapped up by attempting to install some of the leg details. The screws that hold the booster cover top pieces in place are fitting too snugly into their holes in the legs, so I'll need to gouge the holes to be a little wider. I also need to sand some of the paint off the inner perimeter of the ankle bracelets, as they no longer want to fit around the booster covers, now that everything is painted. I installed the Rockler bearing, and plopped the dome on top.

The most obvious problem is the one I mentioned the other day; namely, that R2 is standing too straight. He isn't able to lean the requisite 36 degrees between the center leg and the outer legs. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to plug the ankle holes, and redrill them lower. They're already centered at 1/2" from the tips of the ankles, but that doesn't look like it's going to be enough. I'll start with the center ankle, and see if that's sufficient.

Even though I'll have a few days off, I'm not sure how much time I'll be able to put into this. We shall see.

Unmasked Skin Panels, Glued in Side Styrene Skin Pieces, Taped in Final Skin Panel, Glued Side Vent Parts Together

2011-06-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

This morning I removed the masking tape I was using to hold the skin panels on that I had glued with silicone a couple of days ago.

All the panels are holding tight, so that's good.

In the evening, I worked on gluing in the styrene pieces that go on the bottom sides of the skins. First, I needed to cut a couple of 3" wooden posts from scraps.

I applied Testors model glue on the side that the styrene gets glue to, and wood glue on the bottom, where it is glued to the bottom of the frame.

No need to worry about the glue dripping, the carpet will catch it.

I then slid the styrene piece in place, and using the holes for the octagon ports, held it all together with my fingers for several minutes, while the glue had time to set.

I also taped the last skin panel in place, the one that I had to repair the other day. Again, I used blue tape to keep the panel centered on the outside.

I used masking tape on the inside to tape the panel in place. I'm not gluing it in, in case I want to hinge it in the future.

I wrapped up by gluing the side vents together. These are two-piece vents. Once piece is the blue background, the other is the aluminum grill.

There aren't any screws for this part, so I simply laid the back plate on top of the grill, and applied silicone along the perimeter.

I smeared it around a bit, and I'll let this dry overnight.

As I mentioned earlier, I'll probably wait a little bit before gluing the side vents onto the skins, since once they are on, the skins won't be easy to remove anymore. Just in case I need to remove the skins for some unforeseen reason during this final assembly, I don't want to make things more difficult than they need to be.

Started Attaching Skin Panels

2011-06-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today I attached most of the skin panels.

I'm using silicone to attach the panels that will be in place semi-permanently.

First, I applied some silicone around the perimeter of the hole where each panel belongs.

Next, I placed the panel down, and used a toothpick to scoop out any silicone that seeped into the seam.

I then used the blue painter's tape to secure the panel, while the silicone dries overnight.

This process was repeat many times.

I also glued down the pocket vents and front coin return with silicone.

After letting the silicone cure for a few hours, I applied more silicone to the seam on the backs of these panels.

I used my finger to smear it around.

For the framed panels that I may want to hinge one day so that they can open and close, I used regular masking tape, as I did on droid #1. I used blue painter's tape to help center the panel in place.

Then I applied the masking tape on the inside, to hold the panel in place, and then I was able to remove the blue tape on the front.

Unfortunately, on the long front panel on the left, I pressed too hard and cracked the bond between the frame piece and the rest of the panel, at the very bottom.

I used silicone to help seal that up.

I clipped the frame back onto the panel, and I'll let that dry overnight.

I wrapped up by attaching the two long panels on the rear skins with silicone.

I also applied silicone on the backs of these panels, and then afterward smeared it smooth.

Here's where things stand.

Still to do on the skins: Attach the panel that I cracked (assuming it is good to go), and attach the small styrene side pieces that go on the sides. I will probably attach the side vents toward the end, because once those go on, taking the skins off won't be easy, since they attach to both the front and rear skins.

I may not have time to work on droid #2 tomorrow, but I'll get back to it as soon as I can.

Prepped Skin Panels for Gluing

2011-06-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

I was short on droid-building time today, so I got little done.

The next thing I want to do is glue the skin panels onto the skins with silicone, but before I do that I need to clean them up.

The panels have been sitting face-up since I painted them in April, 2008. That means a lot of dust and grime needed to be cleaned off. Some moist paper towels did the trick.

Next, I needed to clean off excess silicone, along with primer, paint, oxidation, and other miscellaneous gunk, from the back edges of the panels, as this is the area that will adhere to the skins.

This took a lot longer than it looks, but hopefully the panels are ready to be glued down now.

The Big Droid Put-Together Begins

2011-06-25T22:16:00.001-07:00

Calvin & Hobbes had the "Horrendous Space Kablooie," I have the "Big Droid Put-Together." It's time to start putting the turkey together, after roughly 4 years of building.

Before starting, however, I decided to attempt a part count for droid #2. For the purposes of counting, everything that I scratch-built got counted by their constituent components. For example, if each outer leg is composed of five layers of wood, then each leg counted as five layers, not just one leg. For parts and electronics that I purchased, items that came assembled (e.g., the front logics) count as one piece. Parts that require assembly were counted by their constituent components (the aluminum skins, for example).

My preliminary part count, which is sure to change upon closer review: 1,420 parts

I realize that may sound preposterous to some, but it's true (again, subject to a double-check of the spreadsheet). I plan to post the spreadsheet a little later.

Okay, on to the Big Droid Put-Together. Here's what is waiting to be assembled.

That doesn't look too bad. (Hah!)

Even though they can't stay on for now, I decided to test-fit the legs first, just to make sure all was well.

The center leg went in first.

The outer legs get the fun gas pipe assembly. Hmm, which leg is which, anyway? The paint wiped out my markings!

I think everything is okay so far.

Next, I pulled the legs back off, and started mounting the skins. The inner back goes first.

Followed by the inner front.

Followed by the outer back.

And finally, the outer front.

Next, I started mounting parts. The front octagon port.

The rear octagon port.

The front power coupler.

The coin slots.

The utility arms.

And finally, the front vents.

I fully expect to find problems as I go, and I did find my first one.

I tried to take a short cut and rehabilitate a center foot that I built but was not able to use on droid #1. Unfortunately, I may not be able to use this on droid #2 either, because the center leg won't be able to lean back the required 18 degrees. I will either need to plug and redrill some holes on the ankle or foot (or both), or rebuild the foot from scratch. I'm not sure yet how I'll deal with this. I'll think about it some more.

In the meantime, I need to start gluing the remaining skin panels down with silicone.

Glued in Battery Harnesses, Pins for Harnesses on Droid #1, Glued on Covers for New Battery Terminals

2011-06-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I glued the the battery harnesses onto the battery boxes. I had intended to start putting together the whole droid, but I decided to do this first.

First, I made dots in pencil for where the harnesses belong, and then I lightly roughed-up the paint where the harnesses will be glued.

I used a relatively fresh tube of silicone, and applied a blob on the top and bottom parts of the harnesses, and glued the parts down.

I used a bent toothpick as a brush to apply silicone to the pins, to keep them from sliding out.

With any luck, these should be glued in nice and solidly in the morning.

Droid #1 has been running around for some time now with two pins missing from his battery harnesses, on the outer harness on each side. For shame.

I cut a couple of pins from the same 3/16" steel rod that I used for droid #2.

I fitted them in place, and applied the same silicone trick that I used with droid #2 on these pins.

Lastly, now that the new batteries for droid #1 are wired up, I decided to cover the terminals. As much as I love sparks on the grinder, I don't want to see any from my electronics.

I scrounged up some scrap pieces of PVC and glued them in place.

Done.

New Battery Wireup & Attached Knurled Fittings to Battery Boxes at Mike's

2011-06-18T22:03:00.001-07:00

I recently ordered new batteries for R2 (droid #1). After 4+ years, the batteries are starting to show signs of age, they don't run all day long like they used to. I've been pretty happy with the batteries, so I ordered the exact same ones as last time.

Mike has a beefy soldering gun for this type of job and he knows how to use it, and he kindly offered to help. Before anything else, though, I had to check out the latest progress on his WALL•E build. The front and top panels have been weathered, and they look outstanding.

On to the batteries. These are 6-volt, 12 amp-hour batteries, hooked up in pairs in series to supply 12 volts to my droid. Two sets of these pairs are tied in parallel to provide long-lasting power.

The holes in the terminals need a little widening.

The only thing I'm qualified to do is drill out slightly larger holes. Mike did the first pair, I did the other three.

Under the supervision of one of his chickens, Mike did all the soldering. (Mike said, "She taught me everything I know.")

Mike continued the solder job. I marked the received date on the batteries so that I'll know how old they are, and so I can tell them apart from the original batteries.

Fire is good for all sorts of things, including getting the shrink tubing to do it's work around the wires.

Everything tested perfectly at 12 volts. It was time to move on to the battery boxes.

These battery boxes come courtesy of Craig Smith, and are outstanding. The only trouble I have with them is that the 5/8"-18 threads in the resin shrink slightly when the resin cures, making it difficult to screw in the knurled fittings.

Mike recommending Dremeling down the threads, and he went to work on the first battery box.

The "before" on the right, and the "after" on the left. It turns out just a minimum amount of thread is required to keep the knurled fitting in place.

I finished up the second battery box, and now everything fits.

I think this wraps up the build portion of droid #2. It's time to put the sucker together for the first time soon.

R2 Bowls Again to Fight Child Abuse

2011-06-12T23:50:00.001-07:00

Today R2 returned to Canoga Park Bowl in Winnetka, CA, to help the International Chid Abuse Network raise funds for their very worthy cause.

People in attendance paid a $15.00 donation, and got to bowl and have lunch. The fundraiser also auctioned off various gift baskets and goodies.

R2 was joined by members of the 501st Legion.

He used his claw to play the claw game.

Fun with the folks.

When it came time for R2's turn to bowl, I had to negotiate a ramp reminiscent of a funhouse, but we made it down okay.

The last time R2 was here, he bowled nothing but gutter balls. I was determined to knock down at least one pin.

On this roll, I managed six(!). Ignore the two balls already in the gutter.

On another roll, I got one more pin to fall, for a grand total of seven on the day. Probably better than my personal average.

Another good outing.

Pins for Battery Box Harnesses

2011-06-11T22:24:00.001-07:00

I keep looking for little details that remain to be finished on droid #2 before final assembly, and today I found another one. I hadn't yet cut the pins for the battery box harnesses.

I'm using 3/16" diameter steel rod for this. I used the harnesses themselves to determine the correct length, and marked it with a pen.

Next, I cut the segments to size.

Four segments later, and they're in.

I haven't decided if I will glue these in somehow. They were a tight fit and they don't seem like they want to fall out, but then again over the years R2 takes a lot of vibration, so it would probably behoove me to do so.

Foil Tape for Leg Grooves

2011-06-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

One last detail to take care of on the legs, the grooves that circumscribe the legs just above the ankles need to have an aluminum look to them. As with droid #1, I decided to go with foil tape.

Pinstriping would probably work better, but I am too lazy to go out looking for the right size. Instead, I pretty much eyeballed the width, and measured out a little extra length at 13", and used an X-acto knife to cut a strip to size.

I used wax paper and a mechanical pencil to lay the tape smoothly into the grooves. Groovy.

At this stage of the build, everything is starting to look good enough.

CHLA Celebrate Life Event 2011 at Paramount Studios

2011-06-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

Today R2 made his second appearance at Paramount Studios in Hollywood for the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Celebrate Life with Hope event.

I arrived ridiculously early, in order to be allowed to drive R2 in at a drop-off spot, and secure a decent parking place. Since R2 was the first Star Wars character to arrive, I ended up parking him next to a cool mini-fighter.

The other characters arrived on time around 11:00am, and their changing room was one of the backlot sets.

The entire area we were in was a large backlot that is used for TV, commercials and film. These buildings are just facades.

At 12:30pm, the guests were allowed to enter, and the pictures started.

Chris Romines and R2-A1 joined us for duo droid duty.

The 501st and Rebel Legion were well represented.

Vader, taking his droid for a walk.

Toward the end of the day, the characters gathered for a group picture.

Another good day for a worthy cause.

The full photoset is here.

Finished Painting Booster Covers

2011-06-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

Time to finish painting the booster covers! This time, the aluminum-colored sections get painted.

I applied a couple of coats.

A little later, I removed the masking tape and took a look.

Well, that looks pretty terrible. The paint somehow managed to leak underneath the masking tape in some areas. I used rubbing compound to see if I could remove the excess aluminum paint.

Amazingly, this worked. I think this is acceptable.

The end is near.

Masked Booster Covers for Silver Painting

2011-06-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

Tonight I masked the booster covers for the last of the spray painting on droid #2 (or so I think).

Earlier I wrote that I planned to use a fine-bristled brush to paint the aluminum-colored parts of the booster covers, but I changed my mind and I've decided I'll spray paint them. I've found that the clearcoat doesn't take to paint brushes too well. That means, a lengthy masking job.

For the curved part at the top of the vertical grooves, I used a hole punch to create a circular hole in the masking tape, and then I cut it in half.

That seemed to work out pretty well.

Done.

Hopefully I can get this painted up tomorrow. It's a pretty small area, so it should not take long.

The LucasArts/Xbox Kinect R2 Commercial

2011-06-01T20:22:00.001-07:00

The commercial for LucasArts and Xbox Kinect with R2 hit the air on Spike TV last night, as well as the web, and I now have permission to say more about the shoot I did on May 19, 2011.

First, here is a copy on YouTube:

The official Facebook link to the commercial is here, and the producers and I ask that you visit that link as well. The ad will only appear on Spike TV and the web, leading up to E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles.

As promised, R2's role in the ad is short and sweet. R2 is trying to romance the Xbox Kinect, without any success. Finally dejected, R2 sighs and then the Kinect responds to his lament, and reciprocates. They live happily ever after. I definitely like it, although it's conceivable that I'm biased.

Most of the audio was dubbed in post-production, but I'm fairly sure the intro sounds were from the set. R2 was slightly sped up at the end, possibly due to the operator (i.e. me) not being quick enough on the stick.

The shoot was done at Swift River Productions, in Los Angeles, CA. Call time was noon, I arrived around 11:00am. At least three different spots were shot that day, with R2 being the only Star Wars-related ad. I'm not sure if I can discuss the other two, so for now I won't.

Both LucasArts and Microsoft had friendly representatives on-site to help facilitate and supervise the shoot.

The production crew was very friendly, and they provided snacks, lunch and water/sodas, so everyone was well taken care of.

R2's turn on set didn't come until a little after 3:00pm, as things were running behind schedule somewhat, which isn't unusual with these things. We went over the script, which I hadn't seen prior to stepping on the set.

The first shot called for R2 to motor in from stage right. I suggested that R2 glance over at the Kinect, back up a step, and approach, and that's what we shot. It's hard to tell in the ad that he backs up, but he does, ever so slightly. The back of the flat screen TV acts as a wipe-in.

A fair amount of time was spent setting up the lighting. R2 was not a problem, but some of the shiny surfaces on the TV cabinet and the Kinect itself presented challenges. There was a small monitor behind the TV facing me so that I could see how well R2 was in-frame, but I really spent most of my time looking at the floor to make sure R2 hit his marks.

We did three or four takes from this angle, having R2 try to get the Kinect's attention. I played sounds on the set, in case they would end up making the cut (and it sounds like some did), and as a guide track for dubbed sounds. The folks from Microsoft were in charge of firing up the Xbox when the time came for it to respond.

While the crew wanted to shoot the exact same content from the reverse angle behind R2, the production was running late enough that we skipped the drive-in, and went straight to R2 courting the Kinect, and the Kinect nodding its response.

By the time 5:00pm rolled around, R2 was done shooting, and it was time to whisk him off the set in order for the next spot to start shooting.

As always, I'm truly appreciative for opportunities like this, just as I'm appreciative for the many lower-profile charitable appearances I get to do with R2. Speaking of which, the next two weekends look to be busy. :-)

The full photoset is here.

Repainted Booster Cover Top Piece

2011-05-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried touching up the blue paint on the messed-up top piece of the booster cover, but I only made things worse. So, time for the acetone bath. (I hope this is the last time I need to do this.)

If you ever wanted to see the Krider painting process in reverse, today is your lucky day.

Quite a few paper towels later, I had cleaned the part down to the white primer. I applied a little more primer before painting.

Purple.

Blue.

And a couple of light clear coats.

No runs, no drips, no errors.

Painted Booster Cover Slot Fillers, Worked on Removing Drip from Booster Cover Head Piece

2011-05-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

Today I continued work on the booster cover paint job, starting with the slot fillers for the booster cover head pieces. I'm painting these aluminum colored for droid #2, as the reference pictures indicate they should be painted.

That was easy. Only the front face (the small dimension) is seen, although I did paint all visible surfaces.

Now, on to the less fun job for the day. A large drip of clear coat ended up running down the top of one of the booster cover head pieces. I decided to attempt to buff it out with rubbing compound.

After quite a while, I mostly got it out, but it's still slightly visible from certain angles and in a certain light.

Worse, it looks like I rubbed off not only some of the clear coat, but also a tiny spot of the blue paint that covers the purple layer.

I will probably try reapplying another coat or two of clear coat and see how it looks. I'll warn you now that there's a chance I will repaint this head piece. We'll see...

Lego R2 II

2011-05-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

The Lego store at Downtown Disney is building another 8-foot tall R2, so Mike and I drove down there to check it out.

First, we met up with Dave Annetta and Rik Morgan for dinner.

Then, we visited the R2-in-progress. Half way done, just where he should be for this weekend's build. A finished scale model sits on top.

Later, the Miyamoto family joined us, with Zoe and mommy Nikki dancing to the live music.

Unlike the last time they built the big Lego R2 here, I won't be able to make it back for the finish tomorrow. Oh well.

Painted Booster Covers

2011-05-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

At long last, today I began painting the booster covers.

The parts are all primed with white primer. So up first, Rustoleum Metallic Purple.

I generally painted the sides first and then the top.

Next up, Duplicolor Anodized Blue.

Followed by two coats of Rustoleum Crystal Clear Enamel.

Of course, the colors look darker when the parts are out of the sunlight.

Once this dries, I need to paint the vertical grooves at the bottom of the main body pieces aluminum-colored. I'll apply foil tape to the small horizontal grooves. I will probably do this with a fine-bristled brush, rather than mask it and spray paint, as I tried to do on droid #1. I also need to paint the rectangular inserts for the slots on the head pieces, I'll probably do that tomorrow.

Booster Cover Touch-Up

2011-05-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

While I wait for an opportunity to paint the booster covers, I can't help but look for imperfections. I found a really small one, on the lower-right corner of one of the head pieces. It's not that I can't live with this, it's that I want the paint job to turn out right, and things like this sometimes mess it up.

So I decided to rebuild the whole thing from scratch.

Just kidding. You know I used Evercoat.

And you know I sanded it smooth after the Evercoat dried.

And you know I hit it with primer to see that it turned out okay.

See? This entry was unnecessary, you already knew all that.

I can't wait to get these guys painted. Hopefully before the weekend is up.

Maker Faire 2011 - Day 2

2011-05-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the second and final day of Maker Faire.

As always, setup before the crowd arrives.

Before the show opened, Michael McMaster and I took a look around the entrance area to see what was up.

I'm in Make: magazine. Literally!

The famous Tesla coil and Faraday cage, from a closer vantage point. Michael McMaster really wanted to volunteer to be in that thing, but it didn't work out.

10:00am rolled around, and it was showtime! This time, I'll inundate you with pictures.

Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs spoke on stage, and got into the Faraday cage.

Adam Savage from MythBusters also took a turn in the cage. Unfortunately, we didn't have our second MythBuster visit the booth in two straight days.

Michael McMaster, Chris James and I managed to get outside for a few minutes of peace and quiet at lunchtime, and it was no less crowded outside.

Around 3:00pm it was time for us to start heading out, as we had a near 8-hour drive ahead of us. Of course, R2 can't get to the car without being stopped for pictures.

And off we headed, for the 400+ mile journey home.

If you're going to be stuck in traffic, this is probably a good truck to be stuck behind.

Thanks so much to Chris James for organizing the Maker Faire appearance, and all the Bay Area R2 Builders for your kindness and hospitality!

Maker Faire 2011 - Day 1

2011-05-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Today was day #1 at Maker Faire 2011 in San Mateo, CA. We arrived around 9:00am, and started setting up amongst the R2 builders that had already arrived.

I also lent a hand to Mike and Michael in setting up the adjacent WALL•E Builders booth.

All of us pulled booth duty in our respective booths. Here, Steve Simmons explains his droid to some of the attendees. This was typical of the day we spent in the booth, so I'll spare you 1,000 pictures that are quite similar.

Outside, a droid of a different color - the Google Android - balanced his way about on two wheels, with help from some internal gyroscopes.

Don Bies, the official R2-D2 operator for Star Wars Episodes II and III, and Grant Imahara, who worked on R2 at ILM, and of MythBusters fame dropped by to pay a visit to our booths. From left: Steve Simmons, Mike Senna, Gerard Fajardo, Grant Imahara, Grant McKinney, Don Bies, Matt McCormick, Victor Franco, Michael McMaster and Chris James.

Who better to do the Don Bies droid pose with, than Don Bies? (I need to work on my pose.)

Grant also joined me and my droid for a quick picture, followed by a visit to the WALL•E side of the fence with Mike Senna and Michael McMaster.

After we were done with the show, we caught dinner, and Matt McCormick awarded Chris James with a well-deserved lifetime achievement award.

Tomorrow is day #2. I need to rest!

Maker Faire Bay Area Road Trip

2011-05-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

For R2's fourth birthday today, he got to go on a road trip.

Maker Faire is this weekend in San Mateo, just south of San Francisco. That means that R2 and I hopped into Mike Senna's van with him and his family, for the 413 mile, near 7-hour drive up from Southern California.

I'm bringing my R2 to join the Bay Area builders, and Mike Senna and Michael McMaster are bringing their WALL•Es-in-progress to show at the adjacent WALL•E Builders booth.

Once we cleared the LA area, there wasn't much to see other than farmland, although we did cross the California Aqueduct once or twice.

Around 4:00pm, we arrived in San Mateo, and the site of Maker Faire.

All sorts of interesting things to see on setup day. Like this stilt creature, reminiscent of the one the movie, The Dark Crystal.

Or, an electric giraffe.

The famous, buzzing Tesla coil and Faraday cage were also being tested, in the same hall where the R2 and WALL•E builders will be. This promises to be a loud weekend.

Steve Simmons and Grant McKinney appeared on the local NBC news affiliate with their droids.

I'm not sure I'd want my droid under what looks like a 2-ton stone, but this is Maker Faire.

The Coke-and-Mentos guys were there, doing their thing.

A number of human-powered, chain-driven vehicles were on display. Very interesting stuff.

Tonight R2 will spend the night in my hotel room, facing the corner for easy access to the back door and batteries. Tomorrow morning, it's Maker Faire, day #1!

LucasFilm Commercial Shoot

2011-05-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

Today R2 did a real, officially sanctioned television commercial shoot for LucasFilm. I'm told it will be a very brief spot. I need to be intentionally vague and evasive as to what the commercial is for, but check back in a week or two after it airs, and I should be able to share more pictures and information. In the meantime...

[UPDATE - June 1, 2011: The commercial is on the air, click here for more details.]

R2 arrived about an hour early, before his noon call time.

As always, R2 made quick friends with cast and crew.

R2 waits in the wings, as the crew sets up the next shot.

Setting up a reverse shot, over R2's shoulder, after having done the front-facing shot.

Aaaand... action!

If I find out more precisely when and where the commercial will air, I'll follow-up. Hopefully it will be on the web as well.

Next up, road trip!

Finished Mist Can (and Car Key Found)

2011-05-15T16:46:00.001-07:00

I wanted to paint the booster covers today, but in the morning it was drizzling, and in the afternoon it was very breezy, so no painting today. Instead, I went back to Mike's to retrieve all my stuff from yesterday, including the modified mist can.

With the JB Weld on the trigger having dried overnight, I attached the paper clip from the solenoid to the trigger rod, and it works great. I will need to transfer this cap each time I move on to another can of mist, but that's not a big deal.

On another subject, the missing car key from yesterday's R2LA build day was located! During last night's search, Mike and I speculated on one of the scenarios, and it turns out it happened: It got scooped up in the newspaper that was used during David's frame glue-up. The newspaper went home with him, as did the key. It was found and returned today. That's a relief!

R2LA Builders Day

2011-05-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today Mike hosted an R2LA builders day, so I went over to get my new speed controller installed (more on that in a moment), and work on my mist sprayer.

Three chicks were nesting in the rain gutter attached to Mike's shed.

Before we got down to building, William, Mike and Russell sampled some of Russell's home-brewed Amber Ale. Some people work better under the influence.

Okay, now to my failed speed controller. We took it apart, and Matthew Henricks and David Annetta identified a blown-out MOSFET near the middle of the underside of the power board.

It left a nice scorch mark on the middle of the case as well.

So, it was time to rewire and install a new speed controller. For the moment, I am using another Vantec RDFR23, but I will likely switch to a different vendor. For whatever reason, I've had failures with this controller, but when I Google about it, I don't see anyone else having trouble. Still, I am unable to identify anything about my droid that would cause trouble.

David Annetta is an electrician at Disneyland, so he lent his soldering expertise several times during the day. I get wired with a little help from my friends.

Slowly but surely I got the new speed controller wired-up.

I gave it a spin. So far, so good. Let's hope it stays that way for a while.

In the meantime, the other guys kept busy. William worked on his 300mm styrene dome, while Russell worked on a center foot shell repair job.

When he was not helping me with soldering, David and the guys glued up his frame. (I wonder how many frames have been glued up on that table now?)

Finally, I've been unhappy about how my mist can is triggered. Mike's mist can uses a steel rod that is JB Welded to the trigger as a lever. A paper clip attaches the lever to the solenoid that is strapped to the can. Naturally, I wanted to copy that.

I had brought some 3/16" steel rod, which Mike ground down on one end in order to drill a hole for the paper clip shown above. Sparks!!

The rod was cut to size and a small hole drilled on the end. Then, the trigger mechanism was taken apart and the rod JB Welded into place.

Once the JB Weld has dried, I can try this out.

To top off the day, somehow, some way, I lost my car key. Mike busted into my car with a coat hanger to see if I had locked the key in the car, but so far the key is nowhere to be found.

I got a ride home, and I'll return with the spare key tomorrow, and continue the hunt for the missing key.

More Primer for Booster Covers

2011-05-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

I gave what I think were the final three coats of primer to the booster cover pieces today.

I'll lightly sand these smooth, and then I think/hope they will be ready for final painting.

Evercoat for Booster Cover Slot Fillers

2011-05-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

This may be borderline obsessive, but I did a little work on the slot fillers for the booster cover head pieces, even though they are difficult to even see once installed.

These are made of a couple of layers of stacked MDF. There is a small seam between the two layers.

On goes the Evercoat.

And off goes most of it with a light sanding.

I also noticed a little chip in the wood underneath the primer of one of the corners of one of the booster covers. It doesn't particularly bother me, but I've seen paint react badly to this kind of thing.

So this guy got a little Evercoat and sanding as well.

The slot fillers are ready for final priming and painting (as are the rest of the booster cover parts), two per booster head piece. I've decided to paint them aluminum colored for droid #2.

Oh, and my Vantec RDFR23 speed controller blew up today. More on that Saturday.

Finished with Evercoat on Booster Covers

2011-05-11T21:41:00.001-07:00

Tonight I added just a tiny amount of Evercoat here and there to spots I missed yesterday, and I finished sanding everything smooth in preparation for another coat of primer.

Note that I am not worrying about the imperfections along the inside perimeter of the booster cover bodies, as this area is largely obscured by the aluminum leg struts that fit inside. (Hmm... that board sure looks precariously placed.)

Art.

More art. I'm really happy with how the booster cover head pieces turned out.

I'll probably apply a little more primer and sand these parts smooth before the final painting.

Fingerpainting with Evercoat

2011-05-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight I did a little filling and sanding of Evercoat on the booster covers.

I used the old-fashioned method of applying Evercoat with my index finger. There were just certain spots that needed a thin layer, so I decided that finger painting was my best bet.

A short time later, and all the areas requiring filling were done.

A long time later, I finished lightly sanding these spots with 400 and 600 grit sand paper. There may be some tiny areas to spot-fill, or I may try applying another proof coat of primer to see how these look.

Started Sanding Booster Cover Primer

2011-05-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

Today I started sanding the primer that I applied over the past weekend on the booster covers.

The curved part of the booster cover head pieces required the most attention to detail. When I carved the curved areas using the drum sanding attachment on my drill press, I used 60 grit sanding drums, which leaves deep grooves in the wood. Fortunately, I put down three thick coats of primer, so I was largely able to smooth everything out using 600 grit sand paper.

After quite a bit of light sanding, I had the curves pretty smooth.

I also sanded the booster cover bodies as smooth as possible.

I think I need to apply a very thin layer of Evercoat filler in a couple of places here and there, but no major work is necessary.