I forgot to blog this back in September, but here it is now for your perusal.

Check it out here  or to obtain a print copy see the official R2 Builders website. Back issues 1 and 2 are also available.

Here’s a quick tip for the collector/builder who wants to use their pristine Kotobukiya R2-D2 in the workshop without damaging it.

Since starting on the skins and details I’d really wanted to have a good 3D model to ponder over. The Koto R2 is probably the most accurate in my collection, but being the paranoid/obsessive collector that I am, I knew he’d eventually get damaged or at best dusty in the shop – so I never took him down.

Then over the weekend while cleaning up my office I realized that he’d fit perfectly in one of those 50X CD-R cases. Problem solved!

I just got my copy of the new Steve Sansweet book “The Star Wars Vault“, and was pleasently suprised to see R2 featured on virtually ever page, or it seemed like it as I flipped through.

Then toward the back of the book on page 106, there’s a big photo of the R2 Builders from C3 with George, Rick and Don.

In honor of a Halloween I thought I’d repost the one and only Pumpkin I’ve ever carved.

And my friend Ed just sent me this photo of an R2 pumpkin he made this year.

Another slow month, but at least I got some work done

• In the Blue Corner…Weighing in at 155lb…RrrrrTwooo-DeeeTwoooo
• R2 Loading Ramp
• R2-CCA 2007
• Hiding Drive Wires
• Quick Tip – Masking Parts
• Mist / Fire Extinguisher Test

At the R2-CCA event this last weekend I got to weigh my little buddy. The trick is to use a single bathroom scale and move it from foot to foot and to add up the combined weight. The other feet need to be kept level with the scale using wood blocks, otherwise the result will be invalid.

I was surprised that he’s already over 150lb. The dome alone is 17lb and that’s without the periscope. The problem is the two 12v batteries and dome mounting plate – and of course all those alu Holo projectors, radar eye and logic surrounds.

I can easily see him hitting 200+lb once I add the skins, body detail and extras like computer interface arms and other motors/servos to trick him out.

In contrast Ed’s finished droid was closer to 110lb and nobody else at the event had any problems pulling their dome on and off with one hand except me!

One of the challenges of owning a droid is transport. Not everyone has a Sandcrawler handy or can afford a fancy trailer, and most cars are too small.

When I went down to C4 in LA I removed his legs to fit him in the front seat of my Beetle, but I knew this was not a long term option and I needed to come up with a better solution.

Luckily we have an old 1994 Dodge Caravan that we use for hauling stuff around. It’s not in great shape and the wife has wanted to get rid of it for years, but I’ve resisted and it turns out the van is perfect for carrying R2 once the bench seats are removed.

I was tempted to build a winch system similar to Mike Senna’s, but my droid is much heavier and would probably require a welded frame. The side door of the van is very low to the ground and I decided to try a ramp system first and have R2 load/drive himself in instead. I bought an aluminum ATV ramp at Pep Boys and cut some plywood for the top.

Here’s a short video of us loading my R2 at R2-CCA this last weekend. I still need to get some thick carpet or maybe even plywood for the floor of the van to stop his feet sticking in some grooves in the floor of the van, but overall the loading is very simple.

It may look like I’m pushing R2 in the video, but he’s driving up the ramp under his own power.

While at RoboGames in San Franciso the other week I snagged myself a new t-shirts from the guys at Servo Magazine.