Do you rent or hire out R2D2?

Sorry, No. I just do this for fun and Artoo is not for rent. However if you’re organizing a charity event or something similar then drop me a message and I’ll consider your request.

Can I buy a complete kit?

No you can not buy a full kit of parts, or at least not readily. You may get lucky and find one on ebay or from a group member trying to getting out of the hobby. But buyer beware, especially on eBay – There’s a lot of junk out there. Ask lots of questions and decide if it will meet your goal for a droid.

Can I buy a fully assembled droid?

Yes, but not from the R2 Builders Group. See Sideshow Collectibles that sell licensed droids, and you may find an older Don Post R2 on eBay. But neither seem to be as accurate to a club spec droid.

What’s a club spec droid?

Several years ago the builders group came up with the definitive set of plans for an R2-D2. It’s based on measurements from an ILM built unit. Blueprints are available on the astromech.net website

How much does it cost to build a droid?

It depend on a lot of stuff. I’ve seen people build static droids for as little as $500-600, fully RC’d droids for $1,000, but you could easily spend $10,000+ on an all aluminum droid. Especially if you’re buying all the parts vs making your own.

Where do I start?

Research, research, research. Do as much reading as you can. Start with astromech.net and join the builders group email list. A lot of people start with the dome because if you stop there at least you have something you can display. But you can pretty much start anywhere.

Do you sell parts?

No I do not sell parts. I may occasionally have something spare because I’ve upgrade or replaced a part, but in general builders do not sell parts.

Where do I buy parts?

The group occasionally offers small part runs, but it can take time to assemble a full set of parts. Just sign up for the mailing list and watch out for announcements.

A good piece of advice is that if you’re 100% serious about building a droid, then jump on any part that comes along. Even if you’ll have nothing to attach it too. Sooner or later you’ll need it anyway. Don’t wait until you need it in your build.

You also could try making some yourself as some things are easier to make than you think.

How long does it take to build a droid?

Anywhere from 6 months to 5 years. It all depends on your skill level, funds available and dedication.

What makes you an expert?

I don’t claim to be an expert in any of this stuff. Please double check everything I post, and I can’t stress enough to do your own research. Same goes for a lot of other R2 blogs and websites, often things change and people forget to post updates that something didn’t quite work or broke a month later. The worse thing you can do is blindly copy someone.