Classification: Astromech Droid
Designation: R2-D2
Incept Date: July 29, 2008
Designation: R2-D2
Incept Date: July 29, 2008
This is the build log for my first R2-D2. He was started in 2006, came online in 2008, was finished in 2010. At the time of this writing in early 2016, he has appeared at over 120 events.
My love for the little droid goes way back. I really started thinking about building one for myself when I found Dave Everett's Yahoo group in 2000. It became a new reality. There were guys out there actually doing it, and even helping others with drawings, parts and advice. I was in.
A few more years of moving, collecting info, moving, scouring the Web for reference pics, moving, buying the needed tools, and more moving finally brought me to the place where I had my own home, workshop, and the green light to proceed.
Instead of actually measuring and drawing on wood, I preferred to use the Club Plans as the template in designing the entire construction on my computer. I work at a sign shop, so my plans usually include a full line of custom-cut vinyl templates instead of rulers and pencils. I can skip the trigonometry and get to the cutting.
I am also of the "build camp." That is, I scratch-build as much as I can myself. The Club has gotten to the point where there are a lot of parts available most of the time, but what inspired me the most was the guys way back when who were making all their own stuff. That's the kind of grass-roots astromeching I'm into.
This build log first appeared on an old website of mine. I've had dozens of requests to re-upload that information. That site is long gone, but I had taken all of the images and text and transposed the layout into a printed volume that resembled a Haynes auto manual. Instead of re-laying it all out again for this site, I have opted to simply upload the PDFs of that manual to be both viewed and downloaded. I hope it inspires and help you.
Please note that I have already begun work on my second droid. After so many events, I made a few engineering changes to shore up some strategic weak spots that I found in the Club Spec designs. I helped another builder finish his droid last year using those new designs. I'm making some final tweaks, but the result was an incredibly strong droid, and as I progress through my own second droid, I'll upload progress photos on that droid's own page.
My love for the little droid goes way back. I really started thinking about building one for myself when I found Dave Everett's Yahoo group in 2000. It became a new reality. There were guys out there actually doing it, and even helping others with drawings, parts and advice. I was in.
A few more years of moving, collecting info, moving, scouring the Web for reference pics, moving, buying the needed tools, and more moving finally brought me to the place where I had my own home, workshop, and the green light to proceed.
Instead of actually measuring and drawing on wood, I preferred to use the Club Plans as the template in designing the entire construction on my computer. I work at a sign shop, so my plans usually include a full line of custom-cut vinyl templates instead of rulers and pencils. I can skip the trigonometry and get to the cutting.
I am also of the "build camp." That is, I scratch-build as much as I can myself. The Club has gotten to the point where there are a lot of parts available most of the time, but what inspired me the most was the guys way back when who were making all their own stuff. That's the kind of grass-roots astromeching I'm into.
This build log first appeared on an old website of mine. I've had dozens of requests to re-upload that information. That site is long gone, but I had taken all of the images and text and transposed the layout into a printed volume that resembled a Haynes auto manual. Instead of re-laying it all out again for this site, I have opted to simply upload the PDFs of that manual to be both viewed and downloaded. I hope it inspires and help you.
Please note that I have already begun work on my second droid. After so many events, I made a few engineering changes to shore up some strategic weak spots that I found in the Club Spec designs. I helped another builder finish his droid last year using those new designs. I'm making some final tweaks, but the result was an incredibly strong droid, and as I progress through my own second droid, I'll upload progress photos on that droid's own page.