Coming home

I put Ed's new motor mounts on. Now all my droids are back to having mounts :P
Patches is in the workshop finally with all his family.
This is my new project, Time to make a crate for Patches so I can transport him in any vehical.
Instead of buying one for hundreds of dollars I will attempt to make my own.

R5-TK's motor holders

Today Jen and i went over to help Syrena put her motor holders together that we started on last fall. I marked out the locations for where all the hardware will be mounted.
Once the pieces were clamped together we drilled holes for rivets.
Then riveted it all together.
Brad cleaned up some loose burs.
Last Syrena installed her motors. Tuesday we will mount the holders to her legs and get Dawmer's holders together. I also got some work done on my new holders for R4 today.

R2 Limo

Not an update for me but for my friend Brad. He finally got a trailer so he can haul his droids in the standing position. He is all smiles LOL

Star Wars on Ice

The droids hanging out before the show.
Jedi making the rounds making sure everyone in the senate was ok.
This is not Squid Lake!?
No Ian, that is not a barf bag! LOL
Group shot of my friends and me with one of the Hockey coordinators. All in all it was a great time here in OmaHoth.

Upgrading the CF3 Part 2

Steve got the program part done tonight and I tested it out on my droid. Everything seams to work fine :)
Tons of new beeps and boops can now be played.
Now I just have to find songs and stuff to fill in the now empty buttons.
Also all the music is now in stereo so I need to hunt up a second speaker and install it on the CF3.
I think after this next event I will rewire the system so it takes up less room inside the droid.
In a few weeks Steve and I will get together and make some speaker brackets.

Upgrading the CF3

I talked one of the other builders into getting a CF3 sound system instead of using the T-shirt thing.
We sat down together and planned how we wanted to upgrade the programing on his and my droid.
He is tackling the programing aspect of it and I am organizing and formatting the sounds for it.
Here is some of the sounds and music I did.
Now I am zipping it up and sending it to him for testing on the program.
Now I just need a cable so I can install the BASIC code on Patches system :)

More skirts to install

LC came over tonight to check out the new workshop and to install his skirt.
Just like the other skirts I did this week the frame is marked and drilled.
Then the frame is set in place and the tabs are drilled so screws can be put in.
Once LC's skirt was mounted he lent me a hand to install ED's skirt.
Here is ED with his skirt. He looks so sad with no skins:(
And here is LC's droid with his skirt on.

Workshop 2.0 Part Six

This will be the last major update on the basement workshop for a while, but if you look in the background in future pictures you will see other progress. Once it warms up a bit I will show the garage progress.
Today I put up some drawer organizers to get all the little stuff out of the way. I also put an outlet strip on the workbench so I do not have extension cords everywhere.

On R3's dome one of the bearing studs were in the way of the front PSI so I finally cut it so the dome sits flush.

Workshop 2.0 Part Five

In between shoveling snow today I put the first coat of paint on the floor and got the walls all matched in to the same color white so I can put a finish coat on them later.

I would work on R3 but she is lost in a sea of grey paint till it dries.

Workshop 2.0 Part FOur

I built a workbench for the shop today. Big enough to hold two full sized droids to be worked on while standing up. Here I am building the top.
After two hours or so this is what I have. The top has a layer of Masonite to make it nice and smooth. It can easily be changed out when it gets worn out.
Dawmer came over and let me use his saw to do some final cuts on the bench top. Then we gave the bench a trial run. We put both our droids on it and bolted both our center legs in. Then I showed Dawmer how to solder the motor wires once I mounted R3's motor holders.
Dawmer soldering his wire connectors.
I love how this workbench turned out, now I just got to clean the place up and paint it.

Workshop 2.0 Part Three

Got the wall tore out today and thrown in the back of the truck. Tomorrow I will take all this storage stuff and...well...store it somewhere else LOL.
Dawmer got us a house warming gift. This beautiful and elegantly packed first aid kit. Lord knows I need it. It is the gift that keeps on giving :D Thanks Big D!
I also wired in some of the new outlets.

Expanding the room

The time has come to take out this old workbench that has been here for who knows how many years. I cleared off all the tools and proceeded to take it apart. The wall behind it will be torn out as well so the area behind it is open to the workshop.
I got the bench out but the wall will have to wait as it is getting late.

Workshop 2.0 Part Two

This evening Jen helped me bring in the drywall and helped screw the sheets to the walls.
The stairs and laundry room are done as is the missing corner or the media room.
I pushed back one of the stair walls eight inches so it is easier to bring droids and tools up and down. Yes everything was re-supported :P

Drilling for power

I drilled some holes in R3's frame so the leg wires can go through them.
Then I finish fishing the wires through.

Raising money for charity

Last night we did an event that I set up for a local cub scout group here in Omaha/Millard
The R2-Central builders brought two droids and the 501st and Rebel Legion came to help us as well. The scouts were well behaved and had a great time. They even donated $50.00 to the Make a Wish Foundation in our name.
This is what droid building and costuming is about. Making people happy with wide eyed expressions on their faces and going good for your community with your friends :D

Group photos

501st detaining scouts
R2-D2 and Patches getting their pictures taken.
Look! It is R2-D2!
Two sets of twins.
It is ok, the lightsaber will not cut you LOL.
Thanks to everyone that came out to help. It is much appreciated :)

R3 Skirt and stuff

I finally got to the point where R3's skirt could be put on.
I lined up the skirt on the upside down frame and marked where to drill holes.
After drilling the holes in the frame I lined up the skirt again and flipped the frame right side up.
I then drilled the holes in the skirt through the holes I previously drilled and screwed everything together.
Next I reassembled the outer legs that I took apart last fall for reference to making the other legs.
Bolting everything together she is starting to take shape. Yes her, no ribs on the skirt just like KT. Now I am starting to fish wire back through the legs for the motors. Once it warms up a bit more I will sand the legs and start bonding them.