Scratch Build – In Progress Project: R2-D2 (on a low budget)

Project: R2-D2

This is the worklog of my R2-D2 casemod, which is an ultra-low budget project.
So far I have spend about 120 dollars on it. Let me show you how I did it.
Basis of this mod is a written-off garbage can that I was told to get rid of. From the internet I gathered pictures of R2, and started my first dremel-cuts, based upon guessing the size*.
I am making this mod in three big chunks; the Dome, the Body and the Legs. I am building all three simultaneously, so I’ll be jumping from one to another all the time.

Body.
The base, an old garbage can, about to be thrown away.



Let’s get an old PC case from the attic.



Quickly disassembled.



And what is left over, a mobo tray and a backplane.



Hmm, a bit too big. Got to make that a bit smaller.



From the many pictures of the net, I estimated the length-width ratio, and decided to cut off a big
chunk. I used this pneumatic tool, sort-off giant air dremel.



For all you starting casemodders; always wear eye protection. Trust me.

Also used some ear protection, as the bin was working as a drum.





That’s off, now the sharp edges.



Let’s try the tray. I see I have to fold the edges.





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*let me get back to that guessing part. áfter I started, then I came upon Astromech and the guys
from the R2-builders club. They kindly provided me with the original blueprints of the real R2. I
found out, my R2 was 75% of the real deal. Also the blueprints were in inches. So now I am
constantly recalculating the blueprint to 75 % and then from inches to millimeters.
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The back, looking good.



For use as "vents" I dug up these ancient ( 1984 ) grills from speaker boxes.





Used the dremel to cut the hole for the vent.







Later on, I see the vents don't stick out at all. I made a small container to hold the fans.
I made it from Vikureen
which is a polystyrene.





My sponsor SpacePromotion provided me with two 60
mm fans with white LEDs. ( No, It will still be low-budget, not because I get a lot sponsored )



Hmm... that doesn’t fit because of the extra wires for those LEDs.



Bit of creative cutting.

 

Nice start there. And let me be the first to say: May the Force be with you!

 

haha excellent idea, keep it up (Y)

 

hmmm this looks interesting, lets follow this one.

 

Thanks guys, I am sure that even non-star wars fans ( yes there such people ! )
won't be disappointed at the end. Let's continue with the next part:

LEGS.

A stack of MDF wood and some wood-glue.



Something like this.





First cuts.





Using the workmate and clamps the legs are taking form.





With some sanding they look now like this.



Starting chapter three; the DOME

The garbage bin lid. With the help of the R2-builders blueprints I measured the different panels.



Good hard stainless steel, nice to cut with the dremel.



First hole is in; this one is for the RADAR-EYE.





And these two for the FRONT-DISPLAYS.



Here with the blueprints, this is very tricky as the measurements are not in inches
but in degrees, minutes and seconds.



Back to chapter one, the BODY

On the bottom, there should come a "skirt". I made it from MDF wood.



First try with a rope and a nail......



-sorry, one photo missing here-

OOPS, miscalculated! Not 26 cm in diameter, but only 21. ( yes I forgot the 75 %)



The skirt sides.



After this I hollowed out the massive disc and cut out room for two mini CCLs.

Made several holes in it with a milling machine. ( mill ? )





Shopping time. Here you see a few mini table stands, two circuits from Velleman,
spraycans, blue pinstriping and some spectacle glasses.



More MDF and some aluminum for the support frame.



Something like this.





Fitting in the case,



Bolted to the bottom.

 

lol, looking at the bin, i can see why you picked r2d2 as a theme

Keep going mate, we are lurking, looking lovin it and still not posting

 

Thanx!

Made a Rader-eye holder from some MDF.



Round it off and fitted the eye glass.



For the two Front-displays I bought two Velleman circuits, originally with red
LEDs, but I won’t be using those. Instead I bought in Hong Kong a few hundred
blue and white LEDs for 0.99 Euro per 100 )



Also from Hong Kong comes this el cheapo xmass lights, 100 white LEDs and
8 different modes.
Cost 0.99 Euro.





A small mini-lava lamp, cost 0.99 euro.....



It contains a micro circuit that fades three LEDs in and out.



From Vikureen I made a small container to attach it to R2.





The guys at Space Promotion gave me this
ZALMAN fancontroller.



A rectangular box into a round case...hmm I have to think of some innovation support brackets.





From a lot of debris I made several little thingamajigs to give the legs more detail.



Doesn’t look too bad.







To attach the ankle-cylinders I screwed in a woodscrew and cut the head of it.



Glue it with construction glue.



And there it is.



On the back a larger display, I used some PVC and cut grooves into it to help me
bend it with the curves of the dome.



Pre-drilled the LED holes.



Bended it with a heatgun until it matched the curves.



Then drilled the final 5 mm for the LEDs.



Attached a few LEDs, then glued them on and waited 24 hours before I attached the next batch.



All LEDs in and glued.



Quite a mess eh ?



Because it is originally white and blue, I made some blue transparent stickers.

 

Great project - loving the improvisation - Xmas tree lights Cheesecake

 

Thats quite a mess, but it looks worth it.

 

Loving the Ghetto cheapness, but with the good results.

Will watch this one.

Good luck!

 

Made some strips of Vikureen for the rectangle parts that come into the round outer layer.



Neatly follow the lines and break it off. ( the plastic, not the scalpel )



Also from Space Promotion i got these
Zalman harddisk coolers.



At first I wanted to mount them on the bottom.



Then decided to mount them as high as possible.



Dremel dremel dremel..... A hole!



The supports are the same as for
theZalman
fan controller. ( type QeD )



Preparing the table legs for mounting.



Screw them on.



An old cylinder that used to contain wire.



Cut in half and measured it.



Cut out a small piece where the table leg is coming out.





Spray painted the dome and radar-eye holder.





For use as a holoprojecter I got this antique webcam, gave it a spray as well.



made a hole and glued it on.



From the front.



An old circuit I use to fill the gaping hole on the back.



I had plenty of LEDs to spare to I drilled holes in it @ random.



Glued it inside the dome with some quick and dirty supports.



Started to glue the LEDs into it.



When it is on, it glows and tingles a bit like this.



With Gelly Roll pen's I colored the circuit a bit. With regular light you don’t see anything...



.....but with some UV on it.....

 

wow! that is surely an ambitious project wich is coming up VERY nicely. The low budget is giving u lots of good ideas for improvization.
Very nicely done. Anxious to see the rest

ooo, very well documented BTW

 

Very impressive cheap mod,

 

Looking good that congrats

 

I like the UV ink on the board.

 

HOLY F*CK that looks realy nice i like R2D2 so i wnat to see how close you can come.
keep it up ,rambo

 

What is it with people suddenly making loads of cool mods! Good job, gotta love cheap mods with loads of innovative details.

 

this looks really good . and cheap too !

 

That looks cool! Specially that old circuit with UV pen lines on it - WOOW!! Great idea!

 

Wow, this looks amazing. You've got some real ingenuity here.