Cutting the Dome Holes

Well, the planets were all in alignment today and I got several hours (!) of time to work on R2. After futzing around looking for suitable hole templates, I finally decided to bite the bullet and use the Dremel tool with the circle cutting attachment to cut the holoprojector holes.

I did a test cut on a scrap of Sintra to make sure the hole would be the right size. I then drilled a pilot hole in the center, fired up the Dremel, said a prayer, and then plunged in.

As it turned out, my anxiety was for naught. The Dremel tool made a perfect hole with very few plastic schnibbles to clean off the edge. I used a standard 1" hole cutting bit with my cordless drill for the PSI holes. Nice and smooth!

I got the rear logic display and one of the front logic displays cut out but by then I had to attend to the boys, who were in each other's business again. Big surprise.

Adventurous plan for this week: one more front logic to cut out. Sand the hole edges and prep the dome for painting. Glue in the HPs and logic displays. Glue the dome to the base ring. Prime.

Dome Markings

I made a 360° measurement strip to go around the dome circumference to aid in determining where the dome details go. Astromech.net had some great references for showing where all of the dome panels should be placed, all defined by degrees around the dome.

I measured 3/8" up from the bottom of the plastic dome for a baseline and built up from there. I was able to get a majority of the panels drawn on the dome and tomorrow I hope to get the holes marked for the holoprojector eyes, logic surrounds and status lights.

Dome Support

I fabricated some dome support ribs from 1/8" Sintra with a 4-1/2" piece of PVC pipe for the hub.

I plan on putting some curved cross-support pieces in, as well as some pieces on the dome base to aid in alignment.

Once I have all the holo eyes, logic displays and the radar eye in place, I want to reinforce the empty areas with Big Stuff Large Gap expandable foam. The can says that it sticks to anything!

Resin Radar Eye and Logic Displays

After a two-and-one-half-month wait, the resin parts I ordered for the dome have arrived! And they are beautiful. I might have to bring the dome to work to get anything done on it, but first I need to finish those pesky shoulder horseshoes!

Electronics are Online!

I finally got around to figuring out the electronic controls setup for R2. After nosing around the sparse documentation online, I finally bit the bullet and asked for help in the forum.

Fortunately for me, David L., who recommended this configuration, was very helpful with the controller settings. And once I emailed him pics of the configuration, he was able to tell me that I had some wires connected improperly to the receiver. After that, viola! Actual working RC controlled Jaycar motors. It was a thing of beauty! Thanks David!

Now I need to get those puppies installed into the feet and get this build moving, literally and figuratively!

Foot Progress

I made plywood centers for R2's feet. I decided to use some scrap plywood and 1x2s. I started skinning one outer foot and it is moving along nicely! I've been using contact cement to adhere the styrene to the wood and it's working well. I'm holding off finishing the outside until I get the drive motors mounted.

I got a cheap caster for the center foot online for $4.00, with free shipping! Amazing!

I also got a 12V 7Ah battery with a charger. Now I just have to pick a few brains online on how to configure the electronics.

I may take the feet to work to continue the build on my lunch breaks. Hopefully by next weekend the feet will be finished and I can start on the battery boxes.

Parts

I finally got around to taking pictures of the parts I have ordered over the last month and a half.

I got the VEX 6-Channel Remote Controller from Ebay for $40. The non-vex receiver was 9 bucks.

I also got the Jaycar motors for the feet (from New Zealand), the Sabertooth 2x25 speed controller and the wheels from Banebots.com. I hope to use the smaller wheels to drive the larger wheels since I don't have a source for fabricating the elusive aluminum drive hub.

I started building a wooden interior for the main feet where the motors and wheels will be mounted. My success with the wood/styrene combination for the dome ring inspired me to try a wood structure for the feet. That, and the fact that wood is much easier to cut. I am still nursing my tennis elbow and that 1/8" styrene is a bear to cut.

Now hopefully a trip to Douglas Hardware tomorrow for screws and bolts will allow me to start the process of getting R2 motivated!