PROBE DROID - Here comes trouble!

[Duncanator]

I wanted to build a model of the Probe Droid from the day I saw it when Empire was first released, and now I am finally diving in to it.

Special thanks to members Moffeaton for his amazing Probe Droid ID archive thread with its shopping list of model kits needed, and also to MarsAttack and Satazius for sharing dimensions of the body and head so I could make my vacuform patterns.

It has taken me a few years to gather all the kits for the greeblies, but I've finally got them. So the next step was making the shells. I have a 12'x18" vacuformer, but the patterns for the PD body is too big to fit on it, so I needed to find a larger machine.

I was hoping to pull the shells using the same 24" vacuformer that ILM used on the original Probe Droid which has been in the 32TEN studios model shop until this year. Unfortunately, 32TEN closed its doors recently, and the tools were sold off. So I turned to another friend who had a large vacuformer.

Enter the lovely and talented Adam Savage! I turned the patterns on his lathe, so as soon as we can get his vacuformer out of storage, I'll pull the first set of parts. I can't wait!

Here are the patterns I made. Wish me luck!

 

[Bjorn]

And Renshape or similar tooling board no less. Very nice start to this Duncanator.
Such a shame to see 32ten close its doors. However, great to hear that Adam is able to assist you with this.
Good luck with the pulls.

 

[joberg]

Great to see a pro like you starting to build that iconic model. Eager to see the first pulls

 

[Duncanator]

Thanks for the encouragement!
Just to let you all know; this probably won't be a speed build.

 

[JediMichael]

This will be fun to watch. Vert tricky with all the different shapes and rounded edges. Already got a good start though.
And yeah, take your time, no rush....we all can't ALL be like GEEK1138...lol.

 

[Duncanator]

This will be fun to watch. Vert tricky with all the different shapes and rounded edges. Already got a good start though.
And yeah, take your time, no rush....we all can't ALL be like GEEK1138...lol.

Yah! That guy is bananas-fast!

 

[Media Man]

Awesome stuff!

 

[MangyDog]

I loved these droids... perfectly sinister!

 

[MattWinchell]

Excited to see how it turns out!

 

[moffeaton]

Hell yes!!

 

[Boxcar Bret]

You go, girl!!! That’s the perfect size too!

 

[Duncanator]

Sorry for the lack of updates. The patterns are all made, but untested. Adam just got his big vacuformer out of storage, but had to head out of town. Hopefully we will get our first set of parts in the next week or two.