Blue Max, the small slicer droid

Lichtbringer · Jul 17, 2016

Having not much time atm. i needed something that doesn´t takes to much effort.
So i remembered the SW books i´ve read decades ago, iirr they were the first books from the SW universe - i always liked the 2 droids, esspecially i am interested in the slicer droid Blue Max.

For those that don´t know what i´m talking about - it´s a little droid from the 70th Han Solo trilogy, stories from his smuggler time, before meeting with Luke. He is hidden inside the chest of the labour droid Bollux.

I started searching Google, but not much to find. These are the ones that fit best to the description in the books, mainly a blue cube:

And a slighly different version:

I found these pics on Google and hope it´s no prop to use them here. If you see this and they are yours and you want them deleted, just let me know.

There is also a different version out there, but it looks not like the description, more like a bare computerboard.

In this thread i will show a more or less quick build that i started - nothing overly complicated, but nonetheless i hope you will have fun watching it.

Halliwax · Jul 17, 2016

i never knew about this slicer droid? what did it do? it sounds like a fun project

Lichtbringer · Jul 17, 2016

In short, it´s a very capable Hacker.

Once a imperial http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/B2-X_computer_interface_unit

he was reprogrammed and updated to become a first class hacker droid, for illegal purposes. On a mission he and his partner met the young Solo and staye with him and Chewie for some time and adventures. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Max

Lichtbringer · Jul 17, 2016

Started building a 10 x 10 x 9 cm cube

I decided to make the bottom plate doublelayerd, to be able to have access to the inside (if i decide later to add light or whatever). This is the inner layer that will have a big access area.

Glueing the top, the stainless part is just to add weight to kepp the topplate flat.

Parts of the underside detailing, both are perfect circles - the wierd look is due the phone camera angle or distance

And a handfull of the preselected greeblies from my part boxes, some of them might be used for detailing the sides of the cube.

Lichtbringer · Jul 17, 2016

Today the green 2 part "Aves Apoxie" was hardened. I really like that stuff cause it sands pretty close to styrene, so if you sand a "apoxied" area you don´t have the problem that many other have, different takeaway on the styrene compared to the used filling stuff.

First i´ve put it on the lathe to give it a few fast passes, not really spent any time on adjusting, just put it on the chuck and here we go. Due to the used universe look at SW you don´t want it look to "new/clean".

Next part was adding some details, please refer to the pics at the beginning of this thread. Evergreen offers premade strips and sheets in a lot of variations, for modelkit building and architects concept buildings.

For cutting the strips i use this handy tool. It enables to cut angles, and ensures all cut pieces are the same length (not very important here as i planned to sand both ends when the glue has set). But it eases things up and also speeds working up when doing repeating work.

Glued them to the piece, and hang it away for the glue to set.

Here you see it attached to the bottom. I also cut one of my lenses that were also used for the Treadwells eyes, here it will be used as a tiny monitor.

PoopaPapaPalps · Jul 17, 2016

Bollux.

And they say Lucas came up with some silly names.:rolleyes

Jedifather · Jul 17, 2016

Han Solo at Stars End was a great book.
I've never seen those images before. Must have been created recently.
I'd always imagined that Blue Max had some sort of a face(eyes, vocoder).
And he likes to use curse words, too.

superjedi · Jul 17, 2016

I loved those books when I was younger.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone try to make Blue Max before.
Looks good so far.

Lichtbringer · Jul 18, 2016

Yeah, those books were from a time when it was rare to get new SW related stuff. So these 2 droids do have a special place in the SW corner of my hart.
Thanks for the kind words.

cyclocrosschris · Jul 18, 2016

Blast from the past! Great idea, think you are the first ever to do this. Lookin awesome

Howlrunner · Jul 19, 2016

Love obscure droid props from the EU! Perfect droid for a replica, good choice, and I love what you've done with it so far. Looking forward to seeing more.

SmilingOtter · Jul 19, 2016

Awesome idea, and it's looking great so far!

OBIWANJALOPY · Jul 19, 2016

Those trilogy of books are my absolute favorite bit of the EU.

They are actually the second piece of EU ever created (after "Splinter of the Mind's Eye".) Great, great stuff in there about the relationship between Chewie and Han and their smuggling adventures. Absolutely no Jedi, no imperials (they're in the corporate sector) and no other film characters. (He doesn't "bump into" a young Boba Fett or anything like that.) Wonderful books for star wars fans who like Han, like the falcon, and like pure adventure stories.

LOVE LOVE LOVE that you are doing this. Following with great interest. I don't have your skill level but would love my own Blue Max.

Can't recommend these books highly enough to everyone.

Lichtbringer · Jul 19, 2016

cyclocrosschris said:
Blast from the past! Great idea, think you are the first ever to do this. Lookin awesome

Indeed, i feel so much younger now - alone by remembering.

- - - Updated - - -

Howlrunner said:
Love obscure droid props from the EU! Perfect droid for a replica, good choice, and I love what you've done with it so far. Looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks, in fact one of the things that made me start such a project were your builds of other "not so beloved" droids.

- - - Updated - - -

SmilingOtter said:
Awesome idea, and it's looking great so far!

Thanks.

Lichtbringer · Jul 19, 2016

OBIWANJALOPY said:
Those trilogy of books are my absolute favorite bit of the EU.

They are actually the second piece of EU ever created (after "Splinter of the Mind's Eye".) Great, great stuff in there about the relationship between Chewie and Han and their smuggling adventures. Absolutely no Jedi, no imperials (they're in the corporate sector) and no other film characters. (He doesn't "bump into" a young Boba Fett or anything like that.) Wonderful books for star wars fans who like Han, like the falcon, and like pure adventure stories.

I completely agree - i´m just not sure if they are really so much better, or if it is in my mind due to not having much SW then, so they impressed more? :lol

OBIWANJALOPY said:
LOVE LOVE LOVE that you are doing this. Following with great interest. I don't have your skill level but would love my own Blue Max.

Thanks, but i decided to do do all this with standard handtools, no machines. So everyone can replicate it.

OBIWANJALOPY said:
Can't recommend these books highly enough to everyone.

:thumbsup

Lichtbringer · Jul 19, 2016

Here we go again.

First i took the lens out of it´s frame - it´s very thick and rounded on the front, you will soon see why i couldn´t use it as it was.

Made the doubled frontpanel. All is made from 1,5mm ps sheet by drilling, cutting, sanding, .....

Put it on the cube to mark where the cutouts need to be.

After making the cutouts into the cube i glued the frontpanel on, then i made the vocoder strip (again with premade sheets from Evergreen).Vocoder strip and lens are made to be installed through the big opening from the underside, that eases painting without messing lens and strip.

Due to the extrem rounded front of the lens it sticked out far to much the way i planned, so it had to look for another way.Decided to use it´s original frame, just needed to sand it down 1-2mm.

Looks not that bad anymore, i think.

Started designing the top-plate

And also detailed the rear

Kit bashing is always a little bit tricky, it´s overdone very fast. It looks so different when glued on, but it blends in when primered

Sluis Van Shipyards · Jul 19, 2016

Cool! I'm shocked that I've never seen anyone do him (?) before. I loved those books.

Howlrunner · Jul 26, 2016

Loving the progress. Any more done on the little guy yet?

You've inspired me - I ordered the Han Solo Trilogy book to read to see if there's any more details in there and I started my own build today (also based on the Essential Guide to Droids artwork).

Had a bit more of a search around for reference, but the Han Solo at Star's End comic only shows Blue Max as a plain cube, and the "Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook" from West End Games only has a picture of Bollux, not Max. I did find this pic in my copy of The Essential Guide to Droids that does not appear to be online:

This picture shows him with 3 hands, rather than just one (in the picture on the page opposite!), so I suppose both versions would be correct.

Interestingly, both the West End Games book and the Essential Guide to Characters have Blue Max down as being 40cm, but the Essential Guide to Droids has the much more manageable hand sized version.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for the probe arms and hand(s). :thumbsup I thought they've be the hardest part, but I discovered a pretty good solution in town today.

OBIWANJALOPY · Jul 26, 2016

Well done.

The West End Guides in general are a lot of fun, and I like the corporate Sector one in particular because of my afore mentioned love of the Solo trilogy. Going to pull it out of storage tonight. Thanks for the reminder.

Lichtbringer · Jul 26, 2016

Howlrunner said:
Loving the progress. Any more done on the little guy yet?

Not much, no time. Just tinkered a little bit on the arms.

Howlrunner said:
You've inspired me

Says the man that has driven me to this build by his nice droids. :lol

Howlrunner said:
http://i.imgur.com/3xHA3UK.jpg

This picture shows him with 3 hands, rather than just one (in the picture on the page opposite!), so I suppose both versions would be correct.

I believe to remember that in the text he had only one tiny arm/ hand. Additional a computer arm, not sure if there was a third and what function i might have had.

Howlrunner said:
Interestingly, both the West End Games book and the Essential Guide to Characters have Blue Max down as being 40cm, but the Essential Guide to Droids has the much more manageable hand sized version.

I know. Hard to see that fitting inside Bollux chest.

Howlrunner said:
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for the probe arms and hand(s). :thumbsup I thought they've be the hardest part, but I discovered a pretty good solution in town today.

I´m curious what you´ve found. Atm i´m not really convinced with my own ideas. :wacko

Blue Max, the small slicer droid

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