Artoo Head

[Valor]

I was commissioned to build an affordable R2D2 head for a friend. "Affordable" meant no laser-cut aluminum or styrene dome. I was able to snag a couple 16" acrylic domes off eBay for cheap. Since they had two, I figured I make one for myself!

Now, I realize this is a FAR from an accurate replica. Probably make the R2D2 Builders Club guys cringe. But I did use the plans from the R2D2 Builders Club and did my best to honor the proportions of the little guy. Everything is handmade. The holoprojectors and radar eye are scratch built. And the lighting is a budget-friendly trip to the dollar store for LED flashlight bits.

This has kinda awakened a certain "Force" in me .... perhaps a full astromech IS in my future

- - - Updated - - -

Some build pictures to enjoy.

 

[Rook]

Looks amazing. I'm starting a budget R2 build myself using the ikea Brasa lampshade, sonotube body and styrene skins. Trying to figure out how I'm gonna do the dome panels at the moment. I don't relish the idea of trying to cut the steel, thinking heating some plastic and gluing the panels on.

 

[Blaxmyth]

This is delightful! I've got an aluminium light shade just waiting for something like this, and your excellent build has just bumped it further up the list of part-finished projects! Excellent build, great photos - thanks for posting!

 

[Johnny Darko]

this is awesome!...great work sir:thumbsup
I've got an R6 head to build, may have to get some tips for the lights.

 

[Valor]

Here's the not-so-pretty underside. The front and rear PSI are the insides of dollar store LED flashlights. Nine LEDs in each. I surrounded them in a PVC tube to focus the light out the front. The front and read logic displays are created by first printing the logic display pattern onto waterslide decals and adhering them to a piece of clear Plexi. Behind that I created a surround box of Sintra. Shining through them are several LED holiday lights from a battery powered set I bought. The effect is sufficiently random and twinkling for me.
Everything powered by 3 D-cell batteries.

 

[CT7567]

Nice! Mind PMing me the link for the base dome?

 

[Valor]

They were bought on eBay. There doesn't seem to be more. Search for white acrylic dome. Something might turn up.

 

[CT7567]

Darn. Ok I'll keep my eye out. It'd be nice to find one since the dome is the only part that has really discouraged me from building a droid for cost reasons.How much was the dome?

 

[Valor]

I paid $15 each.

 

[Rook]

Darn. Ok I'll keep my eye out. It'd be nice to find one since the dome is the only part that has really discouraged me from building a droid for cost reasons.How much was the dome?

theres a guy on the Astromech forums selling white styrene and clear acrylic domes for I think around $100 dollars. They are blank domes, not etching or laser cuts or anything. The bonus is they have the slight bullet shape vs the straight dome shape. As for myself I'm using a 40 dollar IKEA lampshade for my dome.

 

[Blackthorn Rose]

Nice Build Valor

 

[Valor]

Thank you! R2 has recently gotten a rough and tumble red R2-M5 paint job. He was also the start of something far bigger. Ive recently committed to building a full astromech! I've been collecting parts for a couple weeks. Resin parts mostly. And I'm scratch building as much as I can. The ones below the blue line are hand-made by me off the very detailed blueprints in astromech.net.

Now that I'm getting actual droid parts in, I'm struck by how proportionally small my droid head is. Here's a shot of the eye I made from scratch, and the resin one for my actual astromech.

Drive motors and wheels are here, and I ordered a full Arduino-Controlled dome light set that is on it's way. No turning back!

*sigh*
I thought I could just stop at the head