R5-D4 bad motivator

[Halliwax]

That makes sense!

Idk, that drain thing comes with a cord on it.. I could see them using that same cord like it is on screen…

Either way I always wanted one of these, just never put any time into researching or building

My mind escapes me, did we see the bad motivator in the mando series? I know we have seen the greasing stain on the dome but I can remember if we saw the actual part

Maybe behind the scenes? I only ask because maybe they could shed some light on some questions we have

 

[BadMotivator]

Idk, that drain thing comes with a cord on it.. I could see them using that same cord like it is on screen…

Either way I always wanted one of these, just never put any time into researching or building

My mind escapes me, did we see the bad motivator in the mando series? I know we have seen the greasing stain on the dome but I can remember if we saw the actual part

Maybe behind the scenes? I only ask because maybe they could shed some light on some questions we have

I only recall the stain, not seeing the part. I wish it was visible since the filming technology today would be so much easier to enlarge!

 

[ssdesigner]

Anyone else seeing a pulley of some sort here?

 

[Halliwax]

Anyone else seeing a pulley of some sort here?

I can’t deny it, makes sense on how to pop it up

 

[BadMotivator]

Anyone else seeing a pulley of some sort here?

Looks like it to me. Would have to be rather small to fit though.

 

[division 6]

Since I haven't seen the show I don't know if this is supposed to be the same droid but S3 E8, dirt smudges don't match.

 

[BadMotivator]

I can’t deny it, makes sense on how to pop it up

The pulley and spring sure look cool visually, but I think you’re correct that is how it popped up. Cut the cord/cable and the spring will push it out of the top!

 

[SCREAMINYELLOW]

I’m invested in this one now haha

I have found something going back off of the original post by BadMotivator. Not a clue on which manufacturer as it wasn’t specified, but I just found these:

The main thing I’m not seeing in any of the sink caps is the number of teeth (appears to be 12 as BadMotivator originally stated, and I’m now seeing with the negative photo posted) and the thickness of the edge/lip being too thin in comparison to the bulb sockets.


Also, the pulley is a great idea and totally agree it could make sense for a mechanism to pop it up along with that spring.

The shape reminded me of something but I couldn’t put my finger on it until I turned on my stereo (I collect/restore old stereo/HiFi gear) that the thing I was thinking of was a variable air capacitor! Used in the tuner section of a stereo to dial in different stations.

Here’s a generic picture of one:

These are in most (if not all) stereos before things went digital, though I’d assume it’d specifically be from an old car stereo (assuming the main section is indeed an old car bulb socket) given its small size.

Obviously nothing definitive yet, just an idea.

 

[BadMotivator]

I’m invested in this one now haha

I have found something going back off of the original post by BadMotivator. Not a clue on which manufacturer as it wasn’t specified, but I just found these:

View attachment 1786694
The main thing I’m not seeing in any of the sink caps is the number of teeth (appears to be 12 as BadMotivator originally stated, and I’m now seeing with the negative photo posted) and the thickness of the edge/lip being too thin in comparison to the bulb sockets.


Also, the pulley is a great idea and totally agree it could make sense for a mechanism to pop it up along with that spring.

The shape reminded me of something but I couldn’t put my finger on it until I turned on my stereo (I collect/restore old stereo/HiFi gear) that the thing I was thinking of was a variable air capacitor! Used in the tuner section of a stereo to dial in different stations.

Here’s a generic picture of one:
View attachment 1786695

These are in most (if not all) stereos before things went digital, though I’d assume it’d specifically be from an old car stereo (assuming the main section is indeed an old car bulb socket) given its small size.

Obviously nothing definitive yet, just an idea.

I think you’re on to something here. Would be super awesome to be able to recreate the entire motivator with original parts. Probably never happen but one can dream.

 

[Vagabond Elf]

Idk, that drain thing comes with a cord on it.. I could see them using that same cord like it is on screen…

Either way I always wanted one of these, just never put any time into researching or building

My mind escapes me, did we see the bad motivator in the mando series? I know we have seen the greasing stain on the dome but I can remember if we saw the actual part

Maybe behind the scenes? I only ask because maybe they could shed some light on some questions we have

The narrative in Mando is that Arfive's motivator has been fixed. If memory serves, the only thing we see emerge from his dome in Mando is the holo-projector (and they cheat with that one, the prop has the pie panel missing and in the show it's CGI'd in.

 

[division 6]

 

[Halliwax]

View attachment 1786713View attachment 1786714

So I know one of the r2 builders made this r5, and I distinctly remember Filoni telling the puppeteer “make it smoke” and the puppeteer hits a button and it smokes, I believe it’s in the cantina.. maybe it’s behind the scenes of BoBF.. I swear the motivator was up..

 

[Halliwax]

I’m invested in this one now haha

I have found something going back off of the original post by BadMotivator. Not a clue on which manufacturer as it wasn’t specified, but I just found these:

View attachment 1786694
The main thing I’m not seeing in any of the sink caps is the number of teeth (appears to be 12 as BadMotivator originally stated, and I’m now seeing with the negative photo posted) and the thickness of the edge/lip being too thin in comparison to the bulb sockets.


Also, the pulley is a great idea and totally agree it could make sense for a mechanism to pop it up along with that spring.

The shape reminded me of something but I couldn’t put my finger on it until I turned on my stereo (I collect/restore old stereo/HiFi gear) that the thing I was thinking of was a variable air capacitor! Used in the tuner section of a stereo to dial in different stations.

Here’s a generic picture of one:
View attachment 1786695

These are in most (if not all) stereos before things went digital, though I’d assume it’d specifically be from an old car stereo (assuming the main section is indeed an old car bulb socket) given its small size.

Obviously nothing definitive yet, just an idea.

Looks like a winner! This light sockets out of a vintage British car or something? I’ve never seen any socket like that in any vintage American car I’ve worked on…

 

[SCREAMINYELLOW]

Looks like a winner! This light sockets out of a vintage British car or something? I’ve never seen any socket like that in any vintage American car I’ve worked on…

Turned out to be a bay listing so I snagged one, all it said was “1950s 1960s Ford/Chevy/Mopar Tail Light Bulb Sockets” which isn’t very descriptive. I figured I’d give it a shot and ordered them as I couldn’t find any other listings or images online matching that description that had the longer shaft.

 

[Obi1Kenobi]

The top part resembles a kitchen sink snap on cover…

BTW, I bought something like this once for the pommel end of my Obi-Wan ANH replica. It snapped perfectly into the replica handwheel in place of the top that would have indicated Hot or Cold. It was easy to find at Home Depot in those drawers where they keep the specialty bolts and fasteners (near the end of the bolt department) and it was very inexpensive. Couldn't hurt to pick up a few and experiment.

 

[Halliwax]

Turned out to be a bay listing so I snagged one, all it said was “1950s 1960s Ford/Chevy/Mopar Tail Light Bulb Sockets” which isn’t very descriptive. I figured I’d give it a shot and ordered them as I couldn’t find any other listings or images online matching that description that had the longer shaft.

I just googled 67 mustang taillight socket… SURE ENOUGH

I collect vintage mustangs, I buy junkers, strip them, catalog the parts and store them. I am known in the area for vintage ford parts. And sell some here and there, I can not believe that’s the dang socket! I bet you I have 50 of them in storage

I can’t believe I don’t remember them looking like that…

 

[3Dsf]

Hm. Seems surprising. I mean, US-built cars aren’t commonly seen in the UK, and certainly not in the 1970s when that prop was built…

 

[BadMotivator]

Hm. Seems surprising. I mean, US-built cars aren’t commonly seen in the UK, and certainly not in the 1970s when that prop was built…

Good point. The mystery continues.

 

[SCREAMINYELLOW]

So last night I was cleaning up my workspace from my last build when I noticed something.

Taking a quick look at the prop, I noticed the white spring/coiled wire actually looks to be threaded through the thin metal plate in several spots.

I also originally was leaning towards it being a coiled wire rather than a spring due to how mangled and uneven it looked (and if you’ve ever tried to stretch/permanently bend a spring, you know that it sorta changes in diameter proportionately each “ring”). Until I saw one of these on my desk:

Nearly all eraser shields have a long thin cutout for erasing thin areas in technical drawings. Also, the spacing from the edge appears to always be roughly the same, same goes for the rounded corners. The other shaped holes would also coincidentally allow the spring to be tugged “out of true,” making it appear mangled and in areas where there isn’t a hole, it’s simply not threaded through the metal. Again, just an idea but given the fact that the original R2 builders for the film made a plethora of technical drawings/drafts, I feel this is a decent possibility. I’d like to try my hand at drafting this up in CAD against the screen grabs to check dimensions and if holes happen to line up as well.

 

[SCREAMINYELLOW]

Hm. Seems surprising. I mean, US-built cars aren’t commonly seen in the UK, and certainly not in the 1970s when that prop was built…

I agree and originally was throwing that possibility out the window because of it. With that said, this may fall into being a common part shared between several OEMs of the time as bulbs even then were fairly standard (and not produced by the OEMs). Only more digging will tell. Wish the bay listing specifically said which vehicles these specific variants came out of, but even after messaging the seller, he wasn’t sure.

I do plan on drawing it up in CAD similar to how Roy (from WannaWanga) has done on several lightsaber research threads to hopefully get some more definitive measurements/proportions to hopefully lead us in the right direction.