The making of a R2D2 clone

[patrickl]

pretty amazing droid.

[Malenko]

Thats not the droid I was looking for.

[Howard_Casto]

The problem with building R units is the same one you run across when building darleks....  Everything is butt easy and anyone, given enough time, could build one.  But domes just the right size aren't available unless you order one from one of these building clubs, which ensures you are going to spend around 1000 bucks total.

So in other words, you don't see a lot of these not because they are hard to make, but because they are expensive to make. 


This one would be an exception though.  The dude goes to obsesive levels to make things look just so-so.  Of course he could have saved himself a BUTTLOAD of time by just vaccu-forming the bits he made out of wood, but then again I suppose wood might be more durable. 

[saint]

Is a darlek like a Southern dalek?

One day I will join the R2 club, it looks like much fun.

The problem with building R units is the same one you run across when building darleks....  Everything is butt easy and anyone, given enough time, could build one.  But domes just the right size aren't available unless you order one from one of these building clubs, which ensures you are going to spend around 1000 bucks total.

So in other words, you don't see a lot of these not because they are hard to make, but because they are expensive to make. 


This one would be an exception though.  The dude goes to obsesive levels to make things look just so-so.  Of course he could have saved himself a BUTTLOAD of time by just vaccu-forming the bits he made out of wood, but then again I suppose wood might be more durable. 

[Vanguard]

What a bunch of losers.   What kind of person would dedicate so much time building something from the 80's.   I did a quick search and there's even a forum dedicated to building these things and a vendor support community, building electronics and parts.   I don't know what's sadder, the people building these or the guy who setup a forum to support these people.    


Seriously though.   My brother and I at the age of 10 and 12 tried to build an R2 when Star Wars hit the theater.   Every store we went to with my parents was a quest to find just the right size trash can.

[javeryh]

I really don't get it but it is pretty neat I suppose.

[Malenko]

I really don't get it but it is pretty neat I suppose.

+1

[Vanguard]

I'd rather have a Darth Vader costume to terrorize the neighborhood kids.

[Epyx]

I'd rather have a Darth Vader costume to terrorize the neighborhood kids.

+1

Me and Darth back in 83

[fatfingers]

Me and Darth back in 83

Is Darth on the left or the right?

 

[ark_ader]

I was hoping they would hire a British midget to operate it and make the whistling noises...........

[hyiu]

can we run mame on it ?   

[wp34]

I'd rather have a Darth Vader costume to terrorize the neighborhood kids.

+1

Me and Darth back in 83

Must have been early spring.  Didn't Vader die in May of that year? 

Seriously cool picture.

[Howard_Casto]

Is a darlek like a Southern dalek?

One day I will join the R2 club, it looks like much fun.

Heh, no... that's just how they've always pronounced it on the show.  I guess that isn't how it's spelled though.

I'm still scouring spots for coleman grills.  One of these days I'll run across the famed "perfectly round dome" grill and I'll make one of these. 

[Gorotsuki]

Wow,
That is so cool.
Sure would like to have the skill
and, the tools to build an R2.

Some time ago on the star wars shop
they sold an R2D2 that was a movie projector
as well. It was too expensive for me though.

[RobbyMac]

One flower pot from lowes... $8
One sheet of pvc from barn... $0
One Ipod Speaker from kmart... $14
One Ipod from Wife... $0
Some spray paint, cardboard, and custom printed wrap from work... $0


R2 D2 Costume for my 7 yr old.... priceless.

Ok so it's not as good as the original post... but my son seemed to think it was just as good.

[Howard_Casto]

One flower pot from lowes... $8
One sheet of pvc from barn... $0
One Ipod Speaker from kmart... $14
One Ipod from Wife... $0
Some spray paint, cardboard, and custom printed wrap from work... $0


R2 D2 Costume for my 7 yr old.... priceless.

Ok so it's not as good as the original post... but my son seemed to think it was just as good.

No actually that looks pretty darn good.  Just proves my point that the one in this post is obsessively over-complicated.  Sturdier materials would have made it look better, but it's a costume, so that wouldn't make any sense.  Again though, it goes back to my original post in that finding one of those domes is hard to do.  Still love the costume though, reminds me of some of the stuff I used to cobble together for halloween when I was little. 

[danny_galaga]

One flower pot from lowes... $8
One sheet of pvc from barn... $0
One Ipod Speaker from kmart... $14
One Ipod from Wife... $0
Some spray paint, cardboard, and custom printed wrap from work... $0


R2 D2 Costume for my 7 yr old.... priceless.

Ok so it's not as good as the original post... but my son seemed to think it was just as good.

No actually that looks pretty darn good.  Just proves my point that the one in this post is obsessively over-complicated.  Sturdier materials would have made it look better, but it's a costume, so that wouldn't make any sense.  Again though, it goes back to my original post in that finding one of those domes is hard to do.  Still love the costume though, reminds me of some of the stuff I used to cobble together for halloween when I was little. 

Ha! I'm actually more impressed with this! Nice work Robbymac. Your boy sure is lucky (",)

[Vanguard]

Nice work Robbymac. Your boy sure is lucky (",)

Not really, Robbymac drags his boy to all the premiers, children's hospitals, 5k runs etc... just like the R2 in the video.

[RobbyMac]

Hey! Only on weekends! He's forcefed classic arcade games during the weekdays.

[patrickl]

Wow, that R2D2 costume is seriously cool

I don't understand why people complain about the guy (in the clip I posted) overdoing it. When people do that here with their cabs, the crowd goes wild and they get standing ovations. Or are people then just being polite because the builder himself is also reading?

[Vanguard]

I don't think he's overdoing it.   I also think building an R2 is probably much harder than building a cabinet.   There is some real engineering going on with building a drive system and building the electronics.   

[saint]

I don't think he's overdoing it.   I also think building an R2 is probably much harder than building a cabinet.   There is some real engineering going on with building a drive system and building the electronics.   

Agreed. I think it's cool as can be.

[saint]

I don't think he's overdoing it.   I also think building an R2 is probably much harder than building a cabinet.   There is some real engineering going on with building a drive system and building the electronics.   

Bolting a trash can to a remote control car?  C'mon, don't overthink this.

Why overthink it when you could be flippant and dismissive instead? After all, even if you haven't done it yourself how hard could it be?

[saint]

Is this another one of those "misinterpret pinballjim's intent and chew his ass" days?

It's entirely possible, it seems so easy to do. What were you trying to say if I misinterpreted you?

[Howard_Casto]

Wow, that R2D2 costume is seriously cool

 Or are people then just being polite because the builder himself is also reading?

Well I never had the problem... always happy to tear a crappy cab a new one, but I think you hit the nail on the head.  In not saying that everyone's cab is bad, but the law of averages makes it impossible for every cab to be good.  So if you are seeing each cab as getting a standing ovation then one could assume..... I'm just saying.....

[Howard_Casto]

I don't think he's overdoing it.   I also think building an R2 is probably much harder than building a cabinet.   There is some real engineering going on with building a drive system and building the electronics.   

Bolting a trash can to a remote control car?  C'mon, don't overthink this.

Bill Maher's newest standup special comes into mind when people flame you for this. 

"But I'm not wrong!....."

It's a little more complicated than what you are saying, but honestly not much....  a motor goes in each back foot..... standard off-the-shelf rc innards.  The dome might be hard to get moving smoothly, but that is the only difficulty I could forsee.  And while I haven't built an r2, I've built things like him in my youth, so I don't think I'm being flippant and dismissive when I say it.  When a dumb little turd like myself can make rc stuff when he's 10-12 then it isn't THAT difficult. 

Now I honestly don't know... the guy could have built the electroincs by hand, and that would be impressive, but considering they sell kits for popular bots like this then that probably isn't the case. 


There's no doubt it's harder than building a cabinet, but then again we are comparing apples (woodworking) to oranges (machine work/ electronics) so if you want to make that leap then I'll go with you.  But keep in mind nobody compared it to building a cabinet except you vanguard.

[boykster]

I think its a cool, very detailed and obviously well thought out build.  Would I put that much time and effort into an R2?  Probably not. 

[eclipso]

More power to them, I think that is absolutly amazing and I am impressed.

[patrickl]

Wow, that R2D2 costume is seriously cool

 Or are people then just being polite because the builder himself is also reading?

Well I never had the problem... always happy to tear a crappy cab a new one, but I think you hit the nail on the head.  In not saying that everyone's cab is bad, but the law of averages makes it impossible for every cab to be good.  So if you are seeing each cab as getting a standing ovation then one could assume..... I'm just saying.....

I'm more talking about the cabs where the builder is pushing the envelope. Using "insane" constructs that are indeed absolutely unnecessary for a cab that is supposed to mimic the feel of a mass produced cheaply build arcade cabinet. Yet everyone is cheering about these ideas.

[HanoiBoi]

When I first started watching the build, my first thoughts were...what does his wife/girlfriend think of this?   j/k 

Then I thought, Wow! That's a lot of effort just to have your own R2D2 pet.  (Does anyone write Artoo Detoo anymore?)  For all that effort, I hope it does the R2 shake/freak out.

Then, toward the end of the video, when I saw all the charity events that they brought the R2 to and realized how happy it made people, I truly feel that the effort was worth it.  Maybe I'm just feeling sappy at the moment, but that R2 really brought some sunshine those in it's presence.   

[flashiv]

I agree HanoiBoi, the look on those kids and adults faces is worth the price of admission alone.
I personally think that there are two camps with cabs, and I think I fall in both.
Camp 1 : Make/restore a cab to original/like original specs.
Camp 2 : Make a cab that fits you.
My first (and only so far) cab build is a black fairly generic "cab" shape w/ black t-mold (which I need to change  ), but I would like to build another more customized one too.

[Ond]

I'm more talking about the cabs where the builder is pushing the envelope. Using "insane" constructs that are indeed absolutely unnecessary for a cab that is supposed to mimic the feel of a mass produced cheaply build arcade cabinet. Yet everyone is cheering about these ideas.

Hmm, interesting post for a bunch of reasons.  My first thoughts as I watched the video were WOW amazing work, attention to detail, dedication etc.  Then I started thinking gee that's a whole of effort to NOT produce something original.  I may or may not fall into the above mentioned category of current cab builders, but I guess for me it's about creating something original which is an extension of everything I loved about those "cheaply built arcade cabinets".  I think this R2D2 effort should be admired in the same way people marvel at other reproduction work i.e. scratch built models of sailing ships etc.  In fact on that note, the emotional driver involved in reproducing the feel of the arcade machines we loved or the Star Wars characters we grew up with seem similarly understandable.  Just my handful of tokens worth.

[patrickl]

I'm more talking about the cabs where the builder is pushing the envelope. Using "insane" constructs that are indeed absolutely unnecessary for a cab that is supposed to mimic the feel of a mass produced cheaply build arcade cabinet. Yet everyone is cheering about these ideas.

Hmm, interesting post for a bunch of reasons.  My first thoughts as I watched the video were WOW amazing work, attention to detail, dedication etc.  Then I started thinking gee that's a whole of effort to NOT produce something original.  I may or may not fall into the above mentioned category of current cab builders, but I guess for me it's about creating something original which is an extension of everything I loved about those "cheaply built arcade cabinets".  I think this R2D2 effort should be admired in the same way people marvel at other reproduction work i.e. scratch built models of sailing ships etc.  In fact on that note, the emotional driver involved in reproducing the feel of the arcade machines we loved or the Star Wars characters we grew up with seem similarly understandable.  Just my handful of tokens worth.

OK fair enough. Maybe it should be compared more to a restoration or someone who builds a replica Star Wars sitdown cab.

Still, even with the scratch build (non-replica) cabs, usually it's just the details that make the difference. Like an extremely sturdy or high quality build or plasma cut metal ornaments. We love those things here. I just love reading what amazing things you or Pixel have come up with. Indeed I'd imagine someone who (as a kid) was passionate about owning an R2D2 when he was a kid has the same sentiment about this R2D2 build.