Scratch off #2 and #10. I took pics but i'll make a visual post later...
A week ago Mr Shaw said my parts were being shipped, so I'm expecting those parts next week sometime. Will have to see them to decide how they will mount.
Tomorrow i'll be primering and reading dome posts and blogs, maybe even some kridering.
Damn you original builders for painting that one PSI panel blue on the inner dome...
I've also got to sand and polish the outer dome. I was trying to avoid that, but damn if it didn't get all scratched to hell...
*sigh*
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
To Do List...
Ok, while I'm watching R2LA's build day, figured it would help me out to make a to-do list.
1. Shave down the bottom of the ankle and the cylinder holder so the outer feet will sit level with the ground.
2. Swap out the chain drive motors for the belt drive system and test it.
3. Prime and paint the HPs, logic surrounds and coin slots silver.
4. Prime and krider the radar eye, LDP and possibly the coin slots.
5. Remove the skins to mount the coin slots. there's a speaker in the way...
6. Remount the inner skins and mount the coin returns, power couplers, octagon ports.
7. Remount the outer skins and mount the side vents and pocket vents.
8. Mount the center vents to the surround and mount that to the frame.
9. Mount the LDP
10. Cut holes in the dome for the HPs, logics, buttons and radar eye (maybe)
11. Mount the parts listed in 10.
12. Glue the domes together
13. Glue the panels on
14. mount the dome to the HDPE ring
15. remount the dome motor
16. remount the voice electronics
17. mount the electronics in the dome
18. make a slip ring from a 1/4" mono jack
19. wire power to the dome through the jack.
I'm quite sure that's not everything, but it's all I can think of at the moment. Some of the things are a 30 sec job while others will take several days.
1. Shave down the bottom of the ankle and the cylinder holder so the outer feet will sit level with the ground.
2. Swap out the chain drive motors for the belt drive system and test it.
3. Prime and paint the HPs, logic surrounds and coin slots silver.
4. Prime and krider the radar eye, LDP and possibly the coin slots.
5. Remove the skins to mount the coin slots. there's a speaker in the way...
6. Remount the inner skins and mount the coin returns, power couplers, octagon ports.
7. Remount the outer skins and mount the side vents and pocket vents.
8. Mount the center vents to the surround and mount that to the frame.
9. Mount the LDP
10. Cut holes in the dome for the HPs, logics, buttons and radar eye (maybe)
11. Mount the parts listed in 10.
12. Glue the domes together
13. Glue the panels on
14. mount the dome to the HDPE ring
15. remount the dome motor
16. remount the voice electronics
17. mount the electronics in the dome
18. make a slip ring from a 1/4" mono jack
19. wire power to the dome through the jack.
I'm quite sure that's not everything, but it's all I can think of at the moment. Some of the things are a 30 sec job while others will take several days.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Out of town update part deiux
Ok, had to settle for Denny's for dinner. Wasn't really great, wasn't terrible, but that's not what you're hear to read about, now is it?
Anyway, last Friday a friend of mine from across the state called me to ask if Artoo was alive yet. I replied "Not yet, waiting on detail pieces from Europe and Australia".
Then, while trying to take a nap I thought "Why ISN'T Artoo alive yet?".
So I got up off the couch and got to work:
Wiring the legs up was the last remaining piece of work for the drive system, and took all of 20 minutes.
Just about the time I finished that part up, my buddy Goose arrived just in time to help me bolt on the legs. Shortly after that the feet were mounted as well, and at that point I remembered to grab the camera:
And let's not forget the battery boxes, had to to throw those on:
Naturally, the next step was to wheel him into the living room and have a drive test, which went rather well. Eventually a couple of bolts fell out, since apparently I never cranked down all the things in the foot channel, and he started throwing the right foot chain. Saturday I pulled the feet off and tightened everything down, but still haven't quite got the right foot wheel lined up exactly right, since it keeps throwing the chain.
Soon as I figure out where I wanna upload my vids to, I'll post 'em here.
Anyway, last Friday a friend of mine from across the state called me to ask if Artoo was alive yet. I replied "Not yet, waiting on detail pieces from Europe and Australia".
Then, while trying to take a nap I thought "Why ISN'T Artoo alive yet?".
So I got up off the couch and got to work:
Wiring the legs up was the last remaining piece of work for the drive system, and took all of 20 minutes.
Just about the time I finished that part up, my buddy Goose arrived just in time to help me bolt on the legs. Shortly after that the feet were mounted as well, and at that point I remembered to grab the camera:
And let's not forget the battery boxes, had to to throw those on:
Naturally, the next step was to wheel him into the living room and have a drive test, which went rather well. Eventually a couple of bolts fell out, since apparently I never cranked down all the things in the foot channel, and he started throwing the right foot chain. Saturday I pulled the feet off and tightened everything down, but still haven't quite got the right foot wheel lined up exactly right, since it keeps throwing the chain.
Soon as I figure out where I wanna upload my vids to, I'll post 'em here.
Out of town update
Been out of town in Anaheim all week, shame there wasn't any R2LA stuff to do...
Anyway, figured since I'm once again sitting in the LAX Hampton waiting for tomorrow morning to arrive, this would be a good time for an update.
Start with a couple of pics of the utility arm I've cleaned off so far:
Here's a couple of pics of the side ankle details attached with the silicone, and taped in place:
I also worked on the center ankle some more, mounting the ankle cylinders:
You'll also notice the flat spot on the back side of the ankle curves. Basically once everything was put together it only leaned back to 8 degress instead of the 18 degrees needed. I originally had started cutting a curve, but by the time the knife got to the center of the ankle it was a straight line, so I took the coping saw to it and cleaned it up on both sides. It'll be hidden, as you'll see coming up shortly:
Incidentally, the blue line you see on my speed square is permanently set at 18 degrees.
Right now I've got to get ready to go out to dinner, maybe another BIG update after eating :)
Anyway, figured since I'm once again sitting in the LAX Hampton waiting for tomorrow morning to arrive, this would be a good time for an update.
Start with a couple of pics of the utility arm I've cleaned off so far:
Here's a couple of pics of the side ankle details attached with the silicone, and taped in place:
I also worked on the center ankle some more, mounting the ankle cylinders:
You'll also notice the flat spot on the back side of the ankle curves. Basically once everything was put together it only leaned back to 8 degress instead of the 18 degrees needed. I originally had started cutting a curve, but by the time the knife got to the center of the ankle it was a straight line, so I took the coping saw to it and cleaned it up on both sides. It'll be hidden, as you'll see coming up shortly:
Incidentally, the blue line you see on my speed square is permanently set at 18 degrees.
Right now I've got to get ready to go out to dinner, maybe another BIG update after eating :)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
3 steps forward, 1 step back
the title describes how things have seemed lately. I'll just tell you everything and let you decide what's what in that statement...
Start off with painting the outer skins. Forgot to snap a shot of the front ones just primered, so here's one all white:
And the front ones on the "blue box" for better contrast:
Here's the rear skins primered:
After paint, here's the rear inner and outer skins mounted to the frame, with the detail skin pieces taped in place:
I did the rear pieces over 2 days, tested by starting with the smaller panels across the bottom:
Here's what the rear skins look like with all the skin details in place:
Here's a shot of the front inner and outer skins mounted, and all the skin details taped in place:
And without the tape:
Here's a shot with the brand of silicone I used. I remembered it being really good at sticking stuff from when I used to make cabinet tops. We used it to stick backsplash to the walls, and sometimes sinks to the underside of the tops. Figured if it could hold a sink in place, it'd hold a little aluminum:
I decided how to mount the utility arms in the carrier without having to build it up with washers or blocks:
The bolts and washers will hold the arm snug, and can be used to raise or lower the arm. The outer bolts will hold the threaded rod in place in the carrier. Kinda proud of that one :)
Here's the arms hanging on the leftover threaded rod from building the frame, ready for paint:
and the center vent surround primed, since it gets blued like the arms:
Apparently there was too much humidity when I painted the utility arms and center vent surround. That's the only reason I can think of that they came out the way they did, since I painted them exactly the same as the rest of the parts from the same cans:
the clear coat was extremely cloudy, and in most light looked milky. It was hard to get pictures of how bad it looked.
There were two choices, replace the arms entirely, or this:
they look ugly, but I'm taking my time, so there are no scratches or gouges. Once they are primed again, you'll never even know they were painted...
Since I couldn't replace the vent surround, I had to strip it too:
I'm probably going to hit the W-Mart and buy several showers curtains and get some cardboard from work and build myself a paint-booth in the house, probably in the foyer where I usually do my dremel work.
I also paid a visit to my youngest brother again. You may remember he helped with the foot motor mounts. We built the center foot wheel mounts:
Lastly, but certainly not least, last week it turned out to be R2KT day at my house:
Lots of stuff happened in the last 10 days, wouldn't you say? Hell, it took me an hour and a half to organize the pics and write this there was so much to choose from :)
Start off with painting the outer skins. Forgot to snap a shot of the front ones just primered, so here's one all white:
And the front ones on the "blue box" for better contrast:
Here's the rear skins primered:
After paint, here's the rear inner and outer skins mounted to the frame, with the detail skin pieces taped in place:
I did the rear pieces over 2 days, tested by starting with the smaller panels across the bottom:
Here's what the rear skins look like with all the skin details in place:
Here's a shot of the front inner and outer skins mounted, and all the skin details taped in place:
And without the tape:
Here's a shot with the brand of silicone I used. I remembered it being really good at sticking stuff from when I used to make cabinet tops. We used it to stick backsplash to the walls, and sometimes sinks to the underside of the tops. Figured if it could hold a sink in place, it'd hold a little aluminum:
I decided how to mount the utility arms in the carrier without having to build it up with washers or blocks:
The bolts and washers will hold the arm snug, and can be used to raise or lower the arm. The outer bolts will hold the threaded rod in place in the carrier. Kinda proud of that one :)
Here's the arms hanging on the leftover threaded rod from building the frame, ready for paint:
and the center vent surround primed, since it gets blued like the arms:
Apparently there was too much humidity when I painted the utility arms and center vent surround. That's the only reason I can think of that they came out the way they did, since I painted them exactly the same as the rest of the parts from the same cans:
the clear coat was extremely cloudy, and in most light looked milky. It was hard to get pictures of how bad it looked.
There were two choices, replace the arms entirely, or this:
they look ugly, but I'm taking my time, so there are no scratches or gouges. Once they are primed again, you'll never even know they were painted...
Since I couldn't replace the vent surround, I had to strip it too:
I'm probably going to hit the W-Mart and buy several showers curtains and get some cardboard from work and build myself a paint-booth in the house, probably in the foyer where I usually do my dremel work.
I also paid a visit to my youngest brother again. You may remember he helped with the foot motor mounts. We built the center foot wheel mounts:
Lastly, but certainly not least, last week it turned out to be R2KT day at my house:
Lots of stuff happened in the last 10 days, wouldn't you say? Hell, it took me an hour and a half to organize the pics and write this there was so much to choose from :)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Tragedy, yet again!
So, last post, my inner skins are cut and painted.
I remounted the inner skins to the frame, thinking it was a good time to drill the holes for the rear door, now that it was cut loose.
Problem is, the rear door doesn't open now.
The skins are centered on the frame, and the door is where it's made to be. There's no way the door could be off center, because everything is pre-drilled, all you do is put it together.
Problem is, the door is 1/8" too far to the left.
Those pictures were a pain to take too, holding the tape measure still with one hand while focusing the camera for a closeup with the other...
The pencil line on the door frame is where it sits when behind the skins.
I guess the only course of action for me is to remove the rear inner skin, measure slightly more than 1/8" and cut the left side further open.
Not looking forward to that, and have asked for ideas on the Astromech Boards, but haven't gotten any replies yet.
While I was watching the post for replies, I finished cutting the outer skins, and have filed the skin itself, but not the detail pieces I removed.
I'd hoped to get those primed tonight, so I could paint them tomorrow, but the whole door business kinda got it the way, and I spent too long pondering possible solutions...
Maybe tomorrow someone who also has an A&A frame and Sherrell skins will have spoken up to prove I'm not a moron who did it wrong :/
And now, you're up to speed, for today at least.
I remounted the inner skins to the frame, thinking it was a good time to drill the holes for the rear door, now that it was cut loose.
Problem is, the rear door doesn't open now.
The skins are centered on the frame, and the door is where it's made to be. There's no way the door could be off center, because everything is pre-drilled, all you do is put it together.
Problem is, the door is 1/8" too far to the left.
Those pictures were a pain to take too, holding the tape measure still with one hand while focusing the camera for a closeup with the other...
The pencil line on the door frame is where it sits when behind the skins.
I guess the only course of action for me is to remove the rear inner skin, measure slightly more than 1/8" and cut the left side further open.
Not looking forward to that, and have asked for ideas on the Astromech Boards, but haven't gotten any replies yet.
While I was watching the post for replies, I finished cutting the outer skins, and have filed the skin itself, but not the detail pieces I removed.
I'd hoped to get those primed tonight, so I could paint them tomorrow, but the whole door business kinda got it the way, and I spent too long pondering possible solutions...
Maybe tomorrow someone who also has an A&A frame and Sherrell skins will have spoken up to prove I'm not a moron who did it wrong :/
And now, you're up to speed, for today at least.
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