A few years ago I attended Star Wars Celebration 3 in Indianapolis and despite the enormous crowd of people there I had a good time. One thing I enjoyed in-particular was the droid builders room that showcased the fans that had built their own droids, some were original Artoos and others where more abstract astromechs in the Star Wars universe or even original creations. Walking through that room several times over the weekend planted the seed in my head that one day I would do the same.
Lucky for me there is an online community of people that have, or are currently building their own droids. Answers to almost every question are out there, as well as, parts lists and how to get them.
I have a ton of reading to do about all aspects of the build but I'm already eyeing my first purchase. I figure what better place to start than the frame. That's where any car or motorcycle starts, so why not my R2? I'd come across a blog a few months back that showed a scratch frame built from plywood. Until today I thought that's where I'd start too. Come to find out with a little investigation, there are aluminum frames out there for purchase. Sure it may be a little more moolah than plywood, but much easier for me and no sawing required.
I plan on assembling the whole thing myself. I'll paint and sand the whole shebang. The wiring and electronics may be my biggest hurdle. I want my R2 to roll, rotate its dome, light up and make those classic beeps and boops all via remote control like the ones I saw back at Celebration 3.
So here goes nothing. We'll see how long it takes to get to something like the photo below.
This is where the fun begins.
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