M12-d1 full scale Astromech droid case mod work log

[Scorpionjwp]

I have designed and thought out this very deeply. The materials is from the defunct work log of the Ark of Covenant Pc work log. What had been saved from that work log is the basis for the framework for this mod.

I have the design, that I wish to achieve. It has the design as a Starwars Astromech droid, but that is where the similuarities end there. It may look like an R2 unit, but it is far from it.

Never do you see a full exploded version of the astromech droid, you'll get to see it in this case.


This case can extend to the height of a 5ft 6in person, yes you see that right this droid can extend itself to the height of a human.

Feast your eyes on the design that will fully replace my Ark of Covenant Pc mod. It will only have 2 motherboards along with watercooling and all the hardware for 2 computers in it.

Now let the comments fly!!

 

[Solarfall]

i hope you can pull this off, i'm sure you're up for the chalenge.
dude post more pics, pretty please

 

[jreffy]

just don't let your mom see it


oh, and just to be a smart-ass twice in one post, I searched for "fully extended D2 unit" = no results, then "extended D2 unit" = no results, and finally "D2 unit"...and this is all I got

http://www.campusrec.neu.edu/imsports/past/spring04/D2 Fava Unit.jpg

good luck with your case mod!

 

[Scorpionjwp]

After I took down the Ark of Covenant Pc mod, I suggested to my parents that I plan to build another case mod but smaller. I even showed them the first draft of what I was going to build, even found a picture of a frame of a r2d2, then showed them that.

I have their ok and permission to start this and work till completion. I have all of the wood to work on the frame, but the shell will be metal.

I have found this image of the way mine would like as extended:

T- 14hours and counting till this mod is forever gone

 

[Scorpionjwp]

I am really sorry about not having an update. I'm still having trouble trying to find a job down here in Northern Georgia, but that has not stopped me on this mod. I started on the mod again this week, I'm working on the external battery packs that are on the legs.

Those rectangle or rounded rectangle boxes will contain a Danger Den 120mm radiator and a 120mm white led coolermaster fan. I am currently working on the first box, not sure how I will route the 2 watercooling lines, maybe like the cable that come from the boxes to the legs.

For the shell I was tempting to get aluminum sheets at lowes, but I found an alternative, thin aluminum used for roofing. Sorry I don't have a picture yet, ya I know you guys are wanting to know what I'm up to.

 

[BRONzDOME]

Subscribed, will be interesting to see the progress

 

[Ozone77]

Hehe, BRONzDOME is "interested" ...looking for a SilverDome girl-friend or something? j/k

Cool idea Scorpion, looking forward to the results.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Here is somewhat of an update, have been working on the left battery box on the leg.

I am in need of some feedback or some ideas on how to counter a problem with one of the barbs on the radiator. I know what must be done to get the barb in the back to accept tubing, an elbow connector. I am need of a solution for the tubing to the barb that is located at the front. Here is the pictures:

On this picture the front is on the right.

Tubing will pass through these holes to the radiators.

 

[fameless]

Try using some 45 degree or 90 degree copper sweeps. Just about any hardware store will have them.

 

[Everfalling]

subscribed. this is gonna be way cooler than the arc mod.

 

[jawajedi]

astromech.net

you will find more design, detail, buildinfo and parts than you can shake a stick at, plus dozens of acurate cad files and blueprints.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

jawajedi, I have been to that site and other astromech droid sites for info for building this mod.

I have however am very low on the cash needed to buy some of the parts on these sites. And I also have no access to a machine shop or know anything about metalworking to build the parts the way I would like them. So as thinking, I have and will build as much as I can with wood and material that I presently have.

Alot of the CAD blueprints and drawings are in metric, which doesn't help me abit when it comes to measure something, it helps to have it in english. I don't do CAD, I never have, and know 0% about it, but I have drawn things better by pencil and paper.

What happens between the time I start constructing the frame will dictate what I will build. The pictures I have shown you, may be done differently. The design I drew out will change, no doubt it will change. I will post continuous pictures of the construction, but to let you know I am working in a garage now unlike what I had been working in, a basement.

 

[jawajedi]

There are many readily available cad viewers that you can download for free, this will allow you to print out the parts on paper to scale for ease of working with.

with a little bit of pencil work, a ruler, and several free metric conversion websites you can convert all your measurements with ease.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

It will be a day or so, till I show my next update. I have worked on the metal that will cover the battery box with the radiator in it. It's nice to know that I can cut this thin metal with scissors and not tin snips.

The radiator casing mod is looking good, just need to get some modding mesh for the side where the fan.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Ok guys here is the update I have to show you.

Almost got the 1st radiator housing done, starting on the second housing soon. Meanwhile, I started working on the legs, its going to take me some time to finish those too.

1st rad housing:

Legs:

 

[Scorpionjwp]

The only thing that is hampering my efforts on this mod is one of 2 things:

1. A new job, not computer related
2. It's cold out here in Georgia, and the garage is cold to work in.

This may change in time, I have to hunt around for a better heater for warming up the Garage to work in. That and get the 2 AMD x2 processors really soon, so I don't have to hunt and peck for them.

The one question that someone asked me. Well you are going to build this mod and put stock parts into it?

The one thing I do have to do to make this mod worthwhile is $$$. So I could show you what I currently have for components, I won't, I want you to try to guess what I plan to put into this mod. Kinda like Ty Penningtons secret room, I'll make it a surprise.

 

[upriverpaddler]

Subscribed. Are you gonna make it RC with a webcam in the eye?

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Subscribed. Are you gonna make it RC with a webcam in the eye?

I hope your joking about having it radio controlled, I know nothing about doing such a thing.

But here is what I have for parts that will once be placed somewhere in the mod.

The Motherboards are both socket 939 and Gigabyte

The wireless webcam from Linksys/ Cisco. The seeing eye for the mod.

 

[upriverpaddler]

I hope your joking about having it radio controlled, I know nothing about doing such a thing.

No, I'm not joking. It wouldn't be much more trouble that all of the rest of the stuff you'll have to do.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Yes it would be more trouble than it's worth, I know 0% about RC, and I'm not going to spend the time dealing with it. By the time I decide to RC this thing or know how by even a smidge about doing it, this mod will be done.

End of story, I'm not RC'ing this mod, its a static display.
It will have a rotating head, it will have 2 legs that will move, but I will not make this Radio controlled.


This is coming from a guy that cannot keep his hands still to solder, cannot metalwork to save my life. Most of the frame, legs and etc will be Wood, not metal like some of you would have hoped. It will look somewhat like something from Astromech.net or any R2 builders club. It may have the overall feel as an R2 unit, but it will not be one.

I have one thing to work carefully on, the extendable portion of the lower part of the legs. Yes, the ankle section of the legs will be able to extend to about 2in-7in.

 

[upriverpaddler]

Don't sell yourself short. You're a great modder with awesome vision. I'm sure it'll be awesome.

 

[Ockie]

One guy walked into a lan here locally with one of these.. it drove itself in on its own weight and was pretty cool, a lot of blinky leds and stuff.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Well it finally got alittle warm here in Northern Georgia, enough to start cutting the frame of this mod. So I got the lid of the Ark of Covenant pc mod and started cutting.

Got the middle ring of the frame cut, going to work more on it tomorrow.
Here is the ring with the motherboard that is going into it, as a size reference:

And to the response to upriverpaddler, I'm not going to sell myself short, I just know what I can do, and what I possibly cannot not do.

Oh and I did find a way to extend the legs w/o powering them with motors or solenoids.
Just about how this works:

 

[Ockie]

Found the pics: This is a work in progress... I'm pretty sure he's done or close to it.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Thanks Ockie for sharing those pictures.

Well I ran into a roadblock with my mod, into cutting one of the rings of the frame, my bandsaw blade broke. I finished it with a jigsaw however it doesn't get a smooth cut.

I have 2 frame rings cut, working on the other two, sometime this week, I shall go past lowes and get an replacement saw blade for my generic bandsaw.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Well back on schedule, or so I hope. The frame rings are not oval like the plans call for, they are more like round, but who cares, I still make it work.

Bandsaw has a new blade, got a jigsaw edge guide, have the riser support plans printed out and shall start cutting on them today.

 

[upriverpaddler]

I searched for "fully extended D2 unit" = no results, then "extended D2 unit" = no results, and finally "D2 unit"...and this is all I got

I think they are more commonly referred to as an "R2 Unit". Maybe, I don't know. It may have been Toad-O, I'm not really sure.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

And here I thought everyone was thinking that this mod was dead in the water.

Well at that stage of cutting the rings and I ended up with this:

I'm still working on this so called frame, had to tweek some measurements though.

If you notice in this picture above ^ there is a cut separating the middle section from the frame.

And here is where the hard drives will be located:

Another picture of one of the legs, got some of it primed today:

Well that is about it for this night, maybe some more in the afternoon tomorrow.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Ok guys and gals, I have an update worth mentioning.

I have gotten to work more on the frame, on the bottom skirt portion. But I'm pulling my hair out at this moment trying to get a piece of rounded curve cut. The part in point I am trying to get at is this:

This is the same picture Ockie showed, but with an arrow pointing to the part I'm working on.

I know someone will tell me that the R2 builders club sells the skirt as an part. I'm well aware of it, but that ain't how I want to do it. I perfer to build this section by myself. If at anytime do I realize that I cannot achieve it, I will plop down the cash to buy the part.

So if anyone has any smartass answers to how I could build it their way, keep it to yourself. I have Ockie looking for the friend that built the one in the picture. But if anyone knows of anyone who have built this, please give me some insight into building the rounded part pointed out in the picture.

In the meanwhile, I'll be waiting for anyone to send me a message via the PM system or someone replying to my help in this thread.

 

[MakuraRyu]

Well, I don't have any idea, but since you are using wood try asking greensabbath for ideas.

My ideas may not work, but try and get the wood wet and using heat, strength, etc to bend it to something you can use.

Good luck!

 

[filthysanchez]

You can't get the shape with a lathe?

 

[Guyver03]

copying another mans idea? Lame..

Yeah, It's nothing like threadcrapping with a 5 word post.

Seriously, if someone else has already done it...who cares? If that were the case, there would only be one comuter in the world with a window, only one PC with water cooling, only one with CCFLs...etc. Also, he didn't even know about this other mod to begin with.

On topic:

For the skit idea, I would recommend two different plywood rings, with bottom being smaller of course. Attach them together with the spacing you want in the middle so the basic shape will be the size you want. Then, can't you you wrap paper or posterboard around it like a cone, mark it, unroll it, trim it, trace the pattern on your metal, cut it out, then reattach it? When you trim the upper and lower portions, you can leave "tabs" that can then be bent over your plywood rings so you can attach it to the structure without putting the hole in the ring itself to keep it smooth.

Hopefully my explanation isn't too convoluted.

Good luck!

 

[salvationpcs]

Good job so far will be looking for updates. Who cares that its been done already. Its still cool!

 

[Scorpionjwp]

You can't get the shape with a lathe?

To answer your question, Is do I have a lathe, and the answer to it is no.

For the person, who threadcrapped in my thread and saying this is lame.

Taking the mans original idea and not modifiying it in some way is lame.

Now take the pictures above, it is made of wood and metal. All of the astromech droid lookalikes are made of metal, and can weigh up to 150lbs.

Ok here is something far away from the pack of droids that have been made lately:

Now what are you looking at exactly? It is the middle part separate from the rest of the frame, this part like the legs sections will be extendable along with the head portion.

 

[friedchicken]

Are you able to use other materials? Styrofoam is easy to mold and fiberglass is messy, but very usefull.

 

[Strikemaster]

Are you able to use other materials? Styrofoam is easy to mold and fiberglass is messy, but very usefull.

What he said, and something you can borrow from the R/C community as well.

Hot-wire cutting. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~orman/air/cutter/hotwire.html

Cut two plywood rings; one to fit the underside of the skirt area, the other to the outline of the bottom of the skirt. Cut the straight edge of the wedge-shaped area from the bottom ring. These will be your attachment surfaces, and also the forms for the cutting operation later, so be as accurate as you can with the outer edges.

Hit up Home Depot for beaded styrofoam sheet (think disposable 7-11 foam cooler material), the thicker the better. Grab some contact cement, I think 3M Type 77 spray is the stuff. Sandwich enough of the sheet material between the rings to get the height you need, and do not leave any voids or gaps near the edges. Make sure you leave about 3" or more of the foam sheet outside the edges of the rings.

Now, rig up a freehand hotwire cutting loom. Stretch the cutting wire across a C- or D-shaped frame (the wire would be the straightedge in the "D"). Using the plywood ring edges as the guide, use the hotwire to cut your forms.

Couple coats of foam-safe body filler, some sanding, and you'll have your part.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Ok in the span of the two days waiting for ideas for my problem, I said heck with it and cut 2 straight pieces. I attached the 2 said pieces ending up with this:

I used what I had available, wood, no lathe I don't own one and don't know anything about working with fiberglass. I have to have something to work with and now since I have an anchor point I can try to use styrofoam for the curved part.

I am currently am w/o a bandsaw once again, the blade broke no less than in 2 weeks. I'm not about to keep spending money on bandsaw blades if they keep breaking in less than a month. I have discontinued using the bandsaw because of the following reasons: it was a generic brand saw GMC (Global Machinery Company), cheap crap, the upper wheel assembly has broken. I'm saving up for an 14in bandsaw from either Delta or Jet and or Rikon.

I have been working on the middle leg assembly and have started painting one of the legs.

 

[Strikemaster]

Looking good!

The Styrofoam idea is still good. You have your forms, just drop the hot-wire tool and grab a Surform hand plane (the one that looks like a cheese grater). Stuff the area with Styrofoam, the use the Surform to nibble away the parts that don't look like a droid.

 

[Farva]

Nicely done for the bottom.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Oh about that Stanley Surform tool, I could get it and spend time to do it, but I rather use a hot-wire cutter to cut the foam. I do warn you it has been at least 14years ago since I last used a hot-wire cutter and worked with styrofoam. So while I haven't worked with it for awhile, I still have some good hand-eye coordination left in me.

Like the rest of the mod, I have been only had to measure once, cut once and this is no exception.

So ppph! to the Surform, this is what I ended up with after cutting the foam:

I have to go to either lowes or homedepot for 2-part epoxy or bondo to smooth out the curve.

Meanwhile I worked more on the middle leg, should have it attached to the frame tomorrow.