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Awesome! You will NOT regret going with the Vex Omnis. Best upgrade you can possibly get - absolutely worth it. Good luck!

That was one of my favorite custom droids!

Getting the gears off can be a pain. Sometimes heat helps. I picked up a gear puller, but IIRC, the gears actually broke when I used that. I eventually pried them off using a small crowbar. Hopefully you have other builders in your area that can lend a hand. Good luck - you'll get it.

@@jasonsR2D2 one is off already - I just kept use my metal saw and bang, there it goes after hours of despair 🤪🤪🤪

It's absolutely worth the trip!

The danger, of course, is that now there are about 3 or 4 droids I want to build next!

It’s funny, but going through the footage it’s true what they say - you make a point to take pictures of the droids but not so much the people!

I thought I took more pictures/videos than I did and when I go to look for a specific picture, I realize I never got just the exact one I was thinking of.

Any time!

The XL has been wonderful. Super reliable and has not given me any problems whatsoever. It's still not big enough to do a one-shot dome, though. For Bee I was able to join some of the body pieces together in the slicer and take advantage of the larger bed, so that was cool. So many great printer options these days, and printers are finally getting to the point where they are reliable and "just work". Seams remain our nemesis, though - after using the 2-part body filler for Bee's texture, I want to give that a try next time instead of the glazing putty. Seems a lot stronger and less brittle. Good luck!

It's hard to say. I think they stick with Indianapolis because of it's slightly more centralized location, plus the hotel where we currently hold it is EXTREMELY accommodating to the builders so we've got a good thing going in that regard, too. Even if you can't swing bringing a droid along, it's totally worth the trip.

Thanks for the kind words! Unfortunately, I don't have easy access to R2s drives to measure, but the exact length for the main drive wheel isn't too critical - it needs to protrude out both sides enough to slide a lock collar on each end. I would guess the total length to be about 6 or 7". There's space between the drive and the foot shells for them to stick out a bit. The hex shaft is definitely a lot shorter - in the neighborhood of 3-4" (or less) if memory serves. You'll want to be somewhat precise with the hex shaft - you want the ends to sit JUST proud of the bearings at each end. This is so that when you add the large washers on each end, the axle keeps them from pinching down on the bearings. If the hex sits too low, you'll impede the spinning of the wheels, and if it sits too proud, you might get some slop. A grinder or belt sander can help you dial it in. I'll try and check soon and get back to you if my memory was way off! Good luck.

Thank you! It has been nice to not have so much sanding on this one. It's so easy to build up a backlog of projects - your R5 concept sounds awesome, but you can never go wrong with Bo Katan armor - I think hers is up there as one of my favorites. Good luck!

Thank you!

@@jasonsR2D2 your welcome

Thank you! The B2 files that I'm using are currently an "early bird" offering to Patrons of Michael Baddeley (www.patreon.com/mrbaddeley/). I believe you get access to the early bird files at the lowest ($1) membership tier. As it is an early bird offering, it's been tested, but refinement and updates are ongoing, so it's important to know that up front. Mr. Baddeley also has a very active Facebook group that you can join to see more of what the amazing community is doing. Another key resource is Astromech.net - the original home of the droid builders and a place where you can see other means of droidbuilding beyond 3D printing. Bee is not a simple build (full size droid builds are never "simple") and you should expect to have to do at least some improvising as you proceed with your build - even moreso on Bee than others. Your 501st experience is certainly a plus, but droid building is different in one significant way - there is no "wrong" way to build a droid, and it's perfectly acceptable to tailor your build to your desires, talents, skills and creative preferences. Mr Baddeley offers many other smaller-scale projects to Patrons as well that can serve as an excellent primer for a larger, more ambitious project. Hope this helps. Good luck should you start a build of your own. The world is always better when there's another droid to spread some happiness!

Nice. Getting that screw all the way in can be very difficult. If you don’t have spare nuts or bearings to wrap around the outside to prevent splitting, then widening the hole is the best alternative. Thanks for the tip!

Thank you! He's already had his share of glitches - not all the kinks have been worked out, but he's definitely getting closer. Cheers!

Thanks so much for the insight! I'll be sure to make the change. I'm loving how the system turned out - the batteries have been rock-solid and the shunt gives that extra peace of mind. Cheers!

Yes, this is a MKIII body/shoulder hub. From what I know of the V2 hubs, they are single piece prints (so no captive nuts) and it's probably a bit trickier to know which one is which as they don't have the embossed labels like the MKIII hubs. Just remember that if the hubs are on backwards or on the wrong side, R2s legs will be angled much farther back!

@@jasonsR2D2 i started first before i joined the club i printed R2 dome its version 1 lol dont want to redo that one so i have version 1 dome version 2 body and legs and version 3 center leg its a masterpiece i tell ya lol and im still printing to finish it up just got dome lights and already got the lazy susan

The worry with putting the diode there is the constant current load that it would be under during normal droid operation. The motors are the components that draw the highest current out of anything in a typical droid. Any diode in line between the motor controller and the motors themselves would need to be able to withstand the high current loads of the motors, and are not easily replaced should they fail at some point in the future. There is also the issue of forward voltage loss. All diodes have some degree of forward voltage loss that can vary based on the current. That also implies that any variances between diodes could result in slight speed differences between your motors. Relays are the best option for isolating the motors from the motor controller - as they are much better equipped to handle high current and do not introduce any variance to the signal being passed when the relay is closed. I've used relays in my new B2 build and I like the simplicity they provide.

Did you use "thin" M4 nuts? Michael Baddeley's R2 files almost always require using nuts that are thinner than what is usually found at local hardware stores. Amazon has options for M4 square nuts that are only 2mm thick like these: www.amazon.com/200pcs-Square-Metric-Coarse-Thread/dp/B08CMG8F1K/ Hopefully that solves the problem for you.

@@jasonsR2D2 yeah it is not the thickness of the nut it is the length / height of them that is my issue.

So, looking at the models, the only places where the nuts really need to fit into the slots are the two side slots in AdapterBase.stl. For all the other locations, you could use slightly longer bolts and standard nuts and it will still hold everything together. I will try and find a time to revisit this and maybe tweak the tolerances, but I'm not sure when I will get around to it. As a last resort, maybe take a dremel to the nuts you have to get them to fit better? If they're the brass nuts, they are pretty soft and that should be a quick fix.

Indeed! Thanks for watching.

I love this! Yes! I imagine a big, thick, heavy brush with so much old paint encrusted on it, that it's impossible to apply a nice, even coat.

Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed it!

So, the general concept of a wireless relay sounds like it might be suitable for what you want. A relay DOES need a power supply, so if it's not connected to your car's 12v battery, then it would need to be powered by something - maybe separate batteries? For the inexpensive style of relay I show in this video, I would be concerned about their durability in an automotive installation, especially if your device is going to be installed anywhere on the exterior of the car, or near a place where it might get warm/hot. I think you could easily check hardware and/or auto parts stores for remote control relays and you'd probably find higher quality versions than this, but the overall operation should be similar to what I demonstrate here. Good luck with your project!

Definitely head to DroidCon if you can - very few things are as motivating as meeting fellow builders and seeing droids in person. R2, Bee and I will be there for sure. Hope you can make it!

hey that's more then me, I'm still in the planning stages.

So the number of discrete connections you need (and where they go) will depend on your control system. If you're running power to the dome, that's two connections right away (+/-). Add to that whatever signals need to be provided between components in the body and dome. Shadow+MD requires one signal from the Arduino going INTO the dome master, and a second signal wire from the dome master back DOWN into the body to the MP3 trigger. So that means that I need a total of 4 connections. I'm not super familiar with Padawan, but I'm pretty sure it needs at least one signal going from the body to the dome. Not sure whether it needs a second signal or not. Once you know how many discrete connections you need, you can then decide how to allocate the multiple wires in your slip ring to accommodate that need. Signal wires carry very low current, so there's little reason to use more than one slip ring wire for each signal connection. So, setting aside two wires in my 12-wire slip ring for signal left me 10 wires for dome power. I simply divided them into 5 wires for positive voltage and 5 wires for ground. For each group of 5 wires (note which colors go together so you can do the same on both sides of the slip ring) simply strip the ends, then twist them together before crimping on the connector of your choice. At the end, you'll have a slip ring with 4 connectors on each side (or however many you determine you need for your setup) where the same colored wires are bundled together at each end. You can test continuity using a voltmeter just to be sure - touch the matching connectors at each end and hopefully you hear the tone. That is pretty much it for setting up the slip ring. After that, it's a matter of finding an easy and convenient means to connect/disconnect the dome - the MagTag is one option, but there may be others. Oh, and I mention this in another video, but it's important to reiterate - especially if you're going to use a smaller slip ring - you DEFINITELY want to pass full battery voltage into the dome and step down in the dome to 5v for your boards. You can look closely at the wiring in the dome at the end of this video - you can see the red/black wires go directly to the regulator, then out to each of the Marcduino boards. Good luck with your build!

I wasn't aware of that. Very interesting, thanks for sharing!

Congrats on starting your build! Best of luck to you. In terms of electronics components, there's a huge variety depending on the control system you choose and my series of videos on my electronics build provides links to some of the things that I used (this was a very early video, and I don't provide much in terms of details here). My general advice would include: 1) If you need an Arduino, get a Mega ADK (even if it's a clone) instead of a 2560/USB host shield combo. Too many issues with the host shield. 2) Be careful of the inexpensive components available at Amazon, particularly the cheap servos and buck converters. The convenience is nice, but the quality is very hit or miss. Don't cheap out on the important parts. 3) Read, read, read. If you aren't a member at astromech.net, you should join. There is so much good information there. IMO, that's the best place to really learn about this stuff. You might have to dig a bit, but it's akin to learning to fish, rather than being given a fish (if you're familiar with the old saying). In terms of things I would change, honestly not much. I like that I sanded, painted, and assembled things as I went, rather than all at the end. I don't mind at all that I don't have a rear panel - I've found I don't really need it. I am happy with my electronics setup, even though I haven't expanded it as much as I thought I would. If having the small Shadow controllers weren't so important to me (and if Kyber were a thing when I built R2), then I might have gone with a Kyber-based, RC control system. I'm using that for B2 and REALLY like how easy it is to modify. I've still never touched the Marcduino firmware, and am starting to wonder if I ever will. The journey to completing a build is a long and often tedious one, but if you can manage to get to the end, and start taking R2 out and about, the reward is, well, to paraphrase Luke Skywalker, "More happiness than you can imagine."

@@jasonsR2D2 Thanks for the reply

The 3D print files are not my own design and I therefore cannot share them directly. They are available to Patrons of Michael Baddeley - details on joining can be found here: www.patreon.com/mrbaddeley/ This is still a "work in progress" design. Full instructions and finalized print files are still being developed. Overall it's been a challenging but fun build.

Your best bet for alternative greeblies is to check out the Parts Runs threads over at astromech.net. Both cast resin AND full aluminum parts are usually available. Be aware that most of the club-spec BODY-mounted greeblies (like power couplers, octagon ports, side vents, etc) WILL NOT work on a Baddeley printed body due to the thickness of the skin and differing internal geometry, but many of the leg greeblies - like the horseshoe buttons and hydraulics, the under shoulder details and even the ankle details likely would work just fine (basically anything surface mounted). I'm not sure on the leg cylinders.