Q: How much does it cost to build a droid?
A: Lots. But it's a tough question to answer. MY droid will probably end up costing me about $7,000 bucks. I should add that as far as I'm concerned, this R2 is essentially top of the line. I have cut almost no corners. Most of the parts on my R2 are aluminum, with only a few resin pieces. I purchased really long lasting batteries, top notch motor controllers, accurate auto paint, the list goes on. If you account for tools and supplies used to build my droid, it would probably be another $10,000. Fortunately, I'm renting space in a shop that has almost all of the tools I need, so that figure does not accurately reflect what I paid for my droid. With that said, you can CERTAINLY make a great looking R2 for LOADS less. There are plenty of great resources on the interlinks to help you do this.
Q: I'm interested in building my own R2. How can I get started?
A: There are some great online resources for building a droid. I use three.
- The R2-D2 Builders Club. The single best collection in the world (that I know of) of builders. Tons of people from all walks of life, with all different needs and budgets. Very talented builders, all the way to novices. You'll need to apply for membership, but I think they take all comers.
- www.astromech.net. The best online resource that I know of. FAQs and tutorials galore. Also tons of fantastic reference photos. Also a great place to find out what parts are currently available.
- www.therpf.com. The Replica Props Forum. Though not focused on Droids, this is another excellent collection of talented builders, collectors, and a good number of cheerleaders. You know, for support. And no, they're not actually cheerleaders with the outfits and the pom poms. You'll need to go elsewhere for that. And no, I do not have any links handy :) Seriously though, it's a great forum for all types of building, and I've been a member there for an ungodly number of years.
Q: I'm looking for a set of shoulder hubs, do you sell them??
A: I do not make or sell ANY R2-D2 parts. The best place to start for parts is www.astromech.net. I don't know anything about any of the sellers. A quick post to the R2 Builders club will probably get you all the feedback you need.
Q: You're terribly handsome. Were you born that way???
A: Yes and no. While I've given myself numerous upgrades over the years, I am still mostly a product of nature. Upgrades include laser eye surgery ( I now have 20/10 vision), braces (had them on for four years, and just got them off in late 2006), and some mole removal. I also lost about 100 pounds of fat, but that was about 17 years ago.
Q: What's your R2 going to do???
A: My initial scheme for R2 is fairly conservative, as far as electronics go. I want him to be full remote control, meaning that he will walk around, and his head will spin. I want him to light up just like the one in the movies, and I want him to talk. I want him to be as robust as possible, hence all of the over-engineering I am putting into him. For example, where it would be easy to just glue something into place, I am building custom machined housings that clamp down on the part in question and hold it in place with set screws. or something like that. I am NOT going to do the 2-3-2 conversion, or any working tool arms or other extending gizmos. I'm not going to R/C any of the holo-eyes either. So I'm skipping LOTS of engineering, but hey, I want to get him finished.
Q: Did you buy a kit, and where can I get one?
A: Yes, I did buy mine as a kit. I do not know where you can get one. In general, there is no one person selling kits for an R2-D2. Some folks sell resin or fiberglass kits that include the parts needed to build a static droid, but to build the kind of monstrosity I'm concocting takes more than that. Here's how it works: there are talented parts makers all over the world. Each maker specializes in a couple of different parts. For example, some dude in Illinios might make a killer frame, and a set of feet. Some guy in Virginia makes domes. A gal in Florida makes holo eyes. Etc. There's no single person that makes all the parts. The bummer is that these individuals do not offer parts year round. They'll do a couple of runs a year. If you miss out, you have to wait until the next run. So the trick is, you've got to be on the ball with who the suppliers are, when they are doing their runs, and how much they want. Typically, it takes a dedicated R2 builder a year OR MORE to collect all of the parts necessary to build a functional droid.
Q: Where did you get your kit?
A: Online. I was very fortunate to have a bunch of cash sitting around when a dude I know gave up his quest for a droid and offered up his kit for sale.
Q: What came with your kit, and who were the parts made by?
A: Here is a complete listing of the parts that came with the kit, and the makers of the parts...
DOME
- Dome (Aluminum) -R+J
- Radar Eye (Resin)-Dave Everett
- Radar Eye Lens -Azman Sugi
- 1 Holoprojector (Aluminum) -Scott Powers
- 2 Holoprojectors (Resin) -Azman Sugi
- Front/Rear Logics(Resin) -Keith Henry
- Logic Templates -Damian Metz
- bumps (Resin)Keith Henry
- Rockler bearing
- Dome drive motor and wheel -Guy Averett
BODY
- Frame (Aluminum) -Jerry Greene
- Skins (Aluminum) -John Sherrill
- Center vent surrounds (Aluminum) -Wayne Orr
- Center vent internals (Aluminum) -Dave Everett
- Large Data Port (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Utility Arms(Resin) -Keith Henry
- Coin Slot (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Octagon ports (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Power couplers (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Side Vents (Aluminum) -Tim Stradling
LEGS
- JAG outer legs, ankles, center ankle, battery boxes, steel feet
- Ankle bracelets (Aluminum) -Jerry Greene
- Ankle cylinders (Aluminum) -Jerry Greene
- Center Leg mounting block and plate (Aluminum) -Guy Averett
- Leg hoses -Mike Velcheck
- Leg Struts (Aluminum) -Michael McMaster
- Booster Covers (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Shoulder Horseshoes (Aluminum) -Jason Smith
- Battery Harnesses (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Cylinder Holders (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Cylinder wedges (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Shoulder hubs (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Ankle Details (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Knurled hose fittings (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Outer/Inner moons (Resin) -Keith Henry
- Under shoulder details (Resin) -Keith Henry
- 2 Scooter motors and wheels, complete with mounting brackets
- 2 McMaster Carr omni wheels
LIGHTS AND SOUNDS
- Logic display/PSI lights -Jim Shima
- Futaba 6ch. radio with reciever/batteries/servos
- CFSoundII with sense 24 option
- 12Ch. Wireless remote
- 256MB compact flash card and PCMCIA reader/writer
Q: How long have you been working on your droid?
A: As of the writing of this faq, I've had the kit for about four months, but I've only been working on it consistently for about two weeks. I was travelling across the world and US when I first got the kit, so it sat dormant for a bit. But now that I have time to work on him, I'm progressing VERY quickly. From what I have been told and read, the amount of progress I'm making in the time I've put in is quite remarkable. It's not that I'm fast, I just happen to have access to an incredible array of tools that are making the build up of this guy a dream.
Q: If you spent half the time you spent on your droid looking for a girlfriend, you'd probably have a good chance of seeing a girl naked some time. What's your problem???
A: Though not usually the type of question you see in a FAQ, I thought this was a good one, and deserved an answer. Clearly, this reader does not know who he is talking to. FYI, this droid is being built by none other than Matt Munson, International Man of Mystery. And while I am ALWAYS keeping an eye out for an interesting member of the fairer of the species, it is actually the case that building your own robot is a fascinating conversation piece. Though hard to believe, it's true. In fact, at this very moment, there exists a girl I'm quite interested in who is always asking me about how the build is going. And don't be fooled: R2 is a chick magnet. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. Want proof??? Find someone who owns one, and ask them if you can go with them the next time they take it for a spin. you'll be amazed. In fact, the VERY FIRST TIME I took my half finished droid out for a test run, I met not only some great people as a result, but also some really great women. Who knew????
