R2server

[crazybillybob]

My Fiber glassing Didn't go as planed. Currently I have a Very sticky, very flimsily mess in my garage....My first guess I ran out of hardener and was not sure I had put enough in...Guess that thought was Right after all.

Here's the new plan:
buy more hardener
use 1 layer of fiberglass cloth a layer of fiberglass mat (1.5oz short fiber) then cover with another layer of glass cloth. I'm planning on laying this mess up on Friday night (so I'll have time to work on it ...if it dries : Or I'll have time to come up with a new plan that doesn't include fiberglass...maybe some Sheet Aluminum or PVC heated and Bent to shape)

I'll post a pic of the flimsy sticky mess later today!

CrazyBillybob

[crazybillybob]

I'm Already using Cintra (or some PVC board)

Look down in the Log where I made the Utility Arm Carries (Gray Rounded cage thingys). And I tried using it for this....2 hours with a heat gun Only got a slite warp in the sheet (it's 1/4" thick! x 11.5" x 17 1/4") That's why I busted out the fiberglass...I thought it would bw quicker. I'll give the glass one more try (cause it's not it's fault I ran out of hardener. If that doesn't work....The Cintra's going in the Oven (my wife will hate me but...R2 Needs IT!)

Thanks for the Idea .... I should have posted that I had tried it. That Cruve it's gotta hold is whats causeing all my problems!

Crazybillybob

[crazybillybob]

I've been busy working this evening after returning home from work.

Here is the Not quite Bent enough Piece of Cintra that lead to the Fiberglass Laying.

Here is my first (Failed!) attempt at laying Fiber glass...The Resin never Dried!

So first thing tonight when I got home was to lay up a new Door.
This time I laid 1 layer of Fiberglass cloth then 1 layer of fiberglass mat then covered with a layer of fiberglass cloth. (the mat is on the left, the cloth is on the right)

Here it is all laid up!

After the door is laid up, I started cleaning up so of the resin detail pieces so I can paint them tomorrow.

The resin seems to be drying correctly this time So tomorrow and Sunday could be busy days fitting the door and painting resin ....doing all those things on that Honey do list!!!

Crazybillybob

[crazybillybob]

Success!!! This Try Came out great!
Here's the Access door Roughly trimmed down. The Curve and fit look great.

I want to take a minute here to talk about safety...If your working with Bondo or fiber glass make sure you take all the safety precautions recommended.
That means a good Respirator. (This one was like $20 from Harbor freight)

Not one of those $0.99 cheapies.

Always wear Safety glasses (I've been In the hospital with a steel fragment in my Eye...You never want that!!!) and when working with resins and other chemicals wear Gloves (Read the labels some solvents will eat rubber and latex gloves so wear the right ones!)

Now Back to building!

I also laid up some more fiberglass to use on the front two interface arm doors.

Crazybillybob

[crazybillybob]

Resin runs about $11 a quart (I used about 1/2 quart for that panel and another half that size) The fiber glass cloth is about $6 for 8 Sq feet and the glass mat is about $6 for 8Sq feet. So for the two panels I have $23 bucks into it, Plus I've got enough resin left to make the Ankles (the next part I'm going to need) But the Ankles will be much thicker (4 to 8 layers) and reinforced with some 1/8" Aluminum, This is because of all the lateral forces that will be applied on the ankles when R2 makes turns (He will weigh about 90 pounds before we add Batts and Extra electronics (PC)) So that's allot of force when he's tooling around.


Crazybillybob

[crazybillybob]

Got a Little Painting done this week after work in the evenings.

My group of Resin Detail Pieces here are primered Gray then covered with Rustoleum Come finish. After working with the Chrome the best way to use it is a top coat...more like a candy, because if you try to build up layers like with normal paint the shininess of the surface goes away, get bumpy and distorted. The Next group will get primered 2 coats of silver paint, a top coat of chrome, and a couple light coats of clear (to much and the shine goes away).

Here's one of the Leg Hubs up close.

I also Tested an off white paint for R2. The Real R2 is a Cream color (that's because it shows up on film as white, but doesn't blend into the Stark white interiors of the ships ) But since My R2 is not going to be filmed I just want him a little off white not Almond. So I picked up a can of Biscuit paint. This foot shell still need some details cut out so I did most of the body work (Bondo the corners and some of the dents, not to many Cause R2 needs to look used not right off the show room floor!) A couple of coats of primer some wet sanding and some color coats (2). This is what you get.

Let me remind you that this foot was made out of an old PC Case, That I hand bent and Spot welded together (I've still gotta make the Center foot So I'll take Pics as it Happens so I can Post them!).....Not bad for a HIllBilly with a hammer!

Crazybillybob

[crazybillybob]

Well I didn't get the big thing I wanted to done this weekend, R2's legs mounted.

It would seem my wife's been checking out Tribal's thread... She wanted a new workbench in the garage, We've talked about it for 2 months this weekend she decides to start it.... Well I don't think she did a bad job on !

Now there's only 2 More to build (they'll have plywood tops for mounting tools).

I did get several smaller thing done on R2 though,

I got the Rear Access Door cut out (both the styrene and Fiberglass)

I also Reinforced the Fiberglass to keep it from distorting when the unit is attached to the hinges.

The frame was prepped for the front skins to be glued on, a few places on the frame had to be ground down or cut out to make room for the resin details.
Before

After

And one of the Aluminum details was made. It's called a coin return (cause that's what it looks like!) R2 has 3 of them, 2 in the back and a larger one in the front.
I started with some flat Aluminum sheet and bent up the pocket bit of the return.

Then cut out the front plates.

A bit of dremeling, some filing later, and the slightest hint of JB kwik, It's done!

Here's what it looks like in the skins (just set in for now!)

I'm still hoping to get the legs mounted this week...
Only problem is I have to remake the mounting plate, I miss aligned them by 1/2" ....I've got almost 1Gb of drawings, pics, etc. for this mod and I mess up the little things....you know the part that holds all the weight! Just goes to show you even with planning there's always mistakes!

More Later
Crazybillybob

[crazybillybob]

I got a little more done on the rear Access door last night.
The styrene skin and the fiberglass stiffener were glued together (with gorilla glue...I love this stuff!) and Clamped.

Then Quick before I left for work I stuck it into place (with some tape)..I've gotta clean up some of the glue that leaked out and adjust it for final fit, but it looks like that is going to be minor adjustments at this point!

I also ordered three motor speed controllers

Bi-directional Speed Controller from Electronics123
These will run the Main feet drive, and in the future the dome drive too.

I also ordered 1 Pic flasher to drive all those LEDs in the rear of the dome (why reinvent the wheel)

Pic Flasher from Carl’s Electronics

That's it for now. Thanks for stopping by I'll have more up soon (and some other R2 pics...The Michigan R2 builders are meeting this Saturday In Detroit!)

Crazybillybob

[crazybillybob]

All the skins are 2 layers of 0.04" styrene....I've been meaning to put up a how it was done segment here (Maybe I should finish it and get it posted) as the skins were done long before I started the Log. The 2 layer method takes more time but I love the look it gives! plus it's easier to flex then a solid 0.08" sheet, but is stronger then a 0.04" sheet. (means when I hit things with him I will not have to patch holes!).

Crazybillybob


By the Way those little binder clips (little black metal ones from the office stores) Work great as clamps for small pieces...the Jaw force is strong, the can get into tight places that my bigger clamps/clips can't...and they can be disposable because their cheap! (free some places) I like to keep some around to be my extra fingers..... Plus I live in the City now (move here because of my wife's schooling ) and we have one of those Electric Driers… so we have no clothes pins here, or There probably would have been a few on there too!

[crazybillybob]

BillyBob, out of curiosity - what do you do for a living?

I'm an "IT Engineer"....That's the title they.. made up for me when I started here.

I Work for a Software company that supplies test software to manufacturing companies. My responsibility is Internal hardware / network (like 4 of us share this job) and I order and build / install Servers (and some client) machines, as well as setup our software on them (Database stuff too!)....In a nut shell I'm an IT Geek (but I have an Electrical/Electronic Engineering degree...Talk about not using what you paid for!).

Is that painful enough for you? or do you want more details?

(as a side note, I grew up on a farm, my wife is in Vet school (animal doc) We plan on owning a farm as soon as we can!...So I truly am a Redneck, I'd rather be in flannel and denim any day! and deal with animals rather than city folk I'm just pretending to be a GEEK! :omg: )

Crazybillybob