R2's Big Day

R2 is done.

Wait, let me rephrase that.

R2 IS DONE!!!


Today was R2's big day, the day of his unveiling. I have managed to keep R2 a secret from my folks and one of my two brothers the entire time I've been building R2, and that was no easy feat. (I couldn't keep such a secret from everyone, so I let the other brother in on it.)

Today, R2 was completed, and just in time. My folks were invited to come and see the unveiling of "The Project" this afternoon, while I had one of my brothers on-line for a video conference from Berkeley.

I queued up the 20th Century Fox fanfare, followed by the opening blast of the Star Wars main theme. As that first note hit, my buddy Kelvin and I threw off the cover on R2, and my parents were quite surprised! I hope to post some video of this shortly.



They couldn't believe I actually built R2-D2. I am a bit dumbfounded by it myself, but there he was.



I showed them my Builder's Notebook, and told them all about how he came to be. I even created a short "Making of R2" video, that speeds through 1881 slides in 4 minutes, all to the tune of "Duel of the Fates." (I'll now admit I've taken over 10,000 pictures of my build - you read that right.)



And then... it was time for R2 to go away.

In preparation for transportation to CIV, I needed Mike Senna to come by and pick up R2 and take him to his house, where he will leave for the LA Convention Center on Wednesday. But not to fear, I will probably see R2 at Mike's tomorrow.

Using the new manual droid lift, Mike and I loaded R2 into Mike's van, and I waved bye.



So R2 is done, but is he ever really done? I plan to add servos for the utility arms to allow them to open via remote control, and I also want to add the mist-spray effect. I may also add a layer of rubber to the wheels before CIV, if possible.

I do plan to slow down a bit on the blog, so updates may not be as often as they have been. I expect I'll still have things to share in the lead-up to CIV, as well as during the event itself.

Thanks to everyone that has been following my build, and I know there are a lot of you "regulars" that check this blog frequently. I appreciate your interest and support, and all the suggestions and encouraging words you've provided.

-Victor