What's Next?

Hmmm, let's see. There are a few things to take care of in the coming weeks. When I ordered the skirt kit from Andy and Alex, I also ordered a shoulder kit. This kit will form the horseshoe-shaped details that are located on the tops of the outer legs, surrounding the hub where the legs go into the body. The work here is fairly straight-forward... just glue up the layers.

I also received permission from my wife to order a set of feet shells... with the stipulation that they were to be considered part of my Christmas presents. So, once I get them, I will have to wait until after the big day to start building on them. That's OK... I can start on the inner support sections (which have to be built out of wood) whileI wait.

I also need to complete work on the outer legs. The holes need to be cut for the shoulder hubs, and I need to start gluing all the pieces onto the legs. These pieces include the shoulder horseshoes, the booster covers, the hydraulics, and the ankle details. I will need to fabricate the ankle "bracelets" myself, since I can't see paying a ton of money for a sheet of metal. (These "bracelets" sit atop the ankle and help delineate where the legs "end" and the ankles "begin.")

Then, I will have to get serious about putting the body together. With the legs almost done and the feet ready to be built, there's no excuse for not putting the legs on the body and making this droid stand up.

Of course, there is the one big item still left to do... the dome!!! I've been waiting for one of the folks in the R2builders group to form some acrylic domes, but she's been have trouble getting the electric lines run for the machine that forms the domes. I may just break down and see if the local bird food stores have an Aspects squirrel baffle.