How about an update?!

So what's new?! It's been awhile since I have posted, and I apologize for that! There actually has been quite a lot going on in the background, and i've kept you all in the dark! For starters, this blog reached over 10 THOUSAND views! That's quite a lot and I appreciate each and every one of them!! Now, whats new????? Well, for starters. I did NOT like how the skin snaps worked. Removing the skins time and time again became frustrating and eventually started causing panels to fall off. So I found a new set of skins, and purchased a set of skin blocks from Com-8 (www.commando8.com). These skin blocks will allow the skins to be permanent, or at least very difficult to remove. So, if the skins can't come off, how do I access the inside? Well simply put, you make some modifications to the frame. I added a 3/4 rear door. This was quite a obstacle because the JAG frame isn't designed for a rear door. So I had to drill for door 'frame'.

Unfortunately, because of the frame of the door, I had to relocate the drive for the dome. I had to move it to the OPPOSITE side. What a bummer, so the frame had to come a part again, and then I had to drill/countersink holes for the drive. I tried to reverse the direction of the door, but for some reason, it didn't fit the frame well when I did. So removing and relocating the drive was the best choice. It was easier than I thought.

Okay, so now we move to the work shop. While I had R2 in pieces, I figured this was the best time to fix a lot of the errors. The paint had really taken a beating from having to take parts on and off (and repeat). So I went ahead and sanded a LOT of the original parts to prepare for a repaint.

The rest of the parts (and dome) are in these tool boxes. I nearly have EVERYTHING to complete R2. With the exception of 3 parts. 1. Ankle Details 2. Ankle Cylinder/Wedges 3. Outer Shoulder Hubs. Once we have those - he'll be done!

And finally, my wife asked me to share an updated photo of her Black/Pink droid! Follow her build at http://kristenstrand.blogspot.com/