CNC Cut R2D2

Parts Packages

09/23/21 - I've added 2-layer laser cut skins to my price list in both CS:L and CS:R versions.

02/03/21 - I have only recently been advised that there was a revision to the rear door skins. see the following thread on the R2BC website: https://astromech.net/forums/showthread.php?39424-CS-R-Rear-Skin-Correction-For-Accuracy  I have revised my CS:R Rear skins and are now shipping corrected skins. I'm also redesigning the CS:R rear door frame so that the rib is again centered on the panel line.

10/16/20 -  My CNC shop has had to pass on increases in the costs of Styrene sheets. They have not done it for over 3 years. Price list has been updated. In some cases there has been no price increase as I've been able to absorbed the extra cost for some of the parts packages. 

01/04/20 - Price list has been updated to reflect design changes for replacing .220 styrene parts.

10/06/19 -
My CNC shop has advised me that they can no longer get sheets of .220 Styrene. The industry has changed, yet again. Several years ago I had to change from .250 to .220. Now the change will be from .220 to .1875 (3/16 - also called .188). I've been using .188 for a few years now in new projects where rigidity is required. This change causes problems for four R2 parts packages: CS:L Eggcrate Frame, The Eggcrate Center Ankle, The Legacy Center Foot and the Outer Foot Drive & Shell. Fortunately I've already been developing alternate designs. The Hex Center ankle replaces The Eggcrate Center Ankle. The SAK Center Foot replaces the Legacy Center Foot. I have re-designed the Outer Foot to use .188 instead of .220. I'm working on the CS:L Frame design.

09/14/19 - With more than a little reluctance I'm announcing a price increase for 3 of my parts packages: Battery Boxes, Outer Foot & Center Foot. My last set of price changes occurred in 2015. I'm adjusting prices now to better reflect the cost & value of the 3D printed parts need for the packages. For example the printing time for a set of either the Battery Box, or the Outer Foot parts, is over 16 hours. Other changes include moving the Threaded Spacer and Shoulder Bolts from the Center Foot to the Center Ankle. In the next revision of the Center Ankle they will be supplied with the ankle. Once my existing stock is exhausted I will also no longer be supplying Engraved Skins in Black (there was not enough demand to continue stocking them). There will be updates and changes to my 3D printed parts pages to track the changes that were made here.

R2D2 Construction Information
I have been approved by the R2BC Builder's Council to offer CNC cut parts packages based on the designs I have posted on my website.
All of the construction information, drawings and assembly diagrams are located here: R2D2-media-conversions.net 
There will NOT be any runs for these packages. They are cut to order, on a First Come, First Served basis. 

I also offer 3D printed parts that have enhancements, modifications, or improvements over the standard versions of the parts. See r2-3d.media-conversions.net

Parts Packages - While Autocad .dwg plans are available for each of the parts packages, pre-cut parts are available for those who want them. 
CS:L vs CS:R - my reference for the differences between Club Spec: Legacy and Club Spec: Revisited
                                is the (http://astromech.net/droidwiki/CSR_Overview_and_Files) Wiki
Basically the bulk of the changes occurred in the Body, requiring an update to the Frame, Skins and some of the small parts that mount on the skins
There were changes to some of R2's other parts, principally:

Legs - CS:L Outer ankles are 'beefier' than their CS:R counterparts.
[note: my Leg is a one piece design that combines what the spec calls the Legs and the Outer Ankles.]
Center Foot - The Center foot side panel and apron have been updated.
Battery Boxes -

My Legs, Center Foot and Battery Box parts packages are CS:L.
People who are not R2BC club members & Droid Builders will, most likely, never notice the difference.

I'm currently offering the following parts packages:

Parts Packages CostWeight
(approx)
CS:L Eggcrate Frame (frame only, second copy of Ring 1 provided to complete construction) $  18513
CS:L Engraved Skins
CS:L Laser Cut 2-Layer Skins
$  100
$  130
5lbs ships separately
or with Legs
Skirt (skirt only) $   904
CS:L Eggcrate Frame + Skirt. Bundled Price $ 25517
3-leg Fixed Shoulders $   554
2-leg Fixed Shoulders $   554
Utility Arm Box $   25
      3D Printed CS:L Shaved Utility arms (pair)$   50
CS:L Eggcrate Frame, Skirt, 3-leg Fixed Shoulders, Utility Arm Box.
CS:L Full Package Bundled Price
$ 35522
Dome Motivator for CS:L & Dave Everett Styrene Droids  $   50
Box Beam Legs (pair of legs) $ 28018
      3D Printed Shoulder Hub (pair)  $   40
Shoulder Horseshoes$ 1157
Hex Center Ankle (Replaces Eggcrate Center Ankle) $   705
Hex Coupling Nut for Center Ankle mating shoulder bolts
$     5
SAK Center Foot with 3D printed aprons (Replaces Legacy Center Foot) $ 1007
VEX wheel holder for SAK Center Foot
$   30
3D Printed Battery Boxes (pair) - either "Standard" or "with Cutouts" $ 1304
Scooter Motor Outer Foot Drives & Shells (pair, 2 drives, 2 shells) $ 28014
CS:R NextGen ANH Frame w Removable Rear Door & Center Core, Skirt, Dome Motivator, Utility Arm Box and CSR Shoulder Hub. Bundled Price: Parts not available separately $ 40034
CS:R Engraved Skins
CS:R Laser Cut 2-Layer Skins
$ 100
$ 130
5 lbs ships separately
or with Legs
3D Printed CS:R Shaved Utility arms (pair)
$   50

Why Buy Pre-Cut Parts?
I mention some of this in the Background page, but for those of you who want more depth, I have a set of reasons why buying precut parts makes sense for some people.
First, if you have a complete workshop, and all kinds of power tools, then most likely you don't need to buy pre-cut parts. If not, read on.
Dave Everett got me started on this project when he posted his Styrene Droid Plans. I thank him every chance I get. He made his design so most of it can be cut in straight lines by scoring and snapping the plastic. And while you can cut the curved parts without a router it's a lot easier to do so if you have one.
My reasons for suggesting you buy Pre-Cut parts:

I've accidentally cut the tip of my finger off (just a little bit) when it extended itself over the edge of the steel rule I was using as a guide. I've read in other builder's blogs where they recount more serious injuries caused by a knife slipping. At least one blogger reports trimming a fingernail on a spinning router blade. Fortunately it was just the nail. Power tools can be nasty. I've had my own close encounters of the finger kind.

Power tools are also noisy and tend to spread their mess around. Even my CNC machine, with a vacuum pickup on the cutting head spreads little bits of styrene all over the area. One blogger described cutting styrene using a router table as a "snowstorm of chips". Because they carry a static charge the chips go everywhere. Takes a while to clean up, and a good vacuum. If you have neighbors close by, using a router will have to be confined to times when the noise won't disturb them too much. That might not fit in with your construction schedule.

It's possible to score and snap styrene .125 in thick (and thinner, of course). I've done it. The edge isn't square (it's usually close). Unless you scored a set of parts at one time they are going to be slightly different sizes. There will also be a raised edge on the side where the knife scored. It's difficult to score and snap parts from .22 in think styrene. (I'd say impossible, but there's most likely someone out there who has done it!) While my parts need some finish work to remove Tabs & Flash removing those imperfections is relatively easy. Where strength is an issue I cut my parts from .22 in or .1875 thick styrene.

If you don't own a router, or don't have a friend you can borrow one from, you'll have to buy a tool that you won't make much use of just to get smooth curved cuts. I'm focusing on supplying parts that you can't easily make on your own.

In the end it's your decision on how to spend your time and your money.

Setting Expectations about the Fit of CNC Cut Parts.

My parts packages utilize tab & slot construction methods to insure parts are aligned during the construction process. It also adds strength to the completed assembly.
However, it is not without one serious drawback.
Solvent glue assembly expects a tight fit between the parts. Glue is drawn into the joint by capillary action, melting both surfaces and causing them to fuse together. They have to be in tight contact. As a result, if I'm designing a slot to accept the tab on a .125 (1/8 inch, 3mm) thick part then I'm cutting the slot to be .125 wide.
The assumption is that the sheet of plastic the part is being cut from is .125 thick. Slightly less than .125 will still work. Slightly more than .125 will cause the tab to be a tight fit in the slot. Any more than that will require the slot to be enlarged (a flat file works nicely, just don't get carried away). In some cases it might be easier to file, or sand, the tab instead of enlarging the slot.
Unfortunately, neither the CNC shop, who get their 4x8 sheets of styrene from a wholesaler, or the wholesale suppliers themselves, have any control over what the manufacturers ship to them. Sometimes everything fits very nicely, sometimes the fit is very tight. It's better to enlarge the slot than to try to force the fit as the parts can warp. It's also the reason I recommend dry fitting all of the parts in an assembly step before you glue anything.

Placing an order
send me email at fpirz at media dash conversions dot net
to tell me:
who you are (the name you'd like to show up in the order list)
where to ship the order
how to contact you (email address)
what you want

About Orders
I've been able to locate a local CNC shop that can cut parts for me. While I'm no longer working alone I'm also NOT doing a parts "run".
As orders are received, they are listed on the order status page. An acknowledgment email will be returned for the order.
Material costs are based on current prices for single 4x8 sheets of Styrene and may change with market conditions.
If you decide to cancel just send an email and I'll note that in your order status.

Parts are cut to order, packaged and usually shipped in the order that requests have been received.
However I may have cut parts in stock that can be used on later orders while I'm waiting for the shop to cut the material for the next order on the list.
In that case, I will ship the parts for the later order first. I'll do the same thing if an order is waiting on delivery of 3D printed parts
.
Once the material is cut and ready to ship I'll send a Paypal invoice for shipping and cutting costs per your order request.
Orders are shipped via USPS Priority 1 mail, with delivery confirmation.
While I accept orders and ship internationally, please be aware that international shipping costs are very high. Consider locating a CNC shop in your country and having them cut parts for you based on the published plans.


Shipping
While 3D printed parts are tough and durable, they are difficult to package along with cnc cut parts. If there are only a few 3D parts I attempt to package them with the CNC parts. Otherwise they are shipped in a separate package. Battery Boxes & the CS:R Frame require a separate ~ 4 Lb box for 3D parts.
USPS has a maximum weight limit of 70 Lbs. The CNC parts of a "one of everything order" including a CS:R frame comes out to ~ 77 Lbs and exceeds that limit. The CNC parts will be shipped in two ~ equal packages, the 3D parts will be shipped separately.

Shipping is not included in the prices. To estimate shipping add up the weights of the parts you are interested in, add an additional 4 lb for packing material, and then go to the USPS shipping estimator. My zip code is 08527 (Jackson, NJ). I typically ship via Priority 1. These weight numbers are just estimates. I'll charge you exactly what USPS charges me for your package when I send your invoice.

Educational Discounts
If your droid building project involves a group of children/students in an educational environment (STEM groups, Technology classes, etc) please let me know as I'm willing to offer an educational discount to your group.

Guarantees
Very little in life is guaranteed. If you have a problem please contact me. My instructions might not be clear. If there's a problem with a part I can send you a replacement. If you've looked at the package you've gotten and simply decided It's not really what you wanted let me know. I want to know why I didn't meet your expectations. If you haven't glued things together send it back and I'll refund your purchase price, less shipping cost.

I'm not selling these packages on Ebay. However, If you check out my Media-Conversions store on Ebay you'll find that I have close to 100% feedback rating on over 870 sales (actually more, not every buyer bothers to provide feedback). One buyer, out of over 870, was unhappy and didn't give me a chance to deal with his problem.
I want satisfied customers and I'll do just about anything to make sure you like what you get!


Contact Information
Contact me using: fpirz (at) media (dash) conversions (dot) net

Legal Notices
R2D2 is copyright by LucasFilms Ltd.
All other material on these pages is copyright Media-Conversions LLC. You may use my designs to create parts for your personal R2 Build.
You may not make parts from my designs to sell to others, or assemble a droid from my parts to sell to someone else.


You are Visitor Number