CPU Armed Painted and Misc stuff

I haven't updated here in a while but I've been busy with some parts and waiting for things in the mail.

I'm pretty much done painting the CPU arm and I have the servo attached! Painting the arm was much easier than I thought. Here's some of the basics so you can get an idea on how to paint yours.

I masked up the tube and painted it black. I didn't use any primer on these parts. I don't know why, I just didn't.

You do the same with the tip. Cover up everything with blue tape that you don't want paint on. This section I'm painting anodized blue, same can I'm using for R2 blue on the droid. Clearly some areas will have over spray. Take a Q-tip and Acetone and clean that off. If you happen to mess something up or don't like how it turns out. You can just wipe the paint off with a rag and Acetone, its nearly an idiot proof.

 

I painted 2 sections a day until I had the tip done. It took about a week or so to get it how I liked it.

It turned out pretty cool. I might add a few more color details to the arm. I tried to but couldn't get the paint how I wanted it. Eventually I want to add the wall section that this tip plugs into.

My idea of putting threads on this servo rod also worked in my favor. I hooked it up to my droid and tested it out.  The servo is able to move the tube around, so far. However when doing that I realized this particular servo isn't going to work. Its a default clockwise servo. I need a counter clockwise servo so it move up. I might as well buy one with more torque while I"m at it. This servo will end up moving the gripper up and down.

Yesterday we had a local R2 build day. We focused on R4 domes this time. Droid Welder has a styrene R4 dome from a small limited run years back. So we copied that or he did for several builders in town. It will take 2-3 people to bend one of these and hold it and glue it together. I think before I try that I'll copy this onto some sheet metal and bend that up and see what happens.

As if I didn't have my hands full already. My other JEDI control kit for R2-Q5 is here and ready to activate that droid. I haven't really thought out where and how this will go in that droid yet. I'll need to let that simmer for a bit.

My droid hasn't worked for a while because I'm upgrading some electronics. Here I have one of Dan's power distribution boards mounted to an aluminum plate I painted blue. It powers the JEDI control and what you see on the other side.

This is the other side. It has four Syren 10a Motor Drivers on it. They power the dome motor, CPU actuator, Gripper actuator  and dome lifter. I don't have all that stuff quite yet, but when I do I have the electronics to power it already installed inside the droid. All you have to do is plug in the red and black wire to each Syren 10A and its ready to go and control with the VEX transmitter.

Upgrade complete! Power is restored back to the droid via the power board. I also installed a new Pittman motor so the dome is spinning again.

I also installed the new amp on the back side of my electronics panel. Its not quite loud enough, not as loud as the previous amp. I wonder if there is something else I can do?