It's May the Fourth, and in celebration of this Star Wars Holiday, online, WTXL ABC 27 has been taking you on a journey to a Galaxy Far, Far Away and Close, Close By...
TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (WTXL) -- The Star Wars universe is full of diversity in aliens and creatures from all parts of the galaxy. And, oh yeah, don't forget the droids.
But that's in (you know I have to say it), A Galaxy Far, Far Away. What about in the here and now? Have you ever wanted to own your own R2-D2?
There are many ways you can do it. You can buy one or make one from scratch.
In addition, there are a lot of fan groups for Star Wars, and there is even one for droid building. It's called the R2 Builder's Club. Paul Cassidy, AKA "Darth" Paul joined the group and spent a lot of time on their building site, Astromech.net.
"First, what I did was read", said Paul, "And I read and I read. There was so much information out there. It was like an overload."
The Builders Club shares blueprints and models of their creations to help newcomers and enthusiasts.
"Everybody borrows and shares ideas," said Paul. And that was a great help. He started by making a diagram of all the pieces needed, and shared the picture online.
"One thing I wasn't familiar with is electronics. R2-D2 has 249 LEDs on him", said Paul, "I'm not an electronics kind-of guy."
The Builders Club is full of people like "Darth" Paul, amateurs and experts alike. All working to make their own unique droid friend.
Even with the help, building a droid from the ground up can put a dent in your wallet. So if you plan to build a robotic buddy of your own, create a budget and work with it.
Items like aluminum can be costly. On the other hand, woods, and plastic resins can be significantly cheaper.
Paul added, "I tried to keep it simple. R2-D2's got a wooden frame. He's got wooden legs. I wanted to make it so that I could have the most fun with R2 without having to constantly repair him."
And Paul's R2 unit always brings a lot of smiles. So if you ever see him, say hi! He might surprise you...
