Welcome to “Printed Droid”
The knowledge base for 3D printed Astromechs
Jump right in:
or read more
Why this website?
Building an astromech is not extremely difficult per se.
But finding the information you need to do this can be a challenge.
When I started to build my R2 I always found new information as soon as I thought I already had the necessary knowledge.
That was because the necessary information is partly buried deep in threads in some forums or that a possible problem is so rare that it was only dealt with twice in some facebook group.
It starts with the basics. How is a droide controlled? what is a lazy susan? And teeces are not a serious disease but a lighting system for R2.
I’ve been building it for over a year and I’m far from finished. Theoretically, I could be finished long ago if I weren’t more and more busy developing electronics for R2 or modifying existing ones. And in all that time, something new is added week after week, which may also be interesting for other droid builders.
And I’m trying to summarize all of that here so that other builders have the start a little easier than I had it.
My special thanks go to Mr. Baddeley for his excellent 3D print files and to the entire Astromech Club. Because astromech builderes are a very nice species.
I try to link all used sources, but should I forget it, please forgive me and drop me a short message
How this website could help:
The building of a functional droid can be very challenging.
You’ll need a lot of time!
You’ll have to do very much research!
You’ll need some money to spend.
But with todays 3D printers it’s easier to build your droid than it was years before. Back then you only had the possibility of using aluminum, styrene, wood etc. but now the needed workshop can be in you office (But don’t fill and sand in there. You’ll regret it. Been there, done that.).
So this site tries to give you the needed information without much research. And it might help you making the right decisions and save some money instead of wasting it.
You’ll still have to read and learn a lot. And you’ll still have to research on other sources like Astromech.net.
But the basics, and a little more, should be covered here.
If you have suggestions for improvement or want to contribute. Just contact us 🙂
And please join the great Astromech community!
www.astromech.net
And there’s a good article about building a R2 and the legal aspects at Makezine:
https://makezine.com/projects/building-your-first-r2/
(even if it covers the traditional building process)
Sites you should check out:
Astromech – The general source for R2-D2 information:
https://astromech.net/
Mr. Baddeleys 3d printed droid files:
https://www.patreon.com/mrbaddeley/
Mr. Baddeleys Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MrBaddeley/
Droidbuilders Webteam:
https://wiki.droidbuilders.net/
3Dprinteddroids – Another great source for information:
https://www.3dprinteddroids.com
How could you help?
This is a hobby project. So time is limited. I / We try to make as many articles, tutorials, pdfs etc. as possible.
So if you have any ideas to make it better, let us know.
And if you want to write or contribute something, just let us know. Use the contact form, contact us on Facebook or write an EMail to: printeddroid@gmail.com
I have no rights to the images, designs and files unless they were created by myself. I always try to credit the creators/owners. If i forgot one, please let me know.