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Ben's build - STAP & Battle Droid ** FINISHED **

Ben's first build - STAP with Battle Droid

You can do it! Too bad that it will delay the presentation, but it will be worthwhile and Ben will learn that a job well done is one that the last little detail is not overlooked. :geek
 
Ben's first build - STAP with Battle Droid

With my little buddy in bed (but nowhere near asleep), I carefully set about mating each arm to the drilled/pinned wrist joint and the shoulder. The left arm worked a treat, even though I haven't got a clamp wide enough to hold it in place whilst the combination of CA & KM glues 'did their thing' - Yep I used the default 'human clamp', my sausage-like thumb-and-forefinger.

Ten minutes I sat there holding that bl**dy thing !! :facepalm . The right arm didn't go well.

I hadn't noticed whilst I was holding the left arm that Roger's 'weight' and stance had shifted about 8-10mm to the left which meant that I had to remove the already firmly set right hand from the handlebar, move the 'pin' more inward and re-glue the hand even at a 'sharper' inward angle. That done I then had to perform 'corrective surgery' to Rogers arm.

In a human, the lateral/outward movement of the arm at the shoulder joint is called 'Abduction Movement', by definition Roger has no abduction movement because he's made of plastic, so I had to make a 'wedge' cut to the inside of the arm at the junction of the Pectoralis Major & Trapezius muscles.

I did this because there simply wasn't enough 'give' in the join between the upper body of the figure and the arm, and it simply wouldn't line-up with the wrist.

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Ian & Ben.


Note:
All medical terminology and advice courtesy of my fantastic wife the Orthopaedic Surgeon !! - this really is turning-out to be a family project :love (s'true).
 
Ben's first build - STAP with Battle Droid

With the wedge cut made, and 'filled' with plastic card, I set it aside to dry overnight.

Which brings us to this morning. At 0700 before the 'Little Darlings' were out of bed, I was at the bench cutting-off the excess plastic card then VERY carefully lining-up the drill/pin wrist to the arm and the arm to the shoulder.

Another fifteen minutes of 'human clamp' work and it was done.

Yep, Roger is finished and attached to his STAP and all is well. In class this morning, my little buddy was all pride and smiles as he explained (as only a six-year-old can), how:

"It's a model NOT a toy so nobody but me an' Dad can touch it..."

When the crowd of overly curious and genuinely awestruck classmates became too unwieldly, Ben announced to his class & teacher that Dad should take it home so it didn't get broken.

As this is written, Roger and the STAP are sitting on the workbench, when I got back I adjusted the stance as after all the messing about, Roger had slipped backward, and looked as if he was trying to take a 'droid dump' :sick: instead of piloting a lethal killing platform for the Trade Federation. I've re-set his stance and propped him in a more upright position. His knee joints are the most loose fitting so I've carefully dropped some KM liquid glue into them, once again Roger is 'setting'.

When the glued joints have indeed set, We'll take some photos.

AFN

:geek

Ian & Ben.
 
We did it !!

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Thanks as ever folks for all the support and comments. Just two photo's for now with more to come in the 'completed builds' thread later-on after we've edited & cropped them. It isn't perfect but we like it.

More later.

Ian & Ben.
 
Congrats Dude ..... This is such a neat project .... I'm glad Ben enjoyed building the thing .... A young Modeler is born .... to carry on the tradition ..... You are ready blessed Ian .... (y)
 
Thanks all for the comments, as we mentioned, we're both very happy to have 'Roger' on the shelf, but I'm not certain that Ben is going to join me on the next Star Wars project. We'll just wait and see.

AFN, going to return to the MiG 23 build next, but not for a few days, need time to refuel the 'modelling mojo'

Ian & Ben.
 
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