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  3. This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

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maythe4thmaythefouthbewistarwars
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  • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR This user is from outside of this forum
    robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR This user is from outside of this forum
    robhawkes@fosstodon.org
    wrote last edited by
    #1

    This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

    Jack was a master sheet metal worker, and was roped into using his skills on an obscure project to turn the sketches for the droid into something that could be constructed out of aluminium sheets.

    I always knew he'd helped make part of R2-D2. However…

    #MayThe4th #MayTheFouthBeWithYou #StarWars

    robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR randywalters@sunny.gardenR nineofseven@mastodon.socialN deborahh@cosocial.caD mcneely@indieweb.socialM 6 Replies Last reply
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    • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

      This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

      Jack was a master sheet metal worker, and was roped into using his skills on an obscure project to turn the sketches for the droid into something that could be constructed out of aluminium sheets.

      I always knew he'd helped make part of R2-D2. However…

      #MayThe4th #MayTheFouthBeWithYou #StarWars

      robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR This user is from outside of this forum
      robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR This user is from outside of this forum
      robhawkes@fosstodon.org
      wrote last edited by
      #2

      I only found this photo in recent years and have since learned that he was actually instrumental to the construction of the entire droid, particularly with working out how to machine the complex shapes like the dome and legs out of single sheets of aluminium.

      He didn't just build one either, he ended up constructing a handful of the droids for various uses in the film.

      I still have no idea how he did it, especially without modern software and computer-controlled machining.

      robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR swggrkllr3rd@mastodon.worldS stefan@stefanbohacek.onlineS 3 Replies Last reply
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      • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

        I only found this photo in recent years and have since learned that he was actually instrumental to the construction of the entire droid, particularly with working out how to machine the complex shapes like the dome and legs out of single sheets of aluminium.

        He didn't just build one either, he ended up constructing a handful of the droids for various uses in the film.

        I still have no idea how he did it, especially without modern software and computer-controlled machining.

        robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR This user is from outside of this forum
        robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR This user is from outside of this forum
        robhawkes@fosstodon.org
        wrote last edited by
        #3

        Unfortunately I never got to know him as he died when I was a baby, though I have a feeling we share a lot in common.

        I also have his old Dragon 32 computer that he was using to learn programming in the 1980s, with reams of hand-written code that still works on the computer.

        tartley@fosstodon.orgT 1 Reply Last reply
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        • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

          I only found this photo in recent years and have since learned that he was actually instrumental to the construction of the entire droid, particularly with working out how to machine the complex shapes like the dome and legs out of single sheets of aluminium.

          He didn't just build one either, he ended up constructing a handful of the droids for various uses in the film.

          I still have no idea how he did it, especially without modern software and computer-controlled machining.

          swggrkllr3rd@mastodon.worldS This user is from outside of this forum
          swggrkllr3rd@mastodon.worldS This user is from outside of this forum
          swggrkllr3rd@mastodon.world
          wrote last edited by
          #4

          @robhawkes Geometri. Math.

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

            This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

            Jack was a master sheet metal worker, and was roped into using his skills on an obscure project to turn the sketches for the droid into something that could be constructed out of aluminium sheets.

            I always knew he'd helped make part of R2-D2. However…

            #MayThe4th #MayTheFouthBeWithYou #StarWars

            randywalters@sunny.gardenR This user is from outside of this forum
            randywalters@sunny.gardenR This user is from outside of this forum
            randywalters@sunny.garden
            wrote last edited by
            #5

            @robhawkes Thanks very much for sharing this! You get the sense that he’s critiquing his own work … and deciding what he can do to make it even better.

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

              I only found this photo in recent years and have since learned that he was actually instrumental to the construction of the entire droid, particularly with working out how to machine the complex shapes like the dome and legs out of single sheets of aluminium.

              He didn't just build one either, he ended up constructing a handful of the droids for various uses in the film.

              I still have no idea how he did it, especially without modern software and computer-controlled machining.

              stefan@stefanbohacek.onlineS This user is from outside of this forum
              stefan@stefanbohacek.onlineS This user is from outside of this forum
              stefan@stefanbohacek.online
              wrote last edited by
              #6

              @robhawkes Very cool! And a great picture, thank you for sharing with us!

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • R relay@relay.publicsquare.global shared this topic
              • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

                Unfortunately I never got to know him as he died when I was a baby, though I have a feeling we share a lot in common.

                I also have his old Dragon 32 computer that he was using to learn programming in the 1980s, with reams of hand-written code that still works on the computer.

                tartley@fosstodon.orgT This user is from outside of this forum
                tartley@fosstodon.orgT This user is from outside of this forum
                tartley@fosstodon.org
                wrote last edited by
                #7

                @robhawkes this is so lovely. Thank you for sharing with us.

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

                  This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

                  Jack was a master sheet metal worker, and was roped into using his skills on an obscure project to turn the sketches for the droid into something that could be constructed out of aluminium sheets.

                  I always knew he'd helped make part of R2-D2. However…

                  #MayThe4th #MayTheFouthBeWithYou #StarWars

                  nineofseven@mastodon.socialN This user is from outside of this forum
                  nineofseven@mastodon.socialN This user is from outside of this forum
                  nineofseven@mastodon.social
                  wrote last edited by
                  #8

                  @robhawkes yo... thanks for sharing mate

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

                    This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

                    Jack was a master sheet metal worker, and was roped into using his skills on an obscure project to turn the sketches for the droid into something that could be constructed out of aluminium sheets.

                    I always knew he'd helped make part of R2-D2. However…

                    #MayThe4th #MayTheFouthBeWithYou #StarWars

                    deborahh@cosocial.caD This user is from outside of this forum
                    deborahh@cosocial.caD This user is from outside of this forum
                    deborahh@cosocial.ca
                    wrote last edited by
                    #9

                    @robhawkes a lovely post for May the 4th. Thanks 🙏.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

                      This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

                      Jack was a master sheet metal worker, and was roped into using his skills on an obscure project to turn the sketches for the droid into something that could be constructed out of aluminium sheets.

                      I always knew he'd helped make part of R2-D2. However…

                      #MayThe4th #MayTheFouthBeWithYou #StarWars

                      mcneely@indieweb.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                      mcneely@indieweb.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                      mcneely@indieweb.social
                      wrote last edited by
                      #10

                      @robhawkes the practical effects of the original movies were part of what always made them so good. He and the whole team really did an incredible job 👏

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • robhawkes@fosstodon.orgR robhawkes@fosstodon.org

                        This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…

                        Jack was a master sheet metal worker, and was roped into using his skills on an obscure project to turn the sketches for the droid into something that could be constructed out of aluminium sheets.

                        I always knew he'd helped make part of R2-D2. However…

                        #MayThe4th #MayTheFouthBeWithYou #StarWars

                        fast_blast@mastodon.socialF This user is from outside of this forum
                        fast_blast@mastodon.socialF This user is from outside of this forum
                        fast_blast@mastodon.social
                        wrote last edited by
                        #11

                        @robhawkes beautiful

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