This is my grandad, he built the original R2-D2 for the first Star Wars film…
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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…
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.
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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.
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.
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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 Geometri. Math.
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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…
@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.
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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 Very cool! And a great picture, thank you for sharing with us!
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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.
@robhawkes this is so lovely. Thank you for sharing with us.
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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…
@robhawkes yo... thanks for sharing mate
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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…
@robhawkes a lovely post for May the 4th. Thanks
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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…
@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
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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…
@robhawkes beautiful
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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…
@robhawkes
The role of R2D2 could not be taken to seriously.
Not Vader or Luke or Han is the most important charakter, R2D2 is it.
He is always there where the trouble is. He is the chonologist of the rise and the fall of the empire and manys stories more an he will give his never wipes memories to the whills.Who will tell us the story that takes place "a long time ago in galaxy far far away"
So your granddad made the most important character and has to be honored memeber of the droids builder club!
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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…
@robhawkes *c3p0 voice* thank the maker!
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