3D Prints R2-D2 Part 7: Fixed Shoulders Part 7 of my full-size R2-D2 build focuses on the fixed shoulder assemblies. From printing and assembly to testing Bambu Lab PLA Silk+ Silver for the first time, this stage prepares the body for the future leg installation.
3D Prints R2-D2 Part 6: Centre Leg Support Building the modified Centre Leg Support tested both my printer and my patience. From missing files and print failures to filament shortages and final assembly, this hidden structural component proved far more challenging than expected.
3D Prints R2-D2 Part 5: Skirt Printing and assembling the R2-D2 skirt proved easier than expected once the correct print orientation was found. Filament alignment pins finally worked as intended, the skirt assembled perfectly, and the base ring fitted beautifully.
3D Prints R2-D2 Part 4: Ring 3 Ring 3 completed the main body frame of my full-size 3D printed R2-D2. Before moving on to the skirt, curiosity got the better of me and I printed the first blue vent panel. Seeing that splash of colour for the first time was a real milestone in the build.
3D Prints R2-D2 Part 3: Ring 2 Ring 2 of my full-size R2-D2 build brought warped parts, filament jams, hinge assemblies, missing files, and careful gluing — but after plenty of problem-solving, the body section finally came together almost perfectly.
3D Prints R2-D2 Part 2: Ring 1 Building Ring 1 of my full-size R2-D2 brought more supports, failed prints, alignment issues, and assembly challenges — but the project is finally starting to take shape.
3D Prints R2-D2 Part 1: Base Ring The base ring was my starting point for the full-size R2-D2 build. Six large printed sections, failed prints, glue problems, reprints, and plenty of lessons learned along the way.
3D Prints R2-D2 Full Size A full-size R3D3 3D print project coming to life layer by layer. Starting with the base structure, each part is carefully printed and prepared for assembly as this life-size droid moves from digital model to physical build.
Computers My First PC and the Windows 95 Years Buying my first PC in the mid-1990s opened the door to Windows 3.11, Windows 95, PC gaming, hardware upgrades and troubleshooting. From a 486DX2-66 to Pentium upgrades, it was the start of a lifelong fascination with computers.
Computers Amstrad CPC464 and CPC6128 After being made redundant in 1984, I treated myself to an Amstrad CPC464 complete with colour monitor. Later upgrading to the CPC6128, the computer became more than a games machine, helping me write job applications and earn a City & Guilds qualification.
Computers Commodore VIC-20 The Commodore VIC-20 was my first Commodore computer. Bought when prices fell in the early 1980s, it introduced me to cartridge games, BASIC programming and the rare VC-1020 expansion case that transformed the modest VIC-20 into a surprisingly expandable home computer.
Computers Sinclair ZX81 After upgrading from the ZX80, the Sinclair ZX81 became my gateway into home computing. With its improved display, famous 16K RAM Pack and cassette-loaded software, it offered a far better experience—along with plenty of frustration when programs refused to load.
Computers Sinclair ZX80 A magazine advert for the Sinclair ZX80 promised a real home computer for under £100. After weeks of waiting, it arrived and introduced me to BASIC programming, cassette storage and the frustration of debugging endless typing mistakes.
Game Consoles Atari Video Computer System In 1979 I finally bought an Atari Video Computer System after years of admiring it from magazine adverts. With Combat, Space Invaders and Asteroids, it transformed home gaming and became the last console I would own for decades.
Game Consoles Videomaster Star Chess The Videomaster Star Chess looked like the ultimate blend of chess and space combat. After weeks of saving, I finally bought one, only to discover that the futuristic battles promised in the adverts were much slower and less exciting than I had imagined.
Photography My Second Camera In the late 1970s I bought my second camera, a Kodak 110 model with a folding handle and dual-lens system. It captured family events, holidays and special occasions, although many of the prints and negatives have since been lost to time.
My Tech Story 1978–1979 Grandparents House In 1978–1979 I moved into my grandparents’ house with little more than a 12" black and white TV and a cassette recorder. Surrounded by radiograms, portable radios, BBC broadcasts, and old sing-along records, I slowly discovered a love of radio and unexpected nostalgia.
Game Consoles Binatone TV Master MK 6 The Binatone TV Master MK 6 brought shooting games and a light gun into my living room in 1978. Connected to my little black and white portable TV, it felt futuristic — until curiosity got the better of me and I broke the gun taking it apart.
Game Consoles Binatone TV Master MK IV In 1977 I bought a Binatone TV Master MK IV, my first games console. Connected to a 12" black and white portable TV, its simple Pong-style games felt futuristic at the time and marked my first step into home gaming.
My Tech Story 1977-1978 Above the Pie Shop Living above a pie shop in the mid-1970s, I bought my first records and tapes. Before even seeing Star Wars, I wore out an abridged cassette adaptation and the original John Williams 1977 soundtrack double LP.
My Tech Story 1975-1977 New House, New “Life” and Nothing Much Else After my parents split up, we moved into a house that never really felt like home. I spent more time out with friends than indoors, with only a lonely record player and old albums by The Platters and Neil Sedaka filling the silence of an otherwise empty front room.
Photography My First Camera In the late 1960s, a Mars chocolate promotion led me and my brother to collect wrapper letters and swap duplicates. We quickly completed the set and sent them off, receiving my first camera in return—an early point-and-shoot that introduced me to photography, now long lost.
My Tech Story 1960s My Early Memories Growing up in the 1960s, my early encounters with technology were simple but unforgettable—from a wired Rediffusion TV and shared family viewing to record players, cassette experiments, and the sounds and programmes that shaped my childhood.
Audio Visual Philips B3G99U A lifetime of memories in a single dial. Explore the history of my grandparents' Philips B3G99U valve radio and why I’ve chosen preservation over restoration.
