R2-D2 with Tray

The basic is here the R2 with several gadgets. From brass parts, I made the tray and soldered the three parts. Then I cut into the legs of R2 the space to connect the tray-legs. On the tray, I stuck the drink-glasses, which I made from round acryl-glass. Each glass, I drilled from the top side. On the top of R2´s dome, I drilled the round blue part away and stuck a tap into, which I made from carved brass. Staying, at the edge of the drilled dome, I stuck a round blue convex disc on, which should show the dome as opened. Finally, I painted all parts according the pics of the movie. The Freeze-Frame, I built with the according scene from the movie and stuck Freeze-Frame and figure again into the bubble. Also the backside of the card, I customized according to the figure.

© Thomas Riedel 2002

Notice in November 2003:

Each eager, each demand, to possess a figure or a space-ship, which Kenner-Hasbro never produced, sometimes is punished through the fact, that sometimes Kenner-Hasbro finally decides to build it.
So, you have visitors on your website, who ask: "Why did this idiot built it? It is already to buy!" They don´t look at the date, when I made this.
This is not the first time, that I built things, which Kenner-Hasbro produced later. Examples: The TIE-Bomber (the K.H. TIE-Bomber was already released before we had our website, therefore, I saved my time and wrote no building report about it), figures of the Jedi Councils, which now are sold in both 3-packs and finally the R2-D2 with tray.
To myself and to other customizers, this will certainly happen some more times, but it doesn't take the fun to customize. For a certain period of time, you live simply said in the knowledge, that you have something made; no one else can buy in any shop. Additional comes, that often times, when I want to build a diorama, I need a space-ship or a figure, which I can not buy, because it is still not to buy.
Because I want to build the diorama n o w and don´t want to wait and hope that Kenner-Hasbro will release it somewhere in far future, I start to build it by myself.

Finally I have to say, that in most cases, the stuff from Kenner-Hasbro I like more than my other models I built before. K.-H. simply has better technical opportunities, also they have absolutely full access to Lucas Archive and they can endless use the original stuff to investigate how they should produce it. But not everything, what K.H. released and what I built before, I like. So I think that Oppo Rancisis, from one of the both Jedi Council 3-packs, is absolutely bad made in size. His Details are made lovely correct, no question, but Oppo Rancisis is (except Yareel Poof) taller than every member of the Jedi Council. Also Yaddle I don´t agree with her realization. Miminc, hairs, etc. are super made, but same as Yoda, this figure is in an idiotic sitting position.
Everybody building dioramas, which lightly have the attitude of looking nice and realistic, will certainly not agree if a figure should be placed sitting, with its toes looking up and holes in its feet. For me it is sure, and I understand it, that Kenner-Hasbro has the demand to make the figures a l s o for the kids, who are not interested about those details.
But in a realistic diorama according the scenes of the movies, this is absolute deadly!
Here, Kenner-Hasbro should make a clear decision, which group of customers they want to supply. How nice it would have been the 3-packs of the Jedi-Council figures, if K.H. would have made all figures in sitting position. Yoda and Yaddle should have been made in smooth positions, where one leg lay over the other leg. Finally, I made the decision not to change anything at the Jedi-Council as I originally built it.

Excuse me this long text, but this is a good example how to deal sometimes with toys
which are released after someone customized it already before.

© Thomas Riedel 2003