The Skeleton

Well, I did say this could be a long build.....

After having the frame all cut out and ready to go a few weeks ago, I eventually managed to spend some time in the garage. A morning checking the son-in-laws scooter left the afternoon free to begin putting the frame (skeleton) together.

A good clean of the base and placement on the workbench means time to start. The syringe was loaded with glue and the first drops landed in the right place. The first upright was on and 2 small angles used to ensure it was vertical. Once they have set at this I shall place a thin bead along both sides of the upright to make sure it stays in place. For some reason I decided to do the adjacent uprights instead of opposite, but I think it turned out alright.

Due to the curved bits(!) on the ankle part, I decided to fit the second layer next. This required a bit of weight to ensure that the uprights stuck correctly. The ankle bit were then placed in and a curved bit cut to the shape of the second ring. This way I know that it has the right shape the right size to help the skins.

A bead of glue was put all around the uprights and left to dry overnight.

Hopefully, I can wangle some time to carry on tomorrow and finish the frame. I've also been given the all clear to suggest some budget skins for xmas - at least this will make R2 look better.

In The Beginning.....

After looking at lots of different websites with lots of different build methods and building materials, I opted to go for the styrene build. Using the plans from Dave Everett on the R2 Builders website, they were printed off at Staples and ready to go. The plastic was bought with money received for my birthday then it was just a matter of finding some spare time to start.
The straight edge parts of the frame were cut out roughly from the the paper plans and tacked on to the styrene with repositionable glue.

Plans stuck on and starting to score.

The plans were then scored with a very sharp knife with Skye taking the photos and waiting to laugh should I cut myself. (By cutting the plans out first should mean that wastage is kept to a minimum and if any bits go wrong then I have some spare.) The plans were left on the plastic so that I knew what they were when the build actually starts.

All the frame upright supports

The next stage was to work out how to cut the circular parts of the frame. Some people have made a table to use a router, others have used a circle cutter for paper. After thinking a bit, I remembered that I have a device my father made for marking circles on sheet metal. A search of the garage and there it was big enough to mark the styrene and sharp enough to score. I have found that a cut with the knife will help but at least the scoring is deep enough for the blade not to go of course.

Carefully deep scoring the inner circle(!)

With the first 2 frame rings cut out, that was enough for an few hours in the garage, but at least R2 has been started. Progress may be slow and the blogs equally slow, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. As I have mentioned above, there is a wealth of information and knowledge at the R2 Builders Club, who have plans that give a universal size so that a a lot of the external items can be interchangable.