After completing R2-D2 I was looking for the next large project to take on that would be both a challenge and help fuel my creative/fabrication desires.

So what better project than BB-8 from The Force Awakens?

This is the test fit of the finished dome on top of the hemispheres, the picture does make the ratio seem a bit off, but it is 1:1 scale.

The daunting task of assembling all of the needed parts is almost over, this is a gigantic pile of the parts I had before working on the inner assembly. The drive system is based off another group member's axle/pendulum system.

For wear and tear I decided to use vinyl decals to do the exterior of the sphere, this also makes it easier to replace the exterior 'panels' if needed.

Here is a picture of the mostly completed dome, the entirety(minus lenses and hardware) was done on a 3d printer!

The above steps give you some idea of the raw nature of a 3d print, there are typically some lines in the print that need to be smoothed out, also the seams/transitions between each part needed to be cleaned up and puttied over.

The above are just some examples of parts printing on the machine, they were printed mostly with a 15-25% infill to try and save on weight for counterbalance later.

Masking and painting stages, the white base coat went on first obviously, then the orange areas were masked and painted. The silver panels are actually done using rub n buff, this is a wax-based paint that shines as you rub it onto the part.

The completed dome hanging out with his big brother!

Next up comes the internal mechanism. The main frame parts were machined via Big Blue Saw, a company that I had used for some R2-D2 parts in the past. Below you can see the final result of the machined block done on the school's CNC machine.

The frame went together very quickly once I had all of the parts ready for it, this was the first night of assembly.

This was after the third night of assembly. You can see that belts were added along with the 3d printed servo box and hubs(on the sides). The hubs will be what holds the axle in place between the spheres as you can see in this picture.

The spheres will ultimately be held together by the hubs, but I also went back and re-drilled pin holes to help keep the spheres in place.