Machining Star Wars to Life

Dear DE Reader:

Makers, engineers and artists are a creative bunch. Today’s Check it Out link takes you to a landing page offering a multimedia presentation with all three characters in one person.

The protagonist in “From Proton Packs to R2-D2: Movie Prop Replicas with Tormach” is this guy named Jesse Hayes. A video game company co-founder and owner of an entertainment industry services company, Hayes has crammed his small garage workshop with the tools of the maker's trade. That includes a Tormach PCNC 1100 personal CNC (computer numerically controlled) milling machine and the compact, slant-bed Tormach 15L Slant-PRO lathe.

Among Hayes’ hobbies is making replicas of movie props such as a full-scale R2-D2—the robot from Star Wars. Hayes developed, prototyped and built R2-D2 using his Tormach gear. Now, the thing to understand here is that Hayes is a game designer. He didn’t have machining experience.

But R2-D2 isn’t what this pair of videos wrapped around an article is about. See, Hayes’ latest project is a full-sized replica of the light-based energy blaster pistol wielded by Rey, the Jakku scavenger, in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

It’s great fun reading about and watching Hayes in action. The article provides the key details found in the videos, but don't skip the videos and think you got it. You don't. They bring you inside the project.

The first video, which runs about 12 minutes, starts with Hayes using Autodesk 360 to design the blaster's barrel, grip and trigger, simulate the machining processes and create the code. It appears to be a real-time recording, since he occasionally backtracks to fiddle with something. Hayes then moves from design to fabrication. Here, you get a lot of tight close-ups of milling, turning and drilling. The machined pieces look great and clink together nicely on the first try.

In the second 7-minute video, Hayes offers up his thoughts on what led him to Tormach's PCNC 1100 CNC and the 15L Slant-PRO lathe. He's an engaging chap. He touches upon everything from setting up the gear, how they operate and what it's like using them. In general, all the stuff you'd like to know about, made more fascinating when you remember he's not a trained machinist.

“From Proton Packs to R2-D2: Movie Prop Replicas with Tormach” is worth every minute of your time. It's well done, informative and entertaining. Hit today's Check it Out link and see for yourself.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, DE