Sylyphics Posted March 31, 2023 (edited) Shielded Droideka by Sy Lyphics, on Flickr Shielded Droideka by Sy Lyphics, on Flickr Shielded Droideka by Sy Lyphics, on Flickr Wasn't sure if I should start a new topic or put this in the same thread as the previous droideka, but since the part count is more than 10x the last one, figured it's better to do it's own topic. Let me know if I should condense them. The back of the stand features a Confederacy of Independent Systems logo, but that can be easily swapped for a panel same as the other 3 sides if you wanted a non-CIS affiliated droideka. Scaling down the droideka to accurate minifig-scale opened up the possibility of using the 8x8 Windscreen Domes, which are the largest windscreen domes, as the iconic force-fields of the droideka. With the droideka standing at 6 studs, 8x8 is the perfect size sphere to envelope the droid correctly. Embedding it into the ground proved to be quite the tricky challenge actually, as I wanted the ground internally to match the external ground level, and also have a tight fit around the shield, which much to my surprise is 1 plate not spherical as the domes aren't actually perfect semi-spheres. This lead to a ring and inner ring that doesn't have a top or bottom, as the studs on it face up in 4 different directions like the blades of a windmill, and an interesting and fun internal build to match up all the turns and offsets. Happy with the end result as gaps are almost exclusively the thickness of the shield itself and it works well from any angle. Instructions: Rebrickable I optimized the build to be as cheap as possible and use common parts, and any color parts, where possible, and is less than 10c a piece on rebrickable. It is a challenging build at times; in the instructions I used 3 extra colors to make it easier to assemble, and a more professional and fun experience. Edited March 31, 2023 by Sylyphics Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mandalorianknight Posted March 31, 2023 Very, very nice! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yperio_Bricks Posted March 31, 2023 Wonderful design and with the base it looks like a great display piece! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sylyphics Posted April 3, 2023 On 3/31/2023 at 8:01 AM, Mandalorianknight said: Very, very nice! Thanks! On 3/31/2023 at 8:28 AM, Yperio_Bricks said: Wonderful design and with the base it looks like a great display piece! Thanks, that was what I was going for: I originally had plans for a Theed diorama featuring shielded droidekas, but while waiting on the PAB order of the uncommon dark tan parts which will take a long time, thought in the mean time it make look appealing as a small, solo display piece as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TeddytheSpoon Posted April 3, 2023 This is very clever. What's the minimum thickness of the base to conceal the attachment for the shield? Or is it the thickness of this plinth? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sylyphics Posted April 4, 2023 16 hours ago, TeddytheSpoon said: This is very clever. What's the minimum thickness of the base to conceal the attachment for the shield? Or is it the thickness of this plinth? Thanks! To get everything aligned back to the stud "grid" like a baseplate, 4 studs tall. If you are fine with keeping things off-stud, so no plans to attach anything on bottom, then you can shave a few more plates off. The side panels aren't actually attached to the ring or inner ring as they don't align, they attached to the bottom base which was extended down 2 studs for a firmer connection to said side panels and to make the side panels 6 tall to accommodate the designs and logo in back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cdavidc29 Posted April 30, 2023 Interesting solution for the shield; the shape, size, and slight clipping into the ground are dead-on. It’s a shame it necessitates a base to hide the connection points, but short of a specialized piece by Lego itself, this is the best interpretation I’ve seen. Do you have to everything apart to get to the Droideka inside once the build is completed, or is there some less-intrusive method? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crazy bricks Posted April 30, 2023 Looks really good, but that dome hides all the cool details!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sylyphics Posted May 2, 2023 On 4/29/2023 at 7:32 PM, cdavidc29 said: Interesting solution for the shield; the shape, size, and slight clipping into the ground are dead-on. It’s a shame it necessitates a base to hide the connection points, but short of a specialized piece by Lego itself, this is the best interpretation I’ve seen. Do you have to everything apart to get to the Droideka inside once the build is completed, or is there some less-intrusive method? Embedding sadly needs the ground to be raised, yes, but for something like a diorama it'd still work with same or similar technique to what I did with the stand. The stand is actual designed so that the dome is removable and put in last for easy access, and secured in place by moving a few technic axles to lock it in. Removing the droideka and shield only takes a few seconds, and putting it back in is a bit slower but still a fairly quick procedure once you get the hang of it; no studs need to be taken apart. On 4/30/2023 at 1:20 AM, Crazy bricks said: Looks really good, but that dome hides all the cool details!! Thanks! In person the dome is pretty transparent, so the details are actually pretty easy to see, though the glare makes it hard to photograph. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
