Blue Painters Tape To Hold On Dome Panels

The method to hold on the dome panels is often a topic of debate.  JB Weld, Silicone, Tape and whatever else you could think of.  After looking at all the options, the easiest for me seemed to be using painters tape rolled over, but with glue stick on the non stick side so it stayed in a compressed loop.

Rip the tape in a strip twice as long as the panel.

Tear strip of tape
Tear a strip of blue tape.

Attach half to the panel and put glue on the non sticky side.

Glue stick on tape.
Rub glue stick on the “non stick” side of the tape.

Fold that over and create a loop with the tape and press it down.  Cover the entire panel with the tape.

Fold glued tape
Fold the glued tape in a loop.

Center the panel and press it firmly into place, making sure it is secure.

Center panel
Center and attach panel.

Repeat this step for all the panels until they are completely attached.  The glue will dry and hold the loop together.

Panel Attached
Panel attached

R2D2 Dome Washer Made with Stepdown Bit

The top of the R2D2 dome has a dome washer around a dome topper.  The method I used to get the washer was to take a 1″ x 1/4″ washer with the same thickness as the dome, and use a step down bit to widen the hole.  This was a careful process until I was able to get it just right.