Grant Imahara's R2D2 Replica! 

These Grant videos can make me sad and happy in equal measure. They are such a great way to build a memorial to him. Hopefully there is or will be a playlist of these.

"Hey, all, apologies for the camera work! Things on the camera end started breaking down and the workaround was less effective than I thought it would be. Things are a bit shaky, a bit nauseating, but the conversation is great so we hope you stay tuned!" - Joey

Warning: This video is shaky. Our camera's eyepiece broke just before filming, and we were trying to adjust to using the camera without it. The R2 unit is no longer at Fonco Studios (it is back with Grant's mom), so we're unfortunately unable to reshoot the interview. Our apologies for the shaky video!

It feels appropriate that Grant's R2 is spotless...

I can imagine why Grants R2D2 gives people comfort. Grant was such a great guy and a good friend and that R2 model will always be a reminder of who Grant was and what a great guy he was

You know, every time I see Adam and Fon reminisce about the good times with Grant.. it makes you a think about the last time you and your friends were all hanging out for the last time without realizing it was the last time as it’s happening. Then life comes and overwhelms us with its realities. Im just glad these friends can come back and relive it all like they were still back in the good days. Truly brings a tear to my eye.

It's so sad that grant passed so young, I'm glad that we have so many videos of him working and of his work. One of the only "celebrity" passings that really upset me.

I do love Adam with his passion for weathering - and that "lived" feel - but not everything as to be weathered, some things can look new - Grant's R2D2 as it is, is a beautiful piece, loved watching this.

Yep, I was the one that dropped out first...very impressed that the rest of you stuck it out!

I miss him, Can't imagine how much the people who worked with miss him... Like many others I watched Mythbusters from the start when it came out, please carry on with these Grant vids. I love hearing little stories about him as it's so nice to connect to him as a fan, would be great if you lot had a little get together to tell stories about him for us to hear.

Grant's shop: Neat and orderly with lots of the equipment around, reminds me of a operating room. Adams shop: lots of memorabilia, trinkets, and souvenirs. Reminds me of a 85 Yr old grandmothers living room. Cheers

It’s been almost two years and I’m still just as sad. This is beautiful though. I’m glad his shop is still here. I miss you grant. Thankyou Adam.

These videos and stories about Grant are so great and such a wonderful way to keep his legacy alive. Thank you for these.

May Grant's R2 bring countless joy and smiles to children and adults alike for many more years to come. Now have a sudden urge to built my own R2 unit! Anyone else?

Adam, thank you for these memories of your friend. Grant was so much fun to watch and someone I wish I had known. And I'm glad Grant's mom has his R2.

Favreau should find a way to get Grant's R2 unit into a Mandalorian episode.

It was so neat to see Grant's R2D2, it looks like the real one in the movie... I know he made it to his very own high standards of excellence. Sad he passed away and isn't around to enjoy it, but it is a "happiness machine" as it gives us happiness seeing it! Thank you so much for posting this video and talking about the journey of its creation.

I love the Grant videos but it hurts to watch because of the memories it brings up of my two best friends. I lost both in the last 4 years and I haven't been the same since probably never will be. I miss you guys two of the best people I will ever know love you Lane and Joe.

All these videos with Fon and Adam going over there work is absolutely great!!!!

Honestly, I thought the camera work was intentional. Kind of like we were getting on our knees and joining the conversation two friends and industry professionals talking about their love of a mutual friend. You guys are great. We love Grant and we miss him. Glad his work gets to live on and his spirit still shines brightly through those he met and us that were lucky to enjoy his work. I'm glad his R2 is with his mom. Man, wonderful series of videos.

It would be so awesome to have this R2 featured in one of the next movies / series to "end this journey" in the best possible way.

This R2 is s thing of beauty. I love it. Grant has made so many amazing things through out his life but this is such an iconic piece. Love it, what a guy and so sadly missed by all, even us TV and RU-vid watchers. Really enjoyed seeing his shop and his builds, just missing something though.

Thanks for sharing! For anyone who has taken ANY R2 Builder journey to build their own Droid, you are ONE HUGE STEP closer to knowing and appreciating the passion of being a Creator - taking a part of your Childhood memory and making it REAL ! Peace and Love always Grant! And Thanks Adam, Norm and ALL of the Tested Team!

"The stupidest project you can start" probably true, but damn is it fun seeing it coming together!

Grant's passing still feels strange and unbelievable. Even though I never met the man I still think about him, his friends, and his family on a regular basis. As well as what could have been. Being no stranger to tragic loss I say this; truly live each day as best as you can. Even on your worst of days try and make it as best as it could be. Take something from that day, be it a memory or a lesson. Most importantly, love those closest to you. Life has a cruel ability to take it all away in a blink of an eye. RIP Grant

This episode makes me want to cry. We miss you Grant.

Yay!!! Respect 😎 Keep doing what you’re doing.. been a fan since as long as I can remember haha and I’m 40 now

About 5 years ago I went to the Vancouver Fan Expo and there was someone from the R2 builder's club there with their R2 (operated by RC controller) and it was one of the most exciting and happy things I have ever had the chance to see up close. I would love to have my own R2 someday. Happiness Emotional Support Robot for sure!

R2D2 is my all-time favorite robot! Always has been since I saw Star Wars at a drive-in theater in Colorado back in 1977. Love at first sight. Would be incredible to have a life sized R2, but I'll have to settle for my collection of 3.75" Kenner figures and my Micro Machines playset that looks like R2 when you close it up. Grant's R2 is like the one in the medal giving scene in the movie when the droids are all shined up. I love seeing this video! You guys had a dream job getting to work on these droids for the movies. Kenny Baker was an incredible actor! He infused R2D2 with so much personality. Much more than you would think a character without a humanoid face could possibly have. Ben Burtt's sound effects really help too, but Kenny was the heart of R2. A big project like this really is a journey for sure! One of my projects like this was building my first personal computer when I was in college. It took me a long time, I think it was about three years before I got the very last part that I put in it, because I had to research so much to learn how to even build one to start with, then I had to save up money to buy each part from electronics stores near my college. I couldn't just get everything all at once from one shop where I was living at the time and I didn't have a credit card, so I had to get one or two parts a week. I used that PC for a long time though - about 10 years before I quit upgrading it and started over with an all new one. I can build a PC in a week or less now, including researching parts, thanks to the interwebs, but it's still a fun project to do. I love robots, but the closest I've ever come to building one was when I had erector sets and I'd build elaborate models of my own droid designs. They didn't do anything but look cool, but it was fun to do. RIP, Grant!

My R2 has brought me so much joy and frustration in building, it makes me so good hearing from who I would consider droid building masters that you too have also run into crazy problems while building. I have way to many great stories to share about my experience with the droid builders but that is for another post.

Even though he is no longer with us, I think it's great you guys are showing Grant's work he truly was a talented man.

4 Dislikes are from Grant upstairs not happy with the final build quality yet :-)

😢 I really miss Him , he seem like a really genuine dude to be around

This is so beautiful. Not just the re-creation of one of my favorite characters, but the genuine smiles and great conversation. Awesome video thanks for sharing

👍😎 That is by far the coolest movie prop (I know it’s not really) ever. How awesome to have that just sitting in a corner. Thanks for showing us that Adam. ✌️

No way I could ever afford to build much less piece together a custom life size R2-D2 but I do have the Lego UCS version of R2-D2 and that will have to do. This video makes me want to put it together straight away. RIP, Grant. And thank you to Fon and Adam for showing this beauty and for reminiscing about their dearly missed friend.

I have started down the rabbit hole 6 months ago and I love it. It is very true, I am enjoying the journey of making R2 rather then rushing to get it finished. The R2D2 Builders club and other maker communities have been awesome fir trading information. I love R2D2 👍🏽

When Fon was talking about Kenny Baker's R2, I was that 7-year-old girl in the theater in '77 again. That crossed my mind a few seconds before he said that. Hard to get through this without crying. Having watched Grant for so many years...

ive been working on my R4 astromech for 2 years now and im finally to a point where i can start on electronics and its so nice to almost be there

Loving these tributes to Grant's work. I'm sure he would have loved his work being shared like this as well.

I was looking at the lights on R2D2 when 1:22 he came alive! And both Adam and Fon smiled knowingly.

These videos in Grant's shop have been incredibly bittersweet. Thank you all for sharing them with us. Also, I love the rapport between Adam and Fon, clearly showing the good friendship they share.

Gosh, when i die i would love nothing more than THIS - my friends meeting up sometimes and having fun stories that connect them to me. Grant was such great man - and a lucky guy to have such friends.

The conversation you two have about the projects is really something special. I would love to see more work with you two down the line. And this is an excellent way of honoring Grant too. How lucky we are to have people in our lives we will truly miss when they are gone.

I'm about 9 months deep into my droid now. I do look to be on about a 6 year trajectory, mostly because R3-D8 is an original character, so I can allow myself I lot of liberties, such as 3D printing and painting parts that are clearly machined on R2-D2. He's currently a bare dome sitting on some laser cut skins in the corner of my living room, and he's already bringing happiness.

That's freaking awesome....Grant has such love & friends to remember him.

I'm proud to be an R2 Builder too. RIP Grant, your R2 will continue to bring people joy.

The fun of accurately building and completing your droid, R5-D4 in my case, to then turn around and weather the crap out of it… 😂 …actually gives your droid that ‘real’ film used feel and the public luv it too 😎👍🏽

I will never tire of these Grant reminiscences episodes.

Built perfectly imperfect and accurately inaccurate. Awesome piece. We all miss Grant. An amazing creator and craftsman.

This shouldn't hurt so much. I miss you, Grant.

“If you have R2-D2 in your house, how could ever not be happy?” Wonderful quote Adam.

That sure is an amazing R2-D2. Just shows how talented Grant was. The only R2 I have was the prebuilt one from Disneyland with the chunky remote control and it's pretty fun but also very basic and small. I believe there was also a Deagostini version at one point but even that one was just 50% of the actual size and it cost a ton due to the way Deagostini works with all the magazines that came with a bag of parts. Wish I could have a lifesize R2-D2 roaming around the house; but I suspect a fullsize version could easily run you up to $10k+. It's nice to see all these cool things that Grant created in the shop. It's like a time capsule. Rest in Peace Grant!

I love listening to you two. I totally get you guys. You are my people. Thanks for sharing Grants stuff. He was so cool!!!

Rest in Peace Grant!

Love this. And yeah, like Fon says, the fun is the journey. But not only that its the friends I've made from being in the club, and the reactions you get when you take a droid out in public!

Your kids are blessed! Being hugged by R2 is a little kids dream

Wonderful. Brightened my day seeing this.

"Between 6 and 20 years in the completion rate." That sounds about right for how I work on my car xD

Another great example of how much an amazing robotics maker genius Grant was

Just got done weathering my purple R2 unit from Droid Depot at Galaxy’s Edge, and it’s amazing to see how accurate the R2 toy is compared to a “real” one. It’s such a tragedy that Fon never got to paint this beauty.

Though I only knew Grant through Mythbusters, I feel his loss when I watch any of Adam's videos when he's talking Mythbusters stories. Grant I'm sure was an amazing human being. Thanks for sharing this Adam.

your Star Wars works is always the force be with you.

Thanks for sharing this delightful interview. Also, I hope Vaughn Davis starts a RU-vid channel.

Well years ago i started my you tube channel i eventually Gave up on it But honestly adam Is the one who inspired me to start posting videos again Ill be the first to admit my camera skills terrible My videos in general are terrible my projects arent that great But the joy of making something or bringing some old object back to a state of usefulness certainly brings a smile to my face Thank you adam Your tested videos rekindled my spirit As a result of your videos One my childhood dreams is now a reality After seeing the movie jeremiah johnson I fell in love with the hawken Rifle and always wanted an original hawken mind you i was 6 or 7 when i first saw the movie and i didnt know an original hawken wouldnt be as shiny and new as the one in the movie and terribly expensive as i grew older and eventually became an adult i never forgot about the hawken rifle but had decided that i probably would never find an original hawken in the condition i wanted Another decade or so passed before i realized that the hawken rifle in the movie was probably a copy Mind you im now around 37 years old so i began searching for reproductions of antique firearms and eventually discovered traditions well another 3 years passed before i had enough disposable cash but i finally got my rifle although I didnt by a hawken i got the kentucky rifle and my childhood dream is almost a reality

8:30 am in the morning local, and this was the droid I was looking for. ❤

Thank you for keeping Grant in our hearts. If there is ever a souvenir from his stuff I could claim, it would be his pocket calculator. In math, that's where his genius shined. Thank you to all his friends and loved ones who keep his legacy alive and build on it everyday.

My full-sized R2-D2 is in the living room. A moved him into the hallways a few days ago...and the little fella looked so sad, so he is back in the living room 😀

Thanks for sharing this great video! We lost Grant but we gained Fon. This video inspires me to finish my R2 build that I started when Phantom Menace came out. There was a production still of two R2 units right next to each other and when I saw it I immediately thought, I should build one of those! It was an incredible learning journey of mold making and construction. I too did the Home Depot Braided hoses with copper paint, lol. Looking back I probably started building mine at the same time as the ILMers.

I could listen to Adam and Fon reminisce all day.

Its also fun and fitting that grant had his own R2D2 cause he played C-3PO at live events for awhile too.

Made me happy just watching you guys!

So cool to see Grant’s stuff. Listening to you guys is amazing. In a “what if…” universe, I could see myself right there with you.

It's a pity I never got to meet or work with Grant, it would have been great fun. I did build an R5 and an R2 back in 1985 using some of the original plans that I was given. The later I got to work with John Stear on a film, he told me many story's of doing the first Star Wars film. great times

I'm building an R5 D4 and it is a very daunting task...but a labor of love...

3:44 something only briefly mentioned is that when you build a model for yourself there is a different level of quality and perfectionism that you don't have when building things for other people or movies which are built to a cost and a timeframe, and only have to look good on the outside. Cameras tone down a lot of detail so weathering and such is done more harshly on a miniature that is to be filmed vs a model to be scrutinized by a human eye. I know that when I have a deadline my production speed is one thing but when it's a personal model with no deadline the amount of work will expand sometimes to no end, and sometimes you take so long that you learn new techniques or new technologies come out and you feel compelled to redo part of it better. not at all surprised that Grant ultimately spent 20 years building his R2 unit. it's finer than any screen used prop.

R2 and the different versions Adam, Grant, etc made, is a great example of recreating a PROP, vs recreating a CHARACTER

Love your guys stories !!! R2 will be forever our Favorite Droid!!!!

It's an awesome build, and a great connection to Grant. I wish they would have shown some of the inside or some of it's electronics abilities.

Grant was so cool on the show,I believe I've seen all of them and the battle bots too !! He will be so missed...

When i heard Grant passed away i was so shocked! I feel like Grant could have still made positive changes and contributions to this world, its just not fair , gone too soon , RIP

id love to see a small museum of sorts for Grants unfinished works, even for small items or big ones like that R2, Grant was a blast to see on myth busters back in the day

Fom: "Or well they are mirror images, except sometimes they put them on backwards" I laughed my ass off..

This R2 looks amazing! Grant really did a great job making this.

I know it's not going to be life-size or perfectly screen-accurate, but my family just returned from Batuu/Black Spire Outpost at Walt Disney World a few weeks ago. We did build our own R-series droid, and I'm seeing what other folks are doing with weathering and modifications, and it's incredible! If you want some experience with modifying an R2 but don't have the time or space for a full-size build, this feels like a great way to get started. I'm planning on playing with the technology half of it; they respond to Bluetooth beacons and have custom personality chips.

20 years ago my parents had a lodge on a site called Ribby Hall, in Preston. Kenny Baker lived local so often went to the cabaret room on a Saturday night to watch whatever acts were on. I saw him quite a few times (even served him as I helped behind the bar at the weekends). Nice bloke.

Hey Adam, I see your message about the shakyness and reccommending throwing it into an auto stability program! It basically downscales the size of video and uses black barriers on the sides of the video to make it appear as a still image! RU-vid might have it built in also! Love seeing these vids!

When Star Wars first came out my brother in law built a working life sized model of R2D2 for a school project. It was pretty basic. 2 windscreen wiper motors driving the wheels with the drive pulleys machined from plywood on a home built drill-powered lathe. It was controlled by a remote salvaged from a toy car. He got second place to a student who built a macadamia nut-cracker.

This has got to be the most nerdy conversation ever and i love it

Grant will be surely missed. He was a great man.

Now that Still Untitled is gone, can we humbly ask for a podcast with Adam and Fon? I can listen to these guys share old stories all day long.

Adam is great with remembering names !

Between 6 and 20 years... accurate. Took me 7!

There is just something that seems so appropriate that Grant's R2D2 is in perfect condition.

I know those Fiber optic lights it is such a pain to build but they look amazing when completed! I hope to finish my R2Dome soon then start the body. Its a crazy build but fun.

It’s impossible not to love R2-D2 ❤️

Totally true, you see R2 and you instantly smile.

Dammit Grant :c Forever in our hearts. We miss you.

I missed the chance to buy one of these when they where released as an over head home cinema projector, one day though it’s intention to build my own, and now python, arduino and 3d printing are fairly common it’s a project I’m really looking forward to, it may take me over 10 years but why not 😁

You have to admire someone with their own R2 unit.