season 14 wooden console

[meantimebob]

Well I reckon its time I had a console and as I don't have room for any of the other versions, this one will have to do. Its a favourite of mine anyway.

So, I thought I'd make a start by collecting as many reference photos of it as possible. Does anyone know why so few pictures of this console were taken? Its the same old ones again and again. Anyway, this is what I've found so far...

might as well start with this thing - not accurate at all I imagine.

then the usual pics






and in this one I've only just noticed Troughton's costume, by the entrance.

If anyone has any more and would like to contribute, please do!
I've got to go away and figure out how to make one of these things now.
[Edit] - and here's a few more I've found, I think they might be from shillpages.

[klukerspud]

I've updated screen shots here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/52025273@N00/sets/72157619570999989/with/3619873381/

[Scarfwearer]

Well, you've produced several pictures there that I've never seen before. Thanks!

Um, where's the original? Anyone know? There's a story that the sets got damaged in storage, or the producer didn't like them or something, which is why it only lasted one season (hence the very few photos - I'm not even sure it appeared in all the stories that season). I wouldn't be surprised if the console was still around though. Somewhere.

EDIT: Come to think of it, I don't know of any other Season 14 console builds... Yours could be the first?

Crispin

[purpleblancmange]

The walls to this set were kept and refurbished after season 14, painted white and used to extend the season 15 to 19 set as well as to make the walls for the corridors outside it. 

The rest of the wooden style walls were scrapped - as was the console, smashed up and thrown into a skip by none other then Mat Irvine.

From what I remember, it was the original white room walls that had warped and this was used as an excuse to make a new set, this time one that was smaller, easier to store and left more room in the studio for other sets.  When Graham Williams took over as Producer, he elected to "dump" the season 14 build and return to a more traditional style room.

[meantimebob]

It was smashed up? Wah!

Well I bet Mr Irvine is kicking himself now - imagine how much that would fetch at auction. I suppose he kept the useful parts, such as the buttons, I wonder if some ended up on K9's back?

I did see something like this on ebay a few years ago. Not exactly the same but inspired by it. Rather nice it was too. At the time I think I saved the photos, if I come across them I'll post them here.

[purpleblancmange]

Oh yeah, he said he'd wished he'd had the forethought to keep it for himself... I mean, his house is full of old props and models.

Of course the other thing that the season 14 set is responsible for is the fibre glass roundels that were used right from this season all the way up to its final appearance in Greatest Show.  I really ought to dig the moulds out, I'm surprised they've lasted all this time!

[meantimebob]

Were the moulds for the roundels made of fibreglass as well? I've got a roundel and was wondering what would be the best material to use to take a mould of it. I was thinking of trying a plaster one at first and getting a few out of that, then taking fibreglass moulds of those so as not to damage the original if anything went wrong. Be great to have enough to deck out a room, or maybe just one wall. You can get those large wood veneered boards which would be ideal surrounds.

As to the console itself, I'm not sure whether to make it out of wood then stain it, or a combination of wood and mdf, then cover it in veneer. I don't want it to look shoddy and cheap. I think the original prop was covered in some sort of wood effect sticky back plastic or paper, wasn't it?

[cyberleader1991]

Are you sure it's Troughton's costume? Could be Tennant's... 

You know how it is for the Doctor...!

[Sorvan]

That sticky backed paper isn't terribly durable - and I'd expect that whoever built the thing would have made it strong enough to survive at least a few clumsy stage hands.  I'd be more than a little surprised if the wood effect wasn't painted on.

If I were making this console, I'd want to  use exotic hardwoods.  It'd look great but I'd probably have to get a mortgage on my house to pay for it.

Colin

[Teletran]

The console room that warped in storage was only seen in the time monster in season nine. It was subsequently replaced by the "three doctors" set. Aside from the roundels, the wooden console room also introduced the new kind of scanner screen, which would be used in all later sets.



By the way if anyone were casting any roundels from the original moulds I'd love to see a detailed cross section.

edit:

I almost forgot I've recently had some success producing 3D models from screen captures by matching several camera angles and basically building the model over the top, this technique may be useful in determining the proportions of this prop.

[ironageman]

I think I read somewhere that not all the little flaps opened; most were dummies. However, this seems to be disproved by those pictures!

As this did sort of imply that I had an article about this console somewhere in a book or magazine, I hunted up in the roof through those that the mice hadn't chewed up... and found nothing, I'm afraid, other than a Winter Special with this console in the comic strips, which of course is about as much use as one would expect it to be...

[davidpk212]

I reckon it was the producer who personally sneaked in and bust up the Time Monster console room set. He didn't like it, you see.

Arson without fire...

[Teletran]

There are some more pictures of the secondary control room/console at a site that was just posted in the links section. I thought you might find them useful.

edit: It might help if I were to post the url.

http://www.vrmlworlds.com/tardisrooms/tardisrooms/pictures/secondarycontrolroom/index.html

[lespaceplie]

There will be plenty more screen caps possible once The Hand of Fear dvd is out.

I've thought of building this console as well because of its size. The dimensions shouldn't be too hard to work out, but finding a source for the lion heads at each corner might be tricky. I suppose these are small door-knockers or drawer pulls.

[handofomega]

There will be plenty more screen caps possible once The Hand of Fear dvd is out.

I've thought of building this console as well because of its size. The dimensions shouldn't be too hard to work out, but finding a source for the lion heads at each corner might be tricky. I suppose these are small door-knockers or drawer pulls.

How do you plan on doing the top???   I read that originally the prop was supposed to have an iris that opened to reveal a small domed central column.   The budget wouldn't allow for the iris so they just covered the hole and set a shaving mirror on top.   I have to admit that when I read that I was HIGHLY curious as to how that would have looked on screen.