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Graham's 2005-6 console

Started by armadillozenith, Oct 10, 2006, 12:54 pm

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armadillozenith

Oct 10, 2006, 12:54 pm Last Edit: Nov 29, 2010, 03:03 pm by Scarfwearer
 ;D
Began bandsawing profiles for my Season1/2 based console yesterday. Willing helper, nice sharp blade, no accidents. Hooray!

(thanks, Graham Campbell - for 5 hours help when I said it would be 'a couple'! also Ken King (Dad!) for use of bandsaw; and Geoff Helm for use of his Polyscot factory premises and for donating much polystyrene)...

I've previously made a polystyrene mockup of the basic console shape, with the aid of youth group members (I'm an adult helper there).

th_bonfireconsole067.jpg
2 young helpers visible...

th_bonfireconsole073.jpg
I sat here to watch Season 2 finale projected hugely on wall... Superb!

I've scaled the TV version down a bit (!) in my plans so it will fit in a living room or classroom and be portable. Note the absence of the stack of rings and ceramic insulators from the base of the time column, this was just my attempt to visualize the main console shape.

Basic materials for the more robust version? So far, 12mm/halfinch ply, flexi MDF and hardboard from B&Q (providentially there's one very close. I don't drive, so I usually either carry it, bus it or bike it home!).

That's what I'm using for the six radial ribs and central hub, which because of their bulk, need to be made hollow for lightness, and made in knock-down sections for portability. (My rib profiles have similar inside and outside curves so they can be nested for economy of materials and to reduce cutting. )

 ;D Meanwhile I'm taking photos as I go.

Hope to get further rib sections cut Friday, and assembly begun at the weekend.

Graham


Gavvers

Oct 18, 2008, 11:01 pm #1 Last Edit: Dec 14, 2009, 05:24 pm by scarfwearer
fantastic! I'm having a go at a half-console fitted to the rear interior wall of my New series build, No where near as good as yours. Good luck with your project...Gavvers

dalethetimelord

Oct 10, 2006, 02:43 pm #2 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:00 pm by scarfwearer
I hope it all goes VERY well for you, Graham, good luck with the build!

donnehthetimelord

Oct 14, 2006, 09:31 pm #3 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:00 pm by scarfwearer
Hi Graham, I love the Whiteness of the it, Brings Star Trek to my mine for some reason....Hmm, Anyway good luck!!

Don

walsallmatt

Oct 15, 2006, 02:22 pm #4 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:00 pm by scarfwearer
what a fascinating build:D
no seriously thats brilliant, i wouldn't have thought of a polystyrene [sp*] base, but it does the job

those brilliant fabric colomns you can get from ikea, work a treat too

nice one chaps

matt
I'm a citizen of the Universe and a gentleman toboot

armadillozenith

Oct 19, 2006, 01:53 am #5 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:01 pm by scarfwearer
Thanks for the good wishes guys!
Trying the shapes out in polystyrene first was helpful. But ply will be so much more robust longterm  ;)

A bit behind schedule... but after bandsawing... Here are the bits:
th_115_1521-1.jpg
For scale, this table top is 4ft x 3ft.

Thought the shapes might interest people. At the right you can see how these parts mate up to give the curvy profile of the console radial ribs. (Imagine, off to the right, a 2ft-wide central hub, and then a mirror-image curved rib).
The 'feet' - flared lowermost sections - remain to be cut).

The matching inner and outer curves of these parts let me nest them up close, as shown, saving material and cutting time (and cost).
I got all 12 upper and 12 lower curved members (plus some spares) cut from two 1830x606x12mm ply panels@ £10.50 (B&Q). I first made cardboard templates, drawing round them stepwise onto half the board, then cut the board in two and screwed the halves together so I could cut two thicknesses at once. That's why you only see 6 of each here, they're stacked 2 high.

Making templates the right shape was the trickiest bit, requiring several tries... But worth it, as it reduced the cutting so much ;D

Graham

kiwidoc

Oct 19, 2006, 04:05 am #6 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:01 pm by scarfwearer
Brilliant Graham-  this is fantastic to follow - you're forging new roads and we're all taking notes...   :)

purpleblancmange

Dec 07, 2006, 07:21 pm #7 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:01 pm by scarfwearer
Graham, it's been a couple of months since your last entry on this project and I was just wondering how things are going with it.  I'm particularly interested in what you'll be doing for the control panels - whether you'll be having them light up and of course what you're using for the various bits of junk that makes up the actual controls.

EDIT:  Oh, and to add.... where did you get that silver ball thing that's in the first image in this thread?  For some reason, I really fancy getting one of these.

armadillozenith

Dec 08, 2006, 12:46 pm #8 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:01 pm by scarfwearer
Thanks for asking!

:-[ (life of the more mundane variety) + (some uncertainties over way to go) = delay

;D (no work next week) + (renewed confidence) = anticipation!

I expect to post more this month.

Panels will be translucent... with a bright interior light source and individual 'blinkies' (electronic stuff going on, little lights and moving parts). I've enough yellowed fibreglass (school roof-panes salvaged!) which may serve. I have FAR MORE stuff to embellish them with, than I need... I think. Yet to be sorted through. I pick up likely odds and ends whenever I see them. Mostly scrap, free, or very cheap.
If you're not too proud to pick up roadside debris or sift through bonfire ashes or browse in charity shops or rake in B&Q's knock-down oddments bins, (and hoard junk), it's amazing what appears.

;) nice bauble came from Au Naturale (town centre stockist of home furnishing sundries and gifts, ornaments and novelties). Under a tenner I think. May still be available.
As far as I know it's the identical one used on TV console, but I had mine before it aired... didn't buy it as a copy... so I rate mine as the original!

purpleblancmange

Dec 08, 2006, 07:55 pm #9 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:02 pm by scarfwearer
I know what you mean about life getting in the way of build projects - but what can you do, eh?  Anyway, I'm glad this project of yours is still carrying on and I look forward to seeing what you do next as what you said sounds quite nifty.

I tried Googling the bauble things - no luck there unfortunately.  I'll just have to keep an eye out - or if anyone here sees one, do give me a shout.  I just fancy having one as a display piece.

chrisrowand

Dec 08, 2006, 08:15 pm #10 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:02 pm by scarfwearer
IKEA sell the green bauble things..i have one myself.good luck with your project..

armadillozenith

Dec 09, 2006, 01:29 pm #11 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:02 pm by scarfwearer
Quote from: chrisrowand board=console thread=1160484895 post=1165608911IKEA sell the green bauble things..i have one myself.good luck with your project..


Chris, thanks! This is the metal-studded sphere that Purpleblancmange and I meant:
th_bonfireconsole038.jpg
(A kind of black resin's visible in between the silver bobbles embedded all over the surface. 5"/120mm diameter)

The BBC site and TV episodes show various translucent balls on the console, notably an orange one (which gets turned by Dr10 as an adjustment made on the console controls). I think there's a green one too which is what you refer to?
Thanks for the tip!

B&Q and elsewhere have various glass balls as curtain-rod ends or doorknobs, that look good... Sometimes found reduced in oddments bins. Or round glass paperweights would look interesting (suggestion: check charity shops). Or, those light-up orbs on kiddie novelty wands... Or certain festive baubles...

(Christmas) Cheers, folks!
Graham 

purpleblancmange

Dec 09, 2006, 03:19 pm #12 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:03 pm by scarfwearer
Don't quote me on this, but I'm seriously tempted to build a console like this myself.  I've thought for years about building one to my own design and ever since I first saw the new series version, I thought that this was the way to go - I had wanted for many years to "steam punk" the one I've got (I've just got a thing about this type of technology - all built from cosmic crapTM) but it didn't feel right.

Seeing this thread with the "inspired by" theme has rekindled my interest - I've even been out to the garage to look through my hoards of junk for parts and it seems quite do-able.  That said, I should finish some other things first, but I will certainly be keeping my beady eye on this thread... just to keep the flame burning.

milner08

Dec 09, 2006, 08:04 pm #13 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:03 pm by scarfwearer
in one of the 9th doctor eps he walks in to the TARDIS with a glass ball.

this is what Chris is talking about. but that one was clear and IKEA have stopped selling them in clear now.

you can still get them in a load of other colors like as Chris said green.

i actually have a clear one in my house but its my mums and im not allowed to have it

TM

armadillozenith

Dec 21, 2006, 03:05 pm #14 Last Edit: Jul 15, 2010, 11:03 pm by scarfwearer
Quote from: tommilner board=console thread=1160484895 post=1165694663in one of the 9th doctor eps he walks in to the TARDIS with a glass ball.
TM


Would like to know which scene (for reference) as i have the box set and didn't see/don't recall that moment.
I know the Doctor handled the silver-studded orb (above) early in 'Father's Day' and Margaret Slitheen handled it in 'Boom Town'. So the console obviously legitimately has various separate 'pick up and carry around in your pocket' bits... they are not all fused together. Good news for all of us Womble-minded console fabricators!