Quote from: galacticprobe on Jun 29, 2012, 01:11 am
Your column has a really smooth movement. I'll have to look back at your build to see how you did it. (Unless this recent rotor modification includes the movement, and it wasn't in the original build: in which case, please tell all? Inquiring minds want to know.

Dino.

This thing was built many many years ago back in the mid 80's when I was like 12 so there is no build log.  The original motor mechanism was a gearhead motor from a drink machine.  It was loud, wasn't designed for continuous operation, and would get very hot and shut off.  

Somehow the console managed to survive in storage at my parents house until a few years ago when I retrieved it.  I have a young son now, and I rebuilt the motor mechanism to the way it is today for him.  The current rotor, and sound effects are all new additions, but everything else it original from years ago.  Here is a very poor quality video that shows the mechanics.  I really need to re-make these videos in HD.

http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb156/klippard74/?action=view&current=console2.mp4

 

I guess I was confusing your photos of it in the TARDIS Gallery with a build diary. (It has been a while since I've looked in there.) Nice video; that movement really is smooth. Part of the mechanics look quite intricate while others look fairly simple. That motor rebuild alone would probably have made for a great build diary.

I also applaud your construction technique. If that console survived this long in storage, came out in that good of condition and was able to withstand a rotor and motor upgrade, then I think the old BBC props people could have learned a few things from you about building a TARDIS console to last, and on (probably literally?) a budget of a nickel!

Dino.

Quote from: Theta Sigma on Jun 06, 2012, 01:39 am
I can actually contribute on this topic!  The bulbs used in this Time Rotor are Philips Philinea/Osram (Sylvania) Linestra T10 bulbs.  They are still available!  Red lighting gels may have been used to produce the red color in the same manner as Jarrod did with the blue.

http://www.lightbulbemporium.com/satco_s4894_ln60.asp

Nothing major, but I wanted to add Homebase to the list of places we can get these bulbs.  I was in my local store looking for a lampshade for a unrelated project and saw a bulb and socket setup similar to the ones posted above.

Quote from: Theta Sigma on Jun 07, 2012, 11:29 pm
Hmmmmm....the more I look at the pictures, the more I could convince myself that (2) of the bulbs were the longer 150W versions, and then (2) more 60W.  Then the (4) 35W red ones.

just looking at Jarrods sketch

could it be that there are 4 60w that are just positioned differently?

Hi guys,

I had the same dilemma when I was putting my light array together. I was more or less convinced that there were longer philinea tubes than the 60 watt ones, however, 60 was the longest I could get my hands on in Australia. I think what is important is that whichever way you go you step them so that when they flip-flop they look like they are flashing in an up-down fashion. I don't know what happened to any of the red coloured globes in the middle of the time rotor on the actual prop. I'm assuming they all blew and that it wasn't an easy job to access them to replace them. 

Quote from: Theta Sigma on Jun 28, 2012, 02:03 am
While it pales in comparison to Jarrod's work, I made this console a very long time ago, but the rotor is a recent modification.  In this, I used cold cathode tubes that would normally be used to light a computer case.  They don't generate much heat, but I don't know if they make them big enough for a full sized 5-doctors console build.  Something to think about though......


http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb156/klippard74/?action=view&current=console.mp4

I just noticed that Theta Sigma said that his work "pales in comparison" to mine. To be perfectly honest, I was highly impressed by Theta's work on his console...sound effects and all! I really think that the movement of his time rotor is actually better than mine as his has a single point of alignment which gives better stability. Mine has three which can be prone to a bit of wobble if I don't align things properly. Again, I'd love to see a close-up of the original's mechanism but there doesn't seem to be any pictures floating about. There've been a few teasers but nothing to get anything definitive from.

I'm flattered Jarrod!  One day, I will have the space to complete something like what you are currently putting together.  I'm very impressed with what you've done!

You mentioned the wobble.  I know this is going to sound silly, but I was actually fond of the wobble as seen clearly in the final episode of The Claws of Axos, and also in the first episode of Underworld.  My console, being very small, has a very short travel on the rotor.  I'm sure if I scaled it up to full scale it would not appear nearly as smooth and stable.

It's been a while in the making, but I've made some progress regarding the Rotor:




Working out the geometry was a bit of a pain at times, but despite still needing some tweeking I feel comfortable enough posting the most current version of my plans.

In putting them together, I've found there's something really weird going on with the top three tiers of the rotor.  It looks like the top three tiers have been put on upside down, as the tier third from the top is a straight-forward octagon, but the tier immediately above it has some just-noticeable points... and the one above that (the top-most tier) has even more pronounced points... but at the same time, their widths don't quite seem right.

I've had the pleasure of being able to discuss the rotor with Purple, and he speculated that a couple of the tiers may've been manufactured wrong... leading to this strange occurrence.

Did I send you PDFs of the file Jarrod made up for his column?  I emailed it to someone, but I don't remember who.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

You did send them to me, and they did prove very useful as I was working on this project.

Excellent!  I've emailed so many things to people, I've lost count.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

Quote from: Kingpin on Jun 05, 2012, 08:27 pm
This new version features the solid and hollow tubing present around the base, as well as the triangular prisms that the newest photos have revealed.  I'm fairly confident on the shapes of the stars, but the rods are going to be trickier to place.  It looks like that between the lowest level, and the top few, the remaining levels are comprised of triangular prisms, with a set of eight circular rods closest to the centre.

looking on ebay I noticed individual prisms ran about $5-7 USD each and were only about 2" in length - I was a little bummed as there are well over 96 prisms on Kingpin's diagram. and then I found a product that made it much less expensive a prospect. (Acrylic Equilateral Triangle Rod 1" x 6ft Long - Clear Extruded) Triangular acrylic rods. As they are Acrylic they can be cut with the same saw blades I use to cut the rest of my plastic.

Prisms? I always thought acrylic rods. Surely prisms would have been too expensive for Who back then?

I wasn't aware there were triangular acrylic rods .... just goes to show builders like to be made aware of these things for these sort of projects.

Question 1 : How tall is each tier from the one below it? / How tall between each layer of the "wedding cake" ?
(I believe the production crew referred to the internal structure of the column as the "Wedding Cake" - I'm willing to be wrong on this - no pressure)

Question 2: what is the height of the wedding cake? / What is the distance from the top of the structure to the roof of the glass/plastic cover?

Question 3: what is the diameter of the central circle cut on each tier?