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Five Doctors Time Column

Started by cyberleader1991, Sep 08, 2005, 01:54 pm

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Lungman

I agree. After studying the images for some time I recon that it's definitely a two vertical runner arrangement. I'm wondering what kind of runners these would be and how they're anchored to the time rotor and the base...perhaps ball bearing drawer runners? I tried using these once, however, I found that the ball bearings would often sink to the bottom and jam the time rotor resulting in me saying "the rotor's jamming!"

galacticprobe

Jan 02, 2013, 05:43 am #16 Last Edit: Jan 02, 2013, 05:44 am by galacticprobe
Perhaps they're the kind of drawer runners that have 4 nylon wheels on them? (Two wheels on top and two on the bottom of each runner?) I've seen them on desk, dresser, and kitchen cabinet drawers in many furniture stores. I'm sure they've got to have them in places like Home Depot or Lowe's for the furniture built-it-yourselfers.

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

rustymetaldog

Could well be, only about a million different ones out there after a quick Google search, but I'm sure we'll find 'em :)
Build high for happiness :)

lespaceplie

Dec 06, 2014, 06:01 pm #18 Last Edit: Dec 06, 2014, 06:02 pm by lespaceplie
I've been analyzing photos of this lately and have concluded that there are at least 4 states of the rotor.

1. Debut condition with the tube lights mounted high.

2. Post-Frontios repair with appearance still original from what I can see.

3. Reinforced stack starting in The Caves of Androzani. Note ends of rods sticking up through top layer of stack. I believe the 6 main rods have been replaced with thinner metal ones sleeved with acrylic tubing. The tube lights are still mounted high. The top 3 tiers are now the same size with slight changes in the acrylic rods.

4. Tube lights are mounted lower starting with Time and the Rani.

superrichi1a

On visiting the Experience today I was also delighted to see that the inner construct of the rotor has now been fully restored to its mind-boggling my complex original! Thiugh as I was told, the reason it's not moving is that the bike-chain has broken, oh well :)
Isn't it how ironic that we have to think of solutions out of the box, in order to build our boxes a lot of the time?

galacticprobe

Dec 06, 2014, 07:49 pm #20 Last Edit: Dec 06, 2014, 07:56 pm by galacticprobe
Quote from: superrichi1a on Dec 06, 2014, 06:59 pm
...the reason it's not moving is that the bike-chain has broken, oh well :)


Erm... trying not to criticize the people running the DWE too much, but I've replaced bike chains before. I've even replaced one on an ATC (All Terrain Cycle - a 3-wheeled version of those ATVs; the 3-wheelers were outlawed in the US because operators refused to follow the safety directions and many riders killed themselves because of it); but they were chain-driven, and when the one I had broke I replaced the chain myself. (The hardest part was getting the grease off of my hands!)

Those chains (even the heavier ones) are not that expensive, and not hard to replace. I'm sure someone at the DWE has enough spare time to dash down to the nearest bicycle repair shop and buy a chain. Someone else probably has enough time - and knowhow - to replace the chain. (Heck, if I was living in, or even visiting, the UK and was going to visit the DWE and knew about this, I'd buy the chain for them and even offer to replace it for them since I've replaced them before - all as a gift of thanks for the work they've done creating the DWE!)

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

superrichi1a

Good points Dino, one does wonder, yes! The new DWE is brilliant, in a word, really nicely remade, but some laziness does unfortunately still creep through? I have some reservations about the DWE, some serious, but this is not one, I'm sure they'll get round to it soon, and frankly considering they've actually done on that rotor what the BBC never did in 30 years my criticism of that now is somewhat muted!
I'm writing a reviews of my visit as we speak, I'll post up a link for general nosing when I'm done ;)
Isn't it how ironic that we have to think of solutions out of the box, in order to build our boxes a lot of the time?

lespaceplie

Another thing I just noticed is that the heavier rods are cylindrical, but the smaller ones are actually triangular in cross section. The reinforced stack adds quite a number of the small rods to the upper tiers. What a crazy way to have constructed this thing! I bet it's on the heavy side, too.

lespaceplie

Dec 11, 2014, 02:46 pm #23 Last Edit: Dec 19, 2014, 02:51 am by lespaceplie
This entry has been deleted in order to avoid confusion. See diagram update below.

Rassilons Rod

Wow, that's awesome research! :)
In the cities in the streets there's a tension you can feel,
The breaking strain is fast approaching, guns and riots.
Politicians gamble and lie to save their skins,
And the press get fed the scapegoats,
Public Enema Number One.

Rassilons Rod

Is the top tier larger on the earlier one than the later one?
In the cities in the streets there's a tension you can feel,
The breaking strain is fast approaching, guns and riots.
Politicians gamble and lie to save their skins,
And the press get fed the scapegoats,
Public Enema Number One.

lespaceplie

Dec 12, 2014, 04:23 am #26 Last Edit: Dec 12, 2014, 05:17 am by lespaceplie
It is, but I think it's actually a tad smaller than what is otherwise the second smallest (i.e. number 4 tier from the top). I guarantee it's not an illusion. I'll correct that at some point.

Also, upon further photo evidence, I'm quite wrong about the triangular rods. They're all round, but there is probably a difference in diameter. It's possible the larger ones are 12.5-15mm and the smaller ones 10mm.

Does anyone have high res from the Experience?

lespaceplie

Oh, man! I can't believe how much crazier this thing is than I ever thought. I was on the right path, but I'm going to have to flip-flop once again. There is, indeed, a mix of round and triangular rods - and there are a few different sizes. I finally have a decent photo to work from, but I haven't obtained permission to share it. Nonetheless, I'll have the rotor sorted out in a few days. Better still I'll commit to some laser cutting at Ponoko for the scale model.

galacticprobe

Dec 18, 2014, 06:00 am #28 Last Edit: Dec 18, 2014, 06:01 am by galacticprobe
Quote from: lespaceplie on Dec 17, 2014, 05:58 pm
I finally have a decent photo to work from, but I haven't obtained permission to share it.


Just curious, but does this mean that you haven't been able to contact the person that took the photo? Or that said person is refusing to let you share the image of the rotor?

If you found that photo on the Internet, then it was posted for all to see, so if you have the URL to where you found the photo and you post the link, then it would be no different than someone stumbling across that photo while doing some "Googling".

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

lespaceplie

I haven't asked yet. Here's the link:
http://trinity.richmond.echidna.id.au/originals/2011/England/London/Doctor%20Who%20Experience/Old%20Tardis%20Console.jpg