CyberStephen's K-9 build

[cyberstephen]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this site but have been working on my own K-9 for quite some time now. I haven't referred to any plans to get the correct dimensions; mainly because when I started I didn't have internet access/wasn't aware that I might be able to access plans on this site! So I have worked from photographs of K-9. I'm not really sure if he's even the correct size; always seemed large enough- maybe because I'm just used to him, but whenever I see K-9 being carried by someone (e.g. Romana at the beginning of The Leisure Hive) the real thing always seems bigger. I'm not too bothered by it though!

Now I'm definitely no Spark like some of you guys seem to be, so unfortunately it has no electrics whatsoever and is just a model. The main structure has been made from ordinary corrugated cardboard strengthened with layers of papier mache in a newspaper/PVA glue/flour/water mix. I'd love to have been able to have made K-9 from fibreglass or plywood, but I don't have the facilities and had to call on my experience as an Art teacher instead! I also watched a lot of Blue Peter when I was younger (read 'eye' sensor starting life as the nozzle from a Fairy bottle).

The most difficult bit so far has been attaching the head to the body, and I've ended up using some Mecanno 'girders' in order to do this. Homebase came in handy for the neck and bumpers (tumble drier hose and pipe lagging respectively), but I'd like to ask if anyone knows of any kind of material that I can make the 'K-9' logo on the side from- bear in mind that I don't have access to any kind of power tools for cutting- would have to be done by hand with a scalpel or Stanley knife- so has to be fairly pliable yet durable.

Cheers in advance and will update soon!

Stephen

[the_temporal_mechanic]

Steven,
Wonderful work on the dog so far man.  I would suggest some of that adhesive backed craft foam given that you have a nice papier mache form already. 

You can find it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Fibre-Craft-Adhesive-Sheets-1593259/dp/B0033M0JP8

You could cut it easily with a craft knife and then lacquer it to make it sturdy.

Great work!  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with next! 

-Ben

[cyberstephen]

Hey Ben

Aha, I was thinking along the lines of that sort of stuff, but the only thing I could find was compressed expanded polystyrene sheets which would have been nowhere near strong enough, so think I'll go with this option as you get plenty of foam for your money (will be needing them if I make a mistake)!!

cheers for the link, mate!

S

[the_temporal_mechanic]

I think if you layer it you should get a pretty thick letter and a little resin, or lacquer should make it pretty strong.   Let me know how this works out.

[cyberstephen]

Will do!

I saw from the link to Amazon that the foam sheets come in thickness of 2mm, so I reckon that I'll probably be able to get away with as little as 2 layers for a nice bas-relief effect!

S 

[cyberstephen]

Just reinforced the inside of K-9's neck with another strip of Meccano. It's pretty solid now so no longer think the weight of the head would cause it to snap like the spare bit did!!

I'm pretty chuffed now as I was worried about the head being knocked off

[cyberstephen]

Can anyone please tell me what the attachment is which connects K.9's tail to his body? I've got a tail but need this little widget as the finishing touch but can't find anything that resembles it anywhere!!

Cheers muchly

Stephen

[Scarfwearer]

If you mean the rubber concertina boot, it's right here on WhoProps: K-9's odds and ends - reply #5.

Crispin

[cyberstephen]

Aw, brilliant!!

I never noticed this section; still getting used to the site.

Thanks Crispin

S

[quigonj]

Looks very nice Stephen!

[cyberstephen]

Apologies for my crap photo.

I am in the process of using some filler to smooth away all the unsightly corrugations of the cardboard that have shown through the (prematurely added) paint.

I will update with new pics soon!

[the_temporal_mechanic]

What sort of process and materials do you use when finishing cardboard?  What kind of filler do you use?

[cyberstephen]

Just made some big progress on my cardboard K.9 build.

As I mentioned earlier, when I began this build I got a bit too carried away and painted the body far too soon. Not only that but I used the incorrect type of paint. The outcome was an uneven surface with the corrugations of the cardboard clearly visible in the light. They hadn't been that noticeable before because the 'patchwork' of newsprint from the papier-mache distracted the eye from the texture of the cardboard it was covering.

I was never happy with this, so I've sanded it all down to remove loose acrylic paint and to provide a key, before smoothing Polyfilla over the dents and corrugations. In my new photos, the white areas you can see are where the corrugations have been filled in and the whole thing is really smooth to touch now that it's fully dried and sanded down with fine grade sandpaper.

Next job is to prime it before finishing off with some slate-grey gloss spraypaint (I'm really looking forward to that bit but will have to hold off as I don't want to muck it up again!)

[DoctorWho8]

It looks like the broom is holding up K-9's head.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

[cyberstephen]

Haha, yeah I guess it does look a bit like that. But rest assured that K-9's head is fully supported internally by two screwed-in metal strips from, ahem, a Meccano set.

The broom has come in pretty handy over the last few days for enabling me to sweep up all the moondust that had collected on the floor after sanding down K-9's bodywork.