Celation's Hartnell/Troughton Console Build

[tony farrell]

Ooh..... Rob, you keeping doing this, sneaking 'snippets' of the original plans. You're making me very happy indeed.

Chris, not wishing to high-jack your brilliant thread, the latest from Rob (coupled with his other snippets) allow us to come ever closer to accurate blue-prints of the Tardis' console in particular: We know that the sides of the control panel hexagon were 42" and that (excluding casters), it stood 42" high to the top of the central column's sloping 'collar'. We now know that the intention was to make the top of the column curved - we just ended up with a smaller curve than drawn. Adding the information from the other snippets Rob's given us to this latest drawing and we can establish the intended dimensions of the central column as well:



It's interesting (apart from the loss of the microphone shelves around the console's collar) that the only real difference between these drawings and the actual console as built is the thickness of the panels' dividing fins. In Rob's drawing they are shown as causing the collar to appear to taper inwards towards its base whereas in the 'finished' article the collar doesn't appear to taper inwards:


Only on the later Pertwee version (and now on the AST console) do we get this 'inward tapering' effect. It looks - on the later console - that the fins were made slightly wider to compensate for them being slightly longer due to the larger control panels on the Pertwee console (46" wide as opposed to the original 42").




Tony

[celation]

Yes indeed - nice snippet Rob. Thank you!

Argh - Tony... You've got me going back over old images checking the angles of my panel dividers now! I think they're about right. The result is that the facing face of the column collar is essentially rectangular. Is that correct?

The measurement of 42 inches high makes sense too. A fairly standard design thing for something based around geometric shapes to have these repeating numbers, I guess. Gonna have to check that too...   

[Rassilons Rod]

Is it me or is the 4 and 2 repeated in the lamps of the AAISAT console? :-D

[tony farrell]

Yes indeed - nice snippet Rob. Thank you!

Argh - Tony... You've got me going back over old images checking the angles of my panel dividers now! I think they're about right. The result is that the facing face of the column collar is essentially rectangular. Is that correct?

The measurement of 42 inches high makes sense too. A fairly standard design thing for something based around geometric shapes to have these repeating numbers, I guess. Gonna have to check that too...    

Hi Chris,
If I'm right, then your finished (no pun intended   console would look something like this:

Here are my original drawings (I appear to have made the central column approx 1/2 inch too wide and the fascia is similarly a little too wide) but the overhead view of the panel dividing fins would seem to be correct:



I've corrected both the errors mentioned and here is an in-progress work based on the drawing Rob posted yesterday.



I'll post the finished (there I go again   article in my measurements thread so as not to blur your thread here.

Tony

[galacticprobe]

We know that the sides of the control panel hexagon were 42" and that (excluding casters), it stood 42" high to the top of the central column's sloping 'collar'.

The measurement of 42 inches high makes sense too. A fairly standard design thing for something based around geometric shapes to have these repeating numbers, I guess.

Is it me or is the 4 and 2 repeated in the lamps of the AAISAT console? :-D

Ah... 42 - The Meaning of Life! (Now it all makes sense! )

And, Rob, that is a great little snippet (more would be lovely, one day, perhaps?). It reveals a lot about how Brachacki wanted the finished console to look. Of course, the BBC probably didn't have it in their budget at the time to have the cover extruded from one piece, or have a thick cover piece made to accommodate that large curved top. (It would have looked really nice, though.) And it makes one wonder why they changed from what they used when Hartnell was in the role to the flat, screw-on top when Troughton took over.

Dino.

[tony farrell]

Dino, the whole Tardis set got a refurb for Pat Troughton's arrival: We know from Tom (Kert Gantry) that the photo blow-up roundels were re-printed. The tops of the 3D walls were also cut down by approx six inches at this time (the second 3D wall was minus its casters for sometime before this - certainly from 'Master Plan' - so, maybe damage to its base resulted in it being turned upside-down and trimmed as a result; the other walls being cut-down to match). We even get to see the beige hexagonal floor plate - not seen since episode two of the very first story - in 'Power of the Daleks'. We also know that the central column developed a split fairly early on in its history (there's a picture of this with Bill Hartnell - which I can't find - showing it held together with sello-tape).  
The latest post from Rob is fascinating - even though the blueprints weren't realised in their entirety, they do give us the principal measurements for the console and yes, they do seem to centre on 42. Maybe Douglas Adams saw the plans and something stuck in his mind! Serendipity perhaps?  
 
For the moment, I'll put these here for Chris/Celation to comment on - his console is, after all, the 'daddy'!

The first picture extends what is available from Rob's 'snippets' as does the second.




The third is a 'tidied-up' version of the console blue-prints.
Tony

[galacticprobe]

We also know that the central column developed a split fairly early on in its history (there's a picture of this with Bill Hartnell - which I can't find - showing it held together with sello-tape).

Ah, yes, Tony; I know the photo you're talking about. I've seen it, too, and likewise I can't find it again! I can understand the need for a new column cover because of this - at least the cylinder part. I'm just curious why they didn't keep the original column cap as that didn't seem damaged, and decided to go with the flat-top, screwed-in look for the top of the cover.

As to your speculation of serendipity... considering that 42 seems to keep popping up in this original Brachacki console, and Douglas Adams not only used that to be "The Meaning of Life", but also ended up scripting several 'Doctor Who' stories, I tend to agree: serendipity of a capital nature!

Dino.

[timegalaxy5]

These are incredibly helpful. I might end up using these myself.
After making a sketchup model with these measurements first
of course 
Considering I somehow manage to get enough room for a 7 ft
wide console, with 42 in wide panels.  I don't know how
Celation has managed to make something so dang beautiful.

TimeGalaxy42

[kert gantry]

Dino, the whole Tardis set got a refurb for Pat Troughton's arrival: We know from Tom (Kert Gantry) that the photo blow-up roundels were re-printed.

Not necessarily contradicting the above, but the photo-roundel reprint predated Pat's arrival.  The earliest episode I've spotted them in is The Ark part 4 (no control room pics exist from The Massacre as far as I know).  Their arrival seems to coincide with a decision to use a reduced-size TARDIS set from then on.

[tony farrell]

Of course! Good one, Bill!

Okay - from that I'm pretty convinced that what fridaysgoldfish said is right. The top disc must have been routed in some way to a similar shape to this:

I've been having a rummage for decent grab/photos of the column's top from above. You might also want to have a look at the scenes set inside the Meddling Monk's Tardis - if I remember correctly, there's an overhead tracking shot as Steven and Vicki enter the Monk's ship.



To my eye, the bevelled edge looks to be angular rather than curved. Also, I think I see a narrow circle on the underside of the column's top indicating a lip or edge - in effect, the column's cylinder sits in a rebate in the underside of the top a bit like this:

Hope this is of use.
Tony

[vortexion]

Someone on YouTube has posted a very short (excellent) filmed video of the (1963) console at the exhibition in Cardiff-South Wales{ splendid too!).

Celation: any update/recent pics??

Would dearly love to see an update.

Vortexion

[Rassilons Rod]

You mean this one?

I have to say I'm disappointed with the paddle wheel in the console... Chris' one is WAY better

[vortexion]

You mean this one?

I have to say I'm disappointed with the paddle wheel in the console... Chris' one is WAY better

Its similar to this: you can see visitors walking behind the barrier: but a better overall video of the console. Chris' model? No one could touch it!

Best for now.

Vortexion

[celation]

Well you're very kind, but I'm properly impressed by this column. Two particular things I notice apart from its general accuracy... it has the joining connections between the paddles (which I'm currently missing) and a very smooth rotating motion which I'm still working on. EDIT: Oh - and the flashing lights. Haven't managed that yet, either.

I have had a slight breakthrough on the rotation front actually, due to Celation Jnr. loaning (loaning mind...   ) some pieces of a marble set which make an excellent supporting bearing. Still have to put that properly into action.

There have been another few developments. I've made two more silver handles (rather time-consuming); sent another grille off to be printed; and begun on the dummy piano switches.
Staying true to the original, I'm duplicating the wooden versions of the switches for the last two panels - not in wood, but in resin and Milliput. So not that true to the original, I guess.  

I've also nearly finished the trickiest of the red displays. This last one is raised higher than the others, and has an odd two-tier structure. I'll get some pictures up soon to explain.

That, plus some general wiring... It's getting there. Still!

[celation]

Here's a quick snap of the nearly completed panel number... 2? I'm losing track...



The display needs spraying and the top handle is a stand-in at the moment. Also, the dummy switches aren't quite finished - other than the top one.

Not sure whether to add the missing top-left lever or not. It disappeared pretty early on.

With a bit of luck, the new grille (for the panel to the left) arrives tomorrow.