timerotor's Time Rotor!!!

[dalethetimelord]

Ive done a hell of a lot of research & questioning about this here in London. My friend (who made that accurate replica) is not willing to dish out much info. That said, I can tell you that the actual one was made of three 2'' luminus pink acrylic strips -no longer available... Not the orangy type u get today & wasnt one tube at all. Ive also got my dims a bit wrong, & will revise them again with the new info.  so its back to the drawing board for now. The red tubes are 2ft tall!! My 21'' was 3'' OFF!
TM

sent you a PM.  You might want to rethink those figures.

[karsthotep]

    When I did my rotor I went with Crispin's measurements of 18",  but 2ft does seem a bit on the large side.  Is that a measurement that can be shared with the rest of the group?  Now taking into account Jarrod's rotor, each bulb is 8" long, two bulbes is 16 inches, then the top, bottom and middle power coupler's and you have around maybe 21 inches or so.  I think your 21 is probably closer to the mark then you think. 

Karst

[purpleblancmange]

When I did my rotor I went with Crispin's measurements of 18",  but 2ft does seem a bit on the large side.  Is that a measurement that can be shared with the rest of the group?  Now taking into account Jarrod's rotor, each bulb is 8" long, two bulbes is 16 inches, then the top, bottom and middle power coupler's and you have around maybe 21 inches or so.  I think your 21 is probably closer to the mark then you think. 

Karst

Well I would certainly agree with that - there's no way those tubes are 24" tall, 21" is what I have written down from the dims I took from it back in '93.

I think I know what's happened, if you take 21.5" as the diameter of the black raised base and calculate from there, yes, you get the red tubes at the 24" height - but by the same token, the red rods also grow to a diameter of 5" using that proportional calculation rule of thumb, yet we know for sure that they're 4".  I'd stick with the 21" if I were doing this.

[timerotor]

okay.
confused now.
I will as I said revise this. thanks guys.
TM

[purpleblancmange]

Just to put things into perspective, here's a clickable thumbnail picture for you with some notes... unfortunately the text hasn't come out too clearly.

[noIMG]http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b128/tubularbells/th_TwoDoctorsconsole.jpg[/img]


In short, this is the deal;

The picture is from The Two Doctors.  This is the newer grp console standing in for the old one...  The 5 Doctors console here has the Baker / Davison control panels resting where the usual grp panels would be.  The plinth is a rebuild, bigger because the 5 Doctors rotor mechanism / cage / plinth (all one piece) is inside it .

You'll also see that the unaltered Baker / Davison rotor innards has had the 5 Doctors clear column slotted over it as the original cover looked crappy and had the top missing.  This shows that the full width of the Tom Baker rotor column (and all the previous columns back to Hartnell) were of the same width.  With each new build, the prop builders just based the new version on the old version in terms of sizes as there was no point in reinventing the wheel.  Also parts were carried over, the Baker / Davison rotor even uses parts from the Hartnell rotor prop.

To add weight to the latter points, this fact (about the sizes) was said to me several times over the years by various WHO prop builders, Ian Scoones, Mat Irvine and Mike Kelt to name but a few - all of whom had a direct involvement with the consoles during the original run... and of course I have measured both rotors and they matched, the only difference was that the Baker version was a fraction of an inch taller than the later rotor prop.

Just thought this may help you decide on what you're hoping to do.

EDITED to turn picture into a thumbnail.

[Rassilons Rod]

OK, this I have to know...

whats the same from HARTNELL to *PERTWEE in the rotor?

-Marc


*well its essentially the same as the BAKER/DAVISON with different lighting gels and a stick with rectangles missing

[purpleblancmange]

You know the grey drum type thing at the base of the rotor with that basket poking out from it?  Well, paint that black and stick a silverised disk on the top and you have the base of the Pertwee / Baker / Davison rotor where the three coloured tubes sit.

Well, if the levers and ali handles can get transfered from the original Hartnell prop to the new builds right up until the 5 Doctors console comes along - then why can't sections of the rotor too - seems only fair.  Also, don't forget that the drive mechanism installed for season 19 gets carried over into the grp prop as well.  Nothing goes to waste at the Beeb.  Usually.

[Rassilons Rod]

Ah! Well yes of course... I had thought you meant something smaller... But yes of course now you say it, of course it did

-Marc

[timerotor]

I have new information about the 'yellow' strips at the top and bottom of the time rotor.
they are NOT 10 inches wide but 9, and only 20 mm's thich not 1 " as I had thought before, the rod down the middle of the frosted panel is 6mm's and so the middle yellow bits would also be to accomodate this.

I thought all my life that the top of the plinth was yellow - because of the reflection of the strip in the mirrored surface - I also read last night on Karsten's thread that there are some who think it was white at some point - this is all very interesting to me.
Im hoping to get some more building done in the next few weeks - will post pics and ask for advise as and when.
cheers guys

[karsthotep]

    Very good information there Mark,  so that would be about .85inches for the thickness,  good to know, I believe its even shorter in the pertwee version.  So is the top of the plinth actually mirrored or is it white? 

Karst

[timerotor]

Its a mirrored surface - definitely.
I know that sometimes it must've been SSSOOOOO dusty, that it wouldn't look so, but it was. absolutely definitely positively. Infact thats the only bit I am 100% certain of.
I'm waiting for detail of exact measurements, before I continue because - like you Karsten, I wanted to just do it, but the more and more I get into it - I want accuracy or its not worth spending the money.
I know that there is a lot of conflicting points of view and some people took measurements from the 5 DR's time rotor - which is apparently exactly the same, but I think it will be better if I get one entire set of dimensions and stick to them. I will of course share my findings and draw plans so that they can be referred to if fellow builders like what I have achieved.
Pie in the sky - as I am on hold until I get afore mentioned dimensions. I also found out today that there was a ridge around the plinth 9 mm thick (a rim) I learn something new every day, its a process of pestering my contacts - and referring to photo's, the series and sourcing strip light bulbs and questioning suppliers of perspex/acrylic.
Ah well. when I'm not in an INTERNET cafe - and have more time I will have to try to upload some pictures and diagrammes.
That Pertwee time rotor looks very near accurate to me and his tubes are looking longer than 21 inches... huh... hmmm
             
timerotor

[purpleblancmange]

I know that there is a lot of conflicting points of view and some people took measurements from the 5 DR's time rotor - which is apparently exactly the same, but I think it will be better if I get one entire set of dimensions and stick to them.

Just to be clear here, because you are talking about me - but I measured in detail both the 5 Doctors console (and rotor) AND the Tom Baker rotor... as it was there in front of me at the time.  It was after I measured the pair of them that I noticed both were of the same outer diameter and pretty much identical in height - give or take half an inch.

[timerotor]

Yeah, thats it. Im very grateful for any information kind people-like yourself, have passed onto me.
I have never had the privalage of taking a tape measure to any timerotor myself & so rely on info from you guys. All I am saying is that, helpful as it is; some figures dont match up with others. I admit Ive been mistaken in my belief that the gel tubes maybe as tall as 2ft. I agree with Mr Purple B & I am going to compromise at 19''
Im sorry to hark on with out pictures. Thanks again everyone.
timerotor.

[timerotor]

slowly but surely its getting there....

here is my long, long awaited project timerotor's time rotor today - with out the red gels in the tubes, black line around top and bottom, no dome caps, no plinth and outer casing yet! Maybe in the new year I may have some time to finnish it off properly with lights etc...
a BIG THANKS to those who contributed their oppinions and dimensional suggestions, guys!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Mark

[Rassilons Rod]

Wow, thats looking very good there