The Definitive Pertwee/Baker Time Rotor Plans

[silverfox]

Good grief, I don't have the room to build a real one   (more's the pity)

I'm just going to check the proportions look OK against some screen grabs and then I'll post orthographic and side views if anybody wants to use it as the basis of a build (real, model or virtual.)

I have a feeling I may need to lengthen it slightly.

I don't have measurements for it, but it should be easy enough to work out as most of the measurements have already been supplied already for the later version on here.

I've added the perspex brackets at the base of the large tubes and I'm just trying to work out how the tiny lights are attached (there appear to be some inside the red triangle and some outside.) The external lights only look like they go half-way up the rotor and I'm thinking they may be clipped to the outside of the red triangle (the springs possibly being the wiring for them?)


Here's a nice full length shot from the Planet of the Daleks

[galacticprobe]

Looks like those oblongs the yellow ones are attached to (at least some of them) are blue. It's possible they're all blue and it's the yellow/green lights shining through from the back that makes the others just "look" greenish.

(And be daring: build a real one! Once you have it, you'll find room for it. ) I'm sure you've got enough room somewhere to at least build a half or quarter scale size version. It would still be a great conversation piece.

Dino.

[silverfox]

I've alternated blue and green on my virtual model (starting with blue at the bottom) it's just probably not very clear in my render (still feeling my way around adding texture and colour in Cinema 4D)

now you've put the idea of a half sized model in my head it isn't going away... 

[Mark]

Or just build the time rotor itself 1:1 scale, like Time Rotor did, and then have it sat somewhere in your house blinking away.

[galacticprobe]

I've alternated blue and green on my virtual model (starting with blue at the bottom) it's just probably not very clear in my render (still feeling my way around adding texture and colour in Cinema 4D)

I wasn't criticizing your render, silverfox. (I guess I didn't make it very clear in my post.) I was referring to that grab of the Pertwee column from "The Planet of the Daleks" that you posted, and how those "blue" oblongs looked on that one.

now you've put the idea of a half sized model in my head it isn't going away...  

<maniacal laughter like Renfield > I've done my job well!

Or just build the time rotor itself 1:1 scale, like Time Rotor did, and then have it sat somewhere in your house blinking away.

Still... I really like this idea better than the half-scale version. So it sits in a corner. Make it an end table! Think about it: a very Classic TARDIS console central column as an end table... with built-in "mood" lighting! How cool is that?!

Dino.

[silverfox]

Could this shot from the Planet of Evil show the placement of the mini lights outside the central triangle?



I'll have to scan through some video to see if they were still functional after the refit to the red tubed version
but if not it's possible that they just left them (or the bulb housings) in place?

[DoctorWho8]

This might help.  From Pyramids of Mars.

Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

[silverfox]

ah yes

some pinkish lights (those inside the red toblerone) and some white (those outside it and behind the white perspex sheets)
I assume they are the same ones as the Pertwee version

[silverfox]

A couple of screen grabs to show that as well as the small bulbs - the springs were also still present in the Tom Baker version of the rotor:

The first one is from the opening moments of Androids of Tara. Although I originally thought that the springs might be coiled wire providing the electric current I now think they were there for effect only. You can plainly see another straight wire running between the bulb holders.






this next grab is from Horns of Nimon






I've added the details to my 3D model and will post some renders shortly.
I still can't be 100% certain where the bulb holders are connected so I've opted for placing them down the central face of each side of the toblerone which seems most likely.

[galacticprobe]

Does anyone know if those springy things were still there in the early Davison (pre-"Five Doctors") years when the rotor got the refit that changed it from having two bulbs inside the red cylinders to having one bulb inside them? I remember the four bulbs still being in the center of the rotor, but now I'm wondering about the springs.

Also, going back and comparing the base of this Pertwee "green" rotor (see the grab from "Planet of the Daleks" above) with the later Davison version original seen in http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=282.0, that these little extra clear plexi/perspex "footings" are in this Pertwee version as well as in the later versions:

(Note yellow arrow pointing to "footing": photo from http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=282.0, specifically this entry here http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=282.msg17482#msg17482 (entry of 9 January 2009) showing his replica of the original's base up close and personal: a photo of the original and the base here http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=282.msg17440#msg17440 (entry of 8 April 2008.)

I know, just another piece to add to this puzzle.

Dino.

[silverfox]

springs and lights attached
I just have to do the thin black tape along the top of the Tom Baker version (or some stories had a broad white strip)
If anybody has any info on how to make it more accurate please let me know

[galacticprobe]

That thin black tape (presumably you mean around the middle of the yellow strip) looks like automotive pin-striping tape. It normally comes in various widths from 1/16th-inch wide to about 1/4th-inch wide. I'm not sure what width they used on the Tom Baker version because I don't know how wide that yellow strip is, but at a guess I'd say it was either 1/16th or 1/8th inch wide.

Dino.

[Mark]

I'm not 100% on this one but are the little bulbs on the red inner triangle actually staggered on the original prop?

It looks on some of the screen grabs as though they are like windows on a light house tower (away from computer so afraind its a 1000 words rather than a picture).

To explain what I mean further using random measurements - if the lowest bulb on the first side of the triangle is 2 inch from the base, the lowest one on the triangle face to right might be 4 inch from the base while the third triangle panel would have a bulb 6 inch from the base giving the bulbs effectively a spiral path around the triangle column.

Hope this makes sense. As said, I'm not 100% on this, could be my eyes or something daft but thought I'd mention it.

Loving the renders BTW, think you've nailed the look of perspex and the detailing is great.

[karsthotep]

I see that there are now LED strip lights available that are 60watt equivelant. Some look as if they are only light on one side and the other is solid.  I have found others but can't determine if its the same or if they have ones that are 360 degree lighting.

http://www.lyco.co.uk/4w-led-striplight-284mm.html

[karsthotep]

Bumping this up as I have never been able to source these stateside and with incandescent going by the wayside i was curious if there were any clever alternatives with LED that people had come up with?