My First Prop Build (Or "How Not To Build A K9")

Started by davidp, Jun 04, 2014, 07:16 pm

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davidnagel

I noticed those buttons on ebay, where they seem to have a lip on both sides instead of completely open like the tv prop. I wonder where one can get the lip-less buttons as cheaply?

I'm finding it quite humbling and reassuring that all you K9 builders are using a vast array of build techniques and yet he gets the same finish and he ends up looking professional, nice work all you guys!
Regards
David

superrichi1a

Those buttons look very nice indeed! They really do make a huge difference to the look of the finished prop, I think, and actually the style you're using I came across a few times looking for mine and I'd been thinking for a while that they look nicer than the ones on the prop.
This coming along at a very good speed :)
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?

darth_baldrick

I've been enjoying reading this and seeing the detail you are going to, so keep up the good work.

Magnets are a great idea, I might actually use them on the base of my build rather than screwing that bit in, then if I ever decide to do anything extra to it, I can just lift it off.

It's funny to see the 3 builds currently underway, mine which is a super sized Palitoy K-9 toy, superrichi1a's which started with a toy for the scaling and ended with a proper looking K-9 and yourself getting as accurate as possible from the start.

I guess 2014 is a K-9 revival year! Maybe they'll sneak one into the new series in the background somewhere. :)

;D

davidp

Thanks darth_baldrick :)

I've not posted an update for a few days because i've just been continuing with prepping the body. I've also added the control panel to the top but it's not much to look at yet

Also, his tail turned up in the post yesterday, but i'm a long way off from fitting it... I'll do a proper update when there's something worth seeing!  8)

davidp

Still not much new to show you yet - I'm still sanding and filling and sanding and filling...

The magnets arrived yesterday, tiny little things, but really strong, a few of them placed around the removable panel should see it snap securely into place.

Also arrived yesterday, the 3mm red perspex I'll be using for his eye panel. If anyone is interested, I got it from here - the colour looks just right and for £3 + p&p for 2 x A4 sheets you can't really go wrong. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181329469500 Although if anyone knows of anywhere to get the same stuff cheaper I'd be very interested for the next build!

Other than that, all that's on the horizon is more sanding and filling  ;D

davidp

One other quick update... behind the red perspex I'm going to try out putting some of this LED strip to see how it works out for illuminating the eye panel....

Wn9vQf6.jpg

davidp

Not really anything exciting to update with, but I wanted to check in as I haven't updated in a couple of weeks... the sanding and filling is still going on - I've nearly finished with the body, then i'll finish off the head. I'll add pics when it's done.

Also i've found a supplier of drawer handles that are a pretty good match to the ones i'll be needing soon. I'll order a few to try out and confirm they're a good match

davidp

Another mini-update... the sanding and filling and sanding and filling and so on continues slowly but surely.. i've nearly finished the body (just a couple of blemishes I need to smooth out), then i'll start on the head (which I hope will be a quicker job as it's smaller!)

Meanwhile, here's a 99.9% completed top-of-body shot (complete with a bit of silver paint, it's great for showing up imperfections!) to give an idea of how it will look once finished...

dg28Feml.jpg


davidnagel

Oooh paint. And you seem to have acquired a quarry.
Regards
David

davidp

Yep it used to be a back garden but it's mid-landscaping atm so it makes a perfect Tom Baker - era filming location

type_1012_tardis

Ooh, shiny!  Textbook example of why I love this site - awesome work.  You were most definitely underestimating yourself with the "how not to build a K9" thing.  Magnets, Genius!  Also...

Quote from: darth_baldrick on Jun 16, 2014, 11:34 pm
...
I guess 2014 is a K-9 revival year! ...


I've actually been meaning to start one of my own for a year or two now.  I'll have to try and locate which back burner it's on.  Although I'll probably never be able to get the paint as good as davidp here... ah well, so's life.

End of Line
The ultimate TARDIS of ultimate destiny.  Type 1012.  Now with extra duct tape.

darth_baldrick

That's looking great so far, you've got that looking super smooth for the painting.

I think I paid about the same for the perspex I used, pretty cheap and in line with keeping the costs down on mine.

Those LED strips are pretty good, I've bought some to use inside my Tardis build eventually as they do waterproof ones (except for the power supply of course!)
I'll be interested to see how that looks on K-9. You could almost give him boy racer lights underneath as well, The Fast and The Furious K-9 build. lol

Darth B

davidp

Jul 26, 2014, 09:47 am #28 Last Edit: Jul 28, 2014, 07:42 am by davidp
Ah thanks very much both - I'll continue work on it today, but I've got to be honest, I didn't think I'd spend this amount of time on just one part, it's been well over two months just on the main body! I've started though, so I... must... finish!

@darth_baldrick yeah the strips are super bright aren't they! They get really warm too, not sure if that's something I should be worried about or not. I need to get a strip of light diffusing material to put between the leds and the red perspex to soften the glow a bit

darth_baldrick

Maybe you could try fitting them in the nose rather than near the perspex?
That way they would effectively light up the head and give the eye a glow, so it wouldn't be a direct LED towards the eye piece?