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My K-9 build, a K-9 named Flux

Started by kenny_z, Oct 30, 2014, 03:39 am

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galacticprobe

Apr 23, 2015, 06:21 am #45 Last Edit: Apr 23, 2015, 06:22 am by galacticprobe
Wow! A photo op with Marina Sirtis! You're a lucky one. She was supposed to appear at Atlanticon V in Richmond, VA back in the late 1980s, but the Con organizers kept balking at discussing appearance fees until after she'd arrived (which isn't how it's done). So she backed out, along with Michael Dorn, leaving a Con full of raging fans demanding answers - of which none were forthcoming; in fact the "head" organizer took to his heels leaving his assistant to deal with the ire. Fortunately Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman/Commander Rand) agreed to hop the soonest flight and bail the assistant out. But I digress...

Some circular logic: Marine Sirtis guest-starred in the Jeremy Brett 'Sherlock Holmes' episode "The Six Napoleons". Our new "Sherlock" (Benedict Cumberbatch) starred in "Star Trek: Into Darkness" with 'Doctor Who' alumni Noel Clarke (Mickey the idiot) and Simon Pegg (The Editor from the Series 1 episode "The Long Game"), and Marina Sirtis also starred in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', as well as in cross-over episodes of 'Deep Space 9' and 'Voyager', with a cameo in the (disastrous) 'Enterprise' series finale. So between the Sherlocks and Treks, we have a 'Who' connection, which culminates with that photo op with K-9. (I said it was circular logic - so circular it makes you dizzy!)

Sorry to hear about K-9 going into "full spin". I wish I could help out with suggestions, but microprocessors aren't my strong point. I would love to have a K-9 like that, though, and I would be willing to commit murder for an R2-D2 like that (metaphorically, that is; just PM me the name of someone you really hate, I'll "tweak" the name a little and then write a novel in which that person dies a horrible death; they can't arrest you for novelizing someone to death! ;D).

Great photos! (More, please, if you've got them?)

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

kenny_z

Thanks, the photo op was a gift from my sister. It was supposed to be with Colin Baker but a panel I hosted ran long and I missed the OP. Thankfully my friend let me roll it over for Sirtis even though her sessions were sold out. I know Sirtis is a huge Doctor Who fan which is why I had him in the Troi cosplay to begin with. You can't see it but he was wearing a Starfleet communicator as well. I wish I would have found the time to have her sign the photo but with any luck she'll come back to Pensacon again.

I love my K9. K9 and I were invited to be on the Droid builders panel. There were 3 R2s there and we were lead through the crowd to the room. K9 brought up the rear. As the droids entered the panel room I heard the crowd "R2!" "Another R2!" "Another R2!" I really expected a bunch of "What is that?" or "Robot dog?" Instead we were greeted with a resounding "K9!" He was a hit during the presentation mostly because he could talk in more than just beeps. I had fun having him heckle everyone including me.

Here are a couple more photos.
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galacticprobe

Apr 28, 2015, 04:49 am #47 Last Edit: Apr 28, 2015, 04:49 am by galacticprobe
Very cool K-9! I love his bow tie, and even more so, that photo of our Sarah Jane on his monitor screen! FANTASTIC!

I'm glad he was such a hit during that "Droid builders" panel, and rightly deserved, too. (I think I'd willingly commit murder - metaphorically, in a novel - for a K-9 like that as well. Got someone you really hate? PM me their name, and with a little tweaking so they don't know it's them, I'll think of a gruesome fate to befall them... once I think up some story idea for a novel.)

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

kenny_z

I don't currently have anyone I'd prefer killed off, fictionally or otherwise. I may think it sometimes but that's it ;)

I had a little fun with K-9 during free comic book day. Unfortunately I picked the newest comic shop to visit and it happened to have the lowest attendance so there wasn't a whole lot we could do. One of the artists for a Doctor Who comic thought K-9 was "awesome" so there was that.

kenny_z

Today was Doctor Who Reads Day at the library. K9 and I decided to make a day of it.

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The kids were brutal but K-9 survived without damage. I'm glad I built him like a tank. There are only a couple of places that they could grab to do damage but thankfully most of them are attracted to the flashy buttons on his back.

galacticprobe

Jun 28, 2015, 04:58 am #50 Last Edit: Jun 28, 2015, 05:03 am by galacticprobe
Well, if you remember, in one episode (I think it was part of "The Armageddon Factor") there was one scene where K-9 was literally picked up and tossed through a doorway. (No doubt that was a light-weight, probably hollow "stunt" K-9 - maybe even made from cardboard - but in the spirit of things, K-9 came through it with no damage, so yours stands right up there with the "on-screen" K-9!)

You built him well and should be very proud of that! (And I know it's an optical illusion, but in that photo it looks like he's run over a small "terror troll" and squashed half of him flat - with only his legs from about mid-thigh down sticking out - to the right - from under K-9!)

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

kenny_z

K-9 has a new drive system. The old one was heavy since it was built from a discarded bedframe. The new one is all aluminum channel so it's considerably lighter. I built the electronics tray to tilt up for easy battery access. It's a lot better but he drives differently now.

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By putting the batteries in a new location and moving his rear wheels back I shifted his center of mass. However, the issues this new cradle resolved are well worth the new learning curve. I took him to a small local convention to break in the new system.

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Poor Ben, the service dog, was very confused by K-9. The butt sniffing didn't render any clues and only embarrassed Gillian during her photo op.
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kenny_z

Apr 05, 2016, 11:15 pm #52 Last Edit: Oct 22, 2018, 07:00 pm by Scarfwearer
I've been working on my other large project (Chopper from Star Wars Rebels) so poor K-9 has been mostly neglected. I did manage to print up some nice button surrounds on my 3d printer. They are much nicer than the foam squares I was using.

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After that I just had fun with my robot family at Pensacon in February. The MST3K bots and Chopper are all my replicas.

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K-9 had a run-in with Davros. It's my favorite K-9 photo so far.
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Here's K-9 all spruced up and ready to hit the local PBS station for their MST3K/Doctor Who event. He's sporting a new fez and bowtie since they are so cool.
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galacticprobe

Apr 06, 2016, 06:30 am #53 Last Edit: Apr 06, 2016, 06:30 am by galacticprobe
I love your 'bot collection! K-9 looks amazing. Actually they all look amazing! And I would (metaphorically) commit murder for a Chopper like that! (Just give me the name and personality of someone you really don't like; I'll alter the name so they won't know it's them, and then I'll create a character in a novel based on that person and have them meet some gruesome end! No one's ever been arrested for killing someone in print! ;D)

Well done on all of those builds!

(Tom Servo: "I'm huge!")

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

kenny_z

Thank you. I'm happy with how all of them have turned out. Chopper is still a work in progress. I've been weathering him and adding the details I didn't complete before Pensacon.

He tried to steal a Tardis at AltCon.
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galacticprobe

Apr 08, 2016, 04:30 am #55 Last Edit: Apr 08, 2016, 04:32 am by galacticprobe
I may be able to maintain and repair all manner of ship- and shore-based military electronics equipment (at least when I was working), but when it comes to building replicas of props I'm a total dunce. I might have some idea where to start on a TARDIS (it is a box - basically - and I do have a Fresnel lens and some door handles), and an inkling of how to start a console (I've got a few bubble globes for a 2005 console), but when I see K-9s and Droids, as well as the other 'Who'-related prop replicas that members have made, I'm at a total loss. I've got nothing on anyone here.

Seriously: I'm in awe of everyone. I will get a build off the ground one day, and it's builds like these and all of you that are continuing to inspire me to do it!

I love this Forum, and our members! (I wish I'd thought to start a Forum like this all those years ago. I could have been part of this huge, great place so much sooner!)

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

kenny_z

That view screen on K-9's side has been a thorn in my side for awhile. While at a convention, an older gentleman told me how he wanted to put an infinity mirror in his K-9 if he ever made one. I told him I was going to steal that idea. I finally have.

I purchased some two way mirror film from Amazon and a set of those LED light strips for cars. The light strip was already 12 volts so it's perfect for K-9.
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The pieces of plexiglass sandwich the square frame. The inner plexiglass got a thick coating of black spray paint prior to the mirror film. I used clear double sided tape to fix everything together. The tape allows me to fix the LEDs if they ever fail. The whole assembly was then attached with double sided tape in K-9.

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I've redone the outer mirror film due to the bubbles you see in the image above. I really love how it turned out. I can't wait to see the reactions to it.


kenny_z

Over the years K-9's original ears have just given out. It's time to replace them.
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This time I built them stronger. Actually welding them instead of using JBweld. Making the dish portion easily removable from the stalks. I was going to paint them but I really like the contrasting gold rings on the silver ears. I may add more of them.
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Hopefully these will hold up tomorrow at the Doctor Who Day event at the local library.

multiversesentai

May 22, 2018, 02:09 am #58 Last Edit: May 22, 2018, 02:14 am by multiversesentai
I envy anyone who has a 1:1 scale RC K9. Makes me wish I had one instead of the 1:4 scale toy.5adbd423b9854.image.jpg

Cardinal Hordriss

This is a very good K-9 build.

I think of my toy as a puppy version. I haven't the room for a full sized version.
I speak to you from the final days of Gallifrey. I am the past you have forgotten. You are the future I will not live to see...