TG's Servo Robot

[TG]

I appreciate that this thread may have limited appeal being about a Robot seen in only one episode of The Wheel in Space in 1968 and the Robot was killed off in that episode. Also, unfortunately, the BBC managed to lose the episode.
The Servo did at least have a spectacular finale when Jamie blew him up with the Time Vector Generator from the TARDIS.
(TVG gadget ref: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=4333 )
And, on a positive note, the prop was not actually destroyed - so in theory The Servo Robot could come back in a new episode! Yippee - Chris Chibnall are you reading this?

About five years ago I modelled a virtual copy of the Servo Robot

Which I'm using as a guide to my build
and when working with the guys at Loose Cannon reconstructions, I tried to bring him back to life:
http://vid8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/Timegirl/servo_first_view.mp4

I'm looking forward to building the retro circuit board face and I've been collecting old components but I will need help in identifying some bits so I'll start a reference thread.

I think the shoulder lights are tail lights from a Bedford lorry (which I got slightly wrong in my CG model)


This may take me ages to build - but fun  

[fivefingeredstyre]

oooo You have no idea how much I am looking forward to updates on this one  Had no idea that was your amazing work on teh LC recon for the Wheel in Space, well done!

The Servo Robot has been on my build list for years, just behind a full sized Quark (All I have to do is persuade the Girlfriend that having a full sized Quark in the house, along with the Dalek, and K9, would be a great idea... )

[Angelus Lupus]

You worked on the LC recons? I've binge-watched the b/w era a couple of times now and the addition of animated sequences really brings the missing stories to life. I remember this little guy lumbering along in a very convincing person-in-awkward-costume way. Watching with interest.

[kert gantry]

I love it when people do builds of the less famous Doctor Who props, and the Servo Robot is so wonderfully 60s - concertina arms and circuit-board face.    

According to the latest issue of Nothing At The End Of The Lane, the Robot was planned to return for a scene in The Invasion. When Vaughan destroyed the Cyber-Planner in his office, the robot was going to pop out of a hidden door and attack him!  Much as I like the prop, this sounds a little comical. Must admit that before reading this I hadn't twigged that the SR was meant to have been manufactured by the Cybermen.  

Look forward to see this build progressing.    

[TG]

The Servo Robot was manufactured by the Cybermen! I had no idea. I had always assumed he was just the auto-pilot for the Silver Carrier. And they were planning to bring the SR back in The Invasion? Gosh, wonderful to learn new stuff like that, thank you so much!

[Rassilons Rod]

I also did not know that

[galacticprobe]

Well, while it doesn't come right out and say it, if you read between the lines in The Doctor Who Technical Manual (the one from the 1980s) in the chapter on the Servo Robot where it says: "As part of the Cybermen's third attempted invasion of the Earth, they hid two of their number on board a space-freighter, the Silver Carrier. After its human crew was disposed of, the freighter was piloted by the Servo Robot and diverted to head for a giant space station called the Wheel.", it certainly implies it was those nasty Cybermen that built those Servo Robots.

With all of the other Cybermen stories that took place during the Classic years, I'm surprised they never brought the Servo Robots back. (They'd have been perfect in either "Revenge of the Cybermen" or "Earthshock" (or both), and even in "Attack of the Cybermen", roaming those sewer tunnels and taking out trespassers instead of that black 'Cyberscout'.)

Dino.

[TG]

I see what you're saying Dino but I'd always naively been under the assumption that the dear (or should it be deadly) SR was merely under the influence of the Cybermen - not actually manufactured by them!
I'd better not copy those circuit boards too accurately 

[timewomble]

That was also my understanding. It doesn't resemble other cyber technology we've seen.

[fivefingeredstyre]

Got to be honest, I'd always thought the Servo Robot was part of the crew as well...

[TG]

Here's my Servo Robot so far -  laid out self-service buffet style



I can't find rubber ducting of the correct size for the arms and legs so I'm going to work with modern stuff - with a hope of replacing it later.
I'm making the 'eyes' first (so not to have to address that fibre glass elephant in the room)
Quick sketch of the plan for the eye - I have some old transistors, resistors, capacitors and some old Verro board.


soldering next

[TG]

On reflection, posting my drawing of the eye circuit board just goes to show why I really should always work digitally.

Today I'm really pleased with this black rubber square edge 'U channel' edging that arrived in the post. It's to fit around the chest grill. Slightly neater that the real thing but I think I'll be happy with it



I've also been agonising over whether to weather - or to make him look new. I've decided that although I am trying to source some 60s components for the build I'm going for 'Cyber factory fresh'  

I'm also working on a cardboard and modrock body shape to work out the sizes - and before the scary fibreglass (or is it fiberglass?)

[ironageman]

This is a proper thing, somewhere between a clockwork toy and an evil Marvin the Paranoid Android. Three cheers for anything pre-Star Wars.

That's a fine collection of parts. Those lights are a perfect find. For the bases the flower-pot saucers are rather neat but a fraction large perhaps? What diameter are they? - the originals resemble cat-food dishes but I imagine that these would be larger still.

               ^{trying not to mention the fibreglass...}

[russellsuthern]

Hey, TG,

Looking good so far.

You may think this build has limited interest, but I bet it generates more interest than my idea to construct a full sized Erato.....

Looking forward to further updates...

Russell

[warmcanofcoke]

I am a big fan of robots from Doctor Who. Look forward to seeing this build come to life.