The Jason's Sonic Trowel

[13drwho]

I've been working on the Sonic Trowel from "The Husbands Of River Song". I have modeled it in SolidWorks for 3D printing. The model is complete, I just need to divide it into pieces for printing. I used the concept art as a starting point and to get the scaling right, but I found there are numerous differences between the final prop and the concept.

[13drwho]

I've divided the prop into parts for printing. I made it more parts to make painting easier. Here is the exploded view showing the parts and how they go together...

Exploded View


Cross-section View

[The14thDr]

I can't wait to see this once it's printed, 13drwho!! Will you be adding your electronics to your build, or leaving it "static"? Also, I'm curious, do you own your own 3D printer or use one of those online companies?

[13drwho]

I get my parts printed by a company called ShapeWays. They have very high resolution printers, much better than the home use ones. I have a friend that has a 3D printer and the setup is an incredible headache. He still hasn't figured out all the nit-picky settings. In all the stuff I've ordered I've gotten two parts that have had problems and both times they reprinted them at no charge (not even shipping). ShapeWays is AWESOME!!!

I just ordered the parts so now it's just waiting.

This version will not have electronics. The real prop just has a blue LED, that's possible, but I don't think I could fit sound in it. There is very little room in the prop. In real life they dub the sound latter. I may add the blue light, but it's kind of a headache in such a small space. It can be done, but I'm not sure it adds enough to the prop to justify the work.

[galacticprobe]

The Jason, just a thought for future consideration: The CO sonic pen has some really small electronics in it, as well as a blue LED. Everything is smaller than the innards used in their sonic screwdrivers, including the batteries. It's something to consider in case you come across a sonic pen at a price that gives you no regrets if you cannibalize it for the innards' transplant into the sonic trowel.

Dino.

[13drwho]

The sonic pen idea is really good. I'm pretty sure that would fit, I would just have to work out the switch. I think I even have one in the closet. I just checked and you can get them on Amazon for a reasonable prize. Excellent idea Dino!

[galacticprobe]

I love it when a prop comes together!

Dino.

[13drwho]

Mark I is finally finished. I say Mark I because it was a headache to put together, so I'll probably redesign it. If I redesign it I may add electronics from the sonic pen as Dino suggested. The main problem was the pin system I designed to hold it together for gluing didn't work. I ended up holding pieces while the five minute epoxy dried. Some of the pins broke, so pieces aren't glued strait. The shape of the parts make gluing a real nightmare, I definitely need to revisit the "snap together" model ideas I tried.

Anyway, here it is. It looks alright if you don't look too close. It's defiantly not good enough to give as a gift, as I had originally intended...

[galacticprobe]

Don't be so hard on yourself, The Jason. That sonic trowel looks brilliant, especially considering the minimal reference material you were working with. I would say this would be a great "first" gift. Just tell the recipient that it's the "stunt" sonic trowel for now for just carrying around, and that you're working on a "hero" version that will be sturdier and have light and sound for the glamor shots.

Depending on how you tweak the design, besides the innards of the sonic pen, if you have one of those "Personalize Your Own Sonic Screwdriver" or "Transtemporal Sonic Screwdriver" kits, you could always see of the light/sound module from one of those could be made to fit. With the multitude if sounds that each one of those has there's no telling what sort of fun your recipient will have with it. And that bright white light can be turned blue with a small bauble from a craft store and still be really bright.

Just some more suggestions for you to mull over. (And I still think that "Mark I" is a magnificent piece. Well done!) Your gift recipient is one lucky person!

Dino.

[The14thDr]

I agree with Dino, this looks AMAZING!!!

Was this expensive to have 3D printed? Also, what materials did you use for all of the parts?

I can't wait to see any improvements that you make, or lights/sounds if you add them.

Kind regards, The14thDr

[pip_smither]

Hey everyone. The sonic trowel looks great. Being an archaeologist it's such a cool thing. I bought the storyboard people have shared from Mike Collins recently. Would love to be able to make the trowel.

[kolchak92]

Looks great! Wonderful job!

[13drwho]

Thank you all for your kind comments. I am working on a display stand for the sonic trowel right now. Parts are on there way for Mark II. The only real change to Mark II is how the pieces fit together. It should all be straighter and require less holding while epoxy dries.

I still haven't added electronics. I design electronics for a living, but trying to fit stuff in such a tight form factor is really hard... and it can take several tries to get it right. With the stuff I design at work we design what we need and people design the packaging around the electronics. It's a lot more tricky the other way.

There should be an update soon!

[13drwho]

I've finished the display stand. I decided I want it to look like ice. I sculpted a glacier type base and painted it with a crystal white and ice blue. The white had glitter in it and the blue had metallic powder. I put a lot of coats of clear coat on it. The picture really don't do it justice. I have photographed the stand with the Mark I trowel, because the Mark II is not complete yet. Take a look and let me know what you think!!

[galacticprobe]

Nice work on that stand, The Jason. The color is beautiful, and the trowel fits perfectly!

Dino.