Other Dave's Tom Baker Console

[karsthotep]

Hey  Dave, how deep are your fins?   I am comparing to mine and yours look a lot deeper 

[Other Dave]

The casters I ordered arrived.  These are great casters - I used these for my other console too.


Here they are installed on the base.  And I decided to go ahead and put a coat of paint on the bottom.


These are the seats from my mini-van.  I didn't realize it, but apparently Cybermen have taken over the Chrysler factory!


I've cut the round platform for the Time Rotor out of 1/2 plywood and attached the legs to it.


These are the drawer slides I'm using: 24" WITHOUT the auto-closing feature.


And then I've attached 2x4s to the other side of the slides.  Next up is to attach the 2x4s to the rotor base - making sure everything is level and plumb.  (The rotor base then sits on top of the base with the casters)


Meanwhile, I've also been working on various controls for the panels.  This console has the same style levers as the original - and I can reuse the ones that I made before - EXCEPT that this build is at 85% and they'll be too big.  So I found an awesome technique to make a shrunken mold!
(See this link: http://www.reynoldsam.com/media/video/we0nOvtAMw4/ )

So I ordered the products and followed the directions.  It takes 10 days for the mold to shrink.
Here is a new mold of my lever part.  The original measures 4 3/8" - but my goal is to have it shrunk down to 3.72".  So I drew the scale right on the mold - and then measured it daily to chart its progress.


After only about 4 days it has shrunk down to the size I need.  I made three castings ( pre-coated in aluminum powder).  I also made an extra just in case I need it.  The mold will keep on shrinking, so I've captured the size that I need now.  The handle on the far left is one of my original castings (painted silver)



(Of course, if I only had a 3D printer....)

[tony farrell]

I like the idea of the recessed castors. Do they have a specific name?

T

[Angelus Lupus]

Nice casters! Also - very neat trick on casting the lever and then deliberately shrinking the mold!

[13drwho]

The great thing is now that you have some 85% levers you can mold one in non-shrinking silicone and have the ability to make more if you need to. Awesome work!

[karsthotep]

great idea and love your console build.   You are giving me ideas on mine as well.   I am going to be watching your time rotor mechanizing portion with great interest.

[Other Dave]

I like the idea of the recessed castors. Do they have a specific name?

T

They're called "Self Mounting Ro-To Fix Spring Cup Casters" !

I stumbled on these online: Here's the link:http://www.mappcaster.com/DetailPage/SM-8OTWW1400.aspx

[tony farrell]

Superstar - thank you!

T

[Other Dave]

Small update here:

I also made a shrinking mold (or mould!) from my lever.  Here's a pic of the mold and lever. I poured this a couple of days ago and it has already shrunk 1/2".  When it gets to my goal size of 7.65", then I'll cast three of these.


I've started to mount the motor base on the bottom base and am ready to get going with it, but I need to wait for a very important part - the metal arm that goes on the motor.  I went to a machine shop and told them what I need.  I'll post a picture of it when I get it next week.  Once I have it, then I can mount the motor and make the platform move up/down. Can't wait!


In the meantime, I've also been working on a few of the controls for the panels. Here is a series of progress shots for the strange-looking dial that shows up in three places.

I cut up a plastic jar and glued its lid underneath. Then found, cut, and glued a plastic tube in the middle.


Then cut up some styrene for what appears to be some fins inside.  I also found some very small corrugated cardboard that I carefully pealed apart.


I glued the cardboard around the jar.  


I primed and painted it and tried to smooth the cardboard fuzziness out of it and was mostly successful. And then made a mold and three castings. Eh, good enough. There will be a silver carriage bolt going down the middle.


For another strange-looking component, I found furniture glides that were just the right size: 1.25" diameter.


Removing the nail and black washer underneath, I mounted them to an acrylic piece I prepared.  The piece is made of black acrylic glued on red acrylic. And then I cut and sanded the heck out of it. I really like the way it turned out.  (There are larger nylon furniture glides available - and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that's exactly what they used back then!)


One more item. I found these in the plumbing department. They are pipe connectors -and are just the diameter I need. (At 100% they would be 6" in diameter, but for my build I need them to be 5 inches.)  They are a little thick, but they're the right size and already black!  It took a while to sand the one down. Now I need to make sure the second one matches.




That's all for now.  Waiting for some really cool items from a different machine shop. Hope I get them today!!

- Other Dave

[Other Dave]

Hey  Dave, how deep are your fins?   I am comparing to mine and yours look a lot deeper 

Don't go by my measurements!  Not only is this build at 85%, but I have taken "dimensional liberties" with the size of the plinth.  ( "Dimensional Liberties" - sounds like something Jon Pertwee would have said!)

[The14thDr]

I'm loving everything about this!! It's looking great so far. Keep up the good work!

[Other Dave]

Look what I picked up yesterday!!!


Laser-cut 3/16" aluminum pieces!!!!  I'm so excited!!!  They're AWESOME!  The process leaves a lot of scratches, so I'm busy sanding and polishing them up.

Now that I have these, I'm trying to figure out what the best paint color for the panels should be.  Later on the console was painted a dark gray, but for this version, it's a medium gray - almost a primer gray.  Has anyone done any research on the color?



I'm starting to lay out the panels with all the things I've been collecting/making. Here's the panel with the fake monitor - which will NOT be fake with THIS version!


Check out the joystick! I found it at a place that supplies parts for arcade machines.   It's the perfect size for my 85% console.  But for a full-sized console, I don't think they have a stick that is big enough.

- Other Dave

[Rassilons Rod]

Oohhh.... !!!

Can't wait to see this lot in place

[The14thDr]

This is coming along beautifully.

I'm insanely jealous of the aluminium panels; they look great!

[karsthotep]

Dave,  gonna have to hit you up when I get to that phase of mine,  the laser cut pieces are awesome.