Character Options Personalise Your Sonic Screwdriver Set Expansion Scratch build

[robajob]

As stated in my last post on the scratch built Matt Smith Dr Who Tardis Interior Model, with regards to other projects to be posted in the future, I am undertaking a build thread for this scratch built project and will be posting completed pictures and video in the gadget gallery as well.

So, as per the long-winded title, this project was initially inspired by the great concept of inter-changeable parts to create a sonic screwdriver, as very well executed by Character Options, with their Personalise Your Sonic Screwdriver Set and the later release of the Trans Temporal Sonic Screwdriver, which also adhered to the parts being inter-changeable.



That and the fact that my son had lost a couple of the parts for one of the sonic screwdrivers, got me to thinking, that maybe I could replace the parts with scratch built bits and whilst undertaking this task, I could possibly expand on the original concept and play around with some interesting bits and pieces that I already had in stock.

With very little effort, I soon came across a plethora of custom made Sonic Screwdrivers and plenty of fresh ideas, so as to have a direction to take the building of these custom Sonic Screwdrivers.
As evidenced with just one excellent picture found on the internet by kavinveldar-d69hlk6.
A fantastic source of inspiration, combining the original Doctor's Sonic Screwdrivers, Sonics from the Character Options Set, the Trans Temporal Screwdriver, River Songs Screwdriver and plenty more!



But most of these fantastic creations, didn't seem to have the facility to be inter-changeable.
So with that, the mission parameters had been set;
1. Build replacement parts for the missing items of the Character Options Set.
2. Create some new Custom made Sonic Screwdrivers using available bits and pieces.
3. Make them in such a fashion so as to facilitate all the parts being inter-changeable.
4. Make sure that the most important part of the Sonic Screwdriver was also accommodated, the light and sound module which was part of the Original Character Options Personalise your Sonic Screwdriver Set.
Incorporating this element would truly bring these Sonic Screwdrivers to life!

So, easy task then, should be finished by lunchtime, just what lunchtime was yet to be determined!

So first on the list was to make the missing parts from the Original Character Options Set.
Identifying and scaling these was achieved with a bit more internet research.



That said, the bits that were missing just happened to be the most interesting to make from scratch.
So as a start, I assembled various dimensions of plastic tubing with which to create the main body parts and connectors.
Then it was a case of the usual cutting, drilling, sanding and fettling to get the bits to resemble the desired outcome of a replacement piece.



Then came the really interesting part, constructing some Custom Sonic Screwdrivers, using various bits and pieces that I had saved for some sort of use, their time was now!
Armed with the fantastic reference material, it was simply a case of starting to put together some interesting bits and see what developed.



The first few parts started to come together using some obvious parts such as brass plumbing, bottle lids, perfume bottle tops, nuts, bolts, washers and stereo jacks.
And so the story continued, by constructing a top and bottom piece that semi matched, it soon became apparent that I had constructed quite a few individual parts.
As can be seen in the next picture, I had managed to rummage through my bits bins and come up with what would be 6 separate Custom Sonic Screwdrivers, ranging from the Whoesque(oh look, possibly a new word for the dictionary) to a bit of Steampunk, or at least that what I thought they were starting to look like, with a large degree of imagination!



So with the tops pieces and the pummels constructed, it was time to start considering how these bits would connect to each other and more importantly, house the electronic heart of the Sonic Screwdriver, as well as all be inter-changeable matching parts to each individual Sonic and each other.
I did say I would be finished by lunch didn't I, oh well lunch in what millennium might be the next topic on the agenda!

Regardless, onwards and upwards, below are the bare bones of different handle sections and more importantly the mid-section, which will also contain some sort of switch device to activate the Sonic Screwdriver.
I tried to construct them in such a way that each individual Sonic had its own style/difference/uniqueness, but would still stay within the parameter of being able to make them inter-changeable with each other as well, just to add a further layer of complication, err, I mean, commonly themed inter-changeability (another one for the dictionary I think).

The Handles


The Mid Sectons


Both together


Below are pictures of the completed sections to construct the 6 Custom Sonic Screwdrivers, each of which had 4 parts.
The Top sections, the Mid-sections with different activation switches, the Handle sections and lastly the Pummels.
Plus, of course, the original replacement parts that spurned this nightmare, I mean, inspired this project, front and centre, a mystery part that all will be explained later, "I have a cunning plan." Oh wait, wrong series!



So as stated earlier in the thread, all of these sections had been built with various items, the greeblies or little details were undertaken in a similar fashion, using anything to hand including;
Styrene sheet, styrene section shapes, coat hangers, metal washers, rubber washers, plastic washers, fine metal mesh, various sizes of electrical cable, small nuts, coloured marbles, coloured plastic drinking straws, insulation foam, copper tubing, brass fittings and of course the obligatory bits of lego.
In short anything and everything that I could find in my bits box that would fit the bill.

More importantly, each mid-section had to incorporate a switch of some sort, most of these were undertaken using a small threaded screw, washers and a spring, all attached to a top cover of similar, but slightly varying design, in keeping with the individual sonic.
The positioning of these switches was crucial, as if they were not perfectly aligned, they would not activate the button on the electronic core of each Sonic Screwdriver.
It was at this point that I made quite an interesting discovery, Character Options actually sells the electronic parts for the set as a spare.



Their spare parts website is https://www.character-online.com/spare-parts-2?orderby=10

I thought that this may be useful to all you guys and gals that want a ready made Sonic Screwdriver core with lights and 6 sounds, just in case, like me, you weren't aware that you could buy these items for a very reasonable fee.

Below are pictures showing the in the raw, but constructed individual elements of each screwdriver, next to a picture of each one assembled together, to form the completed unique custom Sonic Screwdriver.
Each individual piece was tested against others, to make sure that they could all be inter-changed with any other part of the set and still look cohesive and function.















So with the construction stage almost completed, it was time to get these bad boys under some primer.
So an impromptu spray booth was made from a cardboard box (we have all done it), which was placed under the extraction unit in my kitchen, that should suffice, health and safety you know.



The individual parts were all primed, as well as...



this bonus, every good Doctor has got to have something to safely store his sonic screwdrivers in doesn't he?
Luckily a friend was throwing away her old carry case and so I thought, that will do just nicely thank you!

And so to painting the individual parts, all were airbrushed in their appropriate base colour and then weathered/highlighted to give that used look.
Below are the pictures of the individual items that make up each sonic screwdriver, that can all be inter-changed, next to the same assembled/finished items that construct 1 sonic screwdriver.
All were painted with the same colour palette so as to make the set totally interchangeable.
The main colours used were Bronze, Copper, Brass, Aluminium, Chrome, Black, Leather Brown and Cream.
The coloured plastic sections that illuminate were added after painting was completed, these are made from coloured plastic straws, that I later decided to enhance by painting them with the appropriate translucent glass paint, in different colours to give some variation within the set. These were painted Red, Gold, Yellow, Orange and Blue.

Sonic 1



Sonic 2



Sonic 3



Sonic 4



Sonic 5



Sonic 6



Below are the completed missing parts from the original set.



And just what every Doctor wants, his very own personalised Sonic Screwdriver Case, the Gallifreyan Symbols on the front translate to THIS BELONGS TO and my sons full name.
Of course the carry case was airbrushed and weathered with the same colour palette again, just to give some continuity to the complete set.



Inside the box of goodies for every budding young Doctor, plenty of room for the rest of his collection of Sonic Screwdrivers or miscellanea, maybe even a new chameleon circuit or two.



The obligatory money shot of the completed set.



Below is the video of all the Sonic Screwdrivers showing the lights and sound modules installed to all the Sonics.

Oh and just to put you out of your misery, I didn't forget the mystery item, all painted and finished.



This can now be revealed as... you guessed it, a Sonic Screwdriver holder, which fits all the above Custom Sonics and the rest of my sons' collection.
This will take pride of place on his Custom made Full Size Junkyard Tardis Console, which is another project I will be posting on here, in the near future.

So as far as these custom Sonics go,"That's all for now folks!"

[galacticprobe]

Speechless!

Dino.

[robajob]

Hi Dino,
            Thank you for your comment, I am pleased that these Sonics left you speechless.
I did tell you there was more to come, you will be pleased to know that the Junkyard Tardis is next on the list for posting in the near future.
Rob.

[steve757]

Wow!  This is like Christmas with all the presents opening at the same time!  A tour-de-force of fabrication.  I did not know the core was available separately......many designs now have a start!  Great work.

Steve

[robajob]

Wow!  This is like Christmas with all the presents opening at the same time!  A tour-de-force of fabrication.  I did not know the core was available separately......many designs now have a start!  Great work.

Steve

Hi Steve,
             Thanks for your comment, it is really appreciated.
As to the core, I also wasn't aware that you could buy these, only came across them whilst doing some research on the original set.
Hence posting this fact in the build thread, just in case others were also not aware. Having checked again recently, CO are still selling them at their very reasonable price, that even includes the batteries.
Obviously like the set, the core has 6 light and sound variations.
It's a pity that CO don't sell the core of the Trans Temporal Sonic as well, that has different variations, that way you could mix things up even more.

Good luck with your designs, with this core, at least you have the lights and sounds dealt with in one neat little bundle, I will look forward to seeing your finished Sonics.

Rob.