Doctor Who - Key to Time Tracer build

PARTS
The clear tubes & hilt are from Plastruct and the buttons from Newark electronics. The buttons are pretty specific so I had to search some time to get a set that match. If anyone is interested I can give you the exact page and item number - it took a while to find copies of the 1970s Honeywell originals.

BUTTONS
Here’s the buttons. I removed the button bases and filed off the “plug” to make the bottom flat. They will be glued on to the hilt.

HILT
I cut the hilt box to size and cut sheet plastic for the top part. I drilled a hole in it for the “cuff” to slip through the bottom of the outer tube. The hilt should be light grey.
Hilt with Buttons resting atop - putty sanding of top edges started.


The bottom part I cut from sheet plastic, then doubled the thickness with more sheet. It will be gloss white. The bottom white square looks to be separate as it if could be removed - and I’m sure it was. I left the seam visible like the original - it was probably removable to plug in a power cord to light up the prop in the actor’s hand. Ah! The best of 1978 BBC effects tech.
Bottom plate - need trim, fill & sand.

Rough mockup

TUBES
This is the complicated part. I bought acrylic tubes in this order: 5/8“, ½”, 3/8”, 1/4” and one 1/8” red florescent tube. All these will fit inside each other like a telescope.
Tubes sleeved inside one another

Cuff
The 5/8” tube will be the “cuff” protruding from the hilt about ½“. It rests inside the hilt and will hold the main tube in place.

Outer Tube
The outer tube is ½” with a ¼” tube sleeved inside, with a void/space between them. I cut enough to stick inside the cuff fully in the hilt and seat it firmly. The ½“ tube is the main tube and runs to the tip. I masked off 20 sections and the tip with 1/4“ tape and shot it with rattle can flat clear to give an etched rings look. I also sprayed the end to make it frosted as well.

With line/segments painted with flat clear

Inner Tube
The inner ¼” tube inside the outer ½” tube has a void between them, so I cut two small 3/8” rings to place at either end of the inner tube to make the space for it. The 3/8 rings will hold the inner ¼” tube in place at either end.

Inside the ¼ tube I’ve placed a 1/8” florescent red tube. The original was more pink, but it’s close enough for me.

TIP
The original prop tip was probably a plastic syringe plunger of soft, frosted plastic, cut off and sticking out of the end. I decided to just make one from clear tube scraps left over.

I cut a solid clear 3/8” section about 1-1/2” long to serve as the “plug” sticking out from the tip. I then cut 3 thin rings from the ½” tube, sanded them flat, sanded their edges to make them “frosted” them glued them onto the solid clear“plug” end.



I then glued that into the tube end. This section should be entirely frosted, but I only left the rings frosted. I like the clear look with cloudy rings better.

That is what you get when you combine genius with awesome! Rep added for this post!

Simply amazing thanks for sharing you work mate.

Final Assembly

Very nice!

Thanks!

Greg

And 2 more pics

I had enough tubes/parts left over from what I bought to whip out another tracer.

So...what the hell, I'm building another.

Much faster build this time. Just had to order another set of button lenses and they came in today. Will post pics later.