11th Doctor Metal Sonic Screwdriver Build WIP

TomGLFan

I wonder if the mechanism in that Harry Potter magic wand universal remote could be installed in a sonic....

If you don't know exactly what I'm talking about, it's here: ThinkGeek :: Magic Wand - Programmable TV Remote

jwm96

ha To be 100% honest that is what I was thinking about , either that or the tv be gone thing.

andymck

Sonic is smashin keep it up

Interface2037

That's looking great. Have been following this avidly. Have you made any progress?

NakedMoleRat

Free bump back to page one.

elvisgump

I just wish this Sonic had a video of every step of the build. There's so many how to shows, say like Norm Abrams "New Yankee Workshop" that shows you how to build a table, or various wood-turning shows that teach one how to turn a salad bowl or such. I wish I could watch this Sonic being built. It is truly a thing of beauty.

greatwazoo42

There's always investing ain a Flip Video device or similar and a youtube account if anyone skilled wants to give that a go.

NTBBCPD

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NakedMoleRat

I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing the 11th sonic finished. From what I've seen so far of the QMX prototype, I'd rather give my money to you for a CO 'upgrade' kit!

elvisgump

What does the kind of mill and parts you are using set a person back if I might ask?

[QUOTE=NTBBCPD;1376715
So as I wait for the proper parts, I am working on my 10th Doctor sonic, the mini sonics, and the sonic key-chains.

Problem with the key-chains is the cost. I don't have a CNC lathe so each one takes about 2 hours to make. I'd have to charge $25 each to make it worth my time.

I'm looking into other ways to get the price down.


Elvis, long time since we last spoke....

Years ago some fans did a video call "This Old Tardis" and they had a guy in a plaid shirt and beard show how to fix up a broken down TARDIS.

I should hook up my camera and do some vids of me turning and milling some parts.


Stay tuned,

Ed[/QUOTE]

That would be swell to see some video, though I know it's trouble.

Since you are such a wizard did you come up with a way to have sound too? I even bit my lip and messaged that horrid CT guy (what a §$%&!) to inquire about buying one of his chips and he frothed that he wasn't about to give up the enormous 'secret' of his chip, comparing it to asking KFC about their secret recipe of herbs and spices. As if someone interested in reverse engineer his chip or KFC's chicken couldn't just buy it and reverse engineer it to their hearts content. At least CT didn't tell me to shove my money up my hinder region like he had the previous person which I guess counts for some politeness.

I have two other customs in addition to the two I made earlier this year I'd love to have sound for if you know a way to do it for less than the price of cannibalizing a C.O. toy one.

Anyway Eddie, your work looks fantastic on the mill. I wish I lived near enough to be your sorcerer's apprentice.

DexAntares

If I understand correctly, I think he intends to install the sound package from his CO 11th toy into his custom metal body. Which just makes things so much cooler: I think everybody's clamoring to see him complete this thing, so they.... sorry, *we* can start plying him with requests!!

elvisgump

Well, I wasn't hinting to "buy one" which is I'm to understand somehow forbidden on most of these replica boards. My post did however elicit a response from the legendary CT. To whit through You Tube.

So this exchange is from YouTube where I messaged CT a while back. You can see the vitriol this fellow spews on there. I don't care if he makes the most accurate copy of a prop ever the way he behaves. He's so bitter that though banned here he scans it daily and I got this alert of a new message a bit ago under my screenname there mentalpix.
YouTube - Prototype Sound Board for Celestial Toystore sonic screwdriver

NTBBCPD

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elvisgump

I spoke with Russ earlier this year who was very polite, but at the time his were cost prohibitive to just pulling one out of C.O. toy. I have hesitated to destroy a C.O. toy yet because it feels like I'm denying some kid of the one I would cannibalize. I'm weird that way.
But that's what it will come to.

I actually have a cheap powered toothbrush that comes with a sealed-in battery meant to be disposable that I used when I was on the road. I was comparing the sound of it running with my C.O. the other day and I've thought of putting it's motor in one of my prototype for the sound because it is so close. I would call this "The Lodger Sonic"...

You know one of the things I'm curious about I saw a picture somewhere recently that showed one of the original props and it looked like two A23 sized batteries powering it which is funny because I've been experimenting with an A23 12v to power a large blue LED & and cluster of smaller white LEDs to work on a side circuit to make it dual use sonic/flashlight.

Ha, I can see the Doctor saying "Umm, how long if you been holding down that button?"
"You told me to hold it down until you said let go!"
"How long ago was that?"
"20 minutes Doctor."
[cue crashing into an alternate Universe]

geekluve

This honestly looks SOOOOO amazing! It makes me wish i wasn't all thumbs... seriously can't wait for the final. I'd have to agree with everyone saying that this is better than the actual toy version.

SJason

Hi...just found this forum yesterday. I am quite excited to see other people being so creative with sonic screwdriver ideas. I am eager to see and do interesting things as such...though, my skills and abilities to actually make the cases and parts that I would like to, is extremely limited - but my ideas for micro-electronics and adding practical elements to them might be of some use to others ideas also...
Hello Dex, btw...

elvisgump

Man, if you know how a to make or teach us how-to make some sort of sound chip that I could connect to a USB port to load custom sounds on for use in custom Sonics or other prop doodles, well I know I and many, many others here would beat a path to your door and call you hero.

SJason

well, as for sound chips...myself, I haven't come across one yet small enough to fit in current sonic bodies, that I am aware(recall). Most seem too big - unless someone makes their own body and can accomodate something larger. And as for using micro-controllers to access sounds from an SD chip - I haven't had time at all to learn how to program them yet, though I've asked a few people that mentioned perhaps using some kind of MP3 chip - but haven't checked into that yet...basically, for possibly most other prop applications, they may have room to fit a good sound effect chip.
Other options though that i have come across for including in a sonic though, are those of the tv-b-gone and similar short range IR remote control microcontrollers(mine has a 5 channel IR R/C - with the blue light changed sort of somewhat - to accomodate the IR LED)...can't recall some other things at the moment - i have a list somewhere, hehe...
though, I can typically also take parts someone might want to put into one, and design it into a very small 'footprint' of sorts, as it were - so that they will fit in places/spaces not otherwise considered for putting something such.
anyway, sorry if this post might be a bit wordy...getting tired and mind concentrating on too many other things also, hehe...
though, if anyone has any quick examples for such also, I'll see what I can come up with...

elvisgump

Well, if you develop some aptitude in those areas, you will as I say be a hero for it. I'd like to have a sonic that could control things like TVs or unlock a car door.

The funniest bit I was able to 'do' with my C.O sonic last year was when this ding-bat girl was outside work with the rest of us as we used to congregate and talk around the picnic tables before heading home. She was gibbering away with a gaggle of girls, forgot her car keys and wandered off to her car several yards away and began asking if anyone had a coat-hanger because she mistakenly thought she'd locked them in.

I nodded to a friend who saw the keys and said "Let's have fun" The keys had a remote unlock fob thingy so I made sure I could locate the unlock button by touch, pocketed them and we sauntered over to where a small crowd had gathered. I pulled out the sonic and twiddled it at the door for a moment or two failing utterly to hit the unlock, but rather make it try to relock itself. I pretended like I'd made a mistake on the sonic 'settings'. "What year model is it?" She stammered it out and I pretended. "Oh, well that would make a difference" tried again and that time I was able to hit the fob unlock button in my pocket while they were all transfixed by the shiny blue light in my other pocket. As they say in magic, it's all in the misdirection. I then pretended to help find the keys which I 'magically' located in the passenger floorboard.

I imagine if one could build a universal car-door unlocker chip - probably highly illegal I imagine - it would none the less be a great way to garner awe from bystanders while doing a good deed. Turning off the annoying tvs in a bar would be a close second! One must only use one's sonicing for good.

I tell you the crappy shelves I've had over the years would probably look a lot better if someone could program the odd sonic chip to understand the instructions that come with said shelves. My shelving could only be improved by sonicing...

SJason

hehe nice story...
...as long as the shelves work, is what I think - only ones I know of that care otherwise are the women folk - oh well, hehe...
If your car unlocker thing though has an 8pin IC, and very few other auxilliary parts, then I'm positive one could put theirs into their sonic.

elvisgump

Tell me more about this 8pin IC of which you speak...

SJason

well, I guess I'm referring to standard 8-pin DIP IC's...I have some vids on youtube of my initial sonic mods from a couple years back (have moved since and having to rebuild electronics workstation stuff - ever so slowly it seems, hehe.)
...under username saturnjason...
I've had a lot of new ideas since though - just having to gather and source components and parts, however...(looking for a small amount of pyralux or kapton copper clad circuit board also, if anyone knows a source for a few square inches or such...)

Merrick

Excited to see how this turns out too. I knew there'd be someone making one on here.

DexAntares

Dude, you're my new hero. At least until somebody dangles some keys in front of my face and I become distracted.

elvisgump

Ha, well it was just fortuitous timing really, being a very silly man - and other than a few fellow geeks no one around knew what a Sonic was. It was the closest thing to actually being the Doctor and feeling that AWE from a crowd of people the good Doctor would really get. You know, if he were real. I mean you can hardly get actors to give that kind of awe after a course of drama in school. It was the rush of having performed 'magic' I suppose.

Now this was with the CO 9/10 mind you. I ordered a CO 11 from those boffins at Galaxy Four when they were still pending shipping from anyplace stateside here. Still have the ordinary UK cardboard tube it came in pinned to my bulletin board; I mean it didn't come just by mail, it came by ROYAL MAIL which is quite something when you live in a dreary place so far from civilization like Mississippi. Might as well be on the Oort Cloud... Oh dear, I've digressed.

Anyway, brought that in secreted in my pocket to show off to the other Whovians. When I passed that monstrosity around the break room table it wasn't just awe, it instilled FEAR - as in "call HR, they are passing around a WEAPON!"

I really should keep a great coat with pockets full of yo-yos, rubber chickens, jelly babies, maybe a table tennis paddle, some jacks, packet of crisps, stethoscope and so forth that I can empty out when the police DO arrive in their sporting SWAT gear...