Doctor Who - Gadgets and Contraptions: The Mirror Matcher

[davidnagel]

All very good questions!

My work place is fortunately a stone throw away from a bike shop, so I will pop over there and see what they have if you like. Though my observations about the prop's bike handle bars is that they are modern bars (with plastic ribbed handles) but with leather strips wrapped around - well at least that will be how I reproduce it!

As for the body itself, my plan is to cut foam board to shape and glue in layers and then use car body filler to fill any gaps and ready for painting.
I might mold this but I have no such skills so may just strengthen till its strong enough to attach the other bits and pieces.

As for your Ricks cropped imagery, the bottom of the prop's switch, I think the whole arrangement is actually an array of plumbing accessories, like that switch itself might be a turning lever and there is actually the top of a tap used elsewhere in that section....

 

[Kingpin]

I'm not sure if these are any additional use to the ones you may already have, but I took a number of photos of the Mirror Matcher when I was at the Experience today:

These have been scaled down, so I can provide the original size versions if neccesary.

 

[davidnagel]

Thanks for the snaps Mr Kingpin

any chance you have the originals in a higher resolution? if so, I'll send you my email?

 

[Risu]

Those are some GREAT photos! I hadn't seen the other side of it yet, that helps a lot, thanks! I would also very much like to see the full res versions of the pictures.

 

[Kingpin]

Here are the full-scale photos:

 

[Risu]

The links still aren't allowing me to view them at full size, could you possibly email them? If so, I'll PM you my address.

 

[Kingpin]

In the pursuit of troubleshooting, I've actually had to upload them twice as the first time, Imageshack scaled them down. I've now reuploaded them, and they were uploaded full size, so once you've clicked through the thumbnails and the imageshack page has opened, click on the image again and save it, and it should save full-scale to your computer.

If you still aren't having luck, then I'll email them to you.

 

[Risu]

Yea, it's still not full size. It is for a second, but then it shrinks back down to about half res. PM on its way.

 

[davidnagel]

I'm getting them OK thanks Mr Kingpin

 

[davidnagel]

I'm getting them OK thanks Mr Kingpin

Risu, the shrinking back is most likely imageshack's CSS reshrinking the image to fit within your screen resolution, don't worry about that and just right-click and Save

 

[Kingpin]

Yea, it's still not full size. It is for a second, but then it shrinks back down to about half res. PM on its way.

If you save them to your computer they should save at the correct size.

 

[Risu]

OK, that's my bad, it worked out great, thanks.

So..... The Cambridge Scientific Instrument
No 7180

I've sent them an email, I'll post if they respond.

 

[Risu]

The hoses came in and they're perfect! The size rings I had estimated based on all my scaling will fit them perfectly, it's the exact size, which verifies everything else, so I'm pretty happy right now. They also look pretty green in certain lights, although I'm still going to give them a nice soak in a warm kelly green Rit dye bath. As soon as this message is posted I'll be buying my rings.

 

[MacMantis]

Hey guys, I posted a link to my Doctor Who Experience pics elsewhere on the Sonic Screwdriver Defined thread, but I did grab a snap of the 'Monster Viewing Device' which can be seen here: All sizes | P1030317 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! I am returning to the experience a second time this Saturday with a friend and my new DSLR... I shall endeavor to get you more reference photos if you wish. I've already got requests for up-close pics of the Tom Baker Coat.

Edit: Also, probably obvious but the little silver switch on the prop is a live switch and not just decoration. It was switched on when I saw it a few weeks ago and someone official looking came along and switched it off as the internal batteries were beginning to wither some.

 

[Risu]

Yes, please get as many pics as you can of the pieces we haven't identified yet. One I'd really appreciate is a pic where the text after "The Cambridge Scientific Instrument" is legible. It's blurry in every pic I've seen of it, and you never know what might help track the thing down. Also if you could get a good clear top down picture of the marking on the dial and on the display around the dial, that would be incredibly helpful as well. If you spot any other brands or markings, say on the crank handle, the bicycle handlebars, the tap handle, light fixtures, mirror, etc, it could all really help tracking down the original parts.

 

[MacMantis]

I'll do my best to get as many angles/etc as I can. Will post back On Sat Night/Sun Morning.

 

[Kingpin]

One I'd really appreciate is a pic where the text after "The Cambridge Scientific Instrument" is legible.

I believe it says "Co. Ltd.", meaning the whole thing probably is "Cambridge Scientific Instrument Co. Ltd. Cambridge England No 7180".

 

[Risu]

That is entirely possible, if not likely. Hadn't thought of that. All the same, any text that can be seen would be valuable in photos.

 

[MacMantis]

Well, second visit over with. Wish I'd had more time with the new camera before heading there but hopefully some of the pictures that did come out will prove useful to you. A few new views of the dials, and some other bits of lettering I got pictures of on other bits.

Pictures here

Only the Monster Viewer pictures uploaded right now. But a whole bunch more to come tomorrow including some close ups of the Doctor Who costumes I know people were after. Next visit for me will be end of May/Beginning of June.

 

[davidnagel]

Thanks for the extra spans MacMantis, very useful indeed!