Re: Affordable Doctor Who Stunt Props (Sonic Screwdrivers, TARDIS Keys, etc.)
Exciting news! I got the prototype for the 9th and 11th Doctor's sonic screwdrivers today! They're very smooth compared to what I thought they'd be, being polyamide, but that's why I ordered the "polished" variant.
9th Doctor's sonic screwdriver
Initial reaction: this one is near perfect, as far as I'm concerned. It feels sturdy, looks smooth and crisp, and all seems the right size/proportions.
Potential improvements: the "seams" between the main handle and "metal" parts lost it's detail during the polishing, it seems. When compared to the seam between the emitter head and neck, they're lacking. I plan to make these a little bit wider and a tad deeper to show up similarly to the real seam made by fitting the two pieces together. The nibs around the push button, as well as the button itself, also seem to have lost some definition with the polishing. These I plan to make a bit deeper as well.
10th Doctor's sonic screwdriver
Initial reaction: It looks pretty badass in pieces and I got excited just thinking about how it would all fit together. I was surprised how well the texture on the extender posts showed up, especially considering how some detail was lost on the 9th sonic. The main posts on the two joining top pieces were a little warped, but not deformed - just leaning a bit, which is nothing that won't be corrected when assembled.
Potential improvements: Right off the bat, I had trouble getting the two top pieces together. I need to redesign this in a way that makes it much easier to assemble. It also wasn't quite as stable as the solid pieces. There are also areas that let you see the hollow inside of the piece where the claws meet the base of the emitter lens. I'm thinking that the whole top section should be solid and that just having the claws as separate pieces that attach around the sides would be the best option. And once the top portion is assembled, it doesn't fit very snug into the bottom. I like how the 9th emitter head fits into the base, so I need to have the 11th sonic fit in the same way.
I'll be implementing these fixes as well as painting/assembling them within the next week or so to see what we got.