Dr. Who - Key to Time - Clear resin cast

[Linkara]

OH GOD SO PRETTY WANT SO MUCH. O_O

I have one of those 1/2-scale ones a seller made on ebay. It's cool to have the pieces and to try to put them together, but of course it's a rougher material and there are a lot of flaws and imperfections, plus no tracer hole.

This, however, is a thing of pure beauty.

 

[Rebelscum]

Wow. That's amazing.

 

[Dalex]

Heh, thanks for the compliments! Of course I can't really take the credit. I made some detailed 3D models but it's the guys at the factory that turned them into reality.

By the way, one point of clarification: This is not made out of glass. It's made from the highest grade form of acrylic (Lucite) which has an optical quality close to crystal, but is lighter and more durable.

As for the cost of getting a whole cube done -- it's going to be about $800. Seems like a lot, but really that's only about $130 per segment. The catch is we need at least 10 people. That's why I'll be posting this in the junkyard.

 

[cavx]

As for the cost of getting a whole cube done -- it's going to be about $800. Seems like a lot, but really that's only about $130 per segment. The catch is we need at least 10 people. That's why I'll be posting this in the junkyard.

For a short order run, that is actually a pretty good cost. Set up on these machines is time costly and why the request to get 10 made at one time. Same thing when I made that lens [MK4].

 

[hradzka]

This is *awesome.* Seriously, that is a gorgeous freakin' bit of work. I'm amazed by how great the thing came out in plaster, and how well it transferred to acrylic.

 

[Dalex]

This is *awesome.* Seriously, that is a gorgeous freakin' bit of work. I'm amazed by how great the thing came out in plaster, and how well it transferred to acrylic.

You know it's not the same model right? I abandoned the plaster model after I realized I would never get perfect results trying to do this myself. That's when I found a company that specializes in acrylic showpieces to do it for me.

(I know, I feel like I cheated... :rolleyes)

 

[Dalex]

Officially posted in the junkyard...

http://www.therpf.com/f13/doctor-who-key-time-full-3d-cube-148357/

Further discussion there!

 

[cavx]

You know it's not the same model right? I abandoned the plaster model after I realized I would never get perfect results trying to do this myself. That's when I found a company that specializes in acrylic showpieces to do it for me.

(I know, I feel like I cheated... :rolleyes)

No you didn't cheat. You did what you had to do to get the end result and there is nothing wrong with recruiting help from those who are more experienced in their field than you. Henry Ford and George Lucas both did exactly that and look where it got them

 

[sonicprops]

that is really good. well done!!! it is defiantly the best one i have seen cant wait to see it finished

 

[timelordjedi777]

Beautiful.

 

[cavx]

Is there an image of the whole Key Of Time assembled?

 

[Dalex]

Beautiful.

that is really good. well done!!! it is defiantly the best one i have seen cant wait to see it finished

Thanks! I can't wait to see it finished either! May be a while though.

Is there an image of the whole Key Of Time assembled?

Yep, check the first page of this thread!

 

[cavx]

Yep, check the first page of this thread!

So is that yours or an image of the screen prop? Pretty neat.

 

[Dalex]

So is that yours or an image of the screen prop? Pretty neat.

The pictures in the first post are the only ones that came from the Internet. All the other pictures on this thread are my own. (And none of my own pictures are of the original prop -- I should be that lucky! )

Of the four pictures in that first post, the top-left, bottom-left, and bottom-right are DVD/VHS screen captures of the original prop in action. The top-right is a more recent picture of the original prop that is held in private collection.

 

[Dalex]

Hey everyone,

Now that my Key to Time project is over I thought I would update this thread for future posterity.

After a bit of a slow start (the factory greatly underestimated how much work was involved in making the Key to Time segments) the run ended up being a great success! Here are some photos of the finished Key to Time:

I don't expect there to be another run, but I do have a few individual segments which I will be posting on eBay soon.

I've made available my Google SketchUp models that were used as a reference for this project. These are based on Darksyde's original KTT model from several years back. I have two versions available, one with tracer holes, the other without:

Key to Time - With Tracer Holes by Dalex - 3D Warehouse
Key to Time - No Tracer Holes by Dalex - 3D Warehouse

I also have paper cut-out plans for building the Key to Time segments out of paper. These are originally based on plans by Brigitte Jellinek, which unfortunately weren't correct. (These have been modified to be correct.) You can download the PDF here:

Key To Time Paper - 4shared - Dalex 2

Finally, I have some behind-the-scenes production photos from the factory which they've given me permission to post online. I hope to do that at some point soon. I will make a new thread for it when I do.

That's about it. Thank you to everyone who joined this run -- I would never have been able to get my own Key to Time without you guys!

 

[Rebelscum]

I lost track of this thread, but it's really fantastic!

 

[BrundelFly]

You cal also HEAT the Crystal Clear post mold...it turns to glass.

Also...this Key prop. Im not REAL familiar with it, but.....from your pics.

It looks like they made it out of laser cut acrylic sheet. If you look close you can see the edges.

- - - Updated - - -

You can also HEAT the Crystal Clear post mold...it turns to glass.

Also...this Key prop. Im not REAL familiar with it, but.....from your pics.

It looks like they made it out of laser cut acrylic sheet. If you look close you can see the edges.

 

[Dalex]

Just thought I'd make one final post on this thread for future posterity.

First of all, the factory production photos were posted here: http://www.therpf.com/f9/dr-who-key-time-lucite-factory-production-photos-209775/

Any future discussion about the Lucite Key to Time should probably go there, as the title of this thread is no longer relevant (having abandoned my early attempts at making the Key to Time out of resin).

Second, it's been pointed out to me that the Key to Time paper cut-outs that I posted on 4shared are no longer easily downloadable. I will make a post shortly that has the PDF as an attachment so anyone can download it.

And finally, keep in mind that 3D models of the Key to Time are available on the Google SketchUp 3D Warehouse. (See post on previous page.)

Cheers,

 

[Dalex]

Here is a PDF with the Key to Time paper cut-outs. This is based on plans that I found on the Internet which weren't accurate, so they have been revised to match the on-air segments exactly (along with some other clean-up). Some notes:

- The cut-outs assemble to a half-size version of the cube (3") so you'll need to print them double-sized if you want them to be life-sized.

- Unless you want mirror-image versions of the segments, you'll want to fold things so that the writing/coloured sides are on the inside of the segments.

- Diagrams of the Key to Time are a useful reference. I would suggest using the Google SketchUp models as a guide.

- I recommend printing on card stock or some other thick paper.​

This is what the double-sized paper segments look like when assembled:

These also have hand-written measurements on them which I needed to provide to the factory. (Sorry I don't have a more recent photo of the cut-outs that includes the fourth segment, but they've gotten pretty mangled in the past year so they're not very photogenic anymore!)

Enjoy!