greatwazoo42
Master Member
Ooops. More coffee for me.
Re-imagining the 11th Dr. Sonic screwdriver..
- Thread starter tailgunner30uk
- Start date
SammyPotter43
New Member
I saw a replica 11th doctor screwdriver for sale a few years back, was going to buy it but ended up not getting it, Havent watched Dr Who in a while now though so it wouldnt be worth my while getting it now, This one looks great though!
Sam.
Sam.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Thank you for your comments.
For me the pleasure is in the making, although, I have enjoyed writing about it also. This is the third sonic. The first was a fairly standard Pertwee/Baker version. The second was based upon the Teletran design. This one is loosely based upon the Matt Smith sonic, but redesigned by yours truly.
After this I am going to do something relatively simple. I am thinking of the Liberator blaster from Blakes 7, hence the picture. I made one of these many years ago for a friend, and retained the plans and some materials needed for the second one. I have however been scolded by a friend, about wandering off onto a new project before completing this one. So back to the mill, soldering iron, lathe, and onward.
For me the pleasure is in the making, although, I have enjoyed writing about it also. This is the third sonic. The first was a fairly standard Pertwee/Baker version. The second was based upon the Teletran design. This one is loosely based upon the Matt Smith sonic, but redesigned by yours truly.
After this I am going to do something relatively simple. I am thinking of the Liberator blaster from Blakes 7, hence the picture. I made one of these many years ago for a friend, and retained the plans and some materials needed for the second one. I have however been scolded by a friend, about wandering off onto a new project before completing this one. So back to the mill, soldering iron, lathe, and onward.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Hi All.
Welcome to another update in the sonic screwdriver build. A saga that is now taking on Odyssian proportions. Of course the Odyssey would be much improved if Homer had included pictures, YouTube videos and humorous LOLcats!
Anyway onwards toward the final destination, not yet, but soon. This week has mostly been about completing the new handle part, making the contacts for the batteries, completing the final assembly of the emitter head and completing the extending mechanism for the sonic. The "baby" lathe has been at work this week, and the battery contacts have now been made ready for installing into the handle of the screwdriver. The batteries fit properly, so apart from the final installation and wiring that is done. The new bobbin has all of the recesses machined for the electronics and a new recess has been made in the brass part of the handle to accommodate the new part. Finally, the guides and top ring that supports the extending mechanism and central core of the sonic has been fitted and tested. After a few trials, and an interesting selection of expletives, finally the heart of the sonic, the extending mechanism is working. There is still much to do in this part, including the installation of the LED, central core structure, emitter support arms and emitter. But it works.
Now I really must concentrate on the electronics for the screwdriver.
So without further ado, a picture of the new bobbin, the bottom spring contact and part of the central core of the sonic.
And a second video of the extending mechanism with the guides in place.
That's all for now.
See you all soon.
Welcome to another update in the sonic screwdriver build. A saga that is now taking on Odyssian proportions. Of course the Odyssey would be much improved if Homer had included pictures, YouTube videos and humorous LOLcats!
Anyway onwards toward the final destination, not yet, but soon. This week has mostly been about completing the new handle part, making the contacts for the batteries, completing the final assembly of the emitter head and completing the extending mechanism for the sonic. The "baby" lathe has been at work this week, and the battery contacts have now been made ready for installing into the handle of the screwdriver. The batteries fit properly, so apart from the final installation and wiring that is done. The new bobbin has all of the recesses machined for the electronics and a new recess has been made in the brass part of the handle to accommodate the new part. Finally, the guides and top ring that supports the extending mechanism and central core of the sonic has been fitted and tested. After a few trials, and an interesting selection of expletives, finally the heart of the sonic, the extending mechanism is working. There is still much to do in this part, including the installation of the LED, central core structure, emitter support arms and emitter. But it works.
Now I really must concentrate on the electronics for the screwdriver.
So without further ado, a picture of the new bobbin, the bottom spring contact and part of the central core of the sonic.
And a second video of the extending mechanism with the guides in place.
That's all for now.
See you all soon.
Last edited by a moderator:
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Oh, by the way, I bought some parts for a project that I might just have mentioned recently, but don't mention it to anyone as it might get back to my friend, who then will berate me for wandering off onto something else again. Thanks, Bye.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
A short update.
I am still working on the electronics for the sonic. This is still tedious, as I am no expert. I have rebuilt the gearbox to deal with some issues with it binding when the screws are tightened up and these are resolved. There are still some issues to be addressed. I need to slightly shorten the drive screws and clear tube as at present the aluminium top cap for the centre tube fouls the emitter support arms. I still have to make the switch cover for the handle. Also a small amount of machining has to be done for the wiring. At the moment the screwdriver is in a partially assembled state, it is quite heavy, and longer than I expected.
Anyway. I thought I would mention that I purchased a ticket for the Dr Who 50th celebration in London on the Saturday 23rd November. So if you'e there you might see a somewhat bewildered person wandering around trying to pluck up courage to show off his sonic screwdrivers and not bother anyone. That will be me.
I am still working on the electronics for the sonic. This is still tedious, as I am no expert. I have rebuilt the gearbox to deal with some issues with it binding when the screws are tightened up and these are resolved. There are still some issues to be addressed. I need to slightly shorten the drive screws and clear tube as at present the aluminium top cap for the centre tube fouls the emitter support arms. I still have to make the switch cover for the handle. Also a small amount of machining has to be done for the wiring. At the moment the screwdriver is in a partially assembled state, it is quite heavy, and longer than I expected.
Anyway. I thought I would mention that I purchased a ticket for the Dr Who 50th celebration in London on the Saturday 23rd November. So if you'e there you might see a somewhat bewildered person wandering around trying to pluck up courage to show off his sonic screwdrivers and not bother anyone. That will be me.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
hi there everybody.
So another update. I am still moving forward and finally the electronics are coming together. I have temporarily installed the control switch and motor control into the handle, in order to work out how to route the wiring. There is still so much to do, but now it seems to be coming together. The support arms for the emitter are now reworked and fit correctly without fouling the top. I have some very dark blue acrylic to make a bezel for the switch, and will make a control switch from aluminium to fit into it. The clear outer tube tube has been shortened and I need to take a millimetre off of the blue centre tube. I am still ambivalent about installing the sound part of the sonic. With the proximity of the speaker to the motor, there might be problems with interference between the circuits.
That's all really for now so here are a few of pictures for you all. Just to whet your appetites.
So another update. I am still moving forward and finally the electronics are coming together. I have temporarily installed the control switch and motor control into the handle, in order to work out how to route the wiring. There is still so much to do, but now it seems to be coming together. The support arms for the emitter are now reworked and fit correctly without fouling the top. I have some very dark blue acrylic to make a bezel for the switch, and will make a control switch from aluminium to fit into it. The clear outer tube tube has been shortened and I need to take a millimetre off of the blue centre tube. I am still ambivalent about installing the sound part of the sonic. With the proximity of the speaker to the motor, there might be problems with interference between the circuits.
That's all really for now so here are a few of pictures for you all. Just to whet your appetites.
greatwazoo42
Master Member
Wow! Very impressive but then, from you, we come to expect this. You do great work.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Hello again. Not a long break this time.
So a short update and a couple of photos. First off thanks greatwazoo42, always a pleasure.
Final assembly is underway, still mostly concerning the electronics, particularly testing them in situ. Soldering up the wiring has proven to be a Right Royal Pain, with one track pulling off of the circuit board for the motor controller. The wire to the motor was resoldered at a point further up the track. The biggest problem has been getting the solder and soldering iron in between some of the wires to solder up connections. So now for the most part the electronics work. I just need to hook up the battery monitor circuit and test it. I may need to batter this part into submission as there have been some changes to the original layout, which haven't been tried out yet.
Finally for your entertainment, a couple of pictures, one is a special treat, with the screwdriver powered up and centre column lit the lighting is poor in the second picture as the flash was switched off to avoid washing out the lit column.
So a short update and a couple of photos. First off thanks greatwazoo42, always a pleasure.
Final assembly is underway, still mostly concerning the electronics, particularly testing them in situ. Soldering up the wiring has proven to be a Right Royal Pain, with one track pulling off of the circuit board for the motor controller. The wire to the motor was resoldered at a point further up the track. The biggest problem has been getting the solder and soldering iron in between some of the wires to solder up connections. So now for the most part the electronics work. I just need to hook up the battery monitor circuit and test it. I may need to batter this part into submission as there have been some changes to the original layout, which haven't been tried out yet.
Finally for your entertainment, a couple of pictures, one is a special treat, with the screwdriver powered up and centre column lit the lighting is poor in the second picture as the flash was switched off to avoid washing out the lit column.
NakedMoleRat
Legendary Member
Absolutely stunning! Love every detail about it.
Incidentally, I ran into a friend of yours the other day. A nice bloke named Arthur. I overheard him in conversation with a mattress and he mentioned how you and he once traveled the low plains of Quashsquillious searching for a non-lethal version of the pan galactic gargle blaster. While so doing, he stepped upon a kraghorin who's thorn stuck in the arch of his foot, causing it to swell.
While rubbing his foot he mentioned how sore it was and you replied with, "The kraghorin's venom works by syncing it's venom travel with the bio rythm of the victim's blood stream, in other words, they travel in harmony. If only I had a sonic screw driver, I could reverse the frequency and the swelling would go straight on down."
Since you did not have a sonic with you, you could not, so you left! It was, in fact, at this time that Arthur first used the expression, 'Git'! in relation to another.
He told me to tell you hello!
Incidentally, I ran into a friend of yours the other day. A nice bloke named Arthur. I overheard him in conversation with a mattress and he mentioned how you and he once traveled the low plains of Quashsquillious searching for a non-lethal version of the pan galactic gargle blaster. While so doing, he stepped upon a kraghorin who's thorn stuck in the arch of his foot, causing it to swell.
While rubbing his foot he mentioned how sore it was and you replied with, "The kraghorin's venom works by syncing it's venom travel with the bio rythm of the victim's blood stream, in other words, they travel in harmony. If only I had a sonic screw driver, I could reverse the frequency and the swelling would go straight on down."
Since you did not have a sonic with you, you could not, so you left! It was, in fact, at this time that Arthur first used the expression, 'Git'! in relation to another.
He told me to tell you hello!
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Hmmm. git you say, well, I did warn him about the use of appropriate footware when roaming the less fashionable parts of the galaxy. Anyway, my hitch hiking friend dropped me a sub-etha, to let me know he would be popping in soon with more tales of extra-ordinary coincidences occurring during his travels. I did note that his use of a cheap knock off of the Infinite Improbability Drive might have untoward causality crises. He let me know about some of what he has been up to. It turns out that he has been involved in a 7 dimensional space hockey tournament. It takes place in the rings of the planet Barzalthune every 9.27 years when the third, eleventh fourteenth and seventeenth moons align to form the goalposts. It involves horrendously agile and fast little ships, tractor beams and a large club. These are used to chased down the ice puck, an uncommonly complicated feat as a substantial number of the rocks that make up the rings of Barzalthune uncannily resemble pucks. The club is used to beat senseless the navigator when he or she attempts to seize the controls after the third or forth near-miss. Weapons are now banned in this competition due to the less scrupulous contestants blasting their opponents into approximately puck sized fragments and using them to score points.
Thanks for your comments. By the way, how did your fanmade Dr Who film go?
Thanks for your comments. By the way, how did your fanmade Dr Who film go?
NakedMoleRat
Legendary Member
That explains a lot! No fan film yet, we are waiting for a sonic to be delivered. Really, we are waiting for the fall to film, living in a desert makes filming outside during summer impossible.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Hi there all.
Not much of an update, more of a drive-by than anything else. I hit a small snag this evening. Well everything to do with surface mount electronics tends to be small! Any way, I was working on the last part of the electronics, the battery monitor circuit. I did not want this to run continuously, so introduced a transistor, that would switch on the circuit when the sonic screwdriver was activated. When I powered up the circuit, nothing, no LEDs, nothing, at least also no magic smoke. So off to troubleshooting. It turns out after a little work with a simulator that where I had used an NPN transistor, I should have used a PNP type. Those letters actually mean something :facepalm Who'd a thunk it! So off to de-soldering the transistor. The correct version has now been ordered and as we speak is winging it's way merrily to me for insertion into the circuit.
More later, as the project enters it's final stages where what goes together comes together.
NakedMoleRat: Filming in a desert eh! well at least we can all be assured that the film WILL be Hot...
Not much of an update, more of a drive-by than anything else. I hit a small snag this evening. Well everything to do with surface mount electronics tends to be small! Any way, I was working on the last part of the electronics, the battery monitor circuit. I did not want this to run continuously, so introduced a transistor, that would switch on the circuit when the sonic screwdriver was activated. When I powered up the circuit, nothing, no LEDs, nothing, at least also no magic smoke. So off to troubleshooting. It turns out after a little work with a simulator that where I had used an NPN transistor, I should have used a PNP type. Those letters actually mean something :facepalm Who'd a thunk it! So off to de-soldering the transistor. The correct version has now been ordered and as we speak is winging it's way merrily to me for insertion into the circuit.
More later, as the project enters it's final stages where what goes together comes together.
NakedMoleRat: Filming in a desert eh! well at least we can all be assured that the film WILL be Hot...
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Hi all.
It has been a while hasn't it. Things have been moving forwards. There have been ups and there have been downs. but now truly the end is in sight. The light at the end of the tunnel is the warm comforting glow of a project that can finally be declared DONE! I can hear all of you crying out in unison "Thank goodness, this has gone on forever!"
So, all of the electronics are complete, and the screwdriver has been tested electronically and mechanically in it's final configuration, and it works. The LEDs light, the motor works, so all that is needed is the final assembly, cleaning and polishing. I also have to finish the battery charger, which is mostly done.
A couple of pictures of the Sonic before all of the electronics are covered and it is finally assembled.
It has been a while hasn't it. Things have been moving forwards. There have been ups and there have been downs. but now truly the end is in sight. The light at the end of the tunnel is the warm comforting glow of a project that can finally be declared DONE! I can hear all of you crying out in unison "Thank goodness, this has gone on forever!"
So, all of the electronics are complete, and the screwdriver has been tested electronically and mechanically in it's final configuration, and it works. The LEDs light, the motor works, so all that is needed is the final assembly, cleaning and polishing. I also have to finish the battery charger, which is mostly done.
A couple of pictures of the Sonic before all of the electronics are covered and it is finally assembled.
greatwazoo42
Master Member
Well and truly a marvel of ingenuity and dedication. Very beautiful.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Thanks for your comment, there have been a couple of times where I really started to think it wouldn't get finished. It is a relief to clearly see the end.
So one more picture with part of the black part of the handle in place, including the control bezel.
So one more picture with part of the black part of the handle in place, including the control bezel.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
Thanks for your comment.
It has been quite a journey, but soon, My Preciousss, soooon... Oops sorry about that. Any way, the original idea was to build a replica. All of my attempts at recreating the 11th Dr. sonic in cad sort of went awry. I kept changing things to get them closer to the original but was never happy. Therefore I decided to rework the design and add my own twist. I threw out the spring mechanism for a motorized version. Then the copper interlocking arms disappeared, initially replaced with transparent ones, then they went, to expose the internal column. The centre column was inspired by the time rotor in the TARDIS and is lit by an LED at it's base. The electronics grew in part out of need. Initially the motor was going to be switch controlled with no active electronics. After many tries I had to resort to a H-Bridge chip to get the function I wanted. Even then, the switches were still part of the design. A Micro-nav. switch finally replaced them at the end of last year. Problems with regulating voltage meant that a circuit with voltage regulator had to be installed, this provides power to the main LED and TTL level voltages to the H-Bridge chip. A battery monitor circuit was added to give some idea when the batteries were about to expire and needed recharging. This resulted in several versions, the final one being turned on by a transistor when the sonic is activated. All of this has meant that the final part, which was an afterthought, the sound, could not be fitted into the sonic screwdriver as designed. Although the pockets were cut for both the speaker and circuit board. Atmel AT85 chips were bought and a pcb made for this purpose.
The Iris, the Time Rotor center, every bit of this is incredible. (My right arm for a lathe!) I soldered the earbud speaker directly to the at85 to keep it small. Together they're about the size of an 8mm LED. But at85 needs 5v to even chirp (I know you have power issues). I tucked my speaker assembly between the switch and the lr44 batteries with a couple speaker holes over it. End result was a Doppler effect like the CT version screwdriver. Sound gets louder as you slide out. Its a shame you scrapped sound BUT DONT SACRIFICE ANYTHING. Again your build is faaaaar superior.
tailgunner30uk
Active Member
So here we are, at the end of this road. The last piece has been made, the parts assembled. Tests have been run, the final components have been soldered. Aluminium has been polished, gears have been lubricated, screws have been tightened. It is DONE!
The journey has been long. There have been moments of elation. The depths of despair have been well and truly plumbed. Tools have been broken, parts have been discarded. Plans made and changed. And yet through it all there has been a slow, steady march toward completion.
The Ninja Meerkat guards have undergone enhanced training in a secret location, beneath the city of Tokyo. Their near mystical fighting skills have been honed to perfection and their bodies cybernetically enhanced. I have been a little concerned about them recently however. There have been mutterings of assimilation and collectives, uttered when they thought no one was about.
And now without further ado...
Nope. Not that easy. time for a little tease...
FIVE
...
The journey has been long. There have been moments of elation. The depths of despair have been well and truly plumbed. Tools have been broken, parts have been discarded. Plans made and changed. And yet through it all there has been a slow, steady march toward completion.
The Ninja Meerkat guards have undergone enhanced training in a secret location, beneath the city of Tokyo. Their near mystical fighting skills have been honed to perfection and their bodies cybernetically enhanced. I have been a little concerned about them recently however. There have been mutterings of assimilation and collectives, uttered when they thought no one was about.
And now without further ado...
Nope. Not that easy. time for a little tease...
FIVE
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