The Pink Panther Strikes Again - Doomsday Machine

[Markus]

Our local Community Theater will be performing "The Pink Panther Strikes Again", and I volunteered to build the Doomsday Machine. As a reference, here is the one from the movie.

Of course, for the theater play we do not need an exact 1:1 replica, and I will not spend the time and effort to make one. I just want something that it impresses the audience, both in terms of size and functionality and which somehow resembles the one from the movie. The play is in four weeks, so I have about two weeks time to finish this. I will be posting all major steps here in the forum, and the full details on my blog.
Here is an initial sketch how I want it to look like:

My Doomsday Machine will be made of three pieces: A base (with octagonal structure), a mid-piece that holds a computer screen, switches and lights, and a top piece which is the "laser gun". The total height should be 5-6 feet.

 

[Markus]

Yesterday, after working out all the math for the two different octagons, and their connections, I finished the base.

This base in 26" tall, 31" wide at the bottom and 24" wide at the top. It seems to be stable enough to hold the weight of the middle and top pieces. the sides will later be covered with cardboard. Further details are on my blog.

 

[Jintosh]

Wow, I was just thinking of Peter Sellers as Clouseau. I haven't seen this done before.

 

[Apollo]

Herbert Lom was outstanding in this one!

 

[Markus]

The next step is building the main structure for the center piece. This will be holding the computer monitor, the switches, LED lights, and a joystick.

It is 25" tall, 21" wide and 12" deep. The sides will be made of plywood pieces and glued/screwed to this frame. Openings in the front side are made using a laser cutter.

Further details are posted on my blog.

 

[Marv]

Hope you get this working lol!

 

[Markus]

Hope you get this working lol!

Thanks! ...I hope so too

 

[Apollo]

Off to a great start!

 

[Markus]

Working from the bottom to the top, yesterday, I approached the structure for the laser gun. The laser gun is a cylindrical piece, with a cone at the front, and a stick pointing outwards. The cylindrical structure is made of six wheels (using a laser cutter), with inner holes to hold the stick. Two wheels have additional areas for mounting the gun on the center piece.

The wheels are connected by eight bars (with notches from a table saw).

Everything is glued together...

.. and the result looks good! Later, the stick will be glued into the two front wheels, and the whole structure will be surrounded by cardboard, glued to the wooden bars.

 

[Lightning]

When we did the The Pink Panther Strikes Again at my high school I build the Doomsday Machine for them. Didn't try for accuracy though, just used what I had that looked good. I wonder if that thing is still in my grandparents attic.

 

[Markus]

Yesterday, I made some progress on the front of the center piece. I glued and nailed four bars to the back side to hold the computer screen and painted the front side in a light grey. I cut a clear acrylic plate for the power switch and two momentary push button switches, and painted the back side black (it is a very nice effect to see the black back side through the clear acrylic). Then I mounted the switch plate and an arcade joystick to the front plate. The monitor will be mounted later - right now, I just wanted to see how it looks like.

more details are in my blog post

 

[Richard Baker]

When we did the The Pink Panther Strikes Again at my high school I build the Doomsday Machine for them. Didn't try for accuracy though, just used what I had that looked good. I wonder if that thing is still in my grandparents attic.

"Now where did I leave that old Doomsday weapon?- ah yes, in my grandparent's attic"
-sounds like something Stewie in Family Guy might say...

I love this build you are doing- keeping the main design themes but adjusting for the limited stage space!

 

[Apollo]

Call and find out!

When we did the The Pink Panther Strikes Again at my high school I build the Doomsday Machine for them. Didn't try for accuracy though, just used what I had that looked good. I wonder if that thing is still in my grandparents attic.

 

[Markus]

"Now where did I leave that old Doomsday weapon?- ah yes, in my grandparent's attic"
-sounds like something Stewie in Family Guy might say...

 

[Markus]

I love this build you are doing- keeping the main design themes but adjusting for the limited stage space!

Thanks! It is an interesting experience, very different from previous builds. All my previous builds were smaller, they required more attention to detail, and I had no time constraints. This one will be huge (~6ft), details don't matter (it only has to look good from the first row in the audience), plus it need to be finished early enough so they can use it in the final rehearsals (for Dreyfus to memorize which buttons to press). This reminds me: I should draw a time chart for the remaining tasks, plus time for "unexpected"...

 

[Markus]

For some time, I had collected these pieces from milk gallons.

I always thought that these would make nice LED covers. Now, finally, they will be featured on the Doomsday Machine!

 

[Markus]

Finishing the center piece: I glued/nailed plywood to the top and the left and right sides, and cut holes into the sides for carrying.

Then I painted it. My original idea was "Sci-Fi" - but the director wanted it "cartoon-ish" (to match the rest of the set). And who would argue with the director? So, I went "cartoon-ish", using the same colors that are also used on the set pieces.

Then I attached the computer screen to the front plate,

and screwed the front to the enclosure.

Except for some minor details of the painting, this is close to final.

 

[TazMan2000]

I remember this movie as a kid. I couldn't figure out how a laser type weapon fired upwards from half way around the world would suddenly get reflected/refracted downwards to disintegrate something. The plot of the movie did not mention satellites or mirrors being used with this weapon.

I have to watch this again, if only for the parts where his assistant Cato attacks him.

TazMan2000

 

[Apollo]

That would be his faithful, “Man servant” Cato

I watch just those scenes in ALL the Panther movies once a year

I have to watch this again, if only for the parts where his assistant Cato attacks him.

TazMan2000

 

[Marv]

I love these films so many stupid little gags, like in a shot in the dark when he and his assistant try to synchronise their watches. I find it hilarious but my kids they just don't get it. To them the films are just too old. I guess it's probably how I felt about Harrold Lloyd or Chaplin when they were on when I was young.