Using Sonic Pen for a Custom 9th or 10th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver

[Doctor Octoroc]

Sorry if this topic has already been breached, I searched through many pages of posts and found no mention of it.

Looking at the size comparison, it seems the Sonic Pen that comes paired with the 10th Doctor's sonic, made by CO, has basically the same inner workings, but smaller - although looks can be deceiving. Has anyone actually taken one of the Sonic Pens apart to see what the inside is like, and how the innards compare to the 9th and 10th Doctor's sonic screwdriver toys by CO? Are they smaller or am I just assuming they are because the pen is smaller overall?

I'd like to make a replica sonic myself and not have to worry about the electronics stuff so it would be ideal to use the inner workings from the pen, since I already know the screwdriver parts wont fit into a properly scaled screwdriver replica.

 

[Doctor Octoroc]

Just to clarify, this is the set I'm talking about:

 

[Organic Mechanic]

The electronics from the CO 9-10 SS are easily small enough to fit into a screen accurate 9-10 SS replica. The speaker, you see, is less than half of the width of the head. They only made the toy so big to accommodate the UV pen nib.

The pen, however, is rather difficult to come by, and when you do find it it goes for a pretty penny. Don't destroy it!

Trust me, I've been looking for a cheap one for a while now.

If you need to gut a CO toy for electronics I strongly suggest using the 9-10 Sonic.

 

[Doctor Octoroc]

The electronics from the CO 9-10 SS are easily small enough to fit into a screen accurate 9-10 SS replica. The speaker, you see, is less than half of the width of the head. They only made the toy so big to accommodate the UV pen nib.

The pen, however, is rather difficult to come by, and when you do find it it goes for a pretty penny. Don't destroy it!

Trust me, I've been looking for a cheap one for a while now.

If you need to gut a CO toy for electronics I strongly suggest using the 9-10 Sonic.

My main concern is the wiring. Even in the CO toy sonic, they barely fit past the speaker to run up to the LED. I've drawn up a near-exact screen accurate sonic in CAD with a .5mm thick wall and there still was not enough room for the speaker and the wires to run through. Maybe my measurements were off, but even with an extra mm to work with, they don't seem to be able to fit. Has anyone actually used the internals from the CO ss for a custom, to scale, replica?

 

[NakedMoleRat]

Here you go!

Who North America, Your Doctor Who Source: US-Based Suppliers of Doctor Who and British Sci Fi Merch: Sonic Screwdriver and Sonic Pen Set

The electronics from the CO 9-10 SS are easily small enough to fit into a screen accurate 9-10 SS replica. The speaker, you see, is less than half of the width of the head. They only made the toy so big to accommodate the UV pen nib.

The pen, however, is rather difficult to come by, and when you do find it it goes for a pretty penny. Don't destroy it!

Trust me, I've been looking for a cheap one for a while now.

If you need to gut a CO toy for electronics I strongly suggest using the 9-10 Sonic.

 

[Doctor Octoroc]

Awesome find, NakedMoleRat! I've seen them on ebay going for about that amount, and some for auction I'll probably watch to see how high they go. I'm not a fan of the Sonic Pen itself, I'd much rather sacrifice one to make a decent metal sonic, if I can.

 

[Organic Mechanic]

My main concern is the wiring. Even in the CO toy sonic, they barely fit past the speaker to run up to the LED. I've drawn up a near-exact screen accurate sonic in CAD with a .5mm thick wall and there still was not enough room for the speaker and the wires to run through. Maybe my measurements were off, but even with an extra mm to work with, they don't seem to be able to fit. Has anyone actually used the internals from the CO ss for a custom, to scale, replica?

I have not done so yet, but am in the process. The key, I think, is to lie the speaker down so that it's pointing toward the slider slot.

Here you go!

Who North America, Your Doctor Who Source: US-Based Suppliers of Doctor Who and British Sci Fi Merch: Sonic Screwdriver and Sonic Pen Set

Nice! I dunno how I've never run across that site, but thanks. :thumbsup

 

[Primrodo]

Here you go!

Who North America, Your Doctor Who Source: US-Based Suppliers of Doctor Who and British Sci Fi Merch: Sonic Screwdriver and Sonic Pen Set

I wonder, by looking at the package, if they went back to the UV light in the sonic. The original set had a bright white and was the best!

 

[Doctor Octoroc]

The key, I think, is to lie the speaker down so that it's pointing toward the slider slot.

Ah, I see, speaker in the bottom of the slider section? I guess I was dead set on putting it in the head in order to sound like it was coming from the emitter. I guess most people who have successfully utilized electronics in their custom sonics have put them in the "copper tube" section?

I wonder, by looking at the package, if they went back to the UV light in the sonic. The original set had a bright white and was the best!

I can't see any indication that they have. It even mentions the black ink nib on the packaging, and none of the invisible ink. Even so, the LED is cheap and simple enough to change out. I have next to no electronics experience and managed to do this twice - once using duct tape, and again once I got my hands on a soldering iron. I swapped the UV out for a 360 degree blue LED and it lights up very nicely.

 

[Bluebox303]

The light used on the prop was actually a white led.
Also, the electronics on the pen are nearly the same overall.
You can break open the pen if u want to, but they ARE hard to come by.;(

 

[Ryaline]

love the idea. I'd be willing to give it a shot, if I weren't so stupid with the soldering iron