killercarrot

Duff paint means poor coverage on the solar panels, but at least they are done. Neck next.

I've cut some temporary "solar panels" out of MDF until I can get round to cutting some aluminium, or maybe some of lexan I have littering my cellar. Anyway, primer coat has been applied, sanded, and a second coat added... I might spray them with a top coat tomorrow, simply because I'm keen to see some progress. I remember having the same issues with the hemispheres, there's just so many of them, each that requires filling, sanding, priming, undercoating, top coating, finishing etc... I also ordered up some indicator units for a LandRover Defender which are the same pattern as the ones used in the 70's Daleks, which I think my Dalek most closely matches. I had to cut slightly bigger holes in the side of the head to accomodate. That's about it, neck building next....I'm bidding on a new Dalek Voice changer helmet which seems a very cheap way of getting hold of ring modulator style electronics. 29 minutes to go!

I'm amazed the grey paint I used on the skirts about 8 years ago is still ok, and have added a coat to the waist section. Silver spray on the band, and some mesh from Wickes. Next step is to paint the "solar panels" and fit them.

I started building this Dalek so long ago I can't even remember when... I think it was probably 2002/3. Since then I've had half a Dalek taking up space in my basement, gathering dust. My recent visit to the Brighton mini Maker Faire sparked off a desire to do some creative things in the real world again, as I spend so much of my time in the computer world. So I joined the Planet Dalek forum, realised that my build is a little at odds with the plans (no much in the way of plans available back in 2002 when I started). I thought I'd bash on anyway, and this week I've been working on and off on the waist section. With luck I'll have the waist sort of finished by the weekend, but it's fiddly work.

When I posted last night I said I had a lot of half started projects lying around the house... I grabbed the camera and took a snap of those within arms reach in my underground batcave office... there are many many more things in the loft, and the garden, and scattered elsewhere.. this is just a taste. steam powered walking robot flash cotton fireball gun Heinzmann hub for electric bike project pneumatic axe featherweight robot speed controller rat nest from featherweight robot laser cut Jansen walker old lynx motion arm and antweight robot curtis speed controllers 4QD speed controllers... and stuff Mindstorms self levelling robot 1 Watt guitar tube amp high power cabling low pressure pneumatics antweight chassis  R2Duino  meaty 16 bar pneumatics Bosch 750's and such like Norgren 16bar ram, and 10 bar jobbie IR robot Shape memory allow tentacle, Altoid protoyping board etc o...

Inspired by the Mini Maker Faire I nipped down to Brighton this evening to check out the open evening that Build Brighton run on Thursdays. I called in on Adam who lives 3 doors down from the BB. workshop, and then spent an hour and a half chatting about autonomous control vehicles, CNC. Drills, 3D printers and such like. The hackspace has room to sit and drink tea, or crack on with the lathe, and MIG. Welder, or laser cutter. When I got home I had a quick brainstorm of all the projects littering my basement that I could finish, and think I'll maybe start with the Jansen walker... I think there may even be a couple of folk interested in lock picking... I'll nip along for a couple more. Thursday's and if it sticks I'll join up for the year... Cheaper than the gym, and probably better for me.