I am glad you are watching this space AdamSt as most of my build advice I am taking from your posts. I think you are a master at this Dalek Building game and your posts are so full of good useful information – well done mate.

Anyway today I got up and was a little slow in starting as I just learned of my Granmothers passing. She had a good innings though 6 weeks short of 100 years old and went while chatting and having a cup of tea. Her mates looked over at her and realised that she had gone. Now that is the way I want to go having fun socialising with my mates. Anyways I busied myself after the news with the creation of my plug.

So I left you last wondering how I was going to fix the spining rod problem. Well I was going to put some mdf beside the lug but then I realised I had some steel ribbon left over from the Former so I cut/bent/shaped a small peice to stop the lug & rod spinning if I needed to remove the rod.

This works a treat and whats more it didnt cost me much in time or materials.

Next thing I knew I had a forming rig completed! woohooo

Here is a closer look at the dynabolt sleeve / steel ribbon hinge I made in the previous post.

Next I started massacring the polystyrene. yeehah!!! well as I mentioned previously I was told to use various knives blades to cut this stuff if you dont have access to a hot knife. Well I though about it laterally and thought what will my wife absolutely hate me using to cut this stuff up. You got it the kitchen electric carving knife (you know like the one Frankenfurter uses to cut up Eddie in Rocky Horror). So I pulled it out and started it up. Not only did this work like a dream but it cut with minimal mess.

Before long I had a plug base shaped and ready for plaster.

After I did this I read AdamSt’s posts again regarding this stage. I noticed that the first layer of plaster he used was coloured a tan colour. I have bought plaster of paris which is white. I am guessing it would be easier to see if I have covered all the styrene if this was coloured and not white. Am I using the right stuff or should I go buy some other type of plaster.

Also should I glue the bottom of the plugbase down to the table. I haven’t cos I reckon it wont matter once the plaster is on as that will stick to the table. Is this right?

Anyways while I ponder those issues I made a start on the voice box. I read on the DBG site that a couple of kits from Dick Smith in my home town of Australia combined with a couple of modifications will end up being a good voicebox for my Dalek. So I bought these kits a few days ago and I decided to build them.

Here is my soldering job on the Vadervoice. Not bad for a guy who aint soldered since he was a kid. Even my arcade machine had connectors (no solder required). Anyways I did a good job I reckon.

Complete with the “traded up” variable resisters (pots), I got it going but really using the speaker and the mic that came with the kit it sounds pretty ordinary so far hopefully it will sound better with a better amp/speaker setup and maybe a direct sound input device like an mp3 player etc. I built an amp for my Vespa (that was my last project) and it will probably be the ticket for getting the Dalek to the “Hellish Rant” volume required.

I havent done the sound switch part yet but that looks the good I understand when hooked up to the ears.

I am actually toying with the fact of putting some sort of triggered computer driven response unit into the big boy. That way voice could be semi-autonomous. It would be cool if you could get voice recognition stuff cheap so you can get it to hold an Eliza-style conversation with it. (those of you who remember Eliza will know the sort of conversations you could have with your Sun Workstation back in the late 80’s to early 90’s.)

Anyways I am off to watch Smith and Jones again. See you for now.

I recieved my Construction Guide and I have decided on an NSD and I have commenced purchasing stuff already.

Week 1
I have decided to make the dome first as this seems to be the hardest thing to start with. I never make it easy on myself. So I have commenced making the formerplatform and rig.

I made one (right) but I wasnt happy about the movement of the former due to the hole I made through my former. VERY BAD IDEA! Oh well if it had worked it would have been cool. oh well. So I cut another former and placed two peices of MDF on either side and then I took the slot part of a normal latch and attached it to the former. This I thought cant lose…

Oh yes it can…

Now the rod I used was on the thin side and seemed to be able to sway. OK if it was only slight but it moved up to 5mm. again VERY BAD!!!! so off to the hardware store again.

I bought a half inch rod, two 1/2 inch long lugs and big washers, some araldite (super strong metal on metal glue), a Dynabolt (for its metal sleeve), some metal ribbon and a couple of nuts.

I attached the sleeve of the dynabolt to the former with some of the ribbon and a couple of screws on each side (ofcourse then taking it all apart to trim the former of the excess from the thicker rod and rig. Then put it all back together.

note: the mark on the sleeve is the centre line that had to line up with the mark on the former template (paper the former is resting on).

I then glued one of the washers down to the board and then glued one of the lugs to the washer.

This should allow me to screw the rod up into the table and if I need to remove it from underneath later without harming the mould.

Now I am ready to cut my polystyrene. As you can see I have already started. Some people say you can cut this stuff with a craft knife, others say surrated but I am using a normal electric carving knife and it seems to be working well.

Anyways off to bed and I will try to keep the pics and info flowing. It is my hope that this diary will help me keep track of stuff and help other Aussie builders with my findings.