|
 This
Dalek based mostly on Cardboard and packing tape was constructed in
the Spring of 1994 in what I refer to as “a mad weekend”.
When the dalek city website was active but before
the Guild was going, I wrote up the builder's description below as a
spoof, but never quite had the courage to submit for the Member's
Daleks section of the website... |
|
| Dome
and Eyepiece |
|
The dome was formed by taking a large
cardboard disk and cutting slits in it. These slits were bent around to
form a suitable dome shape (actually truncated cone with two diameters).
Notches were cut first to the inner diameter and then trimmed further for
the outer diameter. These were joined on both sides using packing tape to
form the completed dome.
The eyepiece was formed from 1/2 “
doweling. The disks were cut
in a range of sizes and the holes in the middle cut by folding the disks
in half and cutting a semicircle in the middle. These were cut slightly
too small for the dowel so that no tape would be needed. The pivot was two
disks circumferenced with cardboard strip. The eye piece was constructed
much like the dome – a large disk with progressively more trimmed
wedges.
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| The Neck |
|
Four large complete disks were cut, rather
thicker than on the real thing, as it was thought that cardboard would not
have the strength to support the neck with only a 1/2 “ thickness. The
rings and support rods were joined by cutting opposing slits in each and
then sliding them together. Liberal use of packing tape was made to secure
everything. Black cloth was used to disguise the presence of an operator.
Since the Dalek was only 4/5 of actual size, the operator was Crispin’s
young son.
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| The Shoulders |
|
The shoulder section was made of
cardboard again. The slats were a large number of cardboard rectangles,
applied by folding packing tape into sticky-side-outward loops, and
pressing it to the back of the strips.
The gun holder was a box formed from
cardboard and cut to match the curve of the shoulder section. Liberal use
was made of packing tape to hold everything together. The pivot balls were
actually not functional – but formed like the head down. Both gun and
plunger were made from ½” dowelling. The plunger was formed as the dome
was. The gun was made from dowelling: holes were drilled into the side of
both ends, and a straightened and cut coat hanger (from Crispin’s
wife’s closet) was used to form the cage around the gun barrel. No
emitter spokes or flash protection was provided.
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| The Skirt |
|
The skirt was made from cardboard
panels attached together with packing tape. It was thought that folding
the cardboard would not produce a well enough defined angle at each
junction and also a large enough piece of cardboard could not be found in
Crispin’s garage.
The skirt domes/etheric beam locators/dalek
bumps were fashioned from used yogurt pots which had previously been
collected in the ScarfWearer household for some time. While not perfectly
semicircular, these had in fact inspired the construction.
The panels were cut using a sharp
knife using the base of a yogurt pot as a former. The yogurt pots were
pushed through the panels from the back and secured with packing tape. [A
premonition of things to come...]
|
| The Base |
|
The base was formed from a large ring
having a band of um, cardboard taped around it. It was open underneath to
allow the operator to walk inside it. No wheels were provided, though a
hardwood floor was quite effective. |
