MarkW Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 So, my six year old boy Jamie has decided that we need to build a Dalek together. It has to be life size, able to fly (?) and have the proper Dalek voice.There are many very good reasons for getting him off this idea, not least that it will be very expensive, and will require space to build and store that we haven't got. On the other hand, it would be a great thing for a father to do with his eldest son, and the perfect excuse to buy a plasma cutter and a tig welder. Hmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Like your thinking mate.......none of this cardboard and papier mache crap......if you're gonna do it....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fq-craigus Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Its got to be done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Do it!! I'm a massive Who fan and a 6 year old would remember the cool Dalek he built with his dad forever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 I've never needed much encouragement to do nutty things, so I can easily see myself renting a small industrial unit and getting stuck in. I have got as far as buying the Dalek Workshop Manual to see what's involved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Go for it me and my daughter have some wood laid out we are going to build a rocket ship: Its not allowed to fly, must have 2 decks.She has already started painting aliens on the log store and the garden looks like a builders yard. Not certain what the misses will say when she sees the garden. Probably be along the lines of its not a boat or a bike what is it? OMG I leave you alone for 1 weekend ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fozzie Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Renting a small industrial unit will work out nicely... Get it under the pretence of building a dalek.And then keep it, and have a project bike workshop for the weekends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humbucker Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 I have got as far as buying the Dalek Workshop Manual to see what's involved This, this is just....epic! There actually is one? That is awesomesauce mate. You have to build this thing and you have to post piccies. Your son will remember this forever and it may even make him choose a decent retirement home to dump you in when you can no longer build Daleks.We obey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Old Git Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 G@@gle has the answer!I 'signed up' to the Dalek website some time ago and hav a copy of the 'master' Dalek building plans (free). They have the plans to build all / any Dalek you wish.I will (probably) get round to building one one day - Honest!Good luck with yours and post piccies during the build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted November 17, 2014 Author Share Posted November 17, 2014 Same here - it was the 'Project Dalek' website I signed up to, and they'll be posting the plans out soon. I have to admit that I'm pretty keen to see what's involved!One of my friends has suggested that I could solve my construction space problems by building a TARDIS first... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogof Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 So, my six year old boy Jamie has decided that we need to build a Dalek together. It has to be life size, able to fly (?) and have the proper Dalek voice.There are many very good reasons for getting him off this idea, not least that it will be very expensive, and will require space to build and store that we haven't got. On the other hand, it would be a great thing for a father to do with his eldest son, and the perfect excuse to buy a plasma cutter and a tig welder. Hmm... My dad (a builder at the time) did some work for Terry Nation who invented the dalek, and so my dad's firm were able to borrow 3 daleks for the annual carnival when I was about 8 years old. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that daleks were mainly made of plywood, and rolled around on shopping trolly casters... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonniebird Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 I have got as far as buying the Dalek Workshop Manual to see what's involved This, this is just....epic! There actually is one? That is awesomesauce mate. You have to build this thing and you have to post piccies. Your son will remember this forever and it may even make him choose a decent retirement home to dump you in when you can no longer build Daleks.We obey!Cool!!Does it involve an old dustbin, a sink plunger and an egg whisk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 My dad (a builder at the time) did some work for Terry Nation who invented the dalek, and so my dad's firm were able to borrow 3 daleks for the annual carnival when I was about 8 years old. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that daleks were mainly made of plywood, and rolled around on shopping trolly casters... That's still very cool though! Jamie is struggling to decide whether our Dalek should be remote control, or be drivable from inside. It's pretty academic at this stage since I don't know how to do either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 Cool!!Does it involve an old dustbin, a sink plunger and an egg whisk?There's no way I'd get away with that! Even on a huge Lego spaceship he'll spot the one piece that's not quite right, so this Dalek is going to have to be spot on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 Take the easy road http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/merch-toys/doctor-who-ride-in-dalek-red/10427818.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted December 22, 2014 Author Share Posted December 22, 2014 Just by way of a little update, Jamie's excitement at the prospect of building a Dalek hasn't diminished one jot over the last few weeks, so I've given in and rented a workshop in which to build it. The project is on!So, I have the plans and I have the space. The next question is what to build it out of, and there are essentially three options: wood, mild steel sheet, or fibreglass. Although my woodworking skills are fairly good I'm leaning towards one of the other options, despite never having done any real welding or fibreglass work. Partly it's about learning a new skill, and partly about the aesthetics of the finished article. If I go for metal I can either hire a plasma cutter and cut the parts myself, or get them laser cut. I'm expecting that to be expensive given the cost of some fairly basic pieces we had fabricated for the lab recently. Fibreglass will entail making a mould from a wooden form, from which the final piece can be cast, which seems a bit if a faff. I shall have to give this some serious thought over the festive period... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 You may want to show you lad these mate. Seen in a field near Chester the other weekhttp://www.russianbike.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/dal.jpghttp://www.russianbike.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/dal1.jpghttp://www.russianbike.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/dal2.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted December 23, 2014 Author Share Posted December 23, 2014 We drove past there in the summer on the way to Chester Zoo from my mothers house in Stoke, and my wife got a blurred photo of it through the window. They do a big sculpture every year - I think it was a meerkat last year! Always very impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 It's getting dangerously close to the time when I will have to make a start on this project, and so a decision needs to be made on construction materials. The recommended options are as follows, with my estimation of weight per square metre:4 mm MDF (3.3 kg/m2)2 mm aluminium sheet (5.4 kg/m2)1 mm mild steel sheet (7.9 kg/m2)Glass fibre (no idea about weight, but I suspect lighter than the others)The MDF has the advantages of being cheap, light weight, and I have all the power tools I'd ever need to complete the build. The two metals are heavier, but have the benefit of looking better when finished, and - most importantly - giving me an excuse to buy a welder. The easiest option here looks like mild steel (fairly easy to MIG weld with a bit of practice, and MIG welders are cheap), but it's heavy - the finished article may well be too heavy for a small boy to scoot around in. Aluminium looks like a good compromise, but apparently it is a royal pain to weld, with considerably more expensive TIG looking like the bet way to go. I think I'm going to have to go for the boring MDF option for ease and cheapness, and then depending on how adventurous I'm feeling I might plaster the whole thing in glass fibre and make a mould.Hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeman Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 MDF with fibreglass covering.Or if you really want an excuse for a welder, a tubular steel (welded) spaceframe covered in thin ply and fiberglass/resin covering to make it smooth to paintGet an old electric wheelchair to make it move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Why not use a structural adhesive to bond the aloooominum? No TIGing and pretty quick to go off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Fibreglass is easy to do but messy. Make a rough mould and lash on the matting and cover it in resin. Then fine tune with extra fibreglass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Old Git Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 You may want to show you lad these mate. Seen in a field near Chester the other weekhttp://www.russianbike.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/dal.jpghttp://www.russianbike.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/dal1.jpghttp://www.russianbike.co.uk/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/dal2.jpgSee the Challenge 100 2015 'Tag' list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 There has been some progress!Now to cut 56 holes in the skirt for the hemispheres, then fill, sand, prime and spray the base, shoulders, neck rings and head dome, manufacture an eyestalk, gun and plunger arm, sort a voice modulator and lights, and then source a second hand wheelchair to cannibalise for the running gear. And then when it's all finished we have to decide what the hell we're going to do with it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 There has been some progress!Now to cut 56 holes in the skirt for the hemispheres, then fill, sand, prime and spray the base, shoulders, neck rings and head dome, manufacture an eyestalk, gun and plunger arm, sort a voice modulator and lights, and then source a second hand wheelchair to cannibalise for the running gear. And then when it's all finished we have to decide what the hell we're going to do with it... Brilliant... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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