Builds Sevans Dalek model kit

[SPROCKET321]

Being a bit of a fan of the old/classic Doctor who with William Hartnell, Patrick Trouton, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker playing the Doctor, all those passed this point are "other" Doctors. Even some of Toms later episodes are out of my range as I stopped watching it when I went into Junior Soldiers in 1979. But the Daleks better episodes are some of the most watchable, my personal favorite being Genesis of the Daleks.

The kits are becoming harder to find and therefore commanding prices well above their true value. But when suckers are willing to pay, the prices will always go up. That is why makers like myself rather than the crazy collectors, look for half made, or botched examples, even then the price can be a bit steep. Mine was started, so is not mint untouched. The previous owner started but soon found he was out of his depth and wisely. Placed it away.

not before removing a couple of pieces and slipping with his blade and scratching one of the skirt segments between two of the Hemispheres. Not deep, I can sand and fill that

 

[SPROCKET321]

The kit looks very garage, and it is I guess, a short run has made these into wanted pieces, they may have made more as they sold well at the time, 1992/3, but they fell fowl of the Terry Nation money grabbers who inherited his estate, and due to a legal issue, licensing stuff, boring, they stopped making them.

the instructions are very detailed and suggest sanding the raised lines that join the molded Skirt segments before you separate them.

the segments are scored lightly with a new blade and then repeat strokes going deeper as the cut line deepens.

then gently bending and feeling the fault line break and gently separating the waste material off.

with the waste cut away, time to separate the segments.

 

[Chef]

Out of interest I looked at the prices, ye Gods! £300 plus.

Years back we went to Comet Models in West Drayton, apart from having all the kits I couldn't afford as a sprog (They were still mostly too expensive) I asked if they had the Airfix Halberstadt he asked if I was building it or collecting it.

The difference was a few quid as the building kits were the blister packs, the collecting kits were the bagged ones with the instructions in the header paper.

 

[SPROCKET321]

The instructions suggest numbering each skirt segment and this is good advise, taken by the previous owner, but the backs and edges will be sanded, so pencil marks here will be sanded off, so I numbered them again inside the Hemispheres.

 

[SPROCKET321]

ye Gods! £300 plus.

yes, mint boxed un-started ones go that high, but if you really want to build, you can pick up someone's scabby screwup for under a ton. I paid £155 as the scabbyness was very minimal.

 

[Ecosse]

You are using hand gel I presume?

 

[SPROCKET321]

the segments are dead easy to cut accurately, using the above technique, light strokes going deeper with the blade each time. Then gently snapping them apart along the cut lines. Then sanding the bevel into each edge for a faultless Dalekanium fit.

 

[SPROCKET321]

You are using hand gel I presume?
View attachment 645375

Davros!, Sevans did one of him, very expensive. Davros.."you talk like a Soldier Nyder,...."

 

[SPROCKET321]

I will entertain you with little known Dalek facts from the Sevans instruction sheet.
As the Daleks in the first episodes were all identical the director placed red numbers on their backs and coloured tape for each to follow, this tape was piled up around the Dalek between takes, but in a typical BBC cock up the press took pictures of them with the tape and this gave rise to an enduring myth interpreted by artists and magazine editors that these were intentional grills that the Dalek spoke through 1960's Dalek annuals had this error and it was molded into the Herts 8" Dalek.

the base piece cut free, the lip at the bottom surface will be sanded flush.

 

[Smeggers]

Carefully does it lad, you won't be able to nip out and get a replacement if you feck a bit up.

 

[SPROCKET321]

get a replacement

I guess not, but with it being made of such basic parts, making a replacement won't be too hard.

 

[SPROCKET321]

fitting the first two was always going to be the most demanding, the other segments all form in line from these, so they have to be accurate. The pike front needs a surplus of filler protruding beyond the forward join, let that dry before it's sanded gently into a invisible jointed point.

a thin length of plasticard added to the next segment to add strength

line it up and slide it in flush with the edge of the previous Segment.

from inside the thin plasticard holds the edges in line

working gradually around the skirt fitting segments as the last one dries in place.

 

[SPROCKET321]

the next double segment needs sanding to shape as it's marginally too wide.

 

[paddyplanty]

Envious!

 

[SPROCKET321]

Shawcraft engineering made the first thirteen Dalek props, six original Daleks were sent to America as promotional assets and have never been seen again, they were probably put into storage at some studio and are hidden away awaiting to be discovered, that will cause some excitement in the who fan Universe if they ever re-surface.

 

[SPROCKET321]

this original prop went for a few grand....

 

[Chef]

this original prop went for a few grand....

The flashing lights on the 'head' were originally Moggie Minor indicator covers.

In reality they were to enable the Dalek to discharge excess emotion, otherwise they would literally explode with rage!

The black skirt round the base was a friend or foe detector as they would fire quite wildly and before the introduction of the IFF system would cause a lot of blue on blue kills.

I think the semi spheres were linked to a battle computer.

All the above came from my Dalek annual circa 1965 apart from the indicator bit. I'll have a look round and see if I can find it again.

I forget the names of friends and family but remember all that. Getting old eh?

 

[SPROCKET321]

all skirt Segments fitted, let that dry before the sanding and filling to meld it all together, seamless Sci Fi Joins.

 

[Provost]

Years back we went to Comet Models in West Drayton, apart from having all the kits I couldn't afford as a sprog (They were still mostly too expensive) I asked if they had the Airfix Halberstadt he asked if I was building it or collecting it.

If you'd gone just up the road to Uxbridge you might have been able to get your hands on the real thing. Shawcraft Models in Rockingham Road used to make the original props for the BBC.

 

[SPROCKET321]

The flashing lights on the 'head' were originally Moggie Minor indicator covers.

I can just see the tip of one poking out. Terrible misuse of Plumbing equipment though.