Overview
As a big Doctor Who fan I have always had particular love for the design of the daleks. In particular, the 2005 revival of the series brought with it a new bronze dalek reminiscent of a gold tank, with a specific weathering to make it look worn with dirt in crevices and discolouration across the body but also flawless in the body work showing how it was a machine that could get though anything without damage. At 10 years old it was my first experience with seeing how a design can tell a story. The unique pepper pot design is close to 60 years old. It is so alien. So purposefully confusing and intriguing.
Ever since I first saw the dalek in 2005 I've been obsessed with the design. It was only a matter of time until I made one for myself.
Working Within Limitations
I started this project while at school with a very limited budget, skillset and resources. I spent my weekends and summer breaks in my grandparents' garage, working without power, cutting and sanding every piece by hand. In the winter I worked by a lamp hung from the roof. I had to be resourceful in the materials I used; many parts were made from plaster (a material my dad could get for free from work) and the head rotation was created from a Lazy Susan formed from the parts of an old remote control car.
Wood Work and General Construction
Within the tight constraints I was dedicated to make the best quality dalek that I could. The main structure of the dalek was made of MDF with hardboard wetted and bent into shape to get the curved surfaces. The repeated details of the midbody slats and the skirt hemispheres were moulded from plaster, some details were recreated in CAD software and 3D printed, some were plastic heated and curved over a form. I had little to no knowledge of any of these processes when I started the project and had to teach myself almost everything.
Implementing Others' Designs
Luckily, I am not the only dalek obsessed person on the internet and if you know where to look there are detailed plans available for purchase. I was determined to make my dalek as accurate to the screen version as possible. Unlike most of my other projects, this involved sticking strictly to someone else's design, a design where I had no contact with the original creator. Getting everything accurate required a high attention to detail.
Image credit to projectdalek.co.uk
