Crucible Red Supreme Dalek

[Acrylikhan]

Not sure if this counts as a Costume or Prop, or Both. I can fit inside and operate it, so I guess its a little bit of both. It is finally complete after all these years. Four and a Half years if you need to be exact. I will say, it is rewarding to have a costume completed for myself. FINALLY. My first costume/armor was supposed to be from the Star Wars Universe, but that is a long, sad story that is best left for another time over beer, appetizers, pizza, and beer. The reveal was a Chicago TARDIS 2014, and it was a hit! It was one of 13 Daleks in attendance. Many photos with fans taken! Many trundles had! Fans harassed and "EXTERMINATED!" badges flowed like laser blasts! Small Children TERRORIZED! In all, a great three days of fun and excitement for myself and the wife. The Prop Building panel went very well, too.

The dalek is made from MDF, Plywood, and fiberglass. Add in a multitude of plastics and resins cast parts to round out the details. The Dalek was painted with Rustoleum Paints, most with a matte or satin overcoat. The red was the most difficult to match. I was hoping for Krylon to come through on this one, but alas no. I made a makeshift spray booth in my garage out of sheet plastic and PVC pipes. An old window box fan with a furnace filter kept the overspray to a bare minimum and the chemical smell moving out of the garage. (I personally thank Nicola Tesla for that.) It was instrumental on windy days, and kept dead leaves from blowing in.

After the first trundle, there are a multitudes of upgrades I need to implement, and that is to be expected. Right now, the Dalek is mobile under its own 24VDC batteries with also power many of the toys on board. There are blue LED light strips under the fender, the eye lights up, and the dome bulbs pulse manually from an arcade style button. The dome is a manual rotation, and the eyestalk is in a fixed position. That will change next year when it will be motorized. I will be making a commutator to power the dome toys, which will also help in dis-assembly for transit in a trailer. (Again, Thank You, Nicola Tesla.) I am working on a voice modulator and linking that to a sound to voice board for the dome lights. I still need to find good speakers. I have the sound to light board, and the amplifiers, and mic. I have to build the ring mod for the voice changer still.

I also have to change up the casters for softer, LARGER wheel chair style casters. I think it will be a smoother ride, and the larger wheels will help with getting over "speed bumps" in the hotels.

Vision is very limited due to the design. A spotter is VITAL for getting around, but having a few small cameras will help. I would like to install one in the dome... specifically the eyestalk, and another hidden somewhere forward facing. I work out those details in the summer. I may need a separate power source for the toys from the power chair. I am looking into more m powerful, yet lighter batteries. Trundling showed the lights dimming when in motion. That will have to change if this is going to look awesome during trundles. With Dalek plus me inside we are close to 450 pounds. That is part of the issue.

Onward and upward to the photos:











A shot of the Dalek Crew, and a couple of BBC actors:


Onward!