Steampunk Details

One of the hardest things about building upon an existing chassis is that I seem to spend more time modifying elements that it might have bee faster building the whole thing from scratch. One problem with the chassis is weight distribution. Dalek Caan was front heavy and so the front wheels rode a bit high to of set this. The new build is the opposite, being back heavy. I haver had to raise up the back of the chassis to make the ride height at the back higher. Problem now is that I need to add extra weight to the front to stop it wheeling.

I have fabricated lots of new bits and bobs for this build, I have even rebuilt my old water mini gun and modified it to work on the Dalek. The hard thing about this build is that I don't want to do the same thing as I did with the Steampunk Droid so I need to be very creative. I will probably take both the Dalek and the Droid to events together so it is very important they both look Steampunk, but very different in style, much harder than I initially thought.

All the pictures below show evolution of the design. One minute I like something then the next I change and modify it.

The mechanical arms have worked really well and once moving should look great.

Mini gun always looked awesome.

After a trip to a local car breakers I decided on the hoses at the back.

The old dome was all broken at the front looking like it had exploded. On the new design this won't work. I have recut the dome to create a smooth curve so you can see the main eye mechanisms.

A New Steampunk Dalek

In the beginning there was a Chassis.
Dalek Caan was a real pain, mainly because I did not make it strong enough to withstand the abuse it got at most public events. Dalek Caan was a nice idea but I felt that I never made it as well as I was able and as such it was always one of those projects that frustrated me.
After the servos powering the tentacles failed for the tenth time I decided to scrap Dalek Caan and build a new Dalek.
I was going to start from scratch however the main Dalek Caan Chassis was very strong and drive system and electronics very reliable.
Instead I dripped down Dalek Caan, removing all the parts that would be of no use on the new build. I ended up with a basic shape of a Dalek with the front section cut away, something I still wanted in the new Steampunk build.

The Steampunk Dalek was going to be a cut aways design, a bit like Dalek Caan, so you can see the mutant Dalek inside. Instead of the Mutant being organic in construction I was going to make it look like a mechanical machine, a machine controlling a machine.
The inspiration for this build was the film, 'Wild, Wild West' and H.G.Well, 'The Time Machine'.

I would use the same methodology unbuilding this Steampunk Dalek as I did building the Steampunk Droid, attention to detail is everything.

All the plastics and modern looking materials have been got rid of and will be replaced with nicely stained Plywood panels.

Because the main shell of Dalek Caan was cut away I needed to add some internal structure to support the new top sections.

As you can see, lots of the old Dalek is now cut aways and not really recognisable as the old Dalek Caan, shame it had to go really.

Back to using parts from the old player piano.

Over twenty servos will be used in this build, all will be automated.

Nice find, an old theatre par can.

The old lower skirt tarted up and made to look like it is made or iron.