Just in case you have some extra time on your hands this weekend, we’ve got the answer. Searching for that elusive hobby to occupy your time and haven’t found anything that is of interest? Time to dig deep and access that inner-Davros or Martha Stewart and make your own Dalek. With blueprints and accompanying step-by-step instructions, this is now closer to a reality for you than you think.

As the story goes, a young Doctor Who fan, named Ronald, wrote to the DW production offices, most likely sometime in the 1980’s when Tom Baker was the Doctor, inquiring about the plans for a DIY build of a Dalek. He received this response letter along with a copy of the blueprints, originally released in 1973.

With the letter, were detailed plans and blueprints costing out the materials at 12 pounds with a bit of fine print noting that these were 1970’s prices and would not be applicable in today’s dollars. The letter was first published by Shaun Usher who runs a website that archives letters of interest along with other notables, etc.

The remainder of the small print in the blueprint notes that it’s best suited for a school project as this will take someone of considerable DIY skills along with the need to involve departments or facilities proficient in woodworking and metalwork. No pressure now.

Might be a fun family project this Fall until you try to figure out how to get “several large strips of aluminum mesh, a Perspex disc (for the antenna eye, of course) and two parking lights from a car to make the robot’s head flash“. Duh.

Blueprints can be found here. What are you waiting for? If you build it, we want pictures that I can post down the road.

In: Odds & Sods

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