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First and foremost let me start by saying that a Sonic Screwdriver is a trademark item of Doctor Who and the BBC. OK hopefully that covers my butt legally lol.
So YES!!! My first instructable!!!! So please be gentle . . . but feel free to add advise!
I decided to make a sonic screwdriver because I am a huge Doctor Who fan. But sadly I could not find any instructables on how to make a sonic screwdriver, very sad!!!! So after much failed searching I took it upon myself to make one. And I figured you the fellow Doctor Who fans and hobby prop makers would like a base for making your own Sonic Screwdriver.
And here is the other amazing thing!! There is no soldering, electrical wiring, or technical babble to deal with. Its simple because I can't do any of that lol!
Now this isn't an exact replica of the sonic screwdriver in the show. Its just a similar looking one with my own little twist. Its my belief that sonic screwdrivers are like a time lord's personality so all sonic screwdrivers aren't the same. So when making yours feel free to add your own twist and style.
So YES!!! My first instructable!!!! So please be gentle . . . but feel free to add advise!
I decided to make a sonic screwdriver because I am a huge Doctor Who fan. But sadly I could not find any instructables on how to make a sonic screwdriver, very sad!!!! So after much failed searching I took it upon myself to make one. And I figured you the fellow Doctor Who fans and hobby prop makers would like a base for making your own Sonic Screwdriver.
And here is the other amazing thing!! There is no soldering, electrical wiring, or technical babble to deal with. Its simple because I can't do any of that lol!
Now this isn't an exact replica of the sonic screwdriver in the show. Its just a similar looking one with my own little twist. Its my belief that sonic screwdrivers are like a time lord's personality so all sonic screwdrivers aren't the same. So when making yours feel free to add your own twist and style.
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First step is the items you'll need.
1. A pen type light of any style (the one I chose is in the picture)
2. Now this is the harder part. Finding parts that will help in making your sonic screwdriver. Right now I am currently studying abroad in Japan. So I hit up Akihabara for random electrical parts. I bought the . .
1. Blue LED light cover
2. A sort of tip electrical part (the one with the blue LED cover in it)
3. And a small chip with number on it
The other pieces I got from an old used tape player laying around in my house. I figured why not?
sonic = sound = old tape player, it all works trust me lol.
It will take a while to find appropriate pieces but just keep looking!!!
(the huge piece of green circuit board was not used.)
1. A pen type light of any style (the one I chose is in the picture)
2. Now this is the harder part. Finding parts that will help in making your sonic screwdriver. Right now I am currently studying abroad in Japan. So I hit up Akihabara for random electrical parts. I bought the . .
1. Blue LED light cover
2. A sort of tip electrical part (the one with the blue LED cover in it)
3. And a small chip with number on it
The other pieces I got from an old used tape player laying around in my house. I figured why not?
sonic = sound = old tape player, it all works trust me lol.
It will take a while to find appropriate pieces but just keep looking!!!
(the huge piece of green circuit board was not used.)
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Basically just two common ICs, used in three sub-circuits stuck together:
1) a CD4046 wired as a simple VCO (voltage controlled oscillator)--
2) the two outputs from the 4046 feeding a pair of NPN transistors and a step-up transformer to get your basic push-pull power amplifier. This by itself would make a very strong ultrasonic source with the right piezo element ,
3) but to get the screwdriver to make that "sweeping" up/down sound, ya use an XR2206 function generator chip configured as a low frequency (1 to 100 Hz) sine wave source that feeds/modulates the 4046 VCO. at pin 9.
All of this fits on a single .25 x 5 inch piece of perf board with a little creative wiring. Google "real sonic screwdriver;" there's much more details at the physics forum where I've been posting to. I've put links to the different sub-circuits there; just basic electronics-- nothing complicated. The only thing truly difficult is making the sound head from custom piezo parts. I haven't
detailed that yet.
http://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-185219.html
Three or four years ago when I had copies of my notes and diagrams ready to mail them to anyone interested, nobody gave a sh-- crap. Now when my life has gotten far too complicated and rapidly spiraling out of control, then the Screwdriver becomes popular. Oy!
if you do popscilover@gmail.com
People see something on TV and figure it can't be done so they don't even try; but ya can make a Romana-type sonic screwdriver for less than ten bucks in simple electronics.
Ironically, the Doctor may have thought it was cool enough to try and steal it, but I don't like Romana's screwdriver all that much.
for 17
"Tenth Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to destroy a sword and later sacrifices it in order to defeat a Sycorax hunter. Later, he indicates that he needs time to "grow" a new sonic screwdriver."
From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_screwdriver
And The Doctor Who Wiki http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_screwdriver
actually he just says "I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs rode testing"
Watch- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8LdzNMUF20&feature=PlayList&p=6CBCD60149A1F40B&index=3
as for the master it might just be a secret that timelords know... or because a laser screwdriver is different from a sonic screwdriver