Fifty shades of Dalek Grey

1972

original daleks in storage

I wanted to use that title for a teeny blog for a while

Making a Remembrance Grey  Dalek, based on the two old style props in the episode (radcliffe office/ yard is one such key scene )

So some extensive research into the Daleks well a bit, some i new already not familiar with these Props tho ,

So 1972/ 3 nice original 60's Dalek props ,silver blue are painted up for new story one gold 2 grey

 So Two props and now the show in color so make them dull dark grey , why i dont know,
and one Gold Leader even if leader was always black aka supreme Dalek

Ta da,Gunmetal Dalek as seen in 1972 Day of the Daleks ,Frontier in Space and Planet of the Daleks 1973, so pertwee Dr 3 Dalek ,early 70s whatever you call it , it is gunmetal

Then In Planet of the Daleks this happened ,A load of new Daleks (goons ) Made by the BBC to fill up the previous ranks of just three Daleks they added 7 more ,

gun metal and dark grey

due to a lack of space at the BBC a company called Westbury Design and Optical Limited was contracted by the BBC to store and renovate the TARDIS console as well as deal with Dalek requirements. This company belonged to Clifford Culley who became the man primarily responsible for the visual effects work on Planet of the Daleks.the new goons would act as static room fillers and where needed FX Daleks

 They were made fully poseable 

Look at one on right the paint is coming off it especially the dome ,this is a prop well into ten years old and it was starting to show, so far i have found one prop that was flat grey every other Dalek was Gunmetal,must of run out of paint 

Fast Forward to 1975 and Genesis of the Daleks  

The dark  grey is now dominate shade on all props the same, and now there is in this story 4 goons and the three 60s Daleks 

goons being made as just stand in and FX Daleks never intended to be hero props , 

 After being loaned out for everything and anything by BBC and lack of care with the BBC the props soon looked tatty and the new dull paint job was helping to hide some of it 

This dull grey is available at Halfords or any car paint store, it is called "Rover tempest Grey"

This colour is used most by Dalek builders and the Genesis style is a variant you will see the most, as is most recognizable and known and to people who don't know, is the color of a Dalek not realizing theres been other shades 

so Rover grey gloss black hemis and job done

onto 1979 and what has to be worst showing for the Daleks ,Destiny of the Daleks 

The props in this are now down to four (loaned out beaten to death or just plain mix and match or missing 

mixes of original 60s parts and goon intermixed and a goon top half and the Tussards "Pyramid" exhibition skirt ,

Now there LIGHT Battleship grey,  with every prop different in its black highlights ,some on band collers some on ovals and one original prop was still dark grey livery from Genesis a original 60s Prop,
rightly these props are known as the raggedy Daleks if new to building a model or a Dalek build one of these there so bad you cant go wrong

due to three years at the hands of the public and other TV productions teams.there was little Daleks left going from 7 Daleks four years previously, to the bits left of four Dalek props

so thats the 70s onto the 80's

No seriously this happened

 the 1980s Daleks

 

So first to be seen in 83 is the Five Doctors Dalek ,back to Rover grey made up of any parts of the shelf a tatty mess or as it is professionally known ,a Lash up,this can be seen throughout all three 80s Dalek story's

then first proper Dalek story ,and it gets all samey name wise Resurrection and then collin dr 6 Revelation of the Daleks

 The tussards pyramid skirt Dalek also served as a grey drone and as the Black supreme Dalek (second supreme on the program)

And once again same prop from five doctors,Dalek  1/7 ,one being the top shoulders and neck off a goon and seventh skirt made in 65 by Shawcraft for the chase a real mix of bits noticeable with its mesh cut down to the top collar band ,Collins story,exactly same props dug out of storage as Peters,

This is last time we will see the original props, parts of which date back to the 60s 

the Tussards pyramid skirt Dalek is left to rot outside the Blackpool exhibition until taken back repainted repaired and sold at auction 

 

After 20 plus years the props were really looking tatty and worse for wear ,so BBC world wide could afford new Daleks for exhibitions but BBC couldent for the program ,answer get hold of these new Exhibition Daleks

Different shape to originals and a all molded on style for ease of making and reduced cost Ironically Made by martin wilkie son of Bernard former Fx man and Designer on Doctor Who

So now got 2 depleted props your down to 2 originals and a Dalek story coming for 25th anniversery 

the new molds are taken from last story (Revelation Collin Baker they were white Davros new Builds as per story)  and redressed and repainted and a whole new set of Daleks based of these newer style molds taller chunkier Daleks are made

 Back to Battleship grey like in Destiny

and have to take into account with all these pictures as i have said many times research use your eyes ,stop look properly give it time to go round  in your head ,color lights from the studio reflections off strong color surfaces,outside is it overcast bright day dull day what time of day all effect the shades of colors,

Off to Auction

You can make out the original white Necors Dalek paint under the grey on this Dalek in a real sorry state 
Grey i found here to use is Tamiya acrlyic TS 67,also a really good match and large can can be found in Hobby Store and Wilkinsons (if uk based) of Plasti Kote matte grey spray paint even has that tiny tinge of blue to it

 One last thing to add there were 2 original props, redressed to look like the more molded design, in the last story on TV Remembrance of the Daleks
 mostly seen in the Radclyffe builders yard and office guarding the hand of Omega
This after the end of the episode was cut in half and sent to Longleat exhibition as a walk in Dalek ,
this is a  original prop with parts dating back to 1965 ,just chopped up 
This is statement enough of what the BBC thought of and attitude towards these props so little wonder they looked so rough in some storys

back together original parts

 

I hope this is of some use to folk ,found a little help regarding paint

 well there is Dalek greys for you

all to enjoy so there you go Fifty Shades of Grey indeed  

for more fun and info head here

http://www.dalek6388.co.uk/index.htm