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I’ve made a Teleport bracelet from Blake’s 7 but what are those things and why are they awesome? Let’s watch the first episode of OBSCURE REFERENCE and find out.

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Next build… Bandai X-Wing with lights and sound. My 3rd X-Wing model and the largest yet. I should display them on the wall like a geeky Hilda Ogden.

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Bandai Tie Fighter

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R2-D2 and R5-D4 model kits from Bandai. I added custom lighting in the R2’s head drilling out the holes and filling them with perspex rod to diffuse the light. Red, white and blue nano L.E.D.s and a tiny battery box were installed in the head which was hollowed out using a Dremell. No lights on R5 but I did add some holographic wrapping tape around his neck which was a pretty good match for the screen used prop. Both droids were weathered with a thin mix of Tamiya Matt dark grey and Tamiya thinner which I then chipped into with a blunt stylus. The models are photographed using the crate backdrop I made earlier.

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My build of the Scorpio Clip Gun from season four of Blake’s 7. The kit is available here and I highly recommended it. https://www.centurycastings.co.uk/store/product/scorpio-clip-gun-model-kit

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CRATES IN SPACE

For me the final part of model and prop making is photographing the finished item and I like to choose an appropriate backdrop.

For the Blake’s 7 props I’ve been working on I wanted a suitably low-fi-sci-fi solution.

The backgrounds in the sci-if I grew up with were made up of stuff like this...

These shipping pallets can be seen in many science fiction films from the late 70’s and early 80’s. One you start looking you can see them everywhere.

The one above was used in Star Wars where they made up the ceilings on the Death Star and the deck of the Milenium Falcon. They also make up at least 80 percent of Alien.

Taking their cue the from the big screen the cash strapped designers at the BBC also used pallets and crates to add detail and solidity to shows like Dr Who, Blake’s 7 and Hitchhikers Guide.

To replicate this look I’m using an old packing crate which has a nice variety of sci-fi looking patterns.

It’s also green and so needed painting.

I used Rust-Oleum Matt Black spray paint which takes a while to dry but provides a tough finish once curred. It took about a can and a half to cover the crate.

Once sprayed I textured the crate with some pewter Rub and Buff sparingly applied using a nail brush to give a worn metal effect on the raised parts of the grill.

The finished crate looks like convincing 80’s spaceship decking and provides a good backdrop for prop photography.

Shining lights through the slatted surface gives add texture and lets you underlight your props.

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Properly sized windows:)

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Scorpio clip gun kit from Century Castings

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“Liberator this is Blake”

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Here’s one they made earlier. Blue Peter’s lion haired Leslie Judd makes a surprisingly credible teleport bracelet from card, plastic bottles and sheer strength of character.

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TELEPORT BRACELET

My current project is a teleport bracelet from cult Sci-Fi Blake’s 7. But what is that and why is it cool?

In 1978 on BBC One welsh space dissident Roj Blake took control of advanced alien star ship the Liberator and found the edge he needed to fight back against the facist Federation.

The ship was fast, its weapons powerful but perhaps best of all it had a teleporter.

This advanced device, almost magical in comparison to human technology allowed Blake and his crew to easily slip behind enemy lines. It made 7 criminals a credible threat to the monolithic federation.

To teleport in Blake’s 7 you must wear a bracelet. A device which provides a means of communication and a life line back to the safety of the Liberator.

The idea of wearable technology was ahead of is time, the decorative design and even the term “bracelet” make it stand apart from the more brutal Federation technology .

Paired with fetching perspex laser lance it’s the perfect accessory for Blake’s and crew’s futurist freedom fighter chic outfits.

As a kid I couldn’t have a Police Box or a starship but I could make my self a teleport bracelet. A simple strip of card and one of Gran’s buttons would do the trick. Decades later it’s time for something more screen accurate.

Ahead of building the Blake’s 7 teleport bracelet from Century Castings I combed the internet for reference images. The kit is very accurate but I always like to check the details against the screen used prop.

With vintage content like Blake’s 7 screenshots are often low resolution. Publicity images can be a good source of higher resolution images like these excitingly posed season 3 images...

I also found this image of a screen used bracelet at an exhibit...

I love the simplicity of this design. Many braclets had to be built over the years so the minimal design was practical and quick to replicate.

The originals were cut from 2 rings of plastic tubing and joined with a cabinet hinge. There’s also an EMA dome as a button and a clear bit of seventies neon pink Perspex for colour.

What brings the design to life is the tape work, the silver striping and the hand cut vinyl alien runes.

The original braclets were made by legendary prop and model maker Martin Bower and he often used tape to add detail to his work.

So that’s the Teleport braclet. A classic bit of science fiction design. Now to build one:)

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I have wanted one of these for almost 40 years, such a great design. Tempted to wear it casually at work. Reference and build notes to follow.

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The detail on Bandai kits is stunning they even captured 3po’s haughty golden smugness. Here he is assembled and weathered with black shoe polish from Bunnings Warehouse. Next step lighting the eyes.

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Bandai R2 D2 with custom lighting. Shot on my iPhone… because “shot” sounds way cooler than “taken”

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Bandai R2- You can’t see the 3d printed miniature Kenny Baker that I added for maximum authenticity but I know it’s there... so totally worth the effort

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Liberator teleport bracelet from Blake’s 7. Incorporating futuristic hinge technologies

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Down and safe