The Flickable 11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver

So a day late and a Doctor short as per usual I have found myself tinkering with the 11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. Its an awesome model with its multi sourced hilt and different textures coming together to make this wacky futurific Sci-Fi plaything. I've found myself hooked on the show over the last year and am current from Russell T. Davies all the way trough the current Steven Moffat run. So now at the end of Matt Smith's run as The Doctor I find myself totally absorbed with this model of Sonic Screwdriver. I'm sure we'll see a new version as the series returns with Peter Capaldi but in the meantime I've found myself seeking to correct all that is wrong with the current toy. And really for what it is its a great model. It just lacks a few steps in planning that could have made it awesome.

The main gripe everyone takes notice of is the placement of the hidden red button under the hatch which as a stock model is the only practical way to activate the light and sound in the extended position. You can squeeze your finger between the spokes of the brass column but you really have to have a fine pointed finger. This was amongst the first things I set out to correct right off the bat. In doing that I went ahead and removed the primary button as well and created one all service button that activates in both the retracted and extended position. It also blends into the "leather" sleeve very nicely and is pretty reliable unless it gets really cold. (It's a rubbery substance but can get very hard in extreme cold).

Secondarily is the action of extending the claws. In the show it seems much more often that the claws are extended by a flicking of the screwdriver as opposed to a switch-blade type of extension. This takes a little more courage and patience to correct. with the screwdriver dis-assembled into its 2 main parts, the spring loaded mechanism and its inner collar are completely removed so the claws to extend prematurely. It also can complicate the extended light & sound activator.

Lastly for fun I went ahead and mocked up packaging. I had gone for a tweed and pinstripe look at first but found it to be a little quaint and not quite my style. This streamlined version seems to do a nice trick.