Custom Sliders Timer




A member of The Replica Prop Forum proposed a contest to make an original version of the Timer prop from the 90's sci-fi show Sliders. We had one month and had base it off of something we found at a dollar/thrift store. The only other requirement was to have a display for Hours/Minutes/Seconds. For mine I found an Atari Missile Command handheld game at my local thrift store for $1:

Base Toy

I started by stripping out the electronics and removing the stickers. Next I started designing the displays out of parts I had sitting around. Six 7-segment displays became the time display with 2 extra LED's to provide other indicators/take up space. A spare potentiometer became the intensity knob and a 10 segment display provides additional indicator lights.

Holes Cut Display Electronics Lit Numbers Board Back Lower Display

I had hoped to make some of the indicator lights blink with the use of a 555 timer but I wound up not having enough time. As it was I found that the 2 AA batteries the body housing accepted were insufficient for powering the entire display. After playing around with some wiring tricks I gave up, soldered a 3v watch battery to power the 10-segment display and used a SPDT on/off switch to turn them both on at once. With the displays done I glued some scrap styrene around them as mounting brackets then hot glued them in place after spray painting the body.

Boxed Upper Boxed Lower Installed Displays Back Installed Displays Front Display Lit Primed Case

For the display window I cut up a "hard" trading card sleeve, masked parts with electrical tape and then gave it a shot of gloss black spray paint. The "emitter" was made from four plugs I pulled out of old computer cords.

Finished Paint Lit In Dark Hand Scale Display Cover Top Pieces Finished Timer 1 Finished Timer 2 Finished Timer 3 Finished Timer 4

I wound up finishing the night before the contest ended though I needn't have rushed. As usually happens with contests like this enthusiasm died quickly and I wound up being the only one to enter on time with only one other entry coming in a few days later. It was an interesting challenge though and I now have a neat light-up prop to play with.

Finished Timer 5 Finished Timer 6 Finished Timer 7 Finished Timer 8 Finished Timer 9 Finished Timer 10 Finished Timer 11

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