Dave Strider's Timetables (Spinnable): Prop Tutorial
its simple math
you cant be dave strider without time travel and you cant time travel without a pair of kickass timetables
and since card alchemy doesnt exist yet youll have to make your own pseudo DJ equipment by hand
itll take a little bit of elbow grease
but its nothing you cant handle
so lets get down to brass tacks
Materials (2 of each, if you're building the full set):
- Quite a lot of Krazy Glue (or hot glue, but I've never used hot glue, so I recommend Krazy)
- Pizza saucing ring (7") (model I used)
- Fake vinyl record (7") (model I used)
- Plain white record label sticker OR custom label design (company I produced from) (design I used)
- Record player spindle
- Record player tonearm (8") (model I used) (optional, but it really elevates the prop!)
- Pair of gloves (faux black leather goes pretty well with most Dave cosplays, but this part is up to your discretion; as long as they fit your hands, you're cool)
- Planetary gear spinner (~4") (model I used)
- Moldable eraser or sturdy putty of some kind
- White acrylic paint
- Red acrylic paint (depending)
- Sandpaper/sanding drill (depending) (both P60 and P100 grits were best for my purposes)
- 11" 3D printed gears (model I made) (more on this later)
This is an old diagram, and it isn't perfectly accurate. It should give you the idea though.
I like to split the timetable itself into 2 parts: top and bottom. Let's start with the top part, because it's objectively the easiest to configure and explain.
The top is composed of one pizza saucing ring, one 7-inch fake vinyl record, one label sticker, one spindle, one tonearm, and one glove. You'll also need your white paint and some Krazy Glue.
1a. ==> Paint the sauce ring white with any old white acrylic paint. I recommend thinning your acrylic with water to prevent it from coming out clumpy. I failed to do this and it's not AWFUL, but if you get close to my prop or feel it with your fingers you can tell that my paint job isn't as smooth as it could be.
1b. When all else fails, remember: a lot of thin coats is much better than a few thick coats. Be patient. Acrylic dries pretty fast anyway.
2. ==> Put sticker on top side of record. Line it up as best you can. This thing won't be budging later, and you'll kick yourself if it isn't perfect.
3a. ==> Krazy glue the record along the top edge of the ring. I really like the sauce ring, because it has one bunched up edge, which is perfect to set the vinyl down on.
3b. Remember to keep your workspace ventilated, and don't inhale the glue fumes.
4. ==> Prep the tonearm. If you get the model of tonearm I linked, it should be the perfect length to slightly hang off the side of the top of the vinyl. The tonearms also come with wires. Cut those out.
You will also want to cut off the plastic diagonal part at the base of the tonearm (not sure how else to describe it, it's just this plastic part that will get in the way of placement). You can lop that off with any old kitchen knife, the plastic is weak. Krazy Glue it on as shown.
5a. ==> Glue the spindle in the record hole. Your label sticker may have a punchout hole in the center. Make sure you punch that out. The spindle can go in there, and with Krazy Glue, you can hold it in place with one hand while you use the other to put glue in the hole. Make SURE that the spindle is halfway in, halfway out. The other half sticking through the bottom should be the same length as the half sticking through the top.
5b. Remember that Krazy Glue is mega strong. It solidifies in seconds (though it takes 24 hours to TRULY set; more on that later) so make sure the spindle is properly vertical when you glue it in. Otherwise, it'll be stuck at an angle unless you break it off. We want to minimize the amount of times you'll have to break your prop apart to fix it.
6a. ==> Glue your glove on. I actually recommend waiting until AFTER you have EVERYTHING ELSE done to do this. This really should be your LAST step. But it's part of the top bit, so I'm putting it here anyway.
The way I did this was: put the glove on, place your hand down where you want the fingertips to be, and then glue each fingertip individually.
6b. Be CAREFUL! The glue can and may seep through your gloves! They should be thick enough, but even mine almost got stuck. You do not want to actually genuinely glue your fingertips to this thing. Press down into the glue with your gloved finger a bit, then lift your finger away from the edge of the glove's fabric while using your other, ungloved hand to press the glove's fingertip down into the glue from the outside.
Placing your gloved hand down helps ensure the pose you glue will be natural, and that your hand won't be uncomfortable every time you use these. Your wrists probably will be uncomfortable no matter what, though. These are pretty heavy, and it takes some getting used to if you don't already exercise them. I recommend spreading out your fingers for maximum strength.
Now for the bottom part. This is where things get annoying and complicated, so bear with me. I made a lot of mistakes with mine, but you should be able to clear those hurdles as I warn you of them.
The bottom is composed of an 11-inch 3D printed gearset, as well as one planetary spinner, and a bit of moldable eraser or putty. You will also need something sturdy that can fit in/on the center of your spinner (I found a pen that I cut up; more on that later), Krazy Glue, sandpaper/some form of sanding implement (depending) and paint (depending; we'll get there).
These gears. These fucking gears. They will ruin your life.
7a. ==> Acknowledge that these gears will ruin your life.
7b. There are print houses all over the world which will take your 3D model, print it at your specifications, and ship it to you. If you don't already have a 3D printer big enough to print something 11 inches (without splitting it into multiple parts), you'll have to find one of these companies for yourself. The company I worked with was right here in the lovely city of New York, so I picked them up at their printing house. Shameless endorsement! Seriously, they're pretty good.
7c. I can't recommend this enough: find a company which will also sand and color your print FOR you. Painting the pizza ring is nothing. Painting and sanding THIS thing, all by yourself? It's arguably the worst part of this entire ordeal.
I must highlight this. This was my greatest mistake of all.
If you can stomach sitting in one spot sanding at weird angles and tiring your arms for hours, THEN going back over and painting every little groove, THEN doing the entire thing a SECOND TIME... then sure; save the extra $100. But it really sucks.
You gotta open your windows and blow a fan and shit. There's gonna be fumes, there's gonna be sweat, there's gonna be tears. And if you squint your eyes at the cherry red acrylic, there might even be blood.
7d. This is where I also must mention costs. I haven't up until this point, because it really depends on where you choose to buy all your materials from, but this print (at the very least, TWO of this same print, at the same size as I ordered them) will be over $200. Mine were about $380, for the both of them.
I chose 3D printing because it would be perfectly exact to my measurements, and DAMN do they look good, and DAMN did I slave over getting them perfect, but DAMN are they costly!
If you want an alternative, the file link to the model I made lets you view measurements. Feel free to replicate it with foam or cardboard or whatever else. But if you have the time, the money, and the dream: go for 3D.
8a. ==> Sand. If you didn't get your chosen company to sand your gears, you will have to sand them yourself. The process is straightforward. I used sandpaper. You just want a smooth surface to paint over (unless you asked for red PVC, which I really should have done; whether you're painting or not, a smooth print surface looks a lot better than a bumpy, freshly-printed texture).
8b. ==> Start at a lower grit (coarser) and move to a higher one (thinner) to prevent breakage. I started with P60 and switched to P100 periodically. There are plenty of 3D print sanding tutorials out there that can also help with this part.
8c. This is more of a suggestion, because I have no experience with it. I didn't use a hand sanding drill, because I've heard they can melt PVC...? I do know some people use those for 3D prints. If you have one already, and/or know how to use one, and/or can bother with a tutorial video elsewhere, go for it. It's probably gonna save you a lot of turmoil.
The shapes of these gears do not lend well to sanding with sandpaper; there are a lot of little grooves to get into. It may take you a few days. Sorry.
9. ==> Paint. Again, optional, if you got it colored or painted by the company you had it printed from. But if not, just use acrylic. Again, you can thin it with water for a smoother finish. And AGAIN, you'll need to get into a ton of little grooves to paint this thing properly. It will also suck. When it's done, you will feel like a god.
10a. The spinner. Here's how the spinning contraption works. I used a planetary gear spinner, because the center of the spinner stays still while the surrounding gears move around it. That center part is our ticket to success.
The center part of the spinner is connected to the bottom of the spindle. The outside parts of the spinner are connected to the flat top surface of the gear piece. This allows the gear to spin independently of the rest of the prop, which is held still by your hand in the glove.
Remember how we made sure our spindle was equally split in the hole? This is why. It will be connected to our spinner.
For mine, I found that one of the pens I happen to own fit perfectly into the hole of the center of the spinner. I glued that in there, then surrounded the top of the pen piece with moldable eraser, and glued the end of the spindle into it.
10b. WHEN GLUING: ==> Glue the center of the spinner to the spindle first. DON'T GLUE THE OUTSIDE OF THE SPINNER TO THE GEAR TOP FIRST!!!
I did it this way and it SUCKED. It's hard to see what you're doing, and you'll break it a few times no matter what. Just turn the top half of the timetable upside down, and glue it that way before you glue it down to the gear top.
10c. ==> Remember that Krazy Glue takes 24 hours to truly set. Once you get your putty and glue and spindle all connected and sturdy (and VERTICAL), make sure it's being held in place and won't droop or sag as you leave it to set. Give it a solid day to fully dry. I didn't do this the first few attempts, and the timetable broke multiple times when I tried to pick it up and use it right after gluing. Wait 24 hours for your glue to set.
10d. ==> Glue the outside of the spinner to the gear top. Make SURE it's centered. Otherwise, you'll be able to tell it's uneven while it spins.
10e. ==> See 6a.
11. ==> Spin like a god. Spin that shit like it's Beyblades. Get all the women. And the men. Because you did it. You made it happen.
I excluded a ton of mistakes I made with mine because they're all pretty irrelevant, but I will share one blunder:
I originally wanted the top of the spinner to sit in a ridge I set in the gear print.
Well... when I picked up the print, I found that they actually didn't fit at all. So I had to fill that ring in with moldable eraser and paint over it. If you look closely you can tell.
But I don't care. Learning experience.
The model file I've provided nixes this ring, so you won't need to do that (if you go with my print).
Also, feel free to substitute any of the materials I used! I just kind of used whatever felt right. I'm sure there's better putty than moldable eraser to use as a pseudo bonding agent.
If you have any questions just comment or message me. Happy scratching B)
made another davekat comic! 46 pages! idk i guess rated T for feelings and make outs and dave’s sad backstory and stuff. basically the most embarrassing thing i ever drew looolll; read it over here -> WOO!
New fan Homestuck calendar for 2025 is out for preorders, and look who's on the cover :) Everyone's pieces came out especially gorgeous this year, so please check it out! Truly a treat for your wall
Feat. some progress shots because they're always fun to look back at
I had the honor of being commissioned by the folks on over at @promstuck2025 to contribute an illustration for their fan event! The theme this year is "Dance of the Dreamers," so I made a masquerade ball inspired drawing~ 🌙
The Promstuck folks will also be selling this as a print at their online storefront, check it out! :D
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