The Original You Might Say

[spica]

O.K. forget that bit in my message about compatability and just give me a while to sort the dimensioning and away we go! The Dimms are important as they are an integral part of this interpretation of the box. Though all this perfection is very much a box of the mind, anyone who gets their hands dirty with builds will have to tweak it in all sorts of ways, though as measurements of the actual boxes show this is just how it was for the original contractors.
Vis the bases, I've done one standard base a la Trench but the real Mcoy vary considerably. This would be harder if they contained the slots for the walls, so I've shown a simplified base where the walls just sit on it, perhaps with a bit of grouting. I imagine hard working contractors doing their best to sneak shortcuts past Mr Mackenzie Trench who was, I suspect, a stickler.

[fivefingeredstyre]

Spica,

Well done, that is absolutely incredible, and the detail is amazing!

How long did it take you to put that lot together?


Steve

[spica]

Thanks Steve, um well quite a while. It's actually my first CAD project. I needed something to maintain interest while learning the software and what better?
Also I'm obsessed with completeness, I think it's borderline Aspergers Syndrome. On which note I'm going to add some dimensioned drawings soon and then maybe fittings at a later date. As I say, if it's useful then all to good but bear in mind there's a fair bit of guesswork. Furthermore as I recently commented to Mark it's probably more complicated than just the neat scheme of 5 types!

[ironageman]

Gosh, I've hardly begun to absorb all this stuff but it's hugely impressive and useful.

[spica]

Thanks Ironageman,
            if your'e appy, I'm appy! It's important to point out once more that this is only based on all the work everyone else has put in here and elsewhere, without which I couldn't have made a start. Also that it will doubtless need revision.
   Ta.

[purpleblancmange]

Spica, I don't know how I managed to miss your wonderful diagrams / 3D models, but what can I say?  One word for it, "Stunning!" - what a great resource, well done that man.

[showstopper]

there great must of taken ages the new merchandise are done by cad i think
there realy usefull for building

[spica]

Thanks guys,
         but hold on there! I have to announce some errors. With Mark's help I've realised that the Met roofs are slightly wrong, The middle step of Critch is much too shallow, that of Barnet a tiny touch so, Dinky should be nearer Critch and the line up will need redoing as I'm now convinced that Critch is nearer to Dinky and plans so is probably earlier than Barnet.
I won't have time to redo all the illustrations but I will produce some new ones clarifying and correcting the errors. I will also correct the CAD files.
Bear with me, it will all take a while.
Cheers all.

[Mark]

Well, it's been a long time since I made any progress with the model build (The full size ones gonna take forever!!!), but I finally got around to doing a bit more.

The roof is completely complete (except fot the lamp). The inside of the roof has been lined to resemble the inside of the real roof, and Ive finished adding the filler onto the steps to create the subtle slopes required.

I've now got on with the sign boxes. For the model I'm making all four in one piece (possibly like the fabled 'ring beam'?), mainly to save time but also to ensure they all line up (at this scale inaccuracies are really noticable!).

Because of the design of the 'real' signboxes, I will have to build my minature version with a lot of internal structure so as to give the illusion of solidness, and it's this part that is so time consuming.

After seeing the stuff I have done so far, I had decided not to post any pictures because the build was looking a little 'home made' (no sanding, texturing, paint etc) and I was a little ashamed to post them (plus my camera-phone is shoddy!), but after a little pressuring from a certain Time Lady, I figure what the hell!

Before next week I shall post pictures of the story so far...

[Mark]

I've actually got a sign in a sign box!

I was so happy and impressed!

You guys/gals know how it is. You take ages building a TARDIS part (wall for example) and you look and feel so proud and happy, then realise you have to do three more of the same,,,,,

I'm too impatient, so as soon as I'd done one sign box, I figured I must see how it looked with a sign in it!

My signs are made up of a combination of the EPS files (still don't know what that stands for :-/) Ironage sent me, a sign I drew up myself ages ago (on Microsoft Paint ), and a little bit of overall tinkering. They were then printed out on 'Best' setting, before I reversed the writing and printed out some more on 'normal' setting.

When these are then glued carefully together, it gives the impression of a real sign. I then laminated each sign before attempting to attach to the model.

I've lit them using a mini-maglight and they look reasonably good.

next step, finish the other three sign boxes

[purpleblancmange]

Mark, I know how you feel about getting one wall of a model and then being impatient and wanting to see what it'll look like when finished and dreading having to repeat it three more times.  I've stalled now on a Hartnell box that I started 4 years ago and the New Series TARDIS that I began last year, both are now packed away because I really can't be bothered to build the rest... but I really ought to finish what I start.  What does that say about my character?   :-/

Anyway, I'm glad you're making headway with yours and I look forward to seeing what you've done - what scale is it, by the way?

[Scarfwearer]

My signs are made up of a combination of the EPS files (still don't know what that stands for :-/)

'Encapsulated PostScript'. 'Encapsulated' because PostScript is a programming language designed for intelligent printers to understand, and they needed a way to separate parts of the program so that programs that represent documents could be divided into pages for management by printing subsystems (well that's part of the reason, anyway) and 'Post' because the language uses reverse polish notation and puts the operators after the operands, much like on an HP scientific calculator. The 'Script' bit is sort of because it's like a scripting language - except that it was invented before what we now think of as scripting languages.

You didn't really want to know that did you?

Crispin

[Mark]

Unfortunately, Police Box/TARDIS building does seem to get quite repetative doesn't it!

I suppose ultimately it'll be worth it.

The scale has ended up as 1/4 scale. Bigger than I had intended, but quite a nice scale to work with.

Thanks for clearing that EPS thingy up Scarfy. At least I know what it means know, although I don't actually understand it

Sometime between now and midnight, I shall (as promised) get some piccy's taken and posted. I suppose that if you've seen one roof, or one sign box then you've seen them all, but by posting the picture of my buld will kinda make me feel a little more  part of the 'club'!

[ironageman]

A quarter scale is unexpectedly big - big enough for a police dog! Or a police cat perhaps, if there is such a thing. Yeah, go on, post some piccies!

(I'd imagined that PostScript was just a whimsical and randomly-chosen name so that's good to know, ScarfWearer - reverse polish notation is somehow a very satisfying logical thing, it's sort of like looking at the cogs that drive the universe.)

[bach4me]

I got a reply from English Heritage.  Who wants to guess what they said? 
Oddly enough, they have no records of the original construction or fabrication methods used on the call boxes.  Nor do they have any photographs of the boxes being built.
Actually, they were very friendly in their reply.  Not at all the "Go away kid, you bother me" type of response I expected.

Spica, how are things going?  I hope real life is co-operating with your police box ambitions!  As usual, my "real life" is still being rather obstinate.

-Benjamin