Mattsgreats Tardis

mattsgreat · May 16, 2011, 05:39 pm

Ok, firstly I've put some other stuff together on this site when I was fairly clueless.
I'm still fairly clueless but if anyone can tie them together to this page then I'd appreciate it.

I started my build in Christmas 2009. After reading Glenn walkers build notes I got the childhood bug again and thought..."What the hell!"
12 weeks later I had a shiny blue box in my garden and I was very happy.
Several weeks later I had Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) walking around inside it on stage at a fan show. To say I was gobsmacked is an understatement, one of the proudest moments of my life.

For those who want to see how "easy" it CAN be then please take a look. I'm not showing you anything technical just a rough photo novel guide that may help you as Glenn Walkers helped me. ENJOY.

P.S. Total build cost...£198

mattsgreat · May 16, 2011, 06:33 pm

So where do you start?

Well although I now know that there are better sources I used the attached document. It may not have had all the measurements but it wasn't designed for that. I read this cover to cover every night and if you ever read the notes on the last page you'll understand. Glenn thank you for making me excited again about building a Tardis, I salute you.

So after working out my measurements and being fortunate to have access to a load of old pallets at work (They were sodden and fit for nothing) I got to work. The four walls were the cheapest board I could find £11 each but it got me started.

I'm sure you can imagine my giddyness on the last picture. My partner summed it up beautifully at the time..."It's coming to life"

galacticprobe · May 16, 2011, 08:04 pm

Matt, just curious, but were you aware that Glen (Kiwidoc) is one of the Moderators here? He's also working on a revision to his TARDIS Builders Manual, so if you've got any input for him, this is the place to put it: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=2694.msg27793#msg27793.

And yeah; I think if I was in your shoes and had an actual star from 'Doctor Who' walking though one of my builds at a fan show I'd probably wet myself. (Then again, at my age, that could start any time... on its own.

)

Dino.

mattsgreat · May 16, 2011, 08:10 pm

So with enthusiasm 100% fired up it was window time. At this stage images of the Matt Smith Tardis were coming through so I decided to go with that as it fitted with the retro cobbled together look I was after. Call it hindsight but even though it was designed to stay in the garden I wanted it to be easy to take apart. What a revelation that was later but I had to sacrifice some detail parts which would have made this awkward later.
One sheet of plastic approx £40 was designed intricately to be chopped up for the lightboxes and windows. It's amazing what you can work out if you really think about it.

The glass was stupidly cheap at a glazier, £1 each cut to size. Use some mastic to seal it all from behind and hey presto!

Using a template I found with Scarfweaver (Nod

) the signs were simply cut out in black sticky plastic and stuck onto the sheet. I used frosting to take the clearness off the lettering. Amusingly I have had people ask me which salvage yard I have purchased them from. Each lightbox worked out about £2 each but a LOT of patience and tiny cutting was worth it.

The "Blue Paint moment" had begun.

mattsgreat · May 16, 2011, 10:42 pm

Well walls are no good without posts so following Glenns guide (opting out of the quarter trim for now-too expensive) it was a straightforward build. Thankfully the base section is a cheap treated timber option used for scaffle boards. Screws, screws and more screws!!!

Then you need a pretty hefty floor if it's going outside. It still surprises me how big this is!

And the two stage roof which for me was more dependent on the scraps of wood I had left.

Time for a good thick undercoat. I went with a thick wash of pva to seal the wood and then two coats of exterior undercoat.
Paint was one of the most expensive areas, not because of the shade or quality but more the actual quantity. At least four tins of it before even starting on the blue.

mattsgreat · May 16, 2011, 11:48 pm

And then the Blue Paint really got going. Two coats on everything on top of the other undercoats and sealer.
Due to impatience and wanting to test if it would all fit together as planned, everything was resited in the garden for completion.

The door was a challenge not so much the build but the look of it. In the first Matt Smith episode it looks glowing green at night so I went for the see through effect. However that did throw my telephone plans into question.

mattsgreat · May 17, 2011, 12:36 am

Well, outside showed up some build issues that needed attention but sadly it slowed door the remaining painting process.
The Gardman Lantern from the Tennent Tardis was still an acceptable solution pre painting. At £20 quite an expensive part but it was worth it.

After being moved to the planned part of the garden I found several days later that a neighbour complained to the council and I had to legally move the old girl. The below picture shows where from and where to. The full story is in another of my posts but it all worked out better for me and my complaining neighbour has a nice beam of light in their living room each night all perfectly legal from the Tardis. (hoho!)

So what's missing? A telephone of course!

After seeing another members fantastic model I decided to cheat and purchased a cheap replica from the internet. Take it apart, construct an appropriate case to house it and although a digital dial-IT ACTUALLY WORKS!! People call my house and the Tardis rings outside, Brilliant!!