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The Tardis Well House

Started by jorwick, May 07, 2015, 09:42 am

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jorwick

May 07, 2015, 09:42 am Last Edit: Aug 11, 2016, 11:16 pm by jorwick
Finally got the time and gumption to begin my Tardis build.. which I first modeled in sketchup

http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=5718.0

trying something a little strange for the roof after seeing numerous comments on how difficult these are to make watertight-- I found a boat making article on "poor mans fiberglass" - You glue canvas over plywood and then paint it.. the paint supposedly protects the canvas and the canvas protects the paint and you get a  long lasting water-tight cover..

My Wife sewed some "dart" seams in at the corners and I laid it out
IMG_20150427_154444_051_zpsuvfdn21k.jpg

and glued it down.

IMG_20150430_163300_759_zps4vp5lslf.jpg

I will let everyone know if this works as intended or not.  I painted it today and I am pleased with the look.  
Still working on Columns and Sign boxes ( got a quote on signs today..)   and I haven't even begun on the door/wall panels.

Sorvan

Quote from: jorwick on May 07, 2015, 09:42 am
trying something a little strange for the roof after seeing numerous comments on how difficult these are to make watertight-- I found a boat making article on "poor mans fiberglass" - You glue canvas over plywood and then paint it.. the paint supposedly protects the canvas and the canvas protects the paint and you get a  long lasting water-tight cover..


What a great idea!  Lots of glue and lots of paint should do the trick.

My one question/concern about this is if you actually needed to sew in darts.  In my build, it worked fine just draping the cloth over the roof.  Depending on your weight of canvas it may be stiffer than the glass cloth I used.  For anyone in the future who may use this technique, I'd suggest thinking about overlapping multiple pieces of fabric rather than trying to sew one piece to make it fit.  Overlapping would also give extra cloth which could absorb the glue and paint - and not generate a fabric seam along the wood seam.  Also, not everyone has the ability to sew large straight darts.   ;D

Colin

museumdave

I have seen a lot of canvas cover canoes working with the same Idea.  I think this is a really good and cleaver solution.

I look forward to hearing how it works, and how it holds up to the weather.

thanks for sharing

M.D.
"I could retire and be the curator of this place,"  the 11th doctor or maybe the 12th?

jorwick

Quote from: Sorvan on May 08, 2015, 04:07 am
Quote from: jorwick on May 07, 2015, 09:42 am
trying something a little strange for the roof after seeing numerous comments on how difficult these are to make watertight-- I found a boat making article on "poor mans fiberglass" - You glue canvas over plywood and then paint it.. the paint supposedly protects the canvas and the canvas protects the paint and you get a  long lasting water-tight cover..


What a great idea!  Lots of glue and lots of paint should do the trick.

My one question/concern about this is if you actually needed to sew in darts.  In my build, it worked fine just draping the cloth over the roof.  Depending on your weight of canvas it may be stiffer than the glass cloth I used.  For anyone in the future who may use this technique, I'd suggest thinking about overlapping multiple pieces of fabric rather than trying to sew one piece to make it fit.  Overlapping would also give extra cloth which could absorb the glue and paint - and not generate a fabric seam along the wood seam.  Also, not everyone has the ability to sew large straight darts.   ;D

Colin


Thanks Colin, I hadn't seen your build .. Real fiberglass has to be better than my poor man's fiberglass, but boy that looks like a lot of work.. but it also looks great.

I haven't worked with real fiberglass but from the photos it seems to "melt" a bit after wetting... could that have taken up the slack?  I tried just draping my canvas as a test and just tacking it with staples,  and my roof angle caused enough bunching that my wife offered to sew the darts. I used some only plywood that had been recovered and you can see every little dent now that its dry- so I suspect that no matter what one does, you will get seams with this method.. I think its very probable that you will see the edge of the cloth you overlap.. I am about to do a few more sections of the roof with this  where I will overlap this week, so I will put it to the test and report. . 

I wanted it to be one piece to ensure I got it  "watertight" -- but overlapping would probably work just as well.  This needs to be a functional building on my farm, so if its a question of making it last vs. making it pretty, I am choosing longevity.

I did put the painted  roof out for 4 days of rain and one day of snow this past week and it held up really well (far better than the newborn  calf I lost to the storm)   All dry underneath, so  far so good. The real question is what is it like after 3 years of that ...




 


Sorvan

Quote from: jorwick on May 11, 2015, 01:20 pm
I haven't worked with real fiberglass but from the photos it seems to "melt" a bit after wetting... could that have taken up the slack?


Now that I think about it, the fibreglass cloth has a very loose weave which makes it easier to stretch and compact in different areas when it's wet - something that your canvas probably wouldn't do as well at.  The cloth isn't melting, it's that when the glass fibres are surrounded by the resin, they just seem to disappear since both glass and resin are clear.

Quote from: jorwick on May 11, 2015, 01:20 pm
I wanted it to be one piece to ensure I got it  "watertight" -- but overlapping would probably work just as well.  This needs to be a functional building on my farm, so if its a question of making it last vs. making it pretty, I am choosing longevity.


Yes, that's absolutely the way to go for an outdoor box.  I started my build after seeing pictures of other people's outdoor boxes rotting an falling apart - which greatly influenced the choices I made about how to build mine.

Colin

jorwick

Jul 28, 2015, 11:42 pm #5 Last Edit: Jul 29, 2015, 12:55 am by jorwick
Okay, A more detail build diary is to follow, but its all done..  My columns warped a bit and that led to problems with a tight fit of the sign boxes, but using encouragement sticks (pipe clamps ) I got the fit close enough.. though I suspect I will still have wasps deciding  that the sign boxes would be really cool places to build nests.. so a rebuild of columns and sign boxes may be in order -- someday. We will see how the canvas holds up to Colorado winter and how water tight my design ends up being. The window are 100% fake ( and look it close up)  I used frosted window film on one side of the plexiglass and dotted privacy film on both sides. The Stiles are just caulked onto the plexi directly. Still , I am pleased with the effect from anything over 10 feet or so..

IMG_20150728_164018_zpskieqpsfw.jpg
IMG_20150728_163555_zpsujeyxhwp.jpg
IMG_20150728_163504_zpspffvcvuc.jpg

How do you make a TARDIS look small?  Place it under your 200 Year old Cottonwood tree

IMG_20150722_192331_zps6vactfvc.jpg

The Well it is covering with new head..and new insulation
IMG_20150719_145003_zpszcxwt8zd.jpg
IMG_20150721_155204_zpsfculec8m.jpg
IMG_20150721_172251_zpsxlgapxrq.jpg

I will try to post later with a complete build document.. I am still working on the electronics for the lights and sound.. and since its still summer, I am unlikely to be trapped indoors long enough to complete it till October.  The theory here is I will be using a Raspberry Pi PC with motion sensors, a PC controlled 20W amp, some direct transducer and a couple of 12V LED lamps to allows the system to do different things.. Play a Cloister bell when the Well actually runs perhaps,  turning on interior lights and signboxes after dusk till midnight,  running the materialization sound and top light when someone approaches.. doing de-materialization sounds and light after the door is shut and   so on.. ideally all driven from a neat little web gui..

galacticprobe

Jul 28, 2015, 11:52 pm #6 Last Edit: Jul 28, 2015, 11:52 pm by galacticprobe
Now that's one way to make your TARDIS really bigger on the inside! (There's an entire river inside that TARDIS!) ;D

Great job on that one, jorwick. She really is a "Sexy Thing".

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"

Volpone

A very nice build, all told.  Looks to be 99% Hartnell with just the smallest hint of Capaldi thrown in.  Your "fake" windows let light through and your phone panel not only opens, it has a phone in it.  AND you tracked down authentic English door handles.  No need to be self-deprecating, it is a fine TARDIS. 
"My dear Litefoot, I've got a lantern and a pair of waders, and possibly the most fearsome piece of hand artillery in all England. What could possibly go wrong?"
-The Doctor.

russellsuthern

Agreed,
another great TARDIS to add to our growing numbers!

Russell

davidnagel

Interesting well cover!

I wouldn't want to "forget" and rush in to the box....

:p
Regards
David

jorwick

Quote from: volpone on Jul 29, 2015, 05:00 am
A very nice build, all told.  Looks to be 99% Hartnell with just the smallest hint of Capaldi thrown in.  Your "fake" windows let light through and your phone panel not only opens, it has a phone in it.  AND you tracked down authentic English door handles.  No need to be self-deprecating, it is a fine TARDIS. 


Well, its a pretty quick and dirty build compared to what most achieve on this board. I didn't even try to replicate any version of the prop..(but yes there is a LOT of Hartnell in there with NST basic dimensions,  and any details from other props that I decided I liked...)  Wherever possible its all standard dimensional US  lumber ( the steps I think are the only place where I needed to rip something special) and I cheated by using a pocket hole jig to build the doors and then I just routed out the panels.. And then of course the windows are plexiglass with painted hardwood floor spline glued to them.. and the lamp is a plaster of paris mold of my camping cook set pot glued to a round bit of ply wood and attached with dowels..  so I can't even to begin to claim that I put anywhere near the effort of those folks who actually found pebbled glass and made real window frames ( much less frames that open!)  or did proper wood joinery on the door panels,  or made really cool iron work for the  lamp, or who simply got of of their bits to fit together square :)
To tell the truth just looking at some of the build diaries made me exhausted, and much in envy of the end products..

And those door handles.. Someone in the UK or in America decided to route them to Australia first. .  I used an ebay source someone posted here and the poor guy had to send me another set, which I still have to send back...

In the end though mine is just a  TARDIS-like box for covering a well....one step up from a TARPIS  really (http://www.phrebh.com/Jenius/697-100-dollar-tardis/)  but I am very grateful to this community for keeping me inspired and for the positive feedback. I have to admit I find my self staring at it each and every time I walk by. I don't know why having it pleases me so, but it does.


jorwick

Quote from: davidnagel on Jul 29, 2015, 09:28 am
Interesting well cover!

I wouldn't want to "forget" and rush in to the box....

:p


Its an interesting well.  26" across.  The previous owner had it in a tin pipe structure, that you have to take screws out of to gain access, and of course you never put the screws back on because it was a pain..  and then the well itself was (mostly) covered with a bit of plywood. I use the well for livestock so the last thing I need is some small animal like a mouse falling in and polluting the whole thing with e-coli or some other fun bacterial growth. As you can see from my welds, welding is not a skill I excel at either, but it held my weight when I stood on it, so its should probably last a while..)
The well  pipe is also slightly oblong so all of my clever plans to have both doors open were laid waste for lack of half an inch. Oh well. One door opens half way (the left) and I can pull the hinges if I really need that much access.  But yeah that first step in would be a doozy. The dirt "floor" is one foot down and that well casing is sure to catch you on the way down...

davidnagel

For a rush build that is pretty damn impressive, I hope my not-so-rushed build looks just as impressive, one day!

Your welding looks bang on to me and I've been welding bits and pieces over the years and my joins are just terrible!

I presume the phone is to call well dwellers :D
Regards
David

jorwick

Now with lights and sound!



Lights and Sound controller thread is here:

http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=6540.0



galacticprobe

Jan 18, 2016, 05:11 pm #14 Last Edit: Jan 18, 2016, 05:11 pm by galacticprobe
Great video! (It starts out looking like some sort of "Dr. Frankenstein lab" going on inside the Old Girl.) The rest of the display is just amazing. Is that the original Theme music from the New Series 1-3 era? I've never been able to find a complete version of it like that before!

Great job!

Dino.
"What's wrong with being childish?! I like being childish." -3rd Doctor, "Terror of the Autons"