Mar 29, 2024, 04:50 am

News:

New, New TardisBuilders!


2005 Model TARDIS Build

Started by blinky, Sep 29, 2010, 05:09 am

Previous topic - Next topic

blinky

Sep 29, 2010, 05:09 am Last Edit: Nov 29, 2010, 04:47 pm by Scarfwearer
This is my first post, and I'll try to make it a fantastic one!  I'm building a model of the 10th Doctor's TARDIS to impress this amazing girl.  I'm hoping to have it done soon, as in the next couple of days, so that I can surprise her with it at work as a mysterious gift on her desk.  Admittedly, the materials of construction are a bit mundane, but I'm not made of money, nor do I have much in the way of power tools other than screwdrivers.

I started construction with an old box I had laying around in my storage closet.  Why, you ask?  Because it was perfectly square.

100_4806 - Copy.JPG

I decided to coat it with some navy fabric I had left over from making a costume for an anime convention.

100_4807 - Copy.JPG

I cut doors in it with a razor knife.

100_4808 - Copy.JPG

I hand sewed (because I don't have a sewing machine) the fabric and hot glued it to the box.

100_4814 - Copy.JPG100_4815 - Copy.JPG

I cut window holes and then I got excited and wanted to test the little set of lights I bought to give the illusion that something is inside.  I pulled nine bulbs through (2 for each sign and one for the light on top) and then cut a little hole in the back for the plug to go through.

100_4816 - Copy.JPG100_4817 - Copy.JPG100_4818 - Copy.JPG100_4819 - Copy.JPG

I wanted to see what the windows would look like covered with paper when the lights were on.

100_4820 - Copy.JPG100_4821 - Copy.JPG

Finally I started the craft foam portion of the construction and did the base and just a bit on the door.  I can't wait to finish it!

100_4822 - Copy.JPG

I know it looks a bit shabby right now, but I'm confident I can make it something worthy of the person who is going to receive it.  Please give me your opinions on my progress!

Scarfwearer

Looking good so far! I've not seen cloth being used instead of paint on a model before: will be interesting to see how that turns out.

Hope she likes it!

Crispin

cathlyn847

Have a fella build me a TARDIS? bang-wow Over the moon I'd go.
The perfect gift.  ;D
What would the Doctor do?

rocket

Interesting idea, I must say the colour is incredible.

Rather keen to see how this turns out.
Farewell Sarah Jane, you will be missed.

blinky

I've made quite a bit more progress!  I'm almost done and should be able to finish it tonight!

I've printed out a picture of the inside of the 10th Doctor's TARDIS and plan to mount it inside somehow (yet to be determined).

100_4823 - Copy.JPG

I did a lot more of the exterior foam work and and got a good picture of the little door handle I made out of part of a twisty thing off of a loaf of bread.

100_4824 - Copy.JPG100_4825 - Copy.JPG100_4834 - Copy.JPG100_4836 - Copy.JPG

After finishing the top and gluing the light in, I wanted to test it out!  So cute!!  :3

100_4838 - Copy.JPG100_4841 - Copy.JPG100_4843 - Copy.JPG

After All the foam work was done I covered everything in a coat of navy blue acrylic paint.

100_4844 - Copy.JPG100_4845 - Copy.JPG100_4847 - Copy.JPG

And today at work (because I don't have a printer at home) I printed out the signage!

100_4846 - Copy.JPG

Now all I have left to do is:
- finish the paint job with some weather effects and such.
- decide whether I want to cut holes for lights in the police box signs or not.
- put the signs on.
- coat everything in a mixture of glue and water to give it a seal without changing the color.
- spray lacquer everything for a nice sheen.
- figure out what to do about the interior and how to arrange the lights inside.

I'm so excited!  I can't wait to finish!!

DoctorWho8

Very nice.  Did you use my PDFs or did you make the signs yourself?
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

rocket

Farewell Sarah Jane, you will be missed.

blinky

Quote from: DoctorWho8 on Oct 01, 2010, 01:40 am
Very nice.  Did you use my PDFs or did you make the signs yourself?
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff


I used your PDFs, thanks for posting them!  I started out trying to make my own, but soon realized I wouldn't be able to make them look as good as I wanted without printing them out.

blinky

IT'S FINISHED!!  I finished it last night (morning?) at about 5 AM!  I wanted to wait and post pictures today such that I could take some out in the sunlight instead of just a bunch of crappy flash pictures.

I started out the evening working on touching up the paint and adding weather effects.

100_4848 - Copy.JPG

After I was satisfied with the paint job, I added the signage, built the housing for the light on top, and coated the entire thing with 50% glue/50% water to seal it.

100_4852 - Copy.JPG100_4853 - Copy.JPG100_4855 - Copy.JPG

I remembered that I had some thin copper foil left over from making a samurai costume in undergrad, and I decided it would make a great backing for the interior picture I had printed out.

100_4856 - Copy.JPG

After everything was together I wanted to test the lights and make sure they were still functioning after all the gluing/jostling/etc.

100_4857 - Copy.JPG100_4860 - Copy.JPG100_4861 - Copy.JPG100_4862 - Copy.JPG100_4865 - Copy.JPG100_4868 - Copy.JPG100_4870 - Copy.JPG

Finally I was ready to spray lacquer the entire thing.  It came out beautifully!

100_4875 - Copy.JPG100_4876 - Copy.JPG100_4879 - Copy.JPG100_4880 - Copy.JPG100_4881 - Copy.JPG100_4885 - Copy.JPG

blinky

And some pictures from the sunny sidewalk outside my cave of an apartment:

100_4886 - Copy.JPG100_4887 - Copy.JPG100_4888 - Copy.JPG100_4889 - Copy.JPG100_4890 - Copy.JPG100_4891 - Copy.JPG

I'm going to give it to her this evening under the guise of coming over and watching Sherlock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_%28TV_series%29).  I really hope she likes it!

I realize there are a couple things that aren't completely accurate, though.  For example, the door panels are a little more rectangular than they should be, and there are no holes in the corners of the roof that let light out.  Also, my placement of the little door handles is off, resulting from my "I'll just test it real fast and not measure" technique of building (I know, my bad...).  And I ended up deciding against digging holes for lights behind the police box signs, which would have been nice to have now that I look at the completed structure.  Hopefully she can look past those little things, but I do wish I had been a little more careful and a little less spazzy and excited.

Regardless, it was so much fun and I can't wait to see her face when I present it to her!

blinky

By the way, total build time was approximately 18 hours, most of that being after midnight.  :P

DoctorWho8

Nice Job.  You put Blue Peter to shame.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff