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A Met Box Build

Started by fivefingeredstyre, May 01, 2011, 06:10 pm

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fivefingeredstyre

I didn't do them... :-[


fivefingeredstyre

Jun 02, 2013, 08:55 pm #106 Last Edit: Jun 03, 2013, 02:00 pm by Theta Sigma
How do!

Been doing a spot of redecorating on my box...

I unwittingly cut a few corners when I built mine, as I didn't realise how much filler soaks up water and expands. After two pretty heavy winters the old girl has started to show a couple of signs of wear and tear, with some of the joints blowing...

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It took a good 18 months to track down all the little leaks that were present in the box as well. Not just the roof joints I sealed a year ago, but I was also getting moisture ingress around my lintel signs as well. Happily these seem to have been cured as much as they can be, but the moisture played havoc with the interior decoration.

I've also noticed the right hand door warping slightly as well. After a little bit of research i've put this down to the fact that I never used any sealer on the wood when I put it together (being a complete novice I didn't think I would have to...   :-[)

As I was never really happy with the overall quality of my doors. My wood working skills have gotten much better since I first started working on her, so much so I do feel that if I built another one I would handle things much differently, and could probably do a better job, so I decided that whilst I was redecorating the TARDIS I would take the opportunity to replace the doors completely.

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Rain set in for a few days, to I had to stop play for a while...

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Last week the sun came back out and I was able to carry on... It looks as good as new now...

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Hopefully the repairs will see me through another couple of years...

madgaz

This looks absolutely brilliant!! I'm so envious that you can just look out a window and see your own TARDIS!
It looks so pristine and crisp! Excellent work!

Gaz  :)

geminitimelord

For future reference, i experienced the same issue with the wood filler, it absorbed moisture and expanded.

I switched to using a latex paintable caulk. So far the areas filled with the latex are doing well.

darktimelord

Not only a Tardis builder, but a Tardis maintainer!  I've been admiring you met box for a long time now, and she's held up well, thanks to your diligence. I have the easy job of keeping my new box in good shape cuz she's an indoor box, and your a brave man keeping yours outside in the English climate for all the works to see.  Your nighttime shots are incredible btw.

galacticprobe

Jun 10, 2013, 05:07 am #110 Last Edit: Jun 10, 2013, 05:08 am by galacticprobe
Ah... If only that door opened outward I would not be surprised to see Peter Cushing stepping out of it!

Fabulous job!

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

fivefingeredstyre

Mar 15, 2014, 06:03 pm #111 Last Edit: May 30, 2016, 05:08 pm by fivefingeredstyre
How do!

Its that time of year again when the sun comes out and thoughts turn to a little TARDIS maintenance...

We have had a terrible wet winter in the UK this time round and whilst the TARDIS itself has held up pretty well, the signs have paid the price a little.

When I put the box together I didn't really think about how to seal the over door signs, and in the end I simply screwed them in place and silicon sealed them directly to the woodwork... Schoolboy error!

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As you can see, as the wood has expanded and contracted with all the moisture we've had over the last four years since I started building it, the silicon has pulled away the vinyl signage from the perspex backing. as a result it has let in a huge amount of water over the winter...

Looking back it was really obvious that was going to happen...

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Truth is I was never really happy with the typeface used on my signage, so this was a good opportunity to update it.

So I had some more made up. This time though I only got the vinyl lettering made up as I could reuse the original perspex backing.

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I got six made up in total as I knew I was bound to bugger up one or two in the process of applying them (which I did...) and at £30 I thought they were pretty cheap...

(actually I wound up with 12 in total, as the signmakers delivered the first ones reversed. Luckily for me they replaced them free of charge...)

So I removed the old signs from the box, and replaced them with a clear perspex "Window", which I sealed in place with silicon internally this time, with plenty of screws holding the window in place and pushing the perspex tightly to the silicon. I did this about three weeks ago and its seems to have remained water tight very well.

Once the windows were in place I set about removing the old lettering from the white perspex...

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And I made up a wooden jig on my bench to hold the perspex securely in place so I could apply the new lettering squarely

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Like so...

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The vinyl signage comes with two coverings, one to protect the self adhesive backing...

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And another to protect the front...

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And once the lettering is applied, they signage is fixed behind the windows...

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I'm quite pleased with the results...

I was a little concerned that I might get some condensation buildup between the two layers of perspex, but that doesn't seem to have been a problem so far...

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Hopefully thats all the major maintenance its going to need this year... I still have to repair the water damage on the floor inside, which shouldn't be too hard...

But that can wait till later ;)

fivefingeredstyre

Mar 16, 2014, 12:09 pm #112 Last Edit: Mar 16, 2014, 12:25 pm by fivefingeredstyre
View from my Bedroom window this morning...

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All it needs is a red telephone box next to it, and it would look like it should always have been there...

Honestly, I am so not bored with this yet... :D

galacticprobe

Mar 17, 2014, 04:22 am #113 Last Edit: Mar 17, 2014, 04:22 am by galacticprobe
Fantastic job all round! (One could almost expect Peter Cushing to step out of this box... or a real policeman.)

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

DoctorWho8

She's so pretty!
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

fivefingeredstyre

New doors please! :D

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karsthotep

and good to see the Heineken is in the shot. 
I want notes, lists and answers by the time I finish this here Juicy-a-Box! WARNING: I am Thirst-ay! And it is Fruit Punch! And it is Delicious!"

Senseidale

Jun 19, 2017, 05:18 pm #117 Last Edit: Jun 19, 2017, 05:19 pm by Senseidale
I think we all know about maintenance on the Box, I am (feels like forever) working on mine, but looking at your work new doors should not be a problem, keep up the fine work.
Dale.. :)
"In 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important"

Senseidale

After reading through you build diary you have given me inspiration ;D on how to fix and  replace parts of my build, a few hours on youtube on how to fibreglass has given me hope, I have never tried fibreglassing before (tips welcome)  to water proof  my box keep up the fab work.
Dale
"In 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important"

fivefingeredstyre

Little bit of progress...

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I just have t decide on the shade of blue they need to be painted. To date i've always felt my TARDIS was a little bit too bright blue (having used straight Oxford Blue as the colour); it looks great at dusk; however on a really bright day the colour a bit too bright. So i'm planning to redo the whole box a bit darker this time...