Hi Karsten - watch this space or, more accurately, watch http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=6530.0

Steve (Fivefingeredstyre) and myself are working on a little (well, not so little) project together!

Nice to have you back in the forum!

T

Quote from: Mark on Jun 05, 2014, 10:53 am
I'm not 100% on this one but are the little bulbs on the red inner triangle actually staggered on the original prop?
To explain what I mean - if the lowest bulb on the first side of the triangle is 2 inch from the base, the lowest one on the triangle face to right might be 4 inch from the base while the third triangle panel would have a bulb 6 inch from the base giving the bulbs effectively a spiral path around the triangle column.

Indeed they are - see http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=6530.0

T

when *someone* updates the thread, you mean?

Just sayin' 

I refer my honourable friend to http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=6530.msg81878#msg81878 !

glad to be back, I have missed it, I'll take a stroll over there and take a look.

Can anyone point me toward a link where I can get the 4" tubes?  I've been looking around and haven't found what I'm looking for.  Thanks!

Omarvance, you might take a look at Tap Plastics. They've got several kinds:

Clear Acrylic Tubes (4-inch diameter tubes in 3- and 6-foot lengths)

Clear Cast Acrylic Tubing (4-inch diameter x 6-foot long tubes)

Clear Cast Acrylic Tubing by Linear Foot (self-explanatory, does come in 4-inch diameter)

They've also got colored tubes, but those only come in 2-inch-max. diameter, which is a shame since the colors for both the Pertwee and Tom Baker versions of the column are available. You can check out more at http://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/plastic_rods_tubes_shapes.

The sad thing is that in the last couple of years their prices have risen exponentially. In 2014 they had a cast acrylic tube 8 inches in diameter and 6 feet long (1/8th-inch wall thickness) for just over $100 US. Now that same tube costs $370 US! (It has come down a little; in early 2016 the cost was over $500 US.)

Aside from that, I haven't been able to find any other places that sell such tubing... unless you count the thin-walled plastic tubes that some Christmas tree ornaments come in. Maybe others have had better luck with tracking such tubing down.

I hope some of this was a little helpful.

Dino.

I found this: https://www.plastic-craft.com/products/acrylicroundtube?variant=2748752001
It looks similar, but it's apparently about half the price... I haven't followed it up any further.

Crispin

Plastic is more expensive than I was expecting lol. Any recommendations on the triangle part in the center?  Is that a specially made triangle tube or something easier to get ahold of?

Omarvance, you may want to check out this Build Diary: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=6787.msg84368#msg84368. Once you get about 1/4th of the way down the page, you can see how Proper Steve (fivefingeredstyre) put his Central Pier together. It looks like the only way he was able to do it was to get some translucent red perspex and scratch-build that triangular Pier.

I've looked around at all of the links to places that sell plastic or acrylic "tubes", and most of the ones they sell are either square, or "right triangles", and for this you need an "equilateral" triangle.

I know it's probably not of much help, but the Build Diary should show you how this one was done and give you some ideas to work with.

Dino.

This is looking complicated and outside of my skillset. Why is there no local TARDIS builder in Jonesboro, Arkansas I can call?  lol

Would this be appropriate material?

https://www.amazon.com/Cast-Acrylic-Sheet-Thick-Transparent/dp/B00JCEXODK/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1488739204&sr=8-14&keywords=red+acrylic

I just do not know how I'd cut and bevel it with only a jigsaw. Having just bought a house and car I can't go buying a bunch of tools. 

Quote from: omarvance on Mar 05, 2017, 06:22 pm
This is looking complicated and outside of my skillset. Why is there no local TARDIS builder in Jonesboro, Arkansas I can call?  lol

Don't sell yourself short, omarvance. I'm sure you've got more skills that you think. (Definitely more than I've got, I'd guess.)

Quote from: omarvance on Mar 05, 2017, 06:22 pm
Would this be appropriate material?

After looking at it:
Transparent Red - check;
12" x 24" sheet - check;
.125" (or 1/8th-inch) thick - check;

I'd say that material would work out fine. If you'd rather have a translucent material than transparent, a quick pass over one side with an orbital sander and fine grit sandpaper should frost it up nicely. And if you're worried about mucking it up with that method, they do sell a spray that goes on like paint, but puts a frosted coating on transparent material to make it translucent.

The size of the material fits nicely (with some room to spare) with Tony's measurements for the Central Pier (http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=6530.105). You'll find the measurements about 3/4ths the way down the page. The width of the sides is 2 inches, and the total height of the Pier is 20 inches, so one sheet of this would give you room for error... not that you'd need it, but like the spare tire in your car, better to have it and not need it.

Quote from: omarvance on Mar 05, 2017, 06:22 pm
I just do not know how I'd cut and bevel it with only a jigsaw. Having just bought a house and car I can't go buying a bunch of tools.  

Using a jigsaw would be problematic. Even a circular saw would be problematic. Both of those have no way of ensuring a straight cut, or a constant angle. You'd need a table saw like Steve used (see his Build Diary linked above) with a blade that you could set the angle on, and a fence to set the width of the cut. That being said, there are places - true "Hobby Shops" - that have a full arsenal of such tools that you can use. You just pay for the time you spend in the place, and there are people there to help you out when needed. I know we've got them in Virginia so they've got to have them in Arkansas. Try looking on line for one in your area, or go the old-fashioned route and look in the Yellow Pages under Hobby Shop (if they still deliver those books, or you find a phone kiosk that has one dangling from a chain).

Another option is to ask around and see if you have a friend that knows of one such place, or of someone that has such a table saw. In either case, the saw will need a fine blade for the cut. Once you find a place where you can cut the material, if you need help, just print out the images of the ones Steve had cut, show the pic to the person with the saw and tell them the size you need, the angle of the cut (keeping in mind the tops and bottoms are straight cuts), and how many strips you need.

With the size of the material in that Amazon listing, you can easily get 5 strips cut (and if it wasn't for the width of the blade cutting into the material you could get 6 strips). So you've got some room to spare, and cut a spare strip or two in case you need it. The hard part is going to be bonding the edges together, which is where I think Steve's Diary will help immensely.

I hope this was of some help.

Dino.

Quote from: galacticprobe on Mar 06, 2017, 06:00 am
Using a jigsaw would be problematic. Even a circular saw would be problematic. Both of those have no way of ensuring a straight cut, or a constant angle. You'd need a table saw like Steve used (see his Build Diary linked above) with a blade that you could set the angle on

You could potentially use a laser cutter if you have the access one.

You could always find an ebay seller selling the material and ask them if they can custom laser cut it for you - I've done this for this very purpose, console making.