The ultimate TARDIS - DW2012

[DW2012]

Hello!

I have been meaning to make this post for a good couple of months now! Firstly a bit of an introduction to myself. I've been part of TARDIS Builders for a numerous amount of years, originally under the name of Whovian-Almighty. I had built my original custom TARDIS console room way back in 2012 for my Doctor Who fan film series on YouTube (DW2012) that set had pretty much stayed the same with upgrades happening every year or so.

As of this year, that old set was dismantled and a brand new TARDIS console room has been in construction for about 2 months. The whole out building was built from scratch, the console is starting to take shape, and just last weekend myself and my good friend Chris installed neopixels into the 4 girders which consist of 24 custom animations!

I have spent the last 2 years collecting new parts for this console. A lot of screen accurate pieces that I've been so lucky to find. Most were from Bob's Bits in Watford, the supplier for all the New Who TARDIS consoles. It's been huge fun collecting those parts. My aim is to have at least one element from every TARDIS incorporated into this console/room. From the 9th/10th Doctor's screen accurate levers, to the 11th Doctor atom accelerator, and there's plenty of 12th Doctor's Toyota TARDIS in it. I've even got lots of parts from the current 15th Doctor TARDIS, and bits from the classic era consoles/rooms. All combining into this brand new TARDIS, with a lot of design elements from myself.

My next steps are to start putting up the hexagon/roundels which will all be illuminated! I've included photos to some of the controls I have acquired over the last 2 years, and some that I have made myself. My goal with this TARDIS is to make people believe that this thing could actually fly. Who knows...maybe time travel isn't too far of a stretch

I will certainly keep you all updated with this build!

 

[davidnagel]

I can't wait to visit ;-)

 

[Grackle]

Hello!

I have been meaning to make this post for a good couple of months now! Firstly a bit of an introduction to myself. I've been part of TARDIS Builders for a numerous amount of years, originally under the name of Whovian-Almighty. I had built my original custom TARDIS console room way back in 2012 for my Doctor Who fan film series on YouTube (DW2012) that set had pretty much stayed the same with upgrades happening every year or so.

As of this year, that old set was dismantled and a brand new TARDIS console room has been in construction for about 2 months. The whole out building was built from scratch, the console is starting to take shape, and just last weekend myself and my good friend Chris installed neopixels into the 4 girders which consist of 24 custom animations!

I have spent the last 2 years collecting new parts for this console. A lot of screen accurate pieces that I've been so lucky to find. Most were from Bob's Bits in Watford, the supplier for all the New Who TARDIS consoles. It's been huge fun collecting those parts. My aim is to have at least one element from every TARDIS incorporated into this console/room. From the 9th/10th Doctor's screen accurate levers, to the 11th Doctor atom accelerator, and there's plenty of 12th Doctor's Toyota TARDIS in it. I've even got lots of parts from the current 15th Doctor TARDIS, and bits from the classic era consoles/rooms. All combining into this brand new TARDIS, with a lot of design elements from myself.

My next steps are to start putting up the hexagon/roundels which will all be illuminated! I've included photos to some of the controls I have acquired over the last 2 years, and some that I have made myself. My goal with this TARDIS is to make people believe that this thing could actually fly. Who knows...maybe time travel isn't too far of a stretch

I will certainly keep you all updated with this build!

Epic stuff there, any info on some of those controls? I'm after some of these but don't know the terms/names of them.
Thanks

 

[DW2012]

Progress continues on the build! After lots of sanding, filling, more sanding, a LOT more filling, the final lick of paint went on everything that needed it. The console ribs have had their first resin coating. We've got flooring! Feels like a huge step to see the wood slowly disappearing. Lastly the walls are finally getting some colour and texture! Still a way to go, but progress is progress!

 

[cardinal hordriss]

Good to say where my Patreon donations go lol.

It's looking absolutely awesome.

 

[DW2012]

Good to say where my Patreon donations go lol.

It's looking absolutely awesome.

Appreciate your support! Honestly couldn't do the show without that!

Though, I never use the Patreon money for the TARDIS though! TARDIS is all my own pocket as in my eyes, it's my little play ground

 

[cardinal hordriss]

Appreciate your support! Honestly couldn't do the show without that!

Thought, I never use the Patreon money for the TARDIS though! TARDIS is all my own pocket as in my eyes, it's my little play ground

Fair enough. Tbh I'd rather do it that way and feel I owned it myself. My console is more modest due to a fear of power tools and lack of expertise but it's all mine. These days I don't make so many props. It could be my state of health or just that recent Doctor Who episodes haven't had anything I really want to make. I've sort of transitioned to writing to fill my time. A couple of friends asked me to write a Doctor Who spinoff about the three of us and I just ran with it lol. 30 episodes in and I completely forgot about the series I was already doing just for fun lol.

Now I think about it... it was your original console that inspired me to build my current one. Before that I'd built one from foam core board and the entire thing would wobble when you flicked a single switch. After seeing yours I decided I could do better if I really tried and put my mind to it. It's changed a lot since I first built it - adding and changing different controls based on the season I happen to be watching most at the time usually lol

I really enjoy your series, though I must admit I've fallen slightly behind. Even in the early days with Jess grinning ear to ear and apparently sleeping in full make-up I could tell it was really going to go places. I think regenerating helped set it apart in my mind too. There aren't many fans who would step out of the lead role in their own series like that. It demonstrated a level of maturity and professionalism you don't often see in fan series'.

Anywho, I've rambled on for far too long. Maybe you'll check out some of my builds now you're active on the forum again. Not brilliant but hopefully interesting lol.

 

[DW2012]

I've continued to work on the TARDIS over the winter, and have some very exciting things to show!
Firstly, back in October/November I was able to finally identify the 15th Doctor TARDIS levers! And was luckily enough to source them! A very good friend of mine who knew that I had been searching every day for 2 years swooped in and purchased the levers for me as a Christmas present! I was over the moon!! I was also gifted the Toyota radio too!


Yesterday I ventured out to Bob's Bit's once again, and came back with some insane things! I came back with some Toyota TARDIS parts, a 3rd Fader, 3 metal pieces from above the brake and a red Andonised piece! I also discovered a piece from the 13th Doctor's TARDIS which I wasnt expecting to find!

Lastly I found something that I knew they had. The 9th/10th Doctor's TARDIS De-mat lever!! I was so overjoyed when I saw it, I was quick to shake Barry's hand and pay the price!




I have gathered a couple more pieces over the last few months, including a screen accurate Hartnell switch! But overall I am so happy with this build! And the extremely rare parts I have acquired! To have two of the rarest 9th/10th Doctor's levers is something Id never thought would be possible!

Thank you to all the kind words so far! More photos coming soon!

 

[cardinal hordriss]

You're going to be spoiled for choice when it comes to levers.

 

[Beee]

Yesterday I ventured out to Bob's Bit's once again, and came back with some insane things! I came back with some Toyota TARDIS parts, a 3rd Fader, 3 metal pieces from above the brake and a red Andonised piece! I also discovered a piece from the 13th Doctor's TARDIS which I wasnt expecting to find!

I am curious, are there any sort of identification for what it is, or comes from?

 

[DW2012]

I am curious, are there any sort of identification for what it is, or comes from?

For the Tennant lever?

 

[Beee]

For the Tennant lever?

For the Jodie piece, though I was actually involved in properly ID-ing the Tennant lever a couple months back lol!

 

[DW2012]

For the Jodie piece, though I was actually involved in properly ID-ing the Tennant lever a couple months back lol!

Sadly there is nothing at all on the piece. It is a slow motion dial like the ones on the Toyota console but that's all I know! Oh fab! Nice work! It's taken 22 years to find out what that lever was and 3 seem to have turned up at once!

 

[DW2012]

Work continues further more on my console. Where I'm finally at the position of putting the instruments and controls onto the console! I have had numerous amounts of acrylic laser cut which will mount the controls. I was generously sent a box of 8th Doctor console parts from @davidnagel which I'm so grateful for! Those parts have now completed the task of one element from every TARDIS!

I used the inner workings of the 4 yellow sliders/levers from the 8th Doctor TARDIS, I then created the 4 yellow tops/knobs, and mounted them to the console. I had one casuality with the brass stem which will need to be replaced. But I'm super happy how they have turned out! I began painting some elements of the console too, but got a long way to go! But progress is progress, and I'm over the moon with the results!

 

[TheRiddler_Lord]

Work continues further more on my console. Where I'm finally at the position of putting the instruments and controls onto the console! I have had numerous amounts of acrylic laser cut which will mount the controls. I was generously sent a box of 8th Doctor console parts from @davidnagel which I'm so grateful for! Those parts have now completed the task of one element from every TARDIS!

I used the inner workings of the 4 yellow sliders/levers from the 8th Doctor TARDIS, I then created the 4 yellow tops/knobs, and mounted them to the console. I had one casuality with the brass stem which will need to be replaced. But I'm super happy how they have turned out! I began painting some elements of the console too, but got a long way to go! But progress is progress, and I'm over the moon with the results!

Holy! This is perhaps THE best fan TARDIS irl. Btw, do you mind if I'll build your first TARDIS in Roblox for fun?

 

[Volpone]

I like that you've hit the sweet spot...how to say this... The late Tom Baker console looked a bit like one of those toys for toddlers to help them learn motor skills--you know, where there's buttons that beep when you push them and switches that ding when you pull them and wheels that spin, etc. Just random stuff stuck on it and comically big red knobs on the ends of levers. Then you get the 5 Doctors console which looked amazing at the time, but is very much a product of its time--all the keyboards and monitors just seem a bit "off" today. Your controls have a bit of that classic 1963 feel to them--looking at them you'd have no idea how it all works, but it all looks serious and like each control has a purpose. I can see an actor running around it and furiously working the controls and having it look very convincing onscreen.

 

[Watchful eye]

Where do you find your screen accurate controls and will we ever get a sneak peek to the exterior or will it stay the same? Can't wait to see the final product, loving the updates.

 

[DW2012]

I like that you've hit the sweet spot...how to say this... The late Tom Baker console looked a bit like one of those toys for toddlers to help them learn motor skills--you know, where there's buttons that beep when you push them and switches that ding when you pull them and wheels that spin, etc. Just random stuff stuck on it and comically big red knobs on the ends of levers. Then you get the 5 Doctors console which looked amazing at the time, but is very much a product of its time--all the keyboards and monitors just seem a bit "off" today. Your controls have a bit of that classic 1963 feel to them--looking at them you'd have no idea how it all works, but it all looks serious and like each control has a purpose. I can see an actor running around it and furiously working the controls and having it look very convincing onscreen.

Thank you! it's taken a lot of planning to make sure the parts work in connection to the other parts! I tottally agree with your statement on the late 4th / early 5th doctor console. It is actually my least favourite console of the classic era because of all the random bits! When it came to selecting an element from that TARDIS to put on mine I was very stuck in the end I went for the red/yellow dial/control which was on Tom's first console and into his later one.

My attempt with this new console is to not clutter the panels with random bits. I did that a little bit with my old console. I'm someone who really enjoys symmetrical things, and the challenge with this TARDIS was to break out of that and dip my toe in asymmetrical, and I think the hardest part of that is finding that balance between asymmetrical and putting things in random places, certainly a fine line!

But yeah, my overall concept for my TARDIS was I wanted something serious as you say, something akin to those sleak consoles like Toyota and Kelt! And I wanted it to feel like this thing could actually time travel....still working on that last bit

 

[Jade]

Looking forward to part five on Saturday. Hoping to see more of the panels.

 

[DW2012]

Where do you find your screen accurate controls and will we ever get a sneak peek to the exterior or will it stay the same? Can't wait to see the final product, loving the updates.

The screen accurate parts mostly come from years of research, deep and failed rabbit holes of obscure things, daily searches, and a dedication to finding them. The 15th doctor levers took me 2 almost 3 years of searching every single day, sometimes twice! And I was only able to identify them after finding one photo which didn't have the text covered up.

I'd often have a trend of finding 2 or 3 screen accurate parts really close together, then nothing at all for months! There are still things I'm trying to find from 12 and 15s TARDIS, purely because I've spent years trying to find them that at this point, I'd just like to know what those parts are So much stuff used on the TARDIS consoles in Nu-Who are vintage aircraft parts, or radio equipment!