The console that never was...

[greatwazoo42]

Back in 2001 I had been laid off and decent job prospects were few and far between.  Then the towers fell and America had a new enemy...and the job market got worse.  During that time my step-dad suggested I pick up one of my hobbies and do something to keep from going stir crazy.  I asked him if he'd help me with a carpentry project and showed him plans I had made to make my own Tardis Console.  He had no idea what it was but offered to lend a hand anyway. 

The intent was to build it of plywood and then use light gray laminent on the exterior once the thing was built and sturdy.  There were a lot of redesigns along the way and so many mistakes and minor adjustments that had to be done that it turned into a learning build with the intent of doing the real one with all the lessons learned after.

Then I got a job...and didn't have the time.

Then I got married...and didn't have the time.

Then I became a dad...and didn't have the time.

Then we bought a condo and moved...and it ended up getting tossed in the dumpster because I had no room to store it, no place to work on it and no time for it.

Here is all that is left of that short and glorious chapter in my life: the pictures.

[greatwazoo42]

The base was done in halves to facilitate ease of storage or transport since I intended to have this thing at conventions and parties.




My girlfriend (now my wife and mother of my son) doubling for the Time Rotor.  She's 5'4" to give you an idea of the size of the thing.

[greatwazoo42]

[greatwazoo42]

[greatwazoo42]

[greatwazoo42]

My wife promised me that once the kid is in school and we've bought a house with a workspace and moved from the condo...and our finances have recovered enough; I can start the project again.  Sadly my step-dad won't be able to join me in it since he's passed away but I'll always value everything he taught me while we had our time together working on that great beastie.

Sorry but I posted the pictures somewhat out of order but I'm sure you guys can make sense of what was what pretty easily.

[the_temporal_mechanic]

I really love this Waz!  I like the modular nature of it.  I look forward to you revisiting this in the future.

[greatwazoo42]

Thanks! 

The whole idea was to build the body, laminate the exterior with adhesive laminant and then cut in and mount the lights, switches, etc and run wire guides on the underside of each panel up to the center.  All the guts, power and brains would have sat in the base along with a rotational motor that would have turned a horizontal platter that rose and dropped so one side was 18" higher than the other.  The time rotor would have slide into three vertical channels to hold it in place and have wheels on the bottom  of an 18" long stick on one side so as the rotating platter rose up the time rotor would too.  It doesn't make a lot of sense to describe but I go the idea from the rotating aspect of the original console as well as The Rani's.

I wanted to be able to break the whole thing down and load it into the back of my Chevy S-10 Blazer...which is another thing lost to time.  LOL!  Change is the only constant it would seem.

[Scarfwearer]

Well it looked really good. I seriously hope you get another crack at this one before our beards all get very long.

Crispin

[rocket]

Such a shame you had to dump it, it had the makings of a great console.

[greatwazoo42]

Thanks guys.  Hearing that from people that have achieved master level builds really means a lot to me.   

[warmcanofcoke]

beautiful work. One day I'll have squired away enough parts to start my Tardis console, and on that day I am definitely going to reference you and your step-dad's work.

[type55tardis]

An excellent start,I would imagine throwing it in a dumpster was really hard,after all that hard work.

[greatwazoo42]

It was a lump in the throat sort of task, yeah.     I'm glad the design ideas are useful to you guys. 

[greatwazoo42]

Revisiting this ancient thread...I now own a house, my kid is middle school age, my wife and I both work but I work from home...maybe, just maybe I'll have to see how our finances are after Christmas and venture into this project anew.