Scarfwearer's TARDIS

[Scarfwearer]

 OK, so now with some confidence from the tests, I've textured and dirtied the back panel from the box, which I normally keep stored in a cupboard (except on Father's Day )
Here are some pictures.



oh, and

The dirtying didn't go on as nicely as I hoped. I think my shop towels were too dry.
I used both black and brown for the dirtying.
Here's a picture of it with the TARDIS, so you can get an idea of what it will look like.


It does actually look a bit subtler in real life though.

Crispin

[Scarfwearer]

 It'll be OK for the back. I like the texture, but I'm going to try to be a bit subtler with the dirtying for the rest of the box. I'll use more water. The kind of paint sheen makes a big difference, so I think it's one of those things people will have to futz with in different ways.

Crispin

[karsthotep]

 Hey crispin,

Great work on the TARDIS re-roofing looks great and a big improvement. Hey did you get my post about the fresnel lense? I got it from a place down in ballard. I had posted in the builder and rebuilders guild forums with contact information but its been so long I don't know if its still there. It was a marine warehouse down there though I do remember that. does that help? yes? no? maybe? Let me know crispin.

[Scarfwearer]

 Hi Karst,
Yes saw your post about the place in Ballard. Couldn't find it either via google or trawling through MSN-without-a-Search-function Tardis Rebuilders.

I did find a likely looking Fresnel elsewhere in my searches on froogle, though, so I'm waiting for it to show up. If it looks nice when it arrives, I'll post up some details. Should be a week or so I imagine...

Crispin

[Scarfwearer]

Well, I've been having a few goes with dirtying up windows.
I mixed up some enamel paint and "mineral spirit" in a spray bottle, but I think I have the wrong kind of enamel paint. This one was not soluble in "mineral spirit", which I think is what Americans call white spirit, but was soluble in isopropyl alcohol, so I used that. I think I may have diluted it too much though, as the results looks only slightly smoked. See below:

You can also see the remains of my first attempts at cutting glass. I discovered after a while that it helps to score the glass on both sides... Hammered glass might be harder to cut straight, I guess.

The nice thing about the enamel wash is that it's running into the dips in the hammering, which really accentuates the hammeredness.

The top middle test is a piece of acrylic window pane sprayed lightly with hobbyist's spray paint.

And here are some other tests: I cut some acrylic window panes and "frosted" them by sanding them using an orbital sander with a 100-grit paper. (EDIT: I don't think I'd try this with actual glass.) I then lightly sprayed them with hobby paint from a 2-3' distance. None on the left, light grey in the middle, flat black on the right.

Oh, and this picture is upside-down to avoid getting the wrong impression from the lower left and right panes being supposed to be pebbled.

Hmm think I need to try some more tests...
I just tried frosting just the back of a piece of acrylic and spraying the front side with flat black. This is looking more promising, as if both sides are frosted it's too flat and doesn't look like glass! More to come...

Crispin

[Scarfwearer]

 I painted up some back-frosted acrylic with flat spray paint and dirtied the hammered glass with diluted enamel paint, just to get it all together as a test.
Here's how it looks, lit front and back:



This is still just the removed back wall. I could live with this...

I had a visitor today: they looked briefly into the shop and said "what a great old door!". I don't think they realised it's a prop .

Crispin

[Scarfwearer]

 Since I'm moving my box in the direction of looking a little more like a police box, rather than a specific late-era TV TARDIS, I've figured out a way to convert the sign boxes to the more classic style:

Here's how they work currently:



The acrylic sheet with the sign on it slides into the groove I routed in the frame. The end caps have a block on the back which holds them in against the acrylic.

I made up a new temporary sign by rejigging the PDF to make it smaller (now using P22 Underground Bold instead of Arial font), cut some clear acrylic to fit and stuck the printed out paper version to the back with tape.

I also made up some new end caps from several pieces of MDF glued together. The widest piece sits in the groove at the back, a middle piece is used as a spacer and the front piece is chamfered outward to match the inward chamfering on the frame to minimize the crack top and bottom.


Putting it all together, here's how it looks.



The nicest part of this is that I still have the old parts, so I can go back to a Season 18 box in a matter of minutes...

Crispin

[Scarfwearer]

I finally fixed the time vector generator and took the old girl for a short hop. Unfortunately I arrived too early and it was still a building site, and to cap it all the chameleon circuit cut in unexpectedly. Now I'm afraid to press the fast return switch...



Crispin

[Mark]

 I like the flexibility you've got with your box, if you get bored with something you alter it and can still swap back later!

Are the new signs black?

Genius.

(not sure about the er new look!)

[Scarfwearer]

The new Fresnel lens arrived! I took the opportunity to rebuild the housing that goes around it. The lens is slightly smoked, but I think that may look OK with the weathering.



The lower disk is chamfered MDF - much like a dalek neck ring. The dome on top is from one of those plastic battery operated closet lights. My kids tend to leave them on so the batteries only last a day

The top sign is just paper behind acrylic for the moment. I want to get something better together soon. I printed it dark grey to save ink, but I think it looks quite good... It's going to get "weathered" quite a bit when I repaint the box.

Crispin

[Mark]

 The new lens is loads better Crispin and I think the slight smoking looks better than the clear lens, more defined.

The other lens looked a little small, maybe ideal for a smaller TARDIS build?

[TG]

 Just seen your new lamp – looks fab. I really like the smoked glass.

[karsthotep]

 Hey Crispin great work, What is your source for the smoked fresnel lens? I also liked how you modified the signs for the more classic look, very clever. Let me know what the source is I think I might want to get one for myself for a future project. Thanks Crispin

karst

[Scarfwearer]

 I got the lamp from Benson's Import, item #2101. The lens itself is 6" diameter and 5" tall and made of glass. Here's the page with the lamps.
I bought the whole lamp because I wanted one anyway. I've a request in to them to find out whether they can get the lens separately - they should be getting back to me soon. They've been very helpful.

Crispin

[retfordlad]

 VERRRRRRRRRY Nice Fresnel, Scarfwearer ! Like it big time ! Love the smokey look - - mine ALMOST fits atop my TPE box - it will after the sunroom is built around her !

Keep us posted if they can get Fresnels spare - they MUST be able to - hey, I'd buy one !

Steve