Sorvan's TARDIS

[TG]

Hi Colin
I too have followed your thread from the start
And it is so great to see it all coming together
Woo-Who!
TG

[Senseidale]

Hi Colin
I have just read through you build form page one, I enjoy reading builds they give me ideas for my build that has suffered in the UK weather, looking at how I can make my parts of my build,  better or easier  to make I like the way you have assembled you corner  post a much simpler way then I did mine the first time round, so I just may  steal your building ideas on this one I also decided on using fibreglass on my roof and other parts of the build (but not the car stuff you can get) I will be investing in fibreglass kit and youtube  will be /is my teacher  on how to fibreglass, as it was for using a router table.
looking forward to seeing  and following your build, say Hi to Dawn LOL  
regards to you and your family
Dale.

[Sorvan]

So while I haven't been posting, I have been playing with bits now and again.

The thing I've probably been experimenting the most with is the pebbled glass.  The wax wasn't right, so I started trying other materials - basically whatever was convenient to try.  I was mudding some of the drywall in my house - tried drywall mud.  I was cementing some bricks together - tried cement.  I wasn't getting quite what I was looking for, but I think I've got it now.


My material of choice: Durham's Water Putty


So that was fine, but the pieces of acrylic I used in the past were a bit on the small side, and fairly thick which made it hard to de-mould (couldn't bend the pieces).  At a local hardware recycling center, I found a nice big piece of acrylic with the right thickness so after acquiring that I cut a piece off and started again with my process, drilling pilot holes using my guide and then using the cove bit to make all the divots.

To clean up all the little bits of acrylic between my divots, I used a wire wheel on a drill.  I started being fairly gentle with it, but eventually realized that I was happy with being heavy handed.

One of the issues I'd been having casting from these molds is often the material would want to stick to the acrylic.  I don't know why I hadn't tried it before, but this time I grabbed a bottle of wire pulling lubricant which I've had for a while.  It's like a cream with a wax base that leaves a waxy film on the surface - good for pulling wires through conduit and hopefully for keeping the water putty from sticking to acrylic.


I added lots of water putty, some fibreglass tape (normally used for drywall joints) and pieces of plywood.


I plan to leave it for a few days to make sure the water putty dries out, and see how things go then.

Another thing I've been working on getting my lathe functional.  My dad gave it to me (along with piles of other tools) when my parents sold their house, but I needed to make a stand and get a motor to work with it (lots of motors got moved around when I got his tools).  That's done now and I think it's working ok now.  I was actually pretty happy with myself regarding the motor.  After wiring one up, I realized it was turning the wrong way and I thought I might need to get an electrician involved since there wasn't anything in the wiring diagram indicating it could be reversed.  Then it occurred to me that the main body of the motor was symmetrical, so I pulled the whole thing apart and made it so the spindle came out the other side. 

Now I just need to get a longer V-belt and some appropriate wood to turn.  I've got a friend who's been playing with casting aluminum and I'd like to try making a mold for the cap on top of the fresnel lens.

One of these days I also need to start working on making the doors.

Colin

[Sorvan]

Looks like about time for my annual update.

One of the things I've been struggling with is what to do about the top cap for above the Fresnel lens.  I had thought about trying to find someone to cast it from some kind of metal, but a few weeks back I started taking a welding/machining evening class (for fun), and decided to make it from steel.  The place I'm taking the class from has a plasma cutter, so I made some patterns for it to cut.


I dished and welded the dome and welded a piece around the ring.  I didn't, however, take a picture before grinding down the horrible welds.


My idea is to use threaded rod to hold the cap down to the roof - I want to be able to take the cap off.  I'll weld some bolts into the cap.

This doesn't really look good, but I've got some thin pipe... from somewhere.  I tend to keep the metal bits when things break.
[

I think it'll look good when I'm finished welding, and grinding the welds down.
 

Colin

[ThymeLorde]

I don't think the photos uploaded properly, Sorvan. Hope you can rectify that, I'm really looking forward to seeing them! I've admired your build for years, and seeing some of the techniques you've used throughout your build have given me multiple ideas for the TARDIS that I will inevitably build one day.

[domvar]

Hi,

The imgur links were not working so I have uploaded the files to Tardis Builders and altered the post.

This is preferable to posting links anyway as the images will not expire on the TB database.

Cheers

DomVar

[fivefingeredstyre]

Hey, welcome back!

Glad to see some more progress on this.

(Please don't leave it another year before we have another update )

[Sorvan]

I have uploaded the files to Tardis Builders and altered the post.

Thanks,
Colin

[dr hue]

" I was a little concerned about the dome part of my first fresnel, wondering if I should try to cut it off, but now I don't have to.  Thankfully, both of these were acquired fairly cheaply off eBay, so I don't feel like I've lost anything."

Those Fresnel lenses look good. How were they described on ebay ? Are they from Police Boxes/Posts or what ?

[Sorvan]

Those Fresnel lenses look good. How were they described on ebay ? Are they from Police Boxes/Posts or what ?

I have no recollection what the eBay listings were like.  The two Fresnel lenses I picked up were from North America (I'm in Canada) so nothing to do with Police Boxes/Posts.  I suspect they were from some marine application, and typing "fresnel marine" into the eBay search pops up similar lenses.

Colin

[Sorvan]

I took the ring part and welded on some nuts so I can screw in the threaded rod

These welds were particularly terrible.  I'd checked to see the gas pressure when I started and there was 20lbs in the line.. but the tank was off.  Oops!

I then welded the two pieces together with the nuts on the inside and started grinding off the excess metal from my welds.  After a few hours, it didn't look too bad.

The ring part was intentionally inset into the other piece to make a drip edge.

I had some black epoxy spray paint lying around so I gave it a few coats as a base.


I'm quite pleased with what I did.

It's not easy to get the top off (the threaded rod does want to get hung up in the pipe), but it is possible.  I think for final assembly I'll pack grease inside the pipe to hopefully prevent the metal from rusting together.

My is to make it so that the top light bulb can be changed from inside the box rather than having to climb on the roof and pry the top off.  I've started working on getting the lamps in place but don't have any pictures yet.

Colin

[Sorvan]

Today I cut a piece of metal and drilled some holes in it.


This is the lamp holder I bought to put inside the fresnel lens, screwed to the end of a.. uh... nipple (I swear, that's what that threaded tube is called).


Here it is bolted together...


and here's what it will look like from under the fresnel.


Since the lamp holder is attached by a threaded nipple, I can adjust the height of the lamp holder so whatever bulb I use can be positioned in the middle.


I think I'll use some hanger bolts to attach it.. I'll need to drill the outer holes on that piece of metal a bit larger.

Colin

[Sorvan]

What!?  Two updates in a day?

So, as I was posting my update, it occurred to me that I actually have some hanger bolts.  One of the builder supply places got bought by another company and they were clearing out a lot stuff for cheap - and I figured that while I didn't have any use for hanger bolts, I probably would have one day (yeah, I am a bit of a hoarder.

Just in case anyone doesn't know what a hanger bolt is...

it's like a wood screw on one end and a machine screw on the other.

As I was making the holes bigger in my metal plate, I just thought I'd share what I've learned about putting holes in metal.

I wouldn't want to do it without a drill press.  One of the problems with cutting metal is generating heat - you really don't want to do it.  My drill press has a cart for what speed you should use with different materials, so with steel I slowed it right down to 390 rpm.  I used an automatic center punch to put a little dimple in the metal where I want to drill (in the past I've also used a hammer and nail).  I then drip some oil on the spot and start drilling with a small drill bit - not pressing very hard, just letting the bit cut in, and added more oil.  The oil is a lubricant and helps disperse heat.  If the drill bit is sharp enough, it'll slowly drill through the metal.  If not, sharpen the bit.  It's a matter of using slightly larger bits each time until the hole is the size you want.  And clamp the piece down!  Having the piece you're working on get caught by the drill bit and start spinning around wildly is no fun.

Now I can bolt it together.


Colin

[Davros Skaro]

One of the problems with cutting metal is generating heat - you really don't want to do it.  My drill press has a cart for what speed you should use with different materials, so with steel I slowed it right down to 390 rpm.  I used an automatic center punch to put a little dimple in the metal where I want to drill (in the past I've also used a hammer and nail).  I then drip some oil on the spot and start drilling with a small drill bit - not pressing very hard, just letting the bit cut in, and added more oil.  The oil is a lubricant and helps disperse heat.  If the drill bit is sharp enough, it'll slowly drill through the metal.  If not, sharpen the bit.  It's a matter of using slightly larger bits each time until the hole is the size you want.  And clamp the piece down!  Having the piece you're working on get caught by the drill bit and start spinning around wildly is no fun.

Colin

This is true, but for the speed. When doing my apprenticeship as an electrician, we were taught that with small drill bits up to a 1/4" use high speed, they cut better, then as the the size gets larger, then the speed needs to be reduced. I can't remember the speeds, but the bigger the size the slower the speed.
Hope this helps without treading on anyone's toes.

Chris.

[Sorvan]

with small drill bits up to a 1/4" use high speed, they cut better, then as the the size gets larger, then the speed needs to be reduced.

That's absolutely true.  I'm an amateur being overly cautious, since I've wrecked drill bits in the past by trying to go too fast and overheating them.  I'm actually going through a short welding/machining course (just for fun), and the instructor talked about a formula to determine rpm based on the diameter of the material.  Since I'm not doing this for a job, I'll just go slow rather than try to figure out what's optimal.

Colin