Goldendale's First TARDIS

[Bob's your Uncle]

Hi, I'm Greg.

I'm repeating my introductory post here to save myself a lot of one-fingered typing.  I've made some significant progress on my build and decided it was time to start a new build diary.........


My story begins like this...
The wife and I discovered "Doctor Who" about three years ago, but we're hooked! So one day, a couple weeks ago, we're sitting on the patio enjoying a beer and I casually say something like..."A TARDIS would sure look good over there." To which she responds "Go for it".  Grin

My entire world changed with those three little words. Light bulbs started going off all around my head (it could have been a Police Box light, I don't know!). I knew that I needed to get to the internet! Fast!

First question...How big is a TARDIS?

Luckily this was the first website that I found. I've been scouring these pages every night, looking at all of the Build diaries and stealing ideas from each of you. The reference material is fantastic, I can't stop thinking about it! I'm staying up late reading the posts, or drawing ideas on paper. Fortunately, I work at The Home Depot, so I can go over and stare at the lumber anytime I need to!

But, which one to build? I like the Capaldi box, the problem is...it's huge! We have a tiny back yard and that thing will take up a lot of real estate. I could shrink it down to the size I want, but then I'll have to stoop to walk in. The Hartnell box is about the right size, but I don't really like the roof profile. The Crich box, mmmm, the Crich box, now that's a roof line!!, and it has the architectural details that I like...the rounded corner posts, the white window frames, the St. John's logo and the white phone box sign. But again, it's as big as Capaldi's.

So, as much as I hate to compromise, here's where I've decided to compromise. I'm going to shrink the Crich box down to the size of Hartnell's. I can keep the same proportions, without hitting my head on the door frame at the start of each new adventure!! It will fit into the small space that I have available and it will have the details that I like, including some from the newest TARDIS.

This is going to be used as a garden storage shed, so I'm going to build it to last. I'm going to have beveled door panels to keep water accumulation to a minimum. I will probably use fiberglass on the roof, like I've seen in some of your builds, and it's going to use the handle and lock configuration  of today's TARDIS. My wife will get to decide the window glass style, and she can pick the paint color, too. I am, after all, building this for her (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

I probably won't be able to get any serious building done until this spring (as I've promised my wife that I would do some projects for her this winter....Interior decorating....seriously!?), but ..... that hasn't stopped me from the TARDIS planning stages. I put together this full scale mock-up of a corner post and base.



Based on this, I did a "rough" cost estimate using wood available from Home Depot. I priced it with pressure treated posts; clear, knot free cedar; a concrete foundation; and the best TARDIS Blue paint money can buy!

$1331.00 !!  

My wife (a woman of few words) said "No! Try again!". So, back to the drawing board.




I hope it doesn't come down to 2 x 4's and duct tape.  

So, that's where I'm at.

Redesigning, cutting corners and losing sleep. I hope that some of you can recommend a good "12 step program" to alleviate this TARDIS addiction that I've become unable to shake.

Let me show you where she will sit. (SHE, wow, I might have to name her Clara!)



That pile of dirt will have to be moved (Oh Yay!!) and that will be her new home. Yes, that is the White House in the background. I built a storage shed a few years back, I asked my wife, "What do you want it to look like?". She said "The White House".



It looks pretty good after all these years, but it could use a paint job.

Blue, perhaps?

Thanks for all of your help, so far, and I look forward to your ideas and suggestions.

Greg

[Bob's your Uncle]

And so it begins...there's no turning back now!

The first piece of a TARDIS has to be the top light! Right?



The glass lens on this one measures 5" wide and 6" tall. Not quite big enough to maintain the proportions of the Crich box that I'm building, but it was easy to come by (right off the shelf at Home Depot), and with some modifications and blue paint it should look close enough to the real thing.

So far, my Total TARDIS Investment (TTI) comes to $69.00.


Greg

[Bob's your Uncle]

After completely redesigning my TARDIS to use cheaper lumber, I came home with enough wood to start the base and build one post. I just wanted to make sure that it would work before jumping in with both feet.

 

Notice that the 2" x 6" pressure-treated boards are already TARDIS blue. I think it's an omen!

Cost of the wood...$25.00
Total TARDIS Investment...$94.00

[Bob's your Uncle]

The first thing I need is a base.

I cut the two 10 foot pressure treated 2" x 6"s in half and mitered the corners, for a finished length of 51".



Next, I beveled the top to a 30 degree angle, changing my mind about the 45 degrees in my mock-up. I just think it looks better. Then I trimmed them down to a height of 4-3/4"



Next, I glued and screwed the corners together on the only level surface I could find that was big enough.



After that dried, I added a one inch thick cedar board to the inside of the base to give it the depth I need to attach the posts.



After all was said and done it was an 1/8" out of square.    Oh well, not the end of the universe.  

[Volpone]

Well it looks like you're on the right track.  Best of luck. 

I suspect someone will disagree with me, but from what I can tell, the big difference between the Brachaki and an actual police box like the Crich is that the police box has wider corner posts, a taller base, and the bottom "kick plate" of the walls is wider than all the other crossbars.  Then when you get above the POLICE BOX signs the corner posts end a lot earlier, there's an additional roof step, and the roof has a steeper slope.  And of course the signage is a bit different. 

[Bob's your Uncle]

I think you may be right on all counts.
Mine will be the shape and proportions of the Crich box, but a little smaller to fit in a limited space.

[galacticprobe]

Well, Greg, once again I'll wish you good luck with building your Old Girl! (And just so I don't have to repeat my whole post from before, here it is for quick reference to that Helpful Hints link, and anything else I may have put in there that would be helpful: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=6408.msg79005#msg79005).

Dino.

[Bob's your Uncle]

(This post will be out of sequence because I had to let you see this.)

I'm sanding one of my corner posts with a palm sander, just lost in thought thinking about how beautiful this wood is, and that it will be a shame to have to paint it......



When something catches my eye.....



Then THIS jumps out at me!!  



I think someone's watching me!

Does it look like anyone you recognize?



The Eye of The Doctor??
This is starting to get creepy!
I'm not sure if I should paint over that. Bad things could happen.


Greg

[galacticprobe]

(This post will be out of sequence because I had to let you see this.)

You say this on a Forum about building Time Travel Capsules? (Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey...)

I'm sanding one of my corner posts with a palm sander, just lost in thought thinking about how beautiful this wood is, and that it will be a shame to have to paint it...

Well, you could always get a matching blue stain, and just stain the wood so the beauty of the grain shows through.

When something catches my eye.....

Then THIS jumps out at me!!  

I think someone's watching me!

Does it look like anyone you recognize?

The Eye of The Doctor??

Well, at first I was thinking The Eye of Horus, but now that you mention it...

This is starting to get creepy!

Shall we up the "creeps" factor a little - just for giggles?

I'm not sure if I should paint over that. Bad things could happen.

Do those new images make you feel any better?

In the words of Yvette Fielding: "Sleep tight!"

Dino.

[Bob's your Uncle]

I'm going to stick with paint, maybe even an extra coat over the eyeball. I don't think that I want my TARDIS staring at me while I'm doing yard work.

Thanks for the photo editing. Nicely done. 


Greg

[Bob's your Uncle]

Ok, so where was I?
The base is ready for corner posts, so the first step is getting the wood ready. I'm using cedar deck boards that measure 1" x 3.5" x 96". They aren't wide enough for the corner posts, so I'm cutting one board in half and gluing those halves to other boards. I'm using dowels, Gorilla glue and 2.25" deck screws to keep everything straight.

 

 

After the glue dried, I trimmed the boards down to 1" x 4.25" x 85" and glued and nailed the first side to a 1.5" x 1.5" fir board cut to 88.25".



Then the second side.



I'm beginning to get an idea of how big this thing will be.

[Bob's your Uncle]

So, this is how the first post turned out.

After attaching the two side pieces to the 2 x 2, I cut another cedar deck board in half and trimmed it to 1" x 1-5/8" x 88" and then attached them to the inside edge of the side pieces using more Gorilla glue and screws. They protrude an inch past the side pieces to create the inside corner for the quarter-round wood moulding to sit in.

This is the view from the bottom looking up. The rest of the quarter-round moulding will be added later, I had only one small piece to show you how it would look.









And the top looking down.



I added two small pieces at the top to fill in the gap. This will all be sealed to the roof with fiberglass to keep the weather out.

[galacticprobe]

That looks like it will be a First Class corner post once it's done! (Now you've set the bar high for the rest of your build! )

Dino.

[lawrence]

Great build and I'm pinching some of your techniques keep it going can't wait for the complete tardis

[Bob's your Uncle]

OK, so the first corner post worked out fairly well, time to buy more lumber, more screws, more dowels and another quart of Gorilla glue. I love Gorilla glue.
The grand total for this shopping trip comes to $130.69.
That makes the T.T.I. (Total TARDIS Investment) $251.69, so far.

Here is the new lumber.



Here is the new lumber, milled, glued and cut to size.




This photo of is all four posts sitting in place for the first time. You also get an idea of what the windows will look like when they will be lit up.
I know. I get goosebumps, too!  



Next I fastened the posts to the base. I use a T-square to keep everything straight because my garage floor is sloped, so a level or plumb-bob would do no good.



The corners were attached using Gorilla glue and these big, honkin' wood screws.
12 for $11.46.
Latest T.T.I. = $263.15



This is what one of the inside corners looks like after all is said and done.



This last photo reveals quite a few things....

  1. I told you that my garage floor is sloped. I meant that it's sloped INTO the garage. Every time it rains, it gets wet. Nothing of value can be on the floor, including the TARDIS.

  2. Did I mention that I love Gorilla glue? Looks like I missed a spot. Better use more next time.  

  3. An alien species has overtaken the TARDIS and is willing to defend it using some very sharp weaponry!