Junk Tardis

[robajob]

Section 1. Construction of Base, Console and Time Rotor.

Idris: Are all people like this?
The Doctor: Like what?
Idris: So much bigger on the inside?

And this project looks like it will be pretty big on the outside too, I think I might need a Blue Peter badge if I can pull this one off, so let's get started!

As with most of the things that I have built, the initial build was inspired, affected and requested by my son, in this instance the request was no small one. This request was huge, massive, wapping, at least in comparison to the usual request for a toy/model that he could use with his 5" figures. I was going to say that this request was so big that it felt almost unscalable, but that would be absolutely wrong, because in this instance the scale was 1:1.

So here it comes, my son's request wasn't for his very own Tardis, oh no, this request was for his very own "full size Junk Tardis Console".  With of course "lights and working bits", but and here comes the good bit, "if it could move as well, just so I can play with it everywhere!"
And all of this because he just happened to notice that he already had one of the crucial "key" components on the console in his toy collection, the exact same keyboard as was used on the real Junkyard Tardis Console.
Ok, that's seems like a bit of a tall order for someone so little, but let's see what we can do.
A full size Junk Tardis Console eh, ok, with lights and moving bits, ok, but made in such a way as to be able to take it apart to move it easily, now that's the bit that will be interesting as I am neither a Time lord or a master of physics.
That one request means it has to all be made out of something light-weight, but strong enough to be structural to allow for lighting within it and moving parts on it.
I had initially thought of a light-weight ply and wood frame, no, that would be too heavy and cumbersome.
Next came the idea of using foam core board, no, that could be a problem due to the very size of the Console and cost.
What to use that is lightweight, can be bought in the correct sizes and doesn't cost too much?
Off course, good old cardboard boxes, which I just happened to have a source for very locally, as there was a storage warehouse just down the road.
That would be good for the structure, how about the bits, got to be light and strong, how about insulation foam!
With that decided, it was down to the design process and getting the sizes right.
The very thing that inspired my son to ask for this was the keyboard, so that is where we will make a start, after a very quick purchase of the Junk Tardis Console set and a lot research on here, that all meant that I had plenty to work with.


The basic sizes for the console panels were interpolated using the keyboard as a basis, once they were done a few of the complimentary parts could also be scaled.


Now before anyone says it, yes you are quite right, there is something missing from this rough outline design.
The round circular base that the console sits on, well that is purely intentional, as it might actually help the Doctor that has to use it, if he can reach the controls. So I had to reduce the height in accordance with the tailoring of the console to fit the Doctor it is being made for, namely my son.
Below, after checking the dimensions of the real thing in relative scale from the toy, I toyed at checking the things dimensions against the real relative it was scaled for.


That looks like a pretty good fit, eat your heart out Saville Row!
Best part is that as he grows, so can the console, i.e., when he gets bigger and can reach the controls easily, I can make the circular platform for the console to sit on and increase the height of the console as a whole, back to the original design.

With a basic design, sizes, the initial idea of what to construct it from as well as how to separate the pieces, it's time to start making this beauty!
I worked out how many boxes were required to construct the base, the console panels and 1 added bonus, a removable section, just like the Junk Tardis Set toy.
Boxes purchased, it was time to start marking out.


The boxes bought were specific sizes in accordance with requirements for the console panels and base with very little waste.
The console panels were marked and cut out.


As was the basic shape of the base, note; that the base has an open bottom, as this base will be required to have access later on in the build.


Carrying on with the relative parts, the 6 legs of the base were constructed and glued into place.


The top parts of the legs were also constructed from cardboard as a singular piece to increase rigidity and strength.


The hexagons mounted to the top of the box were cut and shaped from insulation foam, only the top one of these will be visible, the foam blocks are to add additional support, but both these and the leg supports are there to give support to the next part.


The individual console panels were all glued together with a support structure to correspond to the base legs, spreading the weight evenly throughout the base.
With this separate console construction it would be possible to slip it over the base construction, note; the missing console section.


The missing console section, made as an individual entity from 1 piece of cardboard, again to increase strength and rigidity as this was to be removable.


Both the main console panels and the individual box panel were edge detailed, coated with 3 coats of PVA inside and out, primed, filled and sanded to try and alleviate the cardboard ribbing.


The final part of the main cardboard construction was 2No. bearer pieces to be inserted at a later date to the base to increase rigidity and support.


And so, onto the next element, the Time Rotor. Basic shapes were cut and shaped from insulation foam. Above is the base part of the time rotor, showing the central area trenched and prepared to receive a lighting rod and acrylic tube.


Above are the 6 No. parts that constitute the heart of the time rotor.
The insulation foam base, which houses the lighting rod, an acrylic tube, red lighting gel, a chicken wire frame and the basic insulation foam cap.


All of which, when completed, will be housed in the removable, yes I did say removable Time Rotor, just like the toy set, made from, you guessed it, insulation foam top, acrylic sheet formed to a tube and a cardboard tube.
The cardboard tube was specifically sourced online from a packaging company, who very generously donated this to my son's project for free. I cannot thank them enough. They even supplied another tube to use as a buck for the heart of the time rotor as well.
All I had to do was drive over to the other side of London to pick them up.


Onto some detailing, the 1st picture shows the underside of the top cap, trenched to correspond with the heart of the time rotor base construction mentioned above.
The 2nd picture is the start of adding the necessary detailing to form the cap from small sectional wood, more insulation foam and toothpicks.


As stated above, when completed the heart of the time rotor will mount into the removable main time rotor cardboard tube, hence the supports made from insulation foam internally.
This picture also shows the acrylic sheet formed over the time rotor base to form the clear tube section of the time rotor.
This was my solution to creating this section, as an extruded acrylic tube or cast acrylic tube would have been considerably heavier and a lot more costly.


As shown above the top of the Main Time Rotor was formed from an insulation foam hexagon and polystyrene foam balls, cut in half and affixed as to detail.
You will note; the piece of ply affixed to the underside of the top hexagon, the reason for its positioning will become apparent later in the build, as well as the required spacing to allow for the newly formed acrylic sheet tube.


The completed parts together to form the main time rotor top ready and awaiting assembly.


Final detailing was undertaken to the heart of the time rotor cap using cardboard for the collar.


All the relevant parts of the time rotor were prepared in readiness for painting.
The picture above shows the heart of the time rotor cap, main time rotor top, heart of the time rotor base and the main time rotor collar.


The main console panels, time rotor and base were then all primed and prepared in readiness for top coating.



As were the other completed elements.


The console panels construction then received 2No. top coats.
Note; the already installed light panel section awaiting some illumination.


The painted main time rotor and other elements.


The completed base and console panels with a quick test for future lighting installation, oh yes, the lights, well it just has to be fairy lights for this flight of fantasy!

So as far as Section 1; Construction of Base, Console and Time Rotor goes, that all for now folks!

[russellsuthern]

Wow,
That really is brilliant.

Just looking at the last picture, you'd never know it was cardboard!

Fantastic stuff, can't wait to see more.


Regards,

Russell

[Cardinal Hordriss]

Wow, this is looking great. It's a good console to do if you want an screen accurate replica - doesn't take up the space of most of the others. I considered the design myself before deciding to go ahead with my own design for that reason but it certainly wouldn't have turned out anything like as good as yours appears to be doing.

[robajob]

Wow,
That really is brilliant.

Just looking at the last picture, you'd never know it was cardboard!

Fantastic stuff, can't wait to see more.


Regards,

Russell

Thanks for your comment Russell, it's much appreciated.
Even though it was made of cardboard to be as lightweight as possible, I tried to make it look as much not like cardboard as possible.
I intend to post up this build thread once or twice a week as time permits, there will be 6 parts, so not too long to wait for the next installment.
If you like this, I am sure you will like the rest!
Rob.

[robajob]

Wow, this is looking great. It's a good console to do if you want an screen accurate replica - doesn't take up the space of most of the others. I considered the design myself before deciding to go ahead with my own design for that reason but it certainly wouldn't have turned out anything like as good as yours appears to be doing.

Hi Cardinal Hordriss,
                             Thank you for your comment, I am pleased you think this is looking great.
I agree about it being a console to do because of the size, this was one consideration.
As to screen accurate, having looked at the brilliant research on here about the specific console, it could be very difficult to be entirely screen accurate. A lot of the parts are vintage, or extremely hard to get hold of or just plain expensive. So some artistic license will be required.
But in comparison to some of the other consoles, I understand what you mean, after all it is all supposed to just be junk!
If you like what you see here, wait until you see the finished deal, I think you might just like it!
Rob.

[Mark]

Nice work Rob, this is looking brilliant!

As a big fan of using cardboard for construction, I am following this with keen interest.

When I was making my Dalek (which still needs finishing  )  I too used a PVA wash and found it increased the stiffness of the board as well as helping seal it ready for paint.

I was planning of giving it a thin coat of plaster prior to painting in order to remove that cardboard look but it would be time consuming, how has your method of disguising the ribbing of the cardboard worked out? I mean it look amazing in the pictures and nothing like car but how is it close up?

Anyhow, more updates please!!!!

[robajob]

Nice work Rob, this is looking brilliant!

As a big fan of using cardboard for construction, I am following this with keen interest.

When I was making my Dalek (which still needs finishing  )  I too used a PVA wash and found it increased the stiffness of the board as well as helping seal it ready for paint.

I was planning of giving it a thin coat of plaster prior to painting in order to remove that cardboard look but it would be time consuming, how has your method of disguising the ribbing of the cardboard worked out? I mean it look amazing in the pictures and nothing like car but how is it close up?

Anyhow, more updates please!!!!

Hi Mark,
           Thanks for the comment, I am very pleased that you think the console is looking brilliant even at this early stage.
Wow, a Dalek from cardboard, now that's an achievement.
The thin coat of plaster to disguise the cardboard sounds much like what I did, except with filler and where needed modelers putty.
It worked out well, taking out most of the ribbing, but the fact that I then primed it all with 2 coats of gesso before 2 coats of top coat may have helped quite a bit as well.
Close up, yes you can see some ribbing, in some areas, but not enough to give the game away. You can be the judge when I post up from section 3. There are some very close-up shots, so you will be able to see if the time spent filling, sanding and priming was all worthwhile.
Next update coming mid week, it's a real biggie on constructing and painting all the bits that go onto the console.
Rob.

[Mark]

Thanks for the reply Rob.

It would be an even bigger achievement if I got around to finishing him and the shoulders were certainly the hardest part so far as most Dalek builders seem to agree.

My original plan was to do the light plaster work and then cover everything in a few layers of papier mache to hold things together and add more strength and rigidity.. Again a very time consuming thing.

What sort of cost is the foam stuff you used and what do you use to cut and shape it?

Sorry for all the questions.

Looking forward to the update, and I'm guessing that adding all the bits and bobs, lights etc is definitely the fun part!

[robajob]

Thanks for the reply Rob.

It would be an even bigger achievement if I got around to finishing him and the shoulders were certainly the hardest part so far as most Dalek builders seem to agree.

My original plan was to do the light plaster work and then cover everything in a few layers of papier mache to hold things together and add more strength and rigidity.. Again a very time consuming thing.

What sort of cost is the foam stuff you used and what do you use to cut and shape it?

Sorry for all the questions.

Looking forward to the update, and I'm guessing that adding all the bits and bobs, lights etc is definitely the fun part!

Hi Mark,
            I have just been having a quick look at your Dalek, brilliant work so far, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get there, it's the journey that matters and by the look of it, you are having one hell of a trip so far.
With regards to the thin plaster you talk of, is there any chance that the water content could warp the cardboard and the structure? What would the additional weight be like on the structure?
Would papier mache give you a smooth enough result? Both as you state, are going to be time consuming, but it's the end result that justifies the means.
I was quite fortunate that the console was on the whole fairly large flat surfaces, easier to fill and sand than curves, bends, ribs etc.
I had contemplated surfacing the cardboard elements with large sheets of card available at artist stores if the need arose, luckily I was quite satisfied with overall finish after a couple of rounds of filling, sanding and priming.
The only bits that needed further attention were the end grain/corrugations, with these I used a decorators caulk or mastic to seal the grain/corrugations, which added a little bulk and strength and then filled on top of the caulk/mastic .

The foam stuff I used for the solid shapes was a high density insulation foam, it can be bought from builders merchants in various sizes/thicknesses and is relatively cheap.
From memory, I purchased a 2400mm x 600mm x 65mm sheet for about £15.00. This was more than enough for the build and still have some bits left.
It's great stuff, very easy to cut, carve and shape with basic carpentry tools or even an ordinary box cutter and finishes up with sandpaper to a nice smooth surface.
This is why you have to purchase the high density, lower density products will have voids and very little residual strength. It still needs to be sealed/strengthened with a couple of coats of PVA, but overall it's a great product to work with.

No problems about the questions, keep em coming, I am more than happy to help, assist, inform and answer any questions in any way I can, that is the one thing about this particular site that is great, the sense of community, that and the fact that we are all equally as mad!

Adding the bits and bobs, lights etc, yes that was fun, lots and lots and lots of fun, especially after having to make it all pretty much from scratch, like I said we are all just mad men, some with boxes, some without, but in this instance we are mad men with cardboard boxes!

I hope that the above has been some help, keep up the excellent work!
Rob.

[Mark]

Well that's most kind of you Rob. I never set a time limit on the build but I do get annoyed that I haven't done anything for a while.

I have thought about that and I need to do a test strip not only to check any warping but also for correct  consistency. I have to say I that when I applied the PVA wash all the card wrinkled and I panicked but it dried out fine.

I don't think the weight would increase massively as I only really want to fill the ridges but any weight increase will be a lot less than if it was a completely wooden build!

The foam stuff sounds promising, I might investigate that for the dome construction.

Mad men with cardboard boxes, I like that!

Thanks again for the info.

[robajob]

Section 2. Bits Construction + Painting.

The Doctor: I'm a mad man with a box without a box. I'm stuck down the Plughole at the End of the Universe in a stupid old junkyard! Oh.
Idris: Oh what?
The Doctor: No, I'm not.
Idris: Not what?
The Doctor: 'Cause it's not a junkyard. Don't you see it's not a junkyard?
Idris: What is it then?
The Doctor: It's a TARDIS junkyard. Come on!

In keeping with the fact that this Tardis is built from a junkyard, a TARDIS junkyard, that is exactly what was used to make the Tardis console bits, Junk!

In other words anything I could find that would fit the bill that would ordinarily be thrown away.
Lids from jars, bottle tops, caps, an old shower head, microwave pizza plates, ping pong balls, tea light candle holders, stereo jacks, clear plastic packaging even an old hair roller were all recycled into the construction of the bits required for the junk on this junk Tardis.
The specific parts that I could not find were all made from scratch using things like, an acrylic Christmas bauble, coat hangers, insulation foam, cardboard, plastic tubes, copper wire and of course styrene sheet.
A small number of the bits had to be bought especially, but those will become apparent later.
Best put on your reading glasses, this is going to be a big one!


The basic layout of some of the main console bits and pieces.
A lot of these basic shapes were ascertained from the Junk Tardis toy and in conjunction with the excellent reference material on Tardis builders.


A closer shot of the removable Panel 1, again with basic insulation foam blocks and dead centre, the microwave pizza plates, that will eventually turn into the radar dish, trust me I'm a Doctor, or at least trying to be!


A closer shot of the basic shapes to Panel 6 and see, there in pink, an old hair roller.
The cotton bud box will eventually turn out to have a very important role.


A closer shot of the basics on Panel 5, an old door handle affixed, even though it isn't exact, it will still represent the correct item on the panel.
The foam block to the top of the panel is a bit of a cheat, but again will become apparent later in the build.


Panel 4 with the all-important originator for this build, the exact same keyboard as used on the actual Junk Tardis, that my son just happened to have in his toy box.

Panel 3 is the location for the monitor and that would be addressed later.


A closer shot of Panel 2, with the basic radio insulation foam block in place and special purchase number 1, a cheap microphone.


A basic drawing of the radar base, which is where the microwave pizza plates come in.


Plate 1 had the basic shapes cut from it and added to it as per the drawing.


Plate 2 was simply used as a backer, the filling in the pie so as to speak!


A bit more insulation foam to cap it off and the base was ready for...


The radar dish, made from an acrylic Christmas bauble, special purchase number 2.
Added to the bauble were various bits such as a plastic rod, a piece of electrical conduit, a couple of nuts and washers, plastic coated coat hangers, a washing-up liquid bottle top and a stereo jack.
To finish the rim, electrical earthing sleeve was used.
You see, I told you to trust me, I think that making this from junk, might just turn out alright!


The above picture shows the next concoction of parts to make-up the shower head assembly.
The cylinder head at the base was made from as old vitamin bottle heavily adapted for use.
The shower head, I just happened to already have and the large heavy duty spring was fashioned from plastic coated wire.


This part is the microphone holder, it was made from pieces of electrical conduit and trunking.
Again, although not exact, I think that it is a fair representation of the piece.


The pictures above show the interesting assembly that sits atop the monitor box.
This was made from scratch using insulation foam, a plastic tube, electrical conduit, cardboard, a bottle cap, a small bottle lid and some sheet styrene.
Quite what this assembly is originally made from is still a mystery, but with the excellent reference material found on Tardis Builders, I managed to get somewhere near a true representation and as an added bonus, it was made in such a way as to be usable and moveable.



Talking of the monitor box, shown above is the basic outline drawing for said monitor box.
Which once constructed, will house another little bonus that I already had in my possession.


The monitor box was constructed from ¾"(18mm) MDF for the face to enable routing out the monitor lip detail, the sides and back were constructed from ¼"(6mm) ply to try and keep the weight to a minimum.



Shown above are some of the basic completed components, primed and prepared for painting.



Some of the components receiving base coats of colour.
Shown in the first picture is special purchase number 3, a poseable lamp arm, which I could not imagine making from scratch and retain its functionality as the Iris holder. Also shown are the tea light candle holders, which because they had glass lids and were just the right dimension were perfect to turn into pressure gauges.
Most of the non-insulation foam parts were spray painted, whilst the insulation foam parts were painted by hand with acrylic paints.


A couple of the more interesting parts to construct from scratch, which were made from ping pong balls, plastic tubing, small plastic spheres, bottle caps and washers.
Obviously the ping pong balls are an exact representation of the 1986 Chevy S-10 Blazer's internal-mount spare tire wheel hub as identified on Tardis Builders research material "The Doctor's Wife" Alternate Console , well almost!
As to the other part, well that is supposed to be a thumb turn from a bathroom privacy lock, but I didn't fancy buying all of those let alone all that additional heavy metal weight, so had to make them instead!!


A few of the detail parts comprising of the wheel hubs, the iris and electrical connection plates.


Shown above in close view, the Iris, made from a plumbing plastic washer, a steady hand and a dremmel.
The wheel hubs, made as described above from ping pong balls.
The electrical connection plates made from a variety of plastics parts and sheet styrene.


All of which, just like the other elements were primed in readiness for painting.
Now for the really interesting bit, having constructed most of the elements to install onto the Junk Tardis, it was time to get real, or at least make the parts look real.
Onwards and upwards to painting all of them, which given how many parts there were, was going to be a bit of an insurmountable task!


The completed radio, which was yet to have lighting added to it.
Constructed from insulation foam, cardboard strips, bottle caps, clear packaging plastic and the finishing touch, an old handbag handle just for authenticity.


The Junk Tardis radiator, every good Tardis has to have one!
Constructed from cardboard, electrical trunking and BBQ skewers.


A couple of detail pieces for Panel 4.
Constructed from insulation foam, cardboard, nuts and spacers.


The cylinder head for the shower assembly.
Constructed from a heavily adapted vitamin pill bottle and cotton buds.


The real gate valves for Panel  3 post spraying to the correct colour and post weathering.
Luckily I already had the 2 No. smaller gate valves and a local plumbing supplier was extremely generous and donated the large real gate valve free of charge, what absolute stars.
Again, these elements I would not like to have to make from scratch, especially as these also had to be functional.


The various gauges and dials for the console.
Constructed from insulation foam, tea light candle holders, copper tubing, plumbing fittings, rubber washers and all with printed faces.


The electrical connection plates post minor weathering.
Constructed from various plastic components and sheet styrene.


The Time Rotor coat hanger holder.
Constructed from insulation foam, a real spring, a real chain and a real hook.


Panel 1 detail piece.
Constructed entirely from insulation foam.


Panel 6 Answering machine.
Constructed from insulation foam, clear plastic packaging with printed background and button labels.


Panel 1 Input Box.
Constructed from insulation foam and various stereo jacks, sockets and a scart socket.


Panel 5 Detail Pieces.
Constructed from insulation foam and various cardboard.


Panel 4 detail pieces.
Constructed from insulation foam, plastic tubes, bottle lids and small bottle caps.


Panel 5 detail piece.
Constructed from insulation foam, bottle tops, nuts, an adjustable kitchen unit leg and plastic parts.


Panel 6 Heat Sink.
Constructed from foam and mounted cardboard.


Panel 2 Microphone.
One of the purchased items, simply repainted.


Panel 6 Filter detail.
Constructed from a plumbing fitting, insulation foam, a rubber ring, a hair roller and bottle cap.


Panel 5 Shower Head.
Painted to match original.


Panel 4 Keyboard.
Screen accurate keyboard as used on the real thing, that my son had in his toy collection, the inspiration for this build with the addition of some automotive parts for connection.


A few of the other parts laid out ready for installation as well as...


Panel 3 Monitor box with a working adapted picture screen installed that I already had.

Oh yes and all together now....



Rather a lot of bits, 69 individual pieces in total and that's just what goes on the console panels.

So as far as Section 2; Bits Construction and Painting goes, that all for now folks!

[The14thDr]

There's no other description for this than quite simply a work of art! I love your ingenuity in recreating all the little details from things other people would normally throw away without a second thought (just look at that radio - I could have sworn that was a found item until you mentioned otherwise!)

I don't suppose you'd mind me downloading your monitor housing templates for future use? You've certainly given me a lot of inspiration for when I get off my backside and start working on my own console again!

Looking forward to the next instalment.

[robajob]

Hi The14thDr,
                    Thank you so much for your comment, it is very much appreciated.
As to the monitor housing template, download away. Anything I have uploaded is yours to download, especially if it can be used to help in anyway.
I will just say that it was specifically built for the picture screen that I already had, so is actually slightly larger than it should be in reality, but as a template it could be easily adapted.

The next installment will be out at the weekend and I think you will like it.
Rob.

[robajob]

Section 3: Lighting +Final Assembly.

The Doctor: Oo. Sorry. Do you have a name?
Idris: Seven hundred years, finally he asks.
The Doctor: And what do I call you?
Idris: I think you call me... Sexy.
The Doctor: Only when we're alone.
Idris: We are alone.
The Doctor: Oh. Come on then, Sexy.

Time to bring this build to life and try and make this Junk Tardis just a little bit sexy, with some illumination and by bringing all the individual parts together into the whole.

As previously indicated, the lighting to the console was to be undertaken using good old faithful fairy lights. Special purchase number 4.
Cheap, lightweight, easily adapted and with a little bit of internet research, I had managed to find a set that offered different settings to enable variation without the need for some sort of external controller.
These were mains powered, but considering there were other devices to be fitted to the console panels that also required mains power, that wasn't going to be a problem.
As to fitting the 200 lights that were going to be required to bring this build to life, well a few minor potential problems that needed to be addressed before commencing.
This lighting had to be wired in such a way so that the individual components that constituted the Junk Tardis as a whole, i.e.; the base, the console panels and the time rotor could be separated for ease of transition and in keeping with the appeal of the Junk Tardis toy set being able to remove certain pieces.
That meant wiring each component individually and yet managing to integrate them as one unit to function correctly.
Ok that could be done with a little slicing and dicing to wire the individual components with the required lighting, then connect them together via sliding connection blocks to retain the singular string for operation.
The second minor issue was that the areas to be lit were extremely specific, as was the singular string of fairy lights. That would mean more slicing and dicing to get the light exactly where it was needed without wasting bulbs on the way.
So as the string of fairy lights was low voltage, adapting and adding additional wire to the string shouldn't have too many adverse effects. Just a lot of cutting, splicing and reconnecting to keep the integrity of the functionality.
An awful lot more wiring to be done than originally planned for, but hey ho.
Last minor problem, the specific lighting to specific parts was also colour specific, in order to combat this I had to buy clear white bulbs and then adapt them for the required specific colour.
That meant painting each bulb with glass paint as required for its specific colour requirement, whether it be red, yellow, blue or orange.
Ok a lot of painting as well, but I am sure it's going to all be worthwhile in the end!
Problems solved! Let's crack on!!


Panel 1 was one of the most important lighting elements, this was the removable console panel that revealed the lights behind, just like the toy.  
This incorporated 25No. lights alone.


Panel 2 incorporating a little artistic license, as in the lighting to the radio as well as  the console panel.


Panel 3 incorporating a little bit more artistic license, namely 3No. lights to the inside of the monitor box.


Panel 4 had no lighting to the console itself, but the above picture indicates 2 further  areas of artistic license. Namely that the underside of the console was also going to be illuminated with the same string of fairy lights, rather than individual down lighters as on the original and that panel 4 was going to have something a little bit special fitted to it to jazz it up just a little, apart from the keyboard, read on and you will see exactly what I am talking about.


Panel 5 incorporating the console lights and more importantly this was going to be the hub point for the electrics, hence the switch box to house some of the lighting elements connection points, to keep them away from prying little fingers.
It was also where the access hatch was located on the original, so access to all the electrics could be localised to one area.


Panel 6 incorporating the console panel lights and the all-important switch box on the console that would facilitate the variety in the lighting.


A quick shot of the console lighting wiring as a whole from the underside.


A quick test of the already individually painted red, yellow and blue lights to Panel 1, also halfway through painting the underside lighting to the required red. Same shot in the dark for effect.

Above, starting the lighting rod for the heart of the Tardis Time Rotor, plus a little test video of the same.

The completed Base of the Junk Tardis Console, with the added bonus of being adaptive to allow access through doors for ease of transition when moving and a test video showing the same at the point of construction.


The completed assembled removable Main Time Rotor and installed access hatch.
Which also shows the reason for the installation of a piece of ply to the underside of the top hexagon.
In order to allow for the fitting of the shower hoses via strapping screwed into the aforementioned piece of ply.
The access hatch will allow for the installation of a trailing lead which will power the required 4No. electrical requirements of the Tardis console.
These requirements being to power the fairy lights to the entire Junk Tardis Console, the individual flexible desk light on Panel 5, the plasma plate fitted to Panel 4 and the monitor screen fitted to Panel 3.


        Panel 1                                                                           Panel 2                                                                            Panel 3


        Panel 4                                                                           Panel 5                                                                            Panel 6


Pictures showing the removable Panel 1 and revealing the lights behind.



A few shots of the panels lighting.




Shown above, a few detail shots showing;
Panel 1 Revealed lights panel.
Panel 2 radio, gauges and special purchase number 5, the very ikea mirror as used on the original, go on check the bar code, I dare you!
Panel 3 Monitor screen with changing Dr Who related screen images.
Panel 4 Keyboard and the artistic license plasma plate to jazz it up, both of which I already had.
Panel 5 Details and the working cheated foam base with special purchase number 6, a flexible desk lamp.
Panel 6 Details and the all-important cotton bud switch box adapted and housing the fairy light controls.
And finally and most importantly, a picture showing what every good Junk Tardis needs, special purchase number 7, a wire coat hanger.
Oh yes plus the heart of the main time rotor of course.
So with that I suppose you think that this build is done.
Well for a while it was and was left as you see it above, uncompleted but totally usable.
So what could be next for this little Junk Tardis and what could I possibly have in mind as to actually finish it all off completely...da da daaa!
Tune in for the next thrilling instalment of......

So as far as Section 3; Lighting and Final Assembly goes, that all for now folks!

[galacticprobe]

Okay... can't really contain myself over this one.

OH MY GLOB!

And that whole beauty is made from 99 percent cardboard? With such detail? (This calls for only one thing...)



Dino.