The Colin Richmond/Ed Thomas TARDIS

Started by Dematerialiser, Feb 12, 2009, 02:15 pm

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Dematerialiser

Feb 12, 2009, 02:15 pm Last Edit: Feb 08, 2010, 10:10 pm by Scarfwearer
[color=FFD21F]The Colin Richmond/Ed Thomas TARDIS[/color]
Era: 2005 to present.

NST-rose.jpg

Summary:
Edward Thomas was in over all charge of the look of the resurrected show, but it was Colin Richmond who actually designed this new TARDIS. It was quite a departure from the usual look of the TARDIS and this time around it became much taller and rather chunky. In 2008, a slightly modified version of this prop was built for the fourth series of the new programme.


Please feel free to add photo references for this prop here, making sure that your photo is of the prop used during the correct era above.

purpleblancmange

Mar 04, 2009, 06:56 pm #1 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:17 pm by scarfwearer
Hello folks,

A chap going by the net name "Ahremsee" got in touch to show me this video that he shot of the TARDIS prop being assembled whilst on location for the Easter Special.  Now I'm not into spoilers, but having viewed it, it doesn't seem to contain anything that you'd call spoilerific.  A few characters wander through the scene, but I have no idea who they are - other than The Doctor, of course... and the guys assembling the box.

http://s563.photobucket.com/albums/ss78/ahremsee/Doctor%20Who%202009%20-%20Easter%20Special/?action=view&current=fasttardisbuild.flv

Anyway, he's kindly given me permission to link to it here for your enjoyment.

Doctor Iz

Mar 04, 2009, 07:15 pm #2 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:17 pm by scarfwearer
Thanks for sharing this video... I see that the posts are solid, not a 'square hollow tube' stucture, as I thought from some pics of the NST.  Photo's and videos are worth a thousand words.  Pass on my thanks to this dear chap! :)
(http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h310/jonizdo/Logos/DRIZ_rev20080226copy-2.jpg)

geminitimelord

Mar 04, 2009, 10:25 pm #3 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:17 pm by scarfwearer
Nice shot of the Bionic Woman and David Tennant.

Funny everyone talking in this shot sounds like a flock of Mice with the speed advanced as it is.


Rox

Mar 05, 2009, 07:24 am #4 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:17 pm by scarfwearer
I notice there's the obligatory 'bloke in hi-viz jacket' who's job appears to be pointing at stuff and looking official...

And then there's a weird bloke in a long coat hanging around.  Looks suspicious.  I suspect from his shifty behaviour and the way he's looking at the TARDIS, he's getting measurements to make his own when he gets home...  ;)
My pilot's license? That's out back in the Cessna. Or perhaps you're referring to my license to kill. Revoked. Trouble at the Kazakhstan border.

I could give you the details but then I'd have to kill you, which I can't do because my license to kill has been revoked.

pod

Mar 05, 2009, 08:54 am #5 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:17 pm by scarfwearer
Quote from: doctoriz on Mar 04, 2009, 07:15 pmThanks for sharing this video... I see that the posts are solid, not a 'square hollow tube' stucture, as I thought from some pics of the NST.  Photo's and videos are worth a thousan
d words.  Pass on my thanks to this dear chap! :)

I think only the tops of the posts are solid ...

TG

Mar 05, 2009, 11:31 am #6 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:18 pm by scarfwearer
Quote from: rox on Mar 05, 2009, 07:24 am
And then there's a weird bloke in a long coat hanging around.  Looks suspicious.  I suspect from his shifty behaviour and the way he's looking at the TARDIS, he's getting measurements to make his own when he gets home...  ;)
LOL  ;D

I like the way he gives the TARDIS an affectionate pat  :)

chriskingbees

Mar 05, 2009, 07:52 pm #7 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:18 pm by scarfwearer
 
Quote TG:
I like the way he gives the TARDIS an affectionate pat :)

I did that to my old (Navy blue) Mk2 Ford Cortina once, and the wing fell off ::)
KB

DoctorWho8

Dec 06, 2009, 09:48 pm #8 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:20 pm by scarfwearer
http://billrudloff.com/NewTARDISfront.pdf
http://billrudloff.com/NewTARDISsides.pdf
These are the current links to my drawings.  I have now updated them.  So for anyone who has downloaded them in the past 4.5 years, now would be a good time to get the fresh copies.  I have recently discovered I have the pitch of the roof too short.  I needed to almost double the height.
Bill Rudloff

peted

May 09, 2009, 11:07 am #9 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:20 pm by scarfwearer
OK. Seeing as no-one has added pics here, I will, even tho many of you have these pics already.
I'll put a few in that I think I very useful reference, and I'll add a little note to say why. There are LOTS of pics of this box around on the web at hi res. So I've tried to add a couple that show interesting features of this prop.

I *think* this pic shows one of the recast grp versions being assembled for the promo shoot outside the Albert Hall for the Dr Who at the proms. It shows how rubbish an idea hot glued window frames are. I hope Moff makes some changes to the tardis prop - (he has after all made comments about it!). I don't mind the 'chunky' look, but the window frame are awful and the neon tubing from round the windows should be got rid of or made less obvious, like the TVM Hudolin box. As for the B&Q lamp - someone send him a fresnel for christmas... I might send mine as it's doing nothing in the garage currently...
266785280_2499167875_o.jpg

Next pic is fairly hi res pic of the original wooden prop from 05. Shows the hole they made for the power supply for the lights.
33150564_4635e7d031_o.jpg

Next one I spotted for sale on e-bay. A pic of Ed Thomas with the assembled prop before it had been painted. Note the central divide runs up behind the lintel boxes in this pic. It looked like it had so much potential - with the correct paint job, weathering and window frames, it could have looked so much better. I would like to have seen some texture, like the artexing from the old days - even the hudolin had this feature. Did they even look at old reference pics?
e75f_1.jpg

Finally, I thought I'd drop this - it was the first photo I saw of the new prop. I remember being very excited but also slightly horrified at the same time. Taken during the shooting of 'Rose' it shows the final stages of assembly. Because the picture is black and white, the prop reminded me of the modified Newbery used in Black Orchid - this pic reminds of the shot of the Newbery being maneuvered into place at Cranleigh Holt. But even in this pic, I could tell the attention to detail simply wasn't there - the lintel boxes looked naff, the pillar caps looked lazy and the corner post beading looked rushed. Good job the beacon is obscured by the strapline, as I think I would have cried at that point!

MirrorTARDISReport.jpg





slidin_sidewayz

Dec 07, 2009, 11:39 am #10 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:20 pm by scarfwearer
If I may be so bold as to offer some suggestions as to correcting your plans, I was hoping my modification of this drawing and the pic next to it as proof may be of some use to you.
[noimg]http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs042.snc3/12955_196228872022_518622022_3445538_6777596_n.jpg[/img]
I have taken the corner detail of your plan and worked it to what I believe is more accurate, going by reference photos and personal measurements by a friend. What I would like to draw your attention to is firstly the width of the side trim on the posts, which on my TARDIS is actually thinner than this pic as it is a Mk1 copy. The later versions as well as the Matt Smith version are much wider due to the extra width posts as I have recently been informed on this site. However I am unsure as to the exact width. I have not widened the post in this drawing sufficiently without knowing the actual measurement.
Secondly, the sign boxes are shallower than the original drawing and were measured to be around the 30mm mark proud of the post faces. This was also approximately the width of the rebating or cutout around the signboxes on the post faces, and as the corner square pieces were 30mm square they lined up well.
Speaking of the signboxes and square corner trim, the corners above the doors are cut at a 45 degree angle where they meet the upright parts of the same trim. This can be seen in numerous pics of the timber and fibreglass versions. These trims are also routered on their edges, and the routing measured to be around 5mm deep and 10mm wide, present on inside edges of both top and sides.
A lot of these details can be seen in Breezy's pictures available in the TARDIS Builder's Guild archives, Breezy being my former partner in crime. And she was a stickler for detail, like me. :-P
Again, not wanting to offend, just wanting to share my thoughts.
Seeya!

DoctorWho8

Dec 07, 2009, 03:30 pm #11 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:21 pm by scarfwearer
Nothing wrong with that.  Breezy and I traded some details during that time, though she was in metric and I was working in imperial.
Bill Rudloff

purpleblancmange

Dec 07, 2009, 05:30 pm #12 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:21 pm by scarfwearer
I chatted with Breezy at the time she measured the prop because I'd done the same thing too and even though we took a tape measure to the same prop, we had different measurements for some key areas and we couldn't work out why.

At the end of the day, it's not a major issue and no-one would ever notice the difference, but I did notice that the original prop is almost an inch wider towards the top of the doors / walls when assembled than at the bottom - this was down to the placement of the internal hinges that held the box together; they weren't on in the correct position.

Anyway, due to the confusion, I ended up going back and measuring the prop in its constituant parts when it was in the workshop and it was at this point that it became very clear how each repeated section is all different sizes, especially the corner posts and centre door dividers - it really does look like a wonky rush job (with respect to the original builders) but in the main part, this doesn't really show up too well on TV, but it does explain why the doors don't hang correctly.

One day I'll build my own replica, one in timber and one in GRP.  I say that, it'll probably never happen though.

DoctorWho8

Dec 08, 2009, 02:33 am #13 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:21 pm by scarfwearer
You still have you're exisiting "ideal" TARDIS to finish. ;)
Bill Rudloff

rizla

Jan 02, 2010, 05:13 pm #14 Last Edit: Jan 24, 2010, 09:21 pm by scarfwearer
So sad to see the NST get destroyed in the End of Time Part 2 :(