My New Series Doctor Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

Not so much painted but dipped. As LED's don't generate a hazardous amount of heat.
You can't really hurt them doing this. You'd have to play
around with them a bit to get the Hue you want. Just let the future set a
little between dips and you can build up a rather thick coat.
This was several years ago. I believe there may be yellow LED's now.
The light emmited will likely still be harsh but you can turn the tips from lenses
to defusers simply by sanding them.
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

I don't blame you - I finally convinced the wife to let me build one in the garden and seeing the amount of work going into yours is terrifying me!

If you need any help, I'd love to participate in the build. It'll probably help me keep the impulse to start my own in check for a couple more years.
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

If you need any help, I'd love to participate in the build. It'll probably help me keep the impulse to start my own in check for a couple more years.

Definitely! Although I imagine it will be us bickering over screen accuracy while my brother in law actually builds the thing! :lol

Apologies for the derail, now back to you Phil...
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

Definitely! Although I imagine it will be us bickering over screen accuracy while my brother in law actually builds the thing! :lol

Apologies for the derail, now back to you Phil...

Builds the thing? Gotta hear more about this...
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

Not so much painted but dipped. As LED's don't generate a hazardous amount of heat.
You can't really hurt them doing this. You'd have to play
around with them a bit to get the Hue you want. Just let the future set a
little between dips and you can build up a rather thick coat.
This was several years ago. I believe there may be yellow LED's now.
The light emmited will likely still be harsh but you can turn the tips from lenses to defusers simply by sanding them.

Thanks. There are warm white LEDs listed now. I ordered some to test with. We'll see how yellow they are soon.
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

I'm happy to say that I tested sandblasting today with an outdoor rig and it worked great. If all goes well, I'll be disassembling the entire tardis tomorrow, setting it up outside, and blasting all of the outside wood.

DSC_1020.JPG
 
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re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

What an incredible undertaking Philip. Absolutely amazing work. BRAVO!!!
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

Sandblasting did happen today. It was more work than I had expected. Even with two of us we were busy all day, and still didn't get to the top.

The effect is good and it achieves the weathered look very nicely.

A lot of time is spent sweeping up the sand, sifting it, charging the tank and then the actual blasting. We both wore respirators, which gets annoying as well, but necessary.

We had several spots in the wood where the color was dark brown and when we hit it with the sand it blew out some very soft wood and left a hollow crevice, which had to be filled with bondo.

sandblasting.JPG
 
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re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

Yes. As opposed to burning and burnishing with a brush like you can see in photos in an earlier post. Quite effective.
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

A couple more photos of the sandblasting process.

We only blasted the exterior of the Tardis. When I paint it, I think I'll only paint the weathered part blue, and the rest black.

DSC_1026.JPG

DSC_1028.JPG
 
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re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

Do you mind sharing a bit of carpentry advice on your doors? What will keep them from warping a bit with the weather? I do not have a biscuit joiner or the collection of clamps. My thought was to use 1/4 in plywood with cutouts for the windows and phone panel. Then glue and screw a wood frame to the front. I am making just the doorway, so this will get a lot of use. It is the opening to my workroom.
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

Do you mind sharing a bit of carpentry advice on your doors? What will keep them from warping a bit with the weather? I do not have a biscuit joiner or the collection of clamps. My thought was to use 1/4 in plywood with cutouts for the windows and phone panel. Then glue and screw a wood frame to the front. I am making just the doorway, so this will get a lot of use. It is the opening to my workroom.

To start with, I'd use thicker plywood than 1/4". I used 1/4" since the prop was built that way and it makes the panels much lighter, but you do trade strength for lightness. I'd suggest at least 1/2"

I think on a door you will have some trouble if you don't attach boards on both sides of the plywood. In general, wood panels like to have the same thing done to both sides to allow it to act the same on both sides. Like, glue, paint, and overlaid boards.


I'd also get the boards in the shop for a good week before you use them, that way they can have a chance to develop any bowing they are going to do. I'd buy several and return the ones that bow, and use the ones that don't.

Be sure and do the work on a flat surface, and try to do both sides at the same time so the door gets a set all at once. I think screwing the boards down will help as well.
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

It looks like just a stack of stuff, and it is, but it's a pile of work for the windows. 8 each of the backlight boxes, window laminations and the LED lighting panels. The windows go in after the painting is done, and the light boxes still need to have cuts made to allow the inserts room to go in and then each needs to be mounted to the walls and doors with some speaker grill connectors I've sourced.

DSC_1029.JPG
 
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re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

Looks like one heck of a pile of lovely work. Great job.
What are you going to use to paint this ship? Brush paint or Air gun?
 
re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

I'm using Dupont lacquer auto paint and a spray gun to apply the paint right over the bare wood, with no clear coat. This is supposed to be how the smith tardis was painted.

There's a member of the tardis builders forum, Doctor Iz, that received a can of this paint anonymously, believed to have come from somebody that is somehow involved with the prop. Doctor Iz painted a sample with the board and it does look dead on.

The color is a standard Subaru color I was able to get at my local Dupont autobody paint supplier. I'll post the details on it when I get back to the shop.
 
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re: My New Series Dr Who Tardis Build (image heavy)

That is really cool. To have someone watching the builders and helping out from the show in someway means alot.
I am also a member at the Tardis Builders Forum....I just haven't got to the point I can build one yet.

Thanks,
Mobius
 

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