Oz's travels.

As I found the right Costume for me to become the 10th Doctor.... Who is the best by my view, played by the great Actor David Tennant. With a slight change of the name to Doctor Woz... Not just for copyright reasons but it has my name in the title W-Oz... Clever aye? "No"...Ok . Anyway... I thought I will need a TARDIS. Here we have a in progress report on me..... with help from Phil..... creating my TARDIS.

To start off scale was important. Studies of photos of David Tennant stood outside the TARDIS, (Like this one) we noticed the top of his head was about halfway up the window and he was slightly wider the one of the door.

So the first thing to make was the doors to my measurements. Height was ok but width was tricky. Me being a slim Gopher....... ALRIGHT a cuddly Gopher (I don't like to say the word fat) Getting the measurements to balance and for it to look right as I said was tricky. We made the doors out of Plywood with proper wood cut down to 10mm by 3mm slices with the bandsaw as the surrounds. They then were wood glued an panel pined in to position to give that panelled door effect. The edges were rounded off by a small sanding wheel on Phil's Dremel, it made them look really authentic. With the cutting wheel attachment Phil cut the windows apertures out.

Phil had left over from a window glazing job of the shed we are in some clear plastic. This time it was my turn with the Dremel to cut out the glass for the windows. I super glued them in, getting stuck to them a few times. (thanks Phil for rescuing me.) While I was doing this Phil sorted out the 4 corner posts. With very small hinges we attached the doors to the corner posts. Once attached we lay out the doors as seen in the photo. Then I could get the correct measurement for the top

cross member.

It didn't take to long to attach the other panels. It soon started to take shape.

I gave the inside of the windows a coat of white paint.

Hopefully the TARDIS will be a bit bigger on the inside once finished.

Oh I didn't say at the beginning that we was using the model TARDIS to the left of me as a pattern.

THE BASE.... Phil and I bought a nice piece of pine to make the base. Cutting an shaping the timber was Phil's job. Phil shaped the edges with a router, I drilled the holes for the screws, then Phil screwed it all together. It tied it all together beautifully. Also we cut and fitted the other two cross members at the top of the side panels.

Looks more like a porta loo at the mo.

THE ROOF. Now this was going to be a challenge! This took a lot of working out! The roof had to be made up the same as a layer cake. The plan was to have a three layered roof. First idea was to cut out the bottom two layers out of one piece of wood. Look at the photo, you can see my attempt to cut out the shape of the middle layer leaving a thin bottom layer. That didn't work, it needed the middle layer to be bit thicker so I trimmed off the bottom layer. I was lucky to have some 3mm plywood, so I made the bottom layer of out of that. Next was to see if we could shape the top piece of wood into a pointed roof. We found a thick piece of wood but trying to work out how to cut it correctly stumped us. It took a week scribbling ideas down for us to hit on the answer. Scratch the one piece of wood idea again, 5mm plywood cut into triangles, the joining edges were slightly chamfered, so once placed together they create a pointed roof. You will see in the next photo it ended up to be a 4 layered roof.

Thanks to Dave (Phil's brother) who helped with how we could bolt the hole roof together. Dave suggested to make a triangle block to be placed in the point of the roof so it will support the plywood in the right position plus to give it strength. Wood glued and panel pinned down the plywood point to the top layer. Then the thin plywood bottom layer and the middle layer were drilled, glued an screwed from underneath to the top layer. Also 4 blocks were cut and glue an screwed to the underside of the bottom layer in each corner as locators so the hole roof can be placed on without it needing to be screwed down. Plus it then can be lifted off to get access the inside of the TARDIS.

Proper technical but we pulled it off... hooray!!

Looking good, plus the roof is in proportion to the rest of the TARDIS.

Phil managed to get the correct paint code for the 10th Doctors TARDIS off the internet, A trip to Halfords Redditch an a very nice chap called Gavin mixed it up for us. I experimented with the paint by paining the roof while Phil made up the frames for the POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX signs. The black sign were printed off on photo paper and then laminated. The middle over lap on the doors was added, plus the same on the other panels to match.

THE LAMP... Phil has a shed full of odds an sods. On my hunt around one day looking for inspiration I came across a plastic sample pot that Phil had picked up from when we pulled the milk tankers for Roger Freeman a number of years ago. (see tanks very much page) I got my tape measure out an it wasn't far off the size I wanted. A circular plate was cut out of aluminium. A cut from the edge to the middle was made, then I carefully pulled the two cut edges across each other to create a cone. I then drilled a small hole in the over lap an banged a rivet in to hold it in place. Four brass pipes were cut to make to the vertical bars and held in place through the top by small nails. A dollop of super glue on the nails then inserted through the cap then down into the top of the tubes pinned them in position.

Another circular aluminium plate was cut out an made into another cone with a slightly sharper point to it. Holes were drilled into the cone, so the vertical brass pipes from the top could past down through it, a few blobs of super glue held it in place. Phil was lucky to find a cap to cover the top point, that was trimmed to size an glued in place. 4 Plastic side structures were cut out to make the thicker vertical bars of the lamp that tied in the top and the bottom. Out of the same brass pipe I mad the vertical pipes I cut out the small horizontal sections, I slightly bent them in the middle with my hammer and anvil, so the went round the pot in the middle. They were soon super glued in place.. without getting them stuck on my fingers!! I used a small pair of pliers.

I need to get myself some ladders. Placing the lamp in place so I can measure it to make the base.

It duz look a bit short ... that is... its width makes it look small. It needs the top lip and the sides taken in a bit to make it look taller..... where's the Dremel and the cutting disc?

That's better, thinner makes it look taller. the wooden base was cut out shaped to fit the roof and the lot was bolted together an painted.

BANG ON!!!!!

Its amazing how much wiring go's into a TARDIS, I spent a complete Saturday shoving it in, then Sunday wiring a very small part of it together. I managed to wire up the POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX illumination.

1st test of the POLICE BOX sign illumination. Needs just a slight improvement .

After a long and frustrating time with wire strippers, soldering iron, a screwdriver and a HAMMER! here is the first light and sound test in the dark.

Do you know how much wiring go's into a TARDIS?

ALOT!!

Now all of the wiring is completed a vacuum was needed to clear away all the off cuts of wire casing that filled the TARDIS.

Time for painting, masking taped up the windows an the police signs so.....

LETS GET PAINTING!

Fully kitted out with mask.. I know I'm outside, but the fumes from the spray can are a lot stronger for me being so small.

First coat went on well.

An so did the other 3 that followed.

Dried and the masking tape removed, I must say I have done a cracking job.

Handles screwed in place, just needs the parquet floor laid and the Police telephone sign put on an we will be very nearly done.

Oh an the window cross bits put in.

Well we have nearly finished. The window frames fitted and the sign on the door.

Also the parquet flooring laid.

A pose in costume with sonic screwdriver and Time Lords pocket watch.

As I have said before (Dorset Steam Fair 2015), there is always someone that likes to get in on your photo... My mate Hue Lorry in the window.

Ok here is a look inside the TARDIS. The job going on here is the ceiling, I didn't get round to putting one in.

Thin bit of plywood cut to shape with a cut out for the lights in the middle. A bit of clear plastic to cover the lights, also a novel bit of plastic end to make the centre light special.

Then painted matt black to make it unnoticeable.

Looks good.... if you can see it.

When we went to Halfords for the paint, Phil found a little sack truck that would be ideal to transport the TARDIS around if we take it anywhere. I set to work customizing it so the TARDIS would be able to fit on it.

Using some off cuts Phil had picked up from somewhere, I made up the base. I'd cut the back one to make it fit around the wheel arch.

Three in place, lets drill an screw them down...? up...?

UP.

Now a quick wiz round with the sander. Guess the song

I was singing

GOOD VIBRATIONS

by the Beach Boys.

The TARDIS sits on it well. but the base could do with a surround to stop the TARDIS sliding off.

I had a brew an thought how I was going to build it. First the base I'd just put on needs to be a bit wider sideways and up front. Marked out the first side bit.