# Scroll Saw Tardis



## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

Hi Folks:

I wanted to share a bit of adventure I'm having. Last year, for my birthday, my dear bride bought me a scroll saw. I played with it quite a bit, then came across this scroll saw Tardis project on the web: http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=703'
(It comes from Great Britain, so I've had extra fun converting everything to inches.)

I started it a few months ago, and had to stop due to lack of free time. I was able to get back to it this past week, and I'm really starting to have some fun. I wish I had taken some pictures earlier in the process, but this is where I am right now. 

Disclaimer: For the purist, some of the details are not to scale, but you have to remember that aside from the hinges, this is all wood! 

I will attempt to attach some current pictures of my progress...


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## LGFugate (Sep 11, 2000)

Sweet!

Larry


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

I just started watched Doctor Who about 2 weeks ago, so I will follow this with interest.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Cool.


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## SJF (Dec 3, 1999)

That's looking very nice! 

Sean


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## Alien (Sep 5, 2001)

Starting to look fantastic Mike. Just wait untill you get the blue paint on.

Lucky you, what a great present from the wife. I do love a good saw.:thumbsup:

I too have built a wooden Tardis (On a saw table in my case.)
You really find out that there are lots and lots of bits required when you build it from scratch. 
Mine is a bit bigger, about 280mm square. (11 inches)

A Tardis does make a good display piece. I look forward to watching your progress.

Alien


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## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

Thanks for all the encouragement guys! Alien, you aren't kidding about all the little bits that need to be fabricated. Using scroll saw, dremel, and a square file, I mangaged to make the handles for the door and the phone access door. The big doors are hinged and will move, but the little phone access door will not. 

I got the window frames painted (I'm going for a sort of 11th Doctor version of the ship, hence the white frames) and the vertical molding is slowly being glued and clamped into place. I'm getting closer to blue paint time!


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Nice work!


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## bccanfield (Nov 17, 2002)

It's smaller on the outside than it is on the inside....


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## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

Just a quick and long overdue update. I made the top signs of thin plywood and added some fine basswood trim that I found at Hobby Lobby. It gives it the look of a sign box. 

I've also included some pics of the primer phase (taken in my garage). I used dark gray Rustoleum primer. Seemed to work just fine. On to the tardis blue! To my eye Model Master Ford Engine Blue with a touch of black may do the trick. 

I also found a the perfect circuit on the Instructables website. 
http://www.instructables.com/id/ThrobbingFading-LED-with-555-Timer/
Instead of a simple flashing light on top, this circuit will fade the LED in and out. I'm pretty bad at soldering, but it seems to work.

In my next update, I promise some blue.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

*I like it very much! It has a good... WOODY...feel to it!*


woody by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Dave in RI (Jun 28, 2009)

Just wondering...is there anything about the TARDIS exterior that distinguishes itself from the real British 1960's police call box? 

If not, then what you're actually building is a replica British police call box and _calling_ it a TARDIS! :tongue:


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## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

Indeed! In fact, if you check the pattern and instructions from the link I referenced previously, http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=703, they call it a model police box, not a model Tardis. 

The Tardis has changed over the years. It was never an exact replica of a police box, a fact referenced in the episode called "Blink." I'm betting some deep Who experts out there can tell us for sure.


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## tardis61 (Apr 10, 2008)

The Tardis was never going to be an exact replica of a Police Telephone Box. The Type 40 Tardises (is that a word?) had a defence mechanism called the chameleon circuit that allowed them to blend in with the natural environment eg rocks trees -pipe organs!
The problem with the Doctor's Tardis was the circuit suffered damage when he visited the 1960's on earth and he never got around to repairing it!!!


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## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

I love it! I think I remember the pipe organ camouflage from many years ago with the 4th or 5th Doctor!


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## tardis61 (Apr 10, 2008)

Yes the pipe Organ was featured in the Sixth Doctor story Attack of the Cybermen, He actually played a few notes on it!

happy memories


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## lunadude (Oct 21, 2006)

Trekkriffic said:


> *I like it very much! It has a good... WOODY...feel to it!*
> 
> 
> woody by trekriffic, on Flickr


TARDIS, yes a good woody word.


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## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

*Final T.A.R.D.I.S.*

Here is the final painted Tardis with lights and decals. I included a shot with the obligatory pop can for scale. (Oh, and yes, I know the doors open the wrong way! I decided to follow the original plans. I hope to correct this someday with Tardis Mark 2.) I hope you enjoy.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Well, it DOES say "pull to open". :-D

Nicely done!

(Yes, I know the " pull to open" refers to the phone access door.)


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## Alien (Sep 5, 2001)

Been away for a time and have just seen your completed TARDIS.

Great work, love it.
I can see your wife coming up with a few jobs for you and the saw, now she knows that you are an expert using it.

Fantastic.

Alien


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## spawndude (Nov 28, 2007)

About 4 years ago I found detailed plans on the Internet for building a full sized Tardis out of plywood and pine lumber. I was going to build it in my backyard to store lawn and pool equipment/supplies. A hard drive crash wiped out the link and a saved PDF. 

Anyone know of plans like this?


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## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

Alien said:


> Been away for a time and have just seen your completed TARDIS.
> 
> Great work, love it.
> I can see your wife coming up with a few jobs for you and the saw, now she knows that you are an expert using it.
> ...


Thank you so much! 

Mike


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## TonyT (Oct 19, 2013)

Love it!!


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Just in time (pun intended) for the 50th anniversary. Beautiful job!


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

What was the original police box for? I see it had the door behind which you could find a phone, but there's a lot of room left over. Did police officers have a key they could use to open the box as a sort of mini-office to write reports, etc.? Or could ordinary citizens use it as a refuge in case they were being chased?


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Right first time. There was enough room inside for a high desk and a stool, probably for logging time sheets and incident reports. It was meant for the Bobbies only. I think they might have left their lunch and a thermos of tea in there as well.


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## The_Engineer (Dec 8, 2012)

I believe the telephone was used by the public to call the Police for help and the Police had the key to go inside. I think if the Police arrested someone, they could locked the person inside and call for a police car to come and pick up the person and transport them to the police station.


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## Alien (Sep 5, 2001)

Spawndude,

Have a look at http://tardisbuilders.com
Lots of TARDIS information as well as plans for some of the different boxes.

Hope it helps

Alien


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