The Cupboard of Rassilon

As a Dalek would say “DECORATE” and i did

I have my little ” cupboard  looking nice all shiny white walls and my cabinets are in

the special thing here was to make it fit round everything so it flowed and worked as a whole, so i designed its lay out to have purpose and create more floor space
things set right up to the wall it works.
now not much but this humble collection is mine and now i got it looking to sweet

and i know you greedy lot wana see others so here we go

this is my who shelves and a paint to get right ,but are now spot on and made from scrap and skip finds and a bit of paint et voila shelves

now my big models and RC stuff on top as you can clearly see no room for a upcoming 3rd scale classic K9 RC but i wont say no to one as a pressie 🙂 under that is MY shelf, yes this room is the ultimate selfish trip my room my way, so L-R, Revenge of the Cybermen ,Remembrance of the Daleks ,Pyramids of Mars and Death to the Daleks ,all my fave stories immortalized in plastic form under that some of my TARDISes L-R Masters Tardis 70’s computer bank ,Smith Capaldi custom , Tennant Eccleston, 80s circa S19 and McCoy McGann box with the Masters TARDIS Grandfather clock custom and an unseen but there hat stand  add some awesome pictures a graphic or two the console diagram from the tech manual is behind the tardises and done

now thinking aghhhhh no blurred ,im being creative you get the idea im sure, this is my small lot (main focus is classic not new)

I think of this shelf as being the two Timelords discuss the doctor and the rest is a visual aide of what they’re talking about around them
yes that is original miss piggy rose figure and ecclestone these are the first figures ever made from them came this lot including and nice to have out my custom stuff like iron legionaries, delgado in suit Key to Time Tom etc

and on top shelf nearly all 13 Doctors (always one missing caught in a sodin vortex ,again, and not there) but as i grew up with 12 regenerations, 13 lives, and with CO decideing to shrink the range (due to lack of funds and resources ) to 3 inch tall things im out of that one  then this is for me a closing and end of the line i am missing a couple of big characters, Brigadier and Ainley Master, but i can pick them up at my leisure and whenever CO decided to get thumb out of their ass and just accept Ainley was the master for over a decade
and also last year i got Ace ,and at hi school i watched McCoy stories everyone pretty much and like him and his Dr and love Ace so this does feel like an end like ive done it ,
CO will only focus on the 70s and nothing but ,we got a couple of things from 80s ,if they do more ill pick some up that i like at my leisure but yeah im happy job done cabinet full

you can see the build a figure figures as well there and my collection of Dapol and tat from over the years ,a fave being a bubble bath for the 25th anniversary warm nostalgia there

Then there is this ,this i had on my door (guess how it got wrecked) in 88 and i made it on my to do list this year to get and aint she gorgeous the poster was fresh in mag like the day it was released

This truly is my room and what a blast of nostalgia and how nice to have these things in it ,my who stuff  and my comic stuff ,how good it is for me to have back stuff i did have
so really is reaching completion few bits left to do

so aside from that what else is new

 

Making DVD covers or re making them as the standard ones don’t float my boat and some stories i really like and would like proper covers for

Taking a die-cast Dalek and giving it a  repaint , one is pristine like the Dalek story after it just soaked up 1.21 gigawats of electricity
and the other now looks more dirty and battered and how we  see them now,
not easy ,plastic fine metal and weathering hard work, lots of trial and error but done

Now onto props and looking forward to sometime this year getting a Cyber head made then who knows

BBC Media city

Been on a little trip out to local new media village ,or Media City UK  (Pompous title ?) BBC Media Village Manchester yup the beeb relocated ooop north from down south  Interesting one this basically it is a vast area of old docklands that was regenerated into the uber ooo look at me glass architecture,you know the one all odd angles and weird symmetry wonder how history will judge it i think it is just plain odd looking but then in the not so long ago 70s concrete was in   
http://www.thelowry.com/

shopping center Arndale is bit naff and boring it is all yuppie stuff nothing of any interest war museum is ,ok

BUT is the BBC which is what i want to see

THIS is what i came for

so there is a TARDIS and some daleks
and after doing some digging about i found out some stuff about this box,
my far more knowledgeable expert friend was doubtful to its screen use and some things measurement wise being a little off
so here is what we have found out about this particular box in doing my research
It is NOT screen used it is a promotional box or “Exhibition” Prop as over the years many things have been

When Matt as Doctor touring promoting he came to Manchester in a coach  with Karen
and they duly posed for press and had a Q and A session with the press
they did not bring a box with them Matt had his sonic screwdriver but no box

So being at Media hub in North for BBC (Now going all regional decentralized from London ) the pictures are with TARDIS in Media City and i bet it is this one, has to be i think this like one in TV Center London is something stuck in foyer as promo piece, but has has its uses to appear when needed
 eg been on blue peter (now based in Manchester) and other things like for press pictures

Manchester Matt Karen and TARDIS

So off i go to take a look never seen this box before have been and seen the Dr Who  “up close” exhibition 2007

which had Tardis and a Dalek on a plinth, amongst many other things but it was Tennant Ecclestone Variant that time around
It was housed in the Science and industry Museum and it was a good to see the then series 3 in production and actual screen used parts and how “Un special” things were, off the peg clothes for costumes and quick cheap MDF jobs to props all very quick and basic DIY 

Not very special but still nice to see and get up close to them , which was kind of the point i got to see stuff in stores to like Timelord Collar and other things but it had nothing classic that was still firmly Blackpool then 

we did have are very own TARDIS for the event tho made by the folks at the museum for promo work

 I called it ” Stretch” this went on to be in original BBC Oxford road foyer for a couple of years think there was five of these made and was even so obviously wrong still drew a crowd for looking touching and pictures amazing what a pop culture media icon can do

Back at Media City 2012

yup i was here for this !
and had pen paper and schematic of Tardis in hand hey serious business this you know ,i was a man on a mission
BUT before i get into that there was some natives from the planet Skaro on display

originally there were 2

But alas being on Display and prone to public manhandling then loaned to other departments returned well ……….broken
and in typical Beeb fashion there bust and not been repaired
apparently there originally interactive of sorts
so now there a little broken and now we are down to one on display sans eye

These were animated originally and now show some real signs of wear the one in foyer had bad cracks in the neck rings wobbly neck bin and broken eye the other was well a right off now stashed and hidden away
One interesting thing that did come to light in my research is this controversial tit bit
A claim that one of these was made by This Planet Earth ,i know not enough but i raised a eyebrow ,why? BBC have there own and molds and access to own props,so why use theres ?

So onto the main event a BIG wood blue box first thoughts lighter than i released mine i made was maybe little to light but certainly not as Dark as she appears on the telly or as made by CO
She looked worn step was dirty chipped scuffed bent door handle she had seen use been used as a photo prop 
Now a lot of the “Internet” know alls have stamped on what they say is so and here was a lot of disproving (FYI Dalek seal round hems is NOT a daf seal it is rigid hard cast  lines going round it ,i know i touched it ),the phone panel is one flat white run of mill perspex and black 3D lettering laser cut,added on top different to previous that was metal and printed deliberately scuffed so thats why when lit can see light bleed behind letters 
Next how amateurish a job it was it is just hardboard MDF and i suspect some standard pine router jigsaw and drill job it is disproportionate,but not as much as you think 

heavy wear and tear cracks showing, you can see no brush marks it is obviously spray painted so im thinking the moff wanted the prop looking clean tidy nice and neat for his series compared to the dirty worn out tennat version ,but they have made more of these boxes,
 and not even god knows why

My impression in 2005 was if someone who was good with D.I.Y and decided i want a box TARDIS for my self then looking at telly this is something they would make with no real idea or research, fine fan build
this a professional prop for a series ,it  is simply substandard 
It is big panels and windows ,but not square ones despite what you think ,theres like a inch difference believe it or not ,some measurements similar to Hartnells Box panels, and there is a lot of measurements in the routering and beveling all over it is simply done you can see where panels of wood are nailed in, lot of nail glue used ,and wood grain shows well you can see it looks like carpentry 101 project 
and left with idea of how it was done by a set of carpenters with not one idea on what a TARDIS is, there is zero details some like posts have added made up detail , L added to posts ,post caps attatched to the roof ,no corner beading no 3 steps at wall tops all the details that come with a Police Box aka TARDIS nothing , nice work nicely made but so very wrong 

so i got measurements all over not that i will ever use them ,i do not think but you never know 
and also the cat flap at the back for lead yet there was a hole made for the lead ? go figure i saw the simple top signs just printed on perspex and fresnel  on roof it has the parkay floor inside ala the set 

parkay

 the windows are black perspex simple as, not some magic device that go clear and all white when light is switched on ,sorry there black and the grey ones (Grey cos clear but pebbled frosted so seem grey but actually clear why light shines through when switched on )  are pebbled,look darker when obviously dark within and boxed behind and black hardboard backing the walls doors 

here is proof the black is black see pebbled allowing light to shine

a 10mm window divide so not as thin as people think

overall a really nice thing to see ,weather you like approve or  not it is nice to see one  and staff didnt give me a hard time in fact came to ask what i was doing nicely and in curiosity, careful not to bore as well it is my ting not necessarily anyone elses ,just explained i love the blue box and would like to take some measurements 
 she is BIG

One Day i will see a classic box saw a Bracaki replica at llangolan as a kid but i want to see real thing this means a trip to Cardiff 

scale model TARDIS 5

 

The Finish

Last one for now and on last run so inundation of pics to followhope next one is finished article

But what finish ?? now this TARDIS the 80s one if not all TARDIS props change so much and vary degrees as was constantly tarted up 

so the GRP well i wanted to go with a look that is 80s and it always was sort of mid blue the ultramarine colour (Ill call it this as its closest to it and serves for description purposes) 

80-89

now besides the difference with the middle bit in the 80s (generically speaking) with  Pete’s last year, Collin’s time it was then all dark black blue and grey due to over filthy for various reasons 

delta and the bannermen 87

and McCoy, Dr 7 ,87- 89 now his “really” did change it was even pink (Mk2 prop) this is infamous for going light to dark with each story due to the broadcast order differing to filming order so on TV got a new colour TARDIS each week ,so it gos light blue bright colour no weathering and then mid ultramarine mid blue next story and then bright blue  etc

Mk 1 prop remembrance of the daleks 1988

there was also two props (MK 2 cast from same moulds in 86 for Trial of a time lord) and i suspect the newer Mk 2 was not repainted (Besides going pink)  this remained mid ultra marine blue in all ,and it was the older more shabby (by now 8 year old Fiberglass prop mk1) that was light blue ,in the story’s i find it in ,MK2 from time and the Rani to the curse of fenric is pretty consistent in its chosen shade

mk2 the curse of fenric 1989

Mk 2 box introduced here in 86 Trial of a Timelord

very brief rundown 

remembrance of the daleks MK1 (LOVE this look ) little tired and grubby ,in greatest show in the galaxy the prop is frankly a mess cracked ,peeling dirty ,its taken away after filming and  repainted light blue , this was filmed prior to nemesis    
the order of filming S25 1988 was ……..

Remembrance of the Daleks

Greatest show in the Galaxy

 Silver Nemesis   

Happiness patrol  (MK 2 Pink prop )

thus changing colour every story in season 25 1988 , and there on staying light blue for season 26 in 1989 
so in 89 season 26  MK 1 is bright blue no handle and the MK2 was the darker ultramarine blue so again for this season the prop changed colour on the telly between episodes as well and to make matters worse the  ghost light episode you see the back of the box ,the back doors, and someone left the handle missing off the front  on them !,who used bright blue paint ? , cant get the staff

 (all reference 7th dr handbook and  courtesy PB          http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~trekker/policeboxes/tv3.html)

greatest show in the galaxy

greatest show in the galaxy 88

as to paint it they removed door furniture repainted her and then clearly forgot to put the handles back on

and oh paint and clean the phone panel to match ,

battlefield  89

Id like to have a moments silence as well, 1988 S25 was the last time the console room from 83 was seen so end of a era
Now if your not already confused with two identical props  and various paint shades there is the inevitable ( And cast iron guaranteed by BBC) Breakages so bits needed repairing ad hoc off the cuff or maybe ,rarely, sometimes once a blue moon a new piece cast and put on now this applies chiefly to the sign boxes and the base but there is consistency …………….
Only joking, some hope

so what to do?,

well the as is CO toy is fine as is for season 19 Pete (Big lamp base and newbury refit caped off signs) or McCoy nice light blue really so fairly nail on head just if perfectionist like me of a certain age wallowing in nostalgia of childhood
personally as i have said so far i treated this as a scale model like a ‘tiger tank model’ a real world object so all my dirt streaks marks dust blemishes and discolouring is where it would fall in real life
so dark runs stains round locks handles and dust grime dirt in corners and in beading and other crevices where would fall on a decade old grp tv prop,and where it would be on a antiquated alien time capsule that’s been from one corner of the galaxy to the other, and to parallel universes landing in dusty deserts to muddy forests rain soaked fields and ice planets to landing not always base first.

as for the base Well I’m not going to make it look like the edge of a stamp as per the prop which obviously had several new bases over the decade , but i intend to wear it up and mines the bigger variety
i don’t much like the thin as paper look, makes the thing look top heavy and its if the small base is to the  wrong scale to the eye on small models, 
its ok but looks wrong in my opinion on small models as scaled down so much to be none existent not so bad at 1/5 or 1/1 scale

and after seeing a print of make your own tardis it inspired me for what i was looking for and remembering that my base is not buried so will be on show constantly 

androzani 84

base paint idea

 this will work but it is all trial and error

scale model TARDIS 4

it is quite cool and captures the feeling of the season 18/26. tho not accurate i know still a LONG way to go 

venetian crystal 1 at moment to show (with dry brush and am running out of brushes to kill) some blemishes marks and discolour to select points for wear and tear ,texture is just acrylic paint stippled on raw with a little sand in the mix

temporary sign up with a bit of pritt stick looks good, might tweak it in micro publisher illustrator or something but overall OK
it seems like it’s dragging on forever, and other days it seems as though the end is almost in sight. then i cant decide or not happy with something,and theres things that crop up and make themselves known that need dealing With,

And the stand arrived today

not bad, so far not great as well unless under bright light and on window sill it ain’t moving ,hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

OK need to re think this one ,sigh, but looks good and cheap a few quid   lot to be said for battery operated tho 

both sets of doors

 now i know what you are thinking here OMG whats happened why the doors so dirty look so bad?,
well i want my cake and to eat it i want best of ALL worlds so my back doors are the back of this prop the first set of doors used on this prop 
so ala S 18/ 19 this is them NB Back doors not seen on telly sometimes not there at all and just a big black curtain for ease of entry for Actors especialy when you get as many as dr 5 had 
so  i thought it would be nice to have those doors on my  scale model not going to be seen much but nice to have there so false signs thrown up quick ( rear sign is a copy of the one took from the refit Newbury prop) a knock up pic in paint and voila my box thus far looks different in the flesh odd
proof in the pudding of the doors 

S19

S 18

scale model TARDIS 1

Research ,a pain but must be done  if you want the right finished result and you don’t want want to be left thinking “Hmmm don’t look right ” , certainly is true that it is possible to do a model   without ever doing a second of research.
  Yet most modellers will at some point want to explore the background and history of the subjects they are modelling and for many modellers, this becomes an integral and very enjoyable aspect of the hobby.it is after all the subject you like (Why else buy the model in the first place ?),this can extend to techniques in build etc

There are several main reasons why modellers are so interested in research,
For some modellers, the pursuit of accuracy becomes almost an obsession. They are not happy unless their model is 100% accurate down to the last bolt and screw head . Manufacturers today tend to do their homework well and normally models will be accurate. However, it is not unknown for manufacturers to make mistakes, even if these tend to be minor such as depicting a model with hexagonal bolts instead of domed bolts.

There is also a possibility that a manufacturer may ‘generalise’ when creating a model.  Creating the molds for injection scale models is very expensive and manufacturers need to produce a great number of kits to make each mold commercially viable.  Therefore, rather than make several molds to cover every version of a particular vehicle, they may make a single mold to cover several versions.  The difference between the versions may be minor, but for the dedicated ‘bolt counter’ this will not be good enough and they will want their model to be exactly right, so will do research to satisfy themselves of the accuracy of their particular subject,this comes to play in this the subject i did the TARDIS a ‘toy’ mass produced and generic to put it mildly so lot of rebuild and research needed here to get this particular box 1980s grp box to look like it should

Character Options “Classic TARDIS” from the curse of fenric with 7th Doctor figure box set

Realism and accuracy are not always the same thing, in fact, sometimes there can be conflict between the two.  For example, a modeller whose main concern is accuracy may leave off bolts on the tail of a small scale aircraft because they would be too small to see at that scale, whereas a modeller interested primarily in realism, would include the bold detail because it makes the tail look right.

so you got a choice to make  ,for me The only way to get a model to ‘look right’ is to study photographs and videos of the real item to see how it  actually  looked in real life ,but this is sometimes not that simple if the item in question had various stages of looks through its long years of use (this TARDIS prime candidate),
looking at how paint is discoloured by use age dirt or being handled knocked etc , or how paint is worn on a step by repeated footsteps door is marked from being handled round the Handel and lock  .  For a TARDIS realism means studying how dust and paint is scratched./built on /touched up and accumulates finding all this information requires a good deal of studying.

Season 19  look

Season 22 look

now if a model is to be built ‘out of the box’ as per the manufacturer’s instructions then there is limited need for research. or if happy with as is then just put it on your shelf
 However, most modellers, sooner or later, feel the need to start making models that have some originality and differ from what the manufacturer intended “Your build” unique .
  This may mean a different paint scheme, or more drastically creating a different version to that supplied in the model kit.  This not only gives the finished model a certain uniqueness, but also provides additional challenge to the modeller.the choices are endless

“There are a hundred billion facts on the Internet and all of them are wrong.”
That quote is a humorous exaggeration, but appt ,
You cant take for granted ” so and so says it is this ………..” ,you have to do your own home work and this may take long long time and patience maybe if you are just researching the phone panel , or maybe looking on google for wood steps to see how they age or maybe studying fonts for the authentic “Police Box ” sign either way read what others have to say and add it to your research
 and remember it is not over until you say you can go back to a model countless times i have ones now going 15 yrs old and been totally stripped and re done from the ground up , some i have since leaned a nifty new trick and gone to apply it to a model
its fun and should be enjoyed