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Nobody seems to have built or reviewed this and I was looking for something completely different to do, so here goes.

The box is brimming with parts and includes paints, brushes and cement. I have decided as far as possible to use just stuff from the box, but realised early on that this might have to be compromised.

Assembly starts with the console as per the instructions and is pretty straightforward. One thing immediately noticeable is the sprue gates are all pretty big and most parts require removal using a razor saw, something that tyro builders are not likely to possess. My resolution to use only kit supplied materials was instantly dispatched when I realised tube cement and transparencies was not a good idea. I did use the kit supplied acrylics for basic painting, but then searched in the paint box for metallic colours to dry brush the console supports and other components. I mixed some Tamiya clear green with white to produce the sickly colour painted behind the console and lower shroud-like thingywotsit clear parts. ProModellers wash also came into play. Here's the result:

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Moving on to the phone and it's housing, this is quickly assembled. Base colour on the phone is the recommended brick red, but I deviated with Humbrol brass details and some black, plus wash and highlights:

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Skipping a few steps I started tp paint the base. The instructions recommend that the floor be in brick red and then detail in a herringbone pattern with grey. I started along these lines but the brick red required several coats and despite several hours between coating a second coat started to pull up the base layer resulting in some 'texture'. I was about to rub it down then decided to turn necessity into virtue and set about trying to replicate the metallic effect seen elsewhere in the Tardis. Lots of dry brushing with polished steel, copper, brass and gold followed by a clear orange 'glaze':

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I have no idea if the floor of the Tardis should look like this, but I like it!

The Tardis side panels are all dotted with ejection pin divots and without thinking about it I set about filling them with snopaque then a dab of blue paint. Having done all that I now realise none of them will be visible in any case, doh...

More later.

peebeep

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Windows painted light grey on the inside and lots of masking (aaargh!!!) applied, then they were cemented in place with lots of liquid cement. Here's the panels all ready to be assembled:

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You can see that the panels are tabbed on the base mating edge so that they can't (ha!) be put in the wrong place.

peebeep

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Thanks chaps.

I assembled the walls by dry fitting to the base, then added the corner posts cementing them with liquid cement. Then I added the top rails, everything going together without too much difficulty. I left the assembly dry fitted to the base to harden up. Here you can see all the major assemblies:

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A bit difficult to arrange for the interior to be within another space/time continuum in model form! I would guess that Airfix have made a compromise by moulding the console in a smaller scale to give the illusion of greater space inside. The card background looks surprisingly effective (I dry fitted everything to see how it looks) and you could add to this by putting in some of the droopy cables above the console. The model would benefit from some interior illumination, I might see if an LED can be wired into the electrics.

peebeep

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I dry fitted the card background into the locating slots and it was wedged into place with plastic card packing:

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Then with some trepidation I ran poly cement into the base locating slots and sliding the background through the panels located the panels firmly into the base whilst simultaneously dropping the door into position - a third hand job, but you can manage it by partially engaging the panels whilst jiggling the door. Also the tabs that locate the console have to be guided through the slot and hole provided in the background card. The console was dropped through the roof aperture and is a fairly tight interference fit - no glue required. I had to gently ease the panels outward in order to get it all the way down without breaking the platforms. Here's the result with the roof popped on - you only need cement the roof if you're not planning on using the light and sound feature, otherwise it needs to be removable for battery replacement:

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You can see with the door ajar it is quite gloomy inside - take off the roof and add some top light et voila!

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Which is why I'm contemplating a LED inside my Tardis. Now to see if there is enough of the supplied paint to cover everything. I've also just noticed this thread should really be in the WIP forum so's I'm going to move it.

peebeep

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Predictably there wasn't enough blue paint to cover the Tardis with one coat and it will need a couple. As I wasn't planning to go out and buy some more just yet I decided to start assembling the figures. I was thinking that cleaning up the joints in the folds of the clothing would be a pain, sadly I was not to be disappointed. Here's the Doc looking a bit camp yet gruesomely dismembered:

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I will do a bit of pre-painting before joining everything up.

peebeep

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The Tardis is now complete:

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I managed to get the virtual shutter to fire with the blue light flashing! I went completely overboard with the dry brushed weathering, but I like it!

The Doc figure has had some basic painting done prior to assembling. Still trying to work out how to do pinstripes on the suite. :hmmm:

peebeep

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The Tardis is now complete:

The Doc figure has had some basic painting done prior to assembling. Still trying to work out how to do pinstripes on the suite. :hmmm:

peebeep

How about paint the suit the pinstripe colour, mask with thin strips of Tamiya tape or even better the pre-cut stuff like that from Jammy Dog, then spray the suit colour over the top?

Haven't got one yet, but this was how I'd thought of doing it. Not sure how practical it is in the flesh though.

Steve.

PS Tardis looks great, I personally don' t think the drybrushing is overdone :thumbsup2:

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Drinks on me Steve! I like that idea so much I'm going to start working on it in a short while! The only snag is I set myself a target of using paints and equipment from the box as far as possible, so it will be some careful brushwork rather than spraying.

I've got used to the 'worn' finish and both my lads are impressed so it can't be too bad. I would think all that time/space travel would make the paint a bit flaky!

Thanks for the input.

peebeep

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Very nice old chap, looking forward to what you do with the figures:-)

And being able to start on mine (we had a mate move in for a month over a year ago and some of his stuff is clogging up my workshop...and getting in the way of my display cabinet..)

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  • 11 months later...

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