I’ve been talking about building a Tardis letterbox for ages. I’m basing my build on The Blue Box Project. My build will be a little bit different due to metric timber measurements and to the fact that I’m not quite so fanatical as some about my Tardis being ‘perfect’. Also mine is a letterbox so the front doors won’t open. Instead I’ll need to incorporate a mail slot and some type of door at the back, or perhaps a hinged roof. The Blue Box Project is a great place to start, though. I’ve been reading through and doing my own calculations over the past week. Like the Tardis in that project, my Tardis will be approximately half real size. Today I finally bought the timber to make a start.
I need to make sure my Tardis will stand up to the weather, being a letterbox, so my walls are 12mm marine ply. The posts are treated pine and the trim that makes the recessed panels is made from Tasmanian oak. I won’t be putting in real windows; I’ll just paint the ‘glass’.
I had a little helper all afternoon. Jet wanted to be right there with me while I was working on the floor. I had to repeatedly ask her to move as she seemed to really like laying on the plywood.
Laying out the first wall of my Tardis
Jet was my helper as I laid things out
Jet holding the plywood in place while I set up the layout
Jet making sure I draw my lines straight
Jet holding a straight edge in place while I draw the pattern
It took quite a bit of redrawing to get the pattern right