The Type 40 Project

So, this is my blog for my new endeavour - the Type 40 Project.

I should've started this blog yesterday as technically, the project kicked off then, so I will post a "Story so far" to set the scene! :)

First of, what is the Type 40 project?

Well, for those in the know, Type 40 refers to the particular model of TARDIS ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS) of everyones favourite Timelord, the Doctor.

Stuck in the shape of an old Police Box, the TARDIS has become an iconic symbol of Britain - so much so that when the Metropolitan Police tried to seize the trademark of the image of the Police Box from the BBC (which had successfully applied for the trademark in 1996) it lost its case because the image had become so closely associated with Doctor Who, most people when presented with an image of a Police Box would identify it as the TARDIS (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2352743.stm)

If there is any doubt as to how ingrained this view is in the British psyche, in May 2007 at the Chelsea Flower Show, the Queen (yes, HRH Queen Elizabeth II) was heard to remark "'Why is there a Tardis there?" when viewing a garden titled "Gardens In Time" which was a display of two separate gardens, one in the style of the 1960s and one in a modern design, separated by a TARDIS. (http://www.rhs.org.uk/Cardiff/2008/show-garden-A-Garden-in-Time.asp)

So getting back to the original question - what is the Type 40 project?

Well, it's my attempt at building a full-sized replica of the TARDIS exterior shell (i.e. a Police Box)

Now I should start this by saying that

• Apart from some minor woodwork classes at school about 25 years ago, I've never really done anything "creative" with wood (or any other material for that matter!) and have no real skills or experience that will be of much help.


• I don't have a set of plans, but I do have a "guide" of sorts which I got from Ebay a couple of years ago which will serve as the basis for my TARDIS build, though I expect there to be several changes/deviations. Apparently plans for replica TARDIS's are almost impossible to come by commercially due to the BBC trademark.


• Up until yesterday, I didn't even have any useful tools that would help me in this endeavour, though I've been on a little buying spree and am now building up an extensive array of incredibly powerful and dangerous power tools that will no doubt bite me at some point in the future.

So, this blog will serve as my journal of my TARDIS build in which I plan to document as much as I possibly can for posterity to act as a guide (of sorts) to those who come after me! ;)

So, welcome to the Type 40 Project!