Introduction: Papercraft TARDIS With Working Light
Here's a simple papercraft project for any whovians with a little down time. It took me about 20 minutes to make it but it was well worth it. To add some extra realism I put a blue LED at the top to seal the deal. This is going to be my entry for the Scoochmaroo papercraft challenge.
Step 1: The Template
I got the template from the deviant art user gfoyle. http://gfoyle.deviantart.com/art/Paper-Craft-Tardis-104428690
He described it as a free gift and encouraged people to print it out and make it. Therefore I don't think he'll mind if I use his template for this instructable.
He described it as a free gift and encouraged people to print it out and make it. Therefore I don't think he'll mind if I use his template for this instructable.
Step 2: The Tools Needed
You're going to want to have both scissors and a razor blade. to hold it all together you can use either glue or tape I found scotch tape to be easier but it looks a little uglier. Glue is trickier but would make it look nicer.
Step 3: Slice the White Lines
You're going to start by makng the precision cuts with the razor blade first. Notice the black trapazoid shaped tabs labeled with a letter. Some of these tabs have a small white line in the middle of them. Locate each tab with a white line in it and carefully slice the white line open.
Step 4: Notch the Other Tabs
After that you're going to need to notch the smaller trapazoid shaped tabs. If you look carefully you'll see two small white lines on each side of it, slice those two lines sort of like you're notching it.
Step 5: Finishing Up the Precision Cuts
After each tab has either been sliced or notched, check the paper for anymore areas that need the same treatment. If any piece has a small white line on it, slice that line. After you finished up all the precision cuts its time to take out the scissors and cut out the pieces for construction.
Step 6: Begining Construction
after you finished cutting everything out your next challenge will be folding and taping it all down. Start by taking the bottom white square and folding it behind the police box door its attached to. This is going to be the bottom of the TARDIS and the reference point for connecting the tabs together. Remember how I said each tab was labeled with a letter? This is important because you're going to connect the tabs with the same letters. For example the bottom tab labeled D, connects with the larger tab also labeled D. The smaller tabs will slide through the slit of the larger tabs to connect. Fold over the sides and connect the tabs its easier to do it than it is to try and explain it.
Step 7: Finishing Construction
So hopefully you have all the sides attached to the bottom and top of the TARDIS. Now you just have to secure it using either tape or glue whichever you decided to use. That steps pretty simple so I'm not going to spend anymore time explaining it. I want to get to the trickier part which is making the LED circuit and attaching it to the TARDIS. Once it's all taped down cut a hole in the top big enough for a 9volt battery to fit through. Now put the TARDIS to the side and get ready to build the LED circuit. If you chose not to do the LED part you can just attach the top piece and call it a day. However if you're up for putting in the LED read on.
Step 8: (optional) Wiring the LED
This is an extremely simple LED series circuit. You will need a blue LED, a resistor, possibly 22gauge wire (depends on how long the 9v clips wire is), 9v clip, and a 9v battery.
The resistor value will be determined by the LED's voltage and current rating also the 9V. I can't tell you what resistor to use without knowing more information on the LED. Therefore just use ohms law to find the resistor value needed.
R= (9v-LED's voltage) / LED's current
once you have all the components connect the resistor to the short wire on the LED. The short wire is the negative side and the long wire is the positive. You don't have to solder them you can just splice them by wrapping the wires around each other. Connect the red wire to the long side of the LED and the black wire to the resistor that's all there is to it.
The resistor value will be determined by the LED's voltage and current rating also the 9V. I can't tell you what resistor to use without knowing more information on the LED. Therefore just use ohms law to find the resistor value needed.
R= (9v-LED's voltage) / LED's current
once you have all the components connect the resistor to the short wire on the LED. The short wire is the negative side and the long wire is the positive. You don't have to solder them you can just splice them by wrapping the wires around each other. Connect the red wire to the long side of the LED and the black wire to the resistor that's all there is to it.
Step 9: Putting the LED in the TARDIS
make sure the circuit is working and the LED is on. Now slide the 9v battery in the hole we made earlier. Make sure the LED is sticking out and isn't falling inside the TARDIS. If it is make the wires longer so it won't fall in. Now take that top piece we saved and punch a hole in it if you haven't done so already. Slip the LED through the hole and tape down that top piece.
Step 10: And You're Finished!
Well now you have a minature TARDIS all to yourself. Let's hope it really is bigger on the inside considering how small it is. If you want to improve the design you could add a switch to the circuit so you could turn off the LED and save the batteries life. If you want to get really advanced you could make the LED flash and have a speaker that played the TARDIS take off noise. Well either way hope you have fun with your new TARDIS.