Don't I _wish_...

I knew my major would come in handy some day! I actually didn't design the circuit - I could have done a flashing bulb, but pulsating is still a bit beyond me. I got the schematic from Rabid Hardware. They lied about the cost, though – it was significantly more expensive because I had to special order the dual op amp, and prices have obviously gone up on the other components since the guide was first posted. No matter, though. T'was a good schematic and worked with no problem.

The original plan was to just make a sculpey model with a working bulb, but in a fairly short span of time, that idea spiraled out of control into an accurate wooden model with doors that opened properly and a bulb that began pulsing when the door was shut. I soon came to my senses and realized this was nigh on impossible...primarily because the circuit requires 12 V, which means the TARDIS would have to be quite large to be able to store and easily access 8 AAs through double doors that swing inward. So I settled for a music box-type hinge arrangement (the boxes are just normal wooden trinket boxes bought at my local craftstore) and used a more practical slide switch, which is located at the base of the TARDIS' back side (that's it in the bottom right corner of the bottom left picture). I momentarily considered trying to construct a central panel around the battery pack and integrating a toggle switch onto that, but that would have made it impossible to change the batteries and leave little room for the sculpey characters. Where _is_ that Time Lord Technology (TM) when you need it?

The windows are parchment paper, the paneling was done with Popsicle sticks (roughly 40 per TARDIS), and the signs are just computer printouts. The notice on the front door is actually too small and blurry to read, which is one of my only real complaints about these (the other is that the boxes are significantly taller than Popsicle sticks are long, so I had to piece the paneling together). Has anyone else ever noticed that, though the sign _clearly_ says (even in my low res printouts) to "Pull to open," the TARDIS doors open inward? You _lie_ to us, Doctor! But we love you anyway.

See it in action!