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Tardis Lantern

This is how to assemble the tardis lantern and connect to wifi.

Power Up and Wifi

The small puck shaped light module is pre-assembled for you, just plug in a micro-usb cable and it will light up.

To change the light modes, you will need a phone or other wifi device. In the box, an easy connect barcode is included. Aim your phone at the QR code and you will be auto-connected to the WLED-TARDIS wifi.

First Time Connecting to Wifi

  1. Connect to the TARDIS-WLED wifi
  2. You can either setup the light module to connect to your home wifi or use without a home network. In the video I select TO THE CONTROLS to use the light without a home wifi network.
  3. Several of my favorites are preset for you. Select the Favorites tab and tap any of the options on the list.

If you do setup a wifi connection to your home wifi, you can use one of these phone apps.

Painting

Paint is optional. The plastic is easier to paint prior to assembly. All you have to do is throw on a couple of coats of your paint.

My Painting Tips

For extra smoothing you can start with a Filler Primer Spray Paint, which will fill in any minor defects in the plastic (not print lines). Sanding between coats with 120, – 400 grit sandpaper helps a lot.

Finish with a coat of Flat Clear Enamel to the paint color protect from bumps and scrapes.

Side Note: Bondo can get you a super smooth finish including removal of print lines, but it generally isn’t worth the effort. The plastic will look great on the tardis roof without extra smoothing.

Generic Painting Guides

Lantern Assembly



The lantern itself has some minor assembly steps to complete. The glass and plastic are wrapped separately to ensure that your lantern arrives undamaged.

The plastic for the Tardis Lantern was designed by WhoFX. The model photos are from his original work. For my tardis lanterns: I scaled his model, modified to fit my electronics, and made improvements to make easier to print.

To assemble, you will be using hotglue and super glue. When in doubt, checkout the thistothat.com Glue Advice website.

Use hot glue to glue glass to plastic. Apply a whole ring of hot glue between the glass on the plastic. For best results make sure your hot glue gun is fully heated before using.

Use super glue for gluing the plastic to plastic. I prefer expanding super glue, like gorilla glue, but any super glue should work.

More Info and Troubleshooting

If you have any trouble with the light module or just want more info on the software, check out the WLED Knowledge Base and Discord.

The WLED project is mature and has lots of wonderful features. My favorite is voice controls using Alexa and Home Assistant setups.