Introduction: Cardboard Dalek

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Back in 2009 I saw a Gold Dalek Cosplayer at fan Expo in Toronto and was interested in building one myself.

I did not have access to wood or wood cutting tools but I did have access to 40x40 sheets of corrugated cardboard and I had a box cutter.

So I became a member of the Dalek Builder's group and downloaded the plans for free.

http://www.projectdalek.co.uk/mainsite/index.php/forum

I did not take a lot of pics as this was my first official cosplay/prop build and did not think about taking pics but I did manage a few of the cardboard construction....no paint or misc pics... :(

Step 1: Cardboard

So I had am almost unlimited supply of 40x40 or 50x50" sheets.

The plans I downloaded showed the measurements of a Shawcraft Mark III Dalek that I loved from the TV episode 'Genesis of the Daleks"

Step 2: Starting Cutting and Gluing

So I followed the plans and began cutting.

I used liquid nails (No More Nails) as the final glue and used masking tape as the grip to temporarily hold that cardboard pieces together.

For the Shoulder I sliced in between the grain to make an easier curve as can be seen in the pic.

I also double the cardboard walls and fender to create a stronger build.

Step 3: More Details

You can see from the pics the inner support cardboard beams and the amount of glue I used. You can also see the slits to make the cardboard bend and curve easier.

Step 4: More Detailing

The base and shoulders were all cardboard and built to specs from the plans.

For the hemispheres I had purchased 4" Christmas Balls that came in halves from Michaels. Then I had used a laser balancer to measure out the positions of the hemis....

Step 5: Painting and Weapons...

I primed the finished body with a gray primer Krylon Spray paint (about 3 cans) and then used a gloss Gray (about 4 cans).

The hemi's I primed black then sprayed a gloss black before attaching.

The neck I used a meshed table cloth to see through.

The plunger was attached to a PVC pipe from the dollar store, the death ray was a wooden dowel with cardboard

sheets painted silver

Both plunger and gun were attached to half a 4 inch hemi ball and strapped in with rubber bands.

The eye stalk was built from a tomato plastic holder from the dollar store and the attached to a wooded dowel.

The dome was created from fiberglass following the builder plans. The dome was placed on a last susan with an internal handle for me to move.

The eyes were from a landrover and the led lights were from an automotive led accessory with a trigger button.

The sound system used a car speaker and the voice mod was purchased in the UK to give that wicked Dalek voice.

I had also a motorized cooler that I drove from within that ran off two12 volt batteries... which gave me about 2-3 hours of run time before recharging

Step 6: Finished!

I was able to finish and run this little Dalek in 2012 to 2014 - Dalek Simon was able to attend 12 conventions over the course of 2 years.

During that time I split the skid so I could fit it in a Sentra...before I had rented a van which was getting costly...so since it was cardboard I sliced the skirt and saved me some money...

There is a lot more details I did not cover...but if you have any questions please ask away!