Introduction: Cardboard Props: 3D Dice / Rubix Cube / Music Box
So, as i said in my last instructable, i make props for our local Scout Gangshow... This year amongst the things i have been asked to beg borrow cheat steal or make.. is an oversized rubix cube... This how too will give you an idea how to make a prop rubix cube or a quick oversized dice.
It's not painted yet... I'm waiting for the director to get back to me on if they want a solved or unsolved prop.... but still you can get the idea :)
Enjoy
Step 1: Ingredients!
What you will need:
* Imagination and Patience
* About 30 minutes
* Cardboard ( I used 3mm card from a box i got from the store)
* Pen/ Pencil
* Knife/Scissors (watch your fingers people!
* Ruler
* Glue ( I personally used a glue gun.... But PVA or superglue will dothe trick... it may take longer to dry though)
* Paint or coloured stickers for the squares. Rubix cubes have 6 colours White, Red, Blue, Orange & Green
* Black marker pen
Optional extras:
* To make just a 3d musical box... put in some beads or seeds or a bell...
* Extra card to glue to one side to make a weighted dice
Step 2: Marking Out
Since my excuse of working by eye is probably not going to cut it... here i will give you my own personal dimensions for the cube i made.
Usually when i make a box i would use a single peice of card, and cut it into something looking like the diagram i drew in picture one... But... I didint have a big enough peice of card... so what i did was marked out 6... 10cm by 10cm squares and cut out using my trusty knife... I find that to get good straight lines... that it is better to use a good sharp knife... Remember if you are using a plastic ruler, to watch out and not cut off the tips of your fingers!
I also cut out two 2.5cm by 10cm strips to act as interior supports... you may not need to do this... but this cube has to deal with a week of shows
Step 3: Some Assembly Required
Right... so now... we need to glue together the sides! How you glue them is up to you... but remember if you are using a glue gun (like me) that if you glue the sides together a certain way... you may not be able to angle your glue gun in such a way to glue your interior supports in!
I hope you can see from my pictures how i glued the box together... I added a few bits of duct tape inside before i glued it up together... because as i said this will most likely take alot of beating during the performances
If i where making a dice... or perhaps makign a box that makes a noise when you rolled it... it would be at this point (before you glue the lid on) that I would add those modifications
for loaded dice, i may glue some extra weight onto one side ;) (Not that i condone cheating ;) )
Step 4: Make It Pretty!
So really thats all there is to it... its quick, its square and its easy... sortof like some people i know ;)
It would be at this point if i where making a dice that i would add the numbers
BUT since i'm making an oversized Rubix cube for the show... this is what i had to do.
(I'm going to pretend that i planned this to work out measurment wise from the start so you think i'm clever ... okay?)
Rubix cubes as you know have 9 squares on each of the 6 sides.
Based on the assumption that you have a 10cm by 10cm cube the following measurments should help you acheive the 3 by 3 square arrangment
from my index finger in picture one, to the first line is 3cm, there is then a 5mm gap, then another 3cm's followed by another 5mm gap... Draw out the lines, then turn the square arround and create a grid... as being pointed out by Ringo my parrot.... It is then just a case of transfering the lines you have just drawn all the way arround the cube untill all 6 sides have a grid on them (Pic 2)
Because i'm a little lazy, and because i don't know how they want the cube to look, i just coloured in the 5mm gap all the way round to give you an idea of waht it SHOULD look like...
I'm going to use coloured stickers to finsih this off... but paints work equally as well...
There you go... all done :)
