The Definitive Dalek Building Resource

25 April 2019

• Kempo Imperial Dalek
  Just started to build base and panels early stages photos to follow.
• Mark Reardon's Imperial
  Well, I’ve started on my journey of building my imperial dalek. Here are some pictures of the very early stages.
• Ironside - WW2 Military Style
  Well, I'm completely new to this type of project, but with the help of a range of 3D files found on this website, early progress has been made. Should probably say 3D printing is new to me too, so it has been a voyage of discovery, to put it mildly. I've certainly made some mistakes. I am particularly drawn to the WW2 style Dalek, and Ironside is what mine will resemble. If I'm very lucky, it might be more than a passing resemblance. My first parts were the dome light frames, and a pair of the lights in a white filament. When illuminated from within, the effect isn't bad. That said, Ironside does have canvas 'blackout' covers for the lights, so it I'm not pleased with the result, I can change to clear lenses or cover the whole light frame in green canvas. I will do a little bit more filling of the joints on the light frames, but apart from that and a coat of paint, they are finished. Having completed the light parts, I went on to make a pair of gun bosses. The ones with the 8 arms for joining with tubes. As it turned out, I located the perfect plastic tubes of 6mm outer width, and 4.6mm internal. Supa-glue was my friend with connecting all those together, and with a bit of filling, it looks quite OK. I deviated from the script a bit with the construction of the gun main body, because it has a clear polycarbonate tube over the central tube. The outer tube is illuminated by a red LED that is hidden beneath the rear boss. Light sanding of the polycarbonate resulted in light being more visible, and it is especially so when viewed from the front of the barrel. A blue LED is inside a section of polished aluminium towards the barrel front. The eye stalk, or at least the thought of creating one, is why this whole build started. I am rebuilding an old Land Rover Defender, and had bought a reversing camera system that included a spherical camera that itself resembled a Dalek eye (I thought so, anyway). I remarked to someone that I wonder if it would be possible to use it as such, and within a short period of time, I purchased another camera for the vehicle and put the original one aside. As it would transpire, the camera was too small to BE the eye, but just perfect to be used IN an eye assembly. Long story short, my eye stalk is now finished, and once the entire project is completed, it is my plan to view the outside world on a 7" screen from inside the Dalek, while remaining quite invisible. When I was at our local hardware one day, I went looking through the plumbing section. I suppose you have guessed what I purchased as my sucker. I saw a toilet plunger that I considered would suit my needs well, and that is now on the end of my sucker arm. I like it! I have been investigating outsourcing of some parts I wanted 3D printed, but quickly found that for something as simple as a eye stalk cowl, the cost could be prohibitive. I was quoted $150 just to print a cowl panel, so started thinking of other options. This is where things stand for this point in time, but hopefully I will have further to add, as I am hoping to commit to a fibreglass NSD dome and cowl in a day or so, all going well. That's all for now.
• Taco NSD
  Hey Guys! Long time since updating a build log, and its time... Time to start a life size Version of my Half scale! I have been taking photos of my progress so far; Disclaimer: I am using a CNC Machine to cut most of the MDF and Ply pieces - which is WAY more accurate and faster than cutting by hand. Also I am using lots of 12mm ply from my school saving money and time trying to buy it at a warehouse. The First thing I started was 3D Printing, I just sold my ender 3 and trying to sell my CR10Mini as bobth of them are too small for my liking. But to begin I printed some Hemispheres in PLA + I am going to use silicone mold and fast setting resin/plaster (although that may be too heavy, I could print a filling piece that sits over/in the mold to fill it out) SKIRT: Cut the top/bottom/inner frame using 12mm ply Light, strong and easy to work with I have attached the frame together using blocks of wood It's pretty big (much bigger than i thought) so I am going to make this with the intent of being able to remove the wheelchair from the base, skirt from base, shoulder from skirt, neck bin from shoulder and dome from shoulder. Slip rings/easy connectors will be my friend. Sanded the front frame to allow the panels to sit flush, the panels will be made out of 3mm mdf (I bought a sheet 1200mm x 2400mm for $5 from Gay's Australia!) they will be cut on the cnc machine soon BASE/WHEELCHAIR: Now I may have made a mistake... I cut the base out of the same 12mm ply... might be too thin but well see The Wheelchair is an Invacare Pronto M51, Spent $400 on this last Summer! and unfortunately when I got it home I realized the batteries were duds... the wheelchair would barely drag me up a 5 degree incline. not sure if they can be repaired at a battery store or not, if they can't fix them, I am looking at these batteries (x2) https://www.batterybusiness.com.au/store/product_detail/panasonic-lc-xc1221p-sealed-lead-acid-battery-cyclic-type Probably don't need that big, I won't be using it that much its more for show and proof of concept for my School Subject I cut the wheelchair sized hole in the base Then I made the fender panels and brackets to hold them on, another mistake i made was made the angle between the base and the angular panels half of what they should have been. I glued and screwed them in, but luckily before i did too many i realised what i had done, then just knocked and chiseled them off. To cut the Fender Panels, I bolted an electric planer upside down to a "Home Built" frame. because the angular panels protrude out from the edge of the horizontal base 40mm, I just Made the channel 40mm wide, chamfered a corner of each panel. With those panels now chamfered, I held them up to the base, using my eyes to measure the angle to cut to fit the other panels on Trial and error sanding using a belt sander to chamfer and take off excess wood back to the lines in blue (above) to allow them to fit. Then I get this lovely beast! Pretty good ground clearance... Although i need to strengthen the seems on each panel so the don't fling off when i hit the ground going over a bump. So i just used the last of my tube of liquid nails, got most of the way round, when it dries it should be just as good as Fiberglass strips and resin. Then to fix any lips and rough Then to fit the skirt to the base, to allow for separation when transporting I drilled these holes and glued two wooden dowels into the base, also drilled four holes on the four corners, but made sure i could access them when I'm in the thing to get the screws out, and screwed the base on to hold it permanently. I honestly thought i would never fit the wheelchair in the base, but it was WAY bigger than i thought, i had to grind the back wheels off, but i have the large drive wheels right back to avoid tipping (hopefully) Also bend some aluminium brackets to stabilize the base plus some thin girders to hold the front and back up - ^ (above) - did the same for the back the girder at the front is is JUST thin enough to allow the front casters to rotate. I will put some of these heavy duty casters up the front to keep it front tipping forward when going over hills They're small but should be work as a "Hill guide" IMG_3535.MOV This is just it Rolling down the drive way, Don't have any batteries as the ones that came with the wheelchair were duds and basically lost all ability to hold a charge when i got home... I am going to get 2 of these: PANASONIC LC-XC1221P - 21amh - BATTERY - $129.00 If there are any cheaper options in Australia I would love some help!
• Noog The NSD
  Thought it time to start a build diary for my NSD in progress. I haven't been taking photos at each stage so far, but I'll try to from now on. At this stage I have the eye stalk built and a start made on some electronics and the plunger appendage. I'm kicking tings off with a photo of my eye stalk and a list of materials 20mm PVC pipe I had in the workshop 25mm aluminium pipe I had in the workshop Hamster exercise ball from eBay AU$1.38 (EMA VHH-400 substitute) Camera stepdown rings from eBay AU$4.54 90mm PVC pipe I had in the workshop because I'm too tight to buy 100mm, so I cut and joined a section in (EMA VT-400 substitute) Some sprue from modelling kits from a friend (EMA MRH-160P substitute) An old plastic funnel (EMA VC-90 substitute) An old globe I had from which I cut the eye discs (EMA HD300, HD350, HD400 substitute) 2 x 140mm square waste cover from Bunnings for sides of pivot AU$3.57ea 20mm tee fitting from Bunnings AU$1.90 section of 90mm PVC pipe I had in the workshop for surround of pivot some scrap vinyl flooring I had in workshop for face and ribbing on pivot PVC cement I had in workshop square of blue perspex from eBay AU$2.02 section of telephone cable I had in workshop LED array from cheap torch I bought for AU$1.50 Plastic centrifuge tube from eBay AU$1.00 to join hamster ball half to 20mm PVC some packing foam I had lying around to go behind the LEDs to stoplight going into back of eye Some black acrylic paint stolen from my wife's craft room Total build cost: AU$19.48 (lucky I have so much crap lying around in my workshop ) For my voice activated flashing dome lights I'm using a sound activated flashing bracelet I bought of eBay for AU$1.74 and modified. After removing the electronics from the plastic bracelet (shown in the bottom of the photo), I de-soldered the two LEDs and then just soldered in a couple of lengths of telephone extension cable I had kicking around. The plan is that the little circuit, which contains a microphone, will go next to the mic for the voice modulator I made from a kit from Jaycar.
• My Imperial Dalek
  I’m going to be assembling/building an imperial style dalek. My skills are somewhat limited so I have purchased the main pieces ready moulded in fibreglass, it will still need some building as I intend to motorise it, with an electric wheelchair. Today I started to primer the eye pieces, and plunger. I also test fitted my hemispheres to the skirt, after cutting the holes out.
• Dalekcheese’s Comic Dalek
  I am going to make a dalek. Big surprise. It shall be something along the lines of the top of one of these rolykins: Mixed with the skirt of a Louis Marx dalek:
• Nakunata's Mk1 Dalek
  So I decided I want to try my hand at building a Dalek. I just got into building for Cosplay last year when I entered our local “Comic Con” by building cosplays for myself and my daughters from the video game “Bioshock”. We won 1st place in the novice division. We the went to Ikkicon this past December and won a judges award. After that I started thinking what else can I build... That’s when the idea of a Dalek hit me. I started looking for tutorials on YouTube and found builders mainly in the UK and Canada with a few scattered throughout the US. Eventually I found “ Project Dalek”. I found and downloaded the manual for the MK1 Dalek and started trying to figure what I can use to build my first Dalek. Since I am still very new to the worlds of Cosplay and Dalek building, I know I don’t have the tools, materials or experience ( not to mention lack of funds) to build my Dalek the way I have seen on the YouTube videos, so I’m going to build it “My Way”. I built the Bioshock Cosplays out of mainly cardboard, packaging tape and lots of hot glue. I have been trying to reconstruct how others have made different parts of their Daleks and figureing out how to come as close as I can with what I currently know and with as inexpensive materials as possible can find. I have already figured that what I lack in funds and expensive materials, I am going to have to compensate with lots and lots of labor on my part. i cut templates for the skirt out of heavy cardboard. I also cut out what will later be the plywood base out of cardboard as well. I figure I would prefer to start with a basic cardboard mock-up of these parts and once I know they are cut correctly, I can transfer to wood products for final assembly. I did catch a goof on the cardboard template that I had to remeasure and recut. Cardboard was free, so only lost time and labor. Im going to keep the template once I am done with my build since I get the feeling I will have to build at least one more for my teenage daughters to use 😁 i have gotten great advice on how I can make the skirt bumps myself so that will help with cost. The one thing I know I am having difficulties with I’d the top Dome. I don’t have the materials or knowledge of how to build a mold 😡 so I am attempting to make one using Pepakura and paper-mache. Not sure how the final product will turn out. I have contacted one person and asked about commissioning one, but between labor and shipping overseas I would be looking st close to $90 USD. I only today found the Dalek and Members maps, so I have started to reach out locally for assistance. I guess this will do for my first post in my Diary. I plan on spending most of Spring Break working on my Dalek since I took the week off from work.
• Guernsey Genesis Dalek
  Hi All. As requested when downloading plans, here is my build log. Started on Sunday. I have other projects on the go so i am only going to be working on Sunday afternoons, mostly. Anyway, got the base marked and cut out. Cut it out roughly with a circular saw and then sneaked up on the marks with the plane. Same for the top. I have removed 3mm from the top to allow for the 3mm plywood i am going to use for the panels. The supports i will remove once its all in place as i will fibreglass the panels in. Need plenty of room inside for the motor etc. James
• Andy's Sec
  Im not really ready to start or if im in the right place,(not very good with forums and computers).but while in the garage I got distracted and looking around finding things which might come in useful for my build.found some black waste down pipe so cut some sections off to see how well they will form hemi,s.quite happy for 1st attempt.should be able to make all 56 for about £15.
• Callahan's EVA Foam Dalek
  Hello All, My name's Callahan; I'm a Whovian college student here in the states, specifically chilly Ohio! A goal of mine is to have a finished NSD by the time I've graduated school. I've actually been working on it for the last two years (I even had a build diary here), but as of late, I've decided to completely change my approach to building my Dalek, so that's gone and this diary will log my new endeavors! The three goals of my Dalek are: A lightweight design (where the heaviest thing is, by far, yours truly). A modular structure, so that the seat assembly, fender, and skirt can all be broken down into pieces. These pieces will have to fit into my Kia Soul, which is not the biggest car in the world. The optimal propulsion system, or the best way for me to move around with just my arms or legs. I am really looking forward to designing a seat assembly that's as small as possible, but still functional and comfortable enough to endure. My current plans for propulsion are bike wheels in a wheelchair configuration, i.e. one on either side of the seat, but I have some doubts as to how long I'll last on a Con floor pushing myself around. As for the aesthetics (and the name of the diary), I will be making all of the Dalek externals out of EVA foam. For those who do not know, EVA foam is the material of choice for cosplayers around the world, because of its easy availability in stores and its low cost. It can be cut, Dremeled, warped and curved, and it remains light and flexible! As far as I know, there aren't hardly any examples of Daleks being built out of this stuff, so I'll be figuring it out along the way. Cheers! - Callahan
• Paladin424's NSD - Dc Dalek
  Well, after finding this site and procrastinating and waiting for financials to balance, I have finally started gathering supplies to begin construction. Been trying to convince myself I can do this. Started ordering some materials. They should start arriving today. My daughter is going to help with the documentation. It is going to take a bit of time to gather some of the stuff. This post is to make me get going. Wish me luck!
• David Morris' Dalek
  Hi I am new to doing a diary so hope its ok I have got a 60's dalek as seen in these photos I have repainted it white and gold I have started on motorizing my dalek so have cut my wood so it fits inside my base I have also got a wheelchair to mount in the base and also have made cut-outs where the wheels will go only thing is i will be taking the front 2 wheels off the wheelchair and mounting 2 good quality caster wheels to the base ( well that’s the plan) only problem i have is i cant find an easy way to mount the wheelchair to the base wood as i am no good at all in welding and don't have the equipment. I have checked out on here on online for how to mount a wheelchair but i am confused any help most appreciated i have also made the wheelchair Radio Controlled the wheelchair model is once i get more building done i will update on here