The Tool Desk
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You can make a recognizable, light-up Rick and Morty portal-gun prop with a cardboard shell, LEDs, batteries and a painted or foam-covered finish. The simplest route is a craft build with illuminated details; adding a dimension display and rotary control is a separate electronics upgrade that needs a compatible circuit.
Choose a build route before you start
| Route | What it adds | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Cardboard and lights | A shaped shell, finished surface and battery-powered LEDs | A display prop focused on appearance and illumination |
| Interactive dimension selector | A rotary encoder and numeric display, plus a controller and additional wiring | A builder comfortable adapting electronics and fitting components inside the prop |
The cardboard-and-LED approach follows the project described by Make:, published August 14, 2018. Its short feature points readers to an external video in Spanish that is said to include a downloadable cutting template; it does not provide a complete electrical schematic. The electronics examples below are separate projects, not validated extensions of that build.
Plan the cardboard prop and its finish
Make the shell from cardboard
Use cardboard to form the main body, leaving room for the lighting and battery pack you intend to use. A cutting template can help with the shape, but check the linked video and template directly before cutting: the feature itself does not spell out all assembly dimensions or steps.
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- Authentic Rick Portal Gun Replica: Faithfully recreates the iconic portal Gun, featuring the signature white body, green emitter, and red display screen.
- High-Quality 3D-Printed Construction: Made with precision 3D printing, offering a lightweight yet durable design ideal for conventions and cosplay events.
- Screen-Accurate Details: Captures every detail of the original prop, including the control knob and display, to perfectly match Rick C-137’s signature device.
- Convention-Friendly & Safe: Compact, lightweight, and smooth-edged, making it easy to carry and display at events without compromising on authenticity.
- Perfect for Fans & Cosplayers: Ideal for Rick C-137 cosplay, Halloween, themed parties, comic cons, or as a collectible for Rick enthusiasts.
Choose paint or EVA foam
For a direct painted finish, the Make: article names white acrylic paint as an alternative to covering the cardboard with EVA craft foam. Foam adds a skin over the shell; paint keeps the cardboard finish and avoids that extra layer. In Gareth Branwyn’s words, “The only real expense here is the EVA foam.” That describes the expense in his particular build, not a general cost estimate.
Allow for lighting and battery access
Decide where LEDs, wires and batteries will sit before closing the shell. In the Solarbotics design, a small door at the bottom of the handle provides access to the battery pack. A similar removable panel is useful on any battery-powered version because it lets you replace batteries without opening or damaging the finished body.
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- Rick Cosplay Portal Gun Costume Accessories Rick Sanchez Portal Gun 3D Printed Props Adult Halloween Carnvials Party Outfits for Rick Sanchez Fans Lovers
- Material: Plastic.Length: about 20 cm, width: about 6.5 cm, height: about 9.5 cm
- Include: 1 Rick Portal Gun, The green part has a fluorescent effect in a dark environment.
- Occasions: Halloween, home, dinner, outing, party, cosplay, travel, stage, casual wear, casual, sports, outdoor, birthday gift, Christmas, Theme party, New Years Eve Party, Halloween, Drama performance, ect.
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Add lights to the basic build
The Make: project uses reclaimed LEDs and batteries. A separate Solarbotics parts list specifies four 10 mm green diffused LEDs and a 4.5 m green LED string for its own design; these are examples, not required quantities or compatible parts for every cardboard prop.
- Place lights where they reinforce the prop’s recognizable details, such as the front and top tube.
- Keep the battery compartment reachable and avoid trapping wiring beneath a glued-on foam skin or sealed cardboard panel.
- Use a circuit matched to the LEDs and power source. The cited builds do not establish one universal wiring diagram.
Solarbotics identifies mismatched tube and front LED colors among the improvements its author wanted to make. If matching light color matters to your design, choose the LEDs together rather than assuming separate components will look alike.
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- 【Quality Materials】Made with high quality ABS plastic, Environmentally friendly and durable.
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- 【Content】Building Blocks 188Pcs. No paper instructions, scan the QR code to view the online instructions or download the PDF instructions.
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- 【Gift】A great gift for family and friends for fan collectibles.
Upgrade to a dimension display only with a matching design
For an interactive prop, Solarbotics describes a rotary encoder controlling a seven-segment display to select a dimension. Its listed power components are a 2×AAA holder and a 5.0V micro boost regulator, alongside four green LEDs and a separate LED string. Those parts belong to that design; they are not a universal shopping list, and the page does not establish compatibility with the Make: cardboard build.
A separate open-source firmware project uses a Trinket Pro, an I2C display, a rotary encoder and four LED outputs. Its README assigns pins for that specific hardware and documents these button actions:
Rank #4
- In the package: 1 x green plastic portal prop.
- Design details: This portal prop features a bright green ring with a dark inner opening, simulating a glowing dimensional gateway. The lightweight plastic construction makes it easy to hold, hang, or display at cosplay events.
- Product dimensions: Diameter 20.5cm (8.1in), Height 9cm (3.5in).
- Occasion: Cosplay, Halloween, Themed Parties,Theater, Carnival Performances, Stage Events, Casual Wear, Beach Parties, Retro Events, Dinners, Birthdays, Christmas Gifts, Home, and More.
- Material quality: Made from sturdy yet lightweight plastic. The surface has a smooth finish with a slightly translucent effect near the edges. Perfect for conventions, photo shoots, or themed parties.
- A single click wakes the controller.
- A double click resets the dimension to C137.
- Holding the button turns off the LEDs and enters low-power mode.
Do not transfer those pin assignments to another controller or display without checking the corresponding wiring and firmware. The project’s main branch lacks sound effects, and its author says the speaker in the case was too quiet.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Wire LEDs safely and leave room for service
LED circuits need current limiting suited to the actual LEDs and supply. In Joshua Thompson’s Area 73 project, the author describes green LEDs wired in parallel with 200-ohm current-limiting resistors on 5V, soldered connections protected with heat-shrink tubing, and a separate 3.3V I2C level connection for the display. That is one project’s implementation—not a resistor prescription for other LEDs or power supplies.
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- This bottle opener features a bottle cap firing function!
- THIS IS NOT A TOY! this is a collectible intended for persons aged 18 years and older only
- DO NOT aim the collectible at any person or animal while using the cap-firing function
- HAND WASH ONLY
- Perfect gift for fans and collectors
Before soldering or closing the shell, check the wiring against the schematic for your chosen design and confirm the components’ voltage and current requirements. If you cannot verify those details, keep the build to a lighting setup with instructions matched to its supplied components rather than combining parts from unrelated projects.
Check whether the interactive route fits your build
- Space: A controller, display, encoder and battery arrangement take more room than lights alone. Plan the handle and body around the components before finishing the shell.
- Power access: Leave a battery door or removable panel where batteries can be changed.
- Skills and tools: The interactive examples involve wiring and project-specific hardware; the Area 73 build also describes soldering and heat-shrink protection.
- Design completeness: Solarbotics notes that its own project could use adjusted CAD files and a wiring schematic. Treat it as an individual build account, not a production-ready kit manual.
The examples differ in construction and electronics, and none establishes a controlled comparison or validates mixing their components. For a craft-first prop, cardboard, paint or foam, and a compatible LED-and-battery setup keep the build focused. Add dimension selection only when you have a circuit and enclosure plan designed for the specific parts you will use.
Quick Recap
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