View new posts | View your posts Real Ghostbusters Pack Build - Dimensions will be shared

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Well this has been a busy year, between getting my GB 1 pack parts organized and building the Ecto 1ATV, we haven't had much time to do anything. The Ecto is currently waiting for the new sound chip so we have some down time. We are planning on attending Packs in the Parks this year and naturally the wife will need a pack. She decided on a RGB pack so we got to looking around for plans. Well there aren't really any out there and the closest we could come was the DIC prints in the RGB box set which are available here: http://www.theraffon.net/~spookcentral/rgb_art.htm

We decided to base our dimensions on fitting a Alice Pack frame but we may go the way of a internal strap rig like the actual RGB packs. So far this has been a collaboration of myself, USFMichele and Silverstreak. We plan on sharing any and all dimensions for this build to make it easier for anyone in the community to build one. We will be posting dimensions and plans once the build is complete.

Here is where we are at now:

The concept sketch from the DIC box set



The additional sketches



Got to work on the main pack body







The back layer is 1/4" MDF with a 3/4" MDF body ring and the top layer is 1/2" MDF



We used dowel sections for alignment and will be making the pack body to split open for maintenance



Started in on some of the detail work and figuring out proportions






And there we are for now. Any suggestions or measurements would be appreciated. We want to keep this as open source as possible.

Nate ,the only thing I can say is if Michele plans on wearing it for long I would go with the alice frame, the other way is like straping an ironing board to your back ,or like a car with no shocks. . rough ride .If you set your straps and kidney belt right ,your pack disapears after about ten mins. after putting it on. . Just my 2 cents . .

We had also considered "sinking" the Alice frame into the pack body, after your input we may want to revisit those plans.

Got some more work done tonight:

Glued two 3/4" pieces of MDF together for this, used dowels for alignment


Ovaled it out and sanded a 15 degree angle on it


Placement


Finished the top pieces on the booster tube box


Started gluing the booster tube plug together, tomorrow it will be coned out


Worked out some dimensions for the Ion Arm




Whipped up a prototype




The Ion Arm will extend past the top of the pack body and I will work on the various angle and notched areas when it is assembled.


I am working on the pack dimensions and crossections while building so more to come!

i think if you made the hollow rings separate from routing out the mdf it would appear alot cleaner and may even be a little more stronger with less clean up work needing to be done from the holes on the bottom sheet.
it may take up more material, but in the long run it would have been much less work for you.

Are you talking about the Ion Arm layers or the Cyclotron? Most everything will be hollowed out in layers then placed together and sanded down. The weight savings is incredible when we started hollowing out parts.

I hope to be able to work on my own pack soon. Nathan LOVES using all his new toys in the garage I normally end up sitting on the computer playing Sims on facebook. NATHAN LET ME HELP DAMNIT!!

this



it could have been done in hollow ring layers instead of stacked and routed out.

Thats the inside and you won't be able to see any of that mess...

The back section is in layers, it is a 1/4" flat back with a 3/4" "ring". For the top section, we needed another 1/2" so I just used that and routed out about a 1/4". In hindsight, I prob should have sandwiched two 1/2" rings between 2 1/4" flats.

That's what I was getting at.

Got some more work done today, it actually looks like a pack now

Tried some new dimensions on the Ion Arm, it seems to sit better now




The mad scientist helping out






New Ion Arm










Seeing how it all goes together








Should be able to get a little more done tomorrow

Wow, you're moving right along, great stuff so far!

I've been working on my own RGB thrower, and while its not finished and thus not ready to be shared with the community, I whipped up a quick sketch showing the dimensions I used for the side panels. My main gun body is 2.5" wide and I am using 1.25" handles like the movie throwers. I hope someone can get some good use out of this drawing. I will post more plans as I create them.

My plans are not as nice or as professional in appearance as say, Stefan's, as I am working in MS Paint. They get the point across though.

This is exactly what I was looking for. It will give us a good starting point for the thrower, and hopefully with the help of the community we can get some actually plans that the community can use and improve upon.

Thanks!

Tad more progress on the pack tonight:

Milled out the cone for the booster and used a dowel and glue to secure it. I will be leaving a small part of the dowel for a place to mount the hose to





Sanded everything down



Working on placement



Ion Arm doweled and glued





More to come!

Some really good stuff here. I love watching these builds and can't wait to see whats to come. Good job.

Looking great so far!

Amazing!!! Can't wait to see this finished!!! Quick.....quick!!

looks like this is gonna be a great one!

More updates!

Gauge Box getting glued



Chele sanding the Cyclotron parts



Positioning the Cyclotron





Working on lens placement



Getting closer on the pack




More to come tomorrow!

nice work so far

Lookin great Nate. . . .hell you might as well mold it and and offer pulls . . . . Really nice and clean so far.

In the words of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles..."I second that emotion"

I'd totally buy one.

Also,


if you make a trap that fits like this you are my hero...

Also, also...

Once complete, when wearing the pack you MUST make sure your crotch area always looks like this or you are INACCURATE!!!!

Amazing work thus far. Cant wait to see this one.

A fitting trap will most definitely be in the works once this is completed.





That is a possibility, though I have never made a mold, let alone done pulls in my life. But hey, I never made a proton pack out of MDF before. I am totally willing to make a mold and do some pulls if a local mold making veteran is willing to oversee the operation. I know the process can be temperamental and you can waste ALOT of money real quick if you are not careful. I know there is a Smooth-On dealer over in Orlando so I would most likely have to drive over and pick the stuff up, shipping, it's where they get you. I would like to have the mold made, and a small run of pulls completed before they get offered up for sale. There is just something about getting a tracking number within a day of paying for something....

More progress should be made tonight.


Oh, and if anyone has suggestions for the gauge that goes on the box it would be appreciated. I was looking around harbor Freight and eBay for surface mount pressure gauges or something and came up with nada.

LOL The crotch area will not look like since this is my pack and I will not have a camel toe or whatever the hell that is. LOL!!

Im sure that look could be achieved by wearing a adult diaper under your flight suit.

THANK YOU to Chace for telling Nathan he'd be his hero if he could make a fitting trap. Nathan just said to me, "So i guess im building you a ghost trap now". YAY!!! So excited!

He has to do it now to prove that he can. and it will be awesome and trap real ghosts!

Love you Nathan!

You..and he, can repay me with a free,or heavily discounted pull of the pack!


Also on the gauge front...

There is a company that is called (no crap) SLIME that makes air pressure gauges for vehicles. They aren't expensive and one could easily be modded and recessed into the pack.

and...

AND!!!!

It says SLIME!!!!

(I know this smells if sarcasm, but I would actually to that to mine....once you make my pull)