#309370
KagaSakai wrote:Damn, Mike, you beat me to it! *shakes fist*
Hehehe... I aim to please. :P Seriously, it takes 5 minutes. Do it! :)
Pdred1985 wrote:You still waiting on your ribbon cable?
No, not exactly, I actually got it a little while ago. But circumstances out of my control prevented me from installing it successfully.
#309399
Spengler28 wrote:The GB1 Ribbon Cable dont seem to appreciate the Canadian weather:P
Something like that, yes. Canadians have a 3-weeks window in August to install GB1 cables. :P
Carpeteria wrote:Looks great - is your HGA label affixed to something? It looks like there's a thickness to it beyond the sticker - is it on a washer or anything?
Yes, the label is affixed to a 1/32" aluminum "ring". It's actually thinner than a washer. The original label on the packs was like this, like a metal label. The sticker-on-aluminum is the closest approach.
#309496
Nice fix Mike, the flat socket cap screw always seemed ideal for the HGA but the accuracy of the hole punch makes for some good self gratification. It's also good for some of the newer guys to see accuracy details like this done so they know what's accurate and what's not. Good stuff Mike.
#309511
Pdred1985 wrote:Are you guys just going by the pics of the GB2 packs? Where did the idea for a Allen Screw come from in the first place for the Gb1 packs? I don't recall any places in the movie where you could see it.
I think people assumed it was a socket cap because of the older reference photos being lower in resolution and in some photos from what you can make out do look like it would be a flat socket cap screw. But thanks to the Socal GB's updated reference photos of the Sony lobby packs you can clearly tell it's a hole punch. I know a few people on this site have had access to disclosed photos but because they were not able to show them publicly so we were only able to debate and assume as I think thats where the idea of the socket cap became ideal for everyone until now :cool:
#309515
pchrisbosh1 wrote:
Pdred1985 wrote:Are you guys just going by the pics of the GB2 packs? Where did the idea for a Allen Screw come from in the first place for the Gb1 packs? I don't recall any places in the movie where you could see it.
I think people assumed it was a socket cap because of the older reference photos being lower in resolution and in some photos from what you can make out do look like it would be a flat socket cap screw. But thanks to the Socal GB's updated reference photos of the Sony lobby packs you can clearly tell it's a hole punch. I know a few people on this site have had access to disclosed photos but because they were not able to show them publicly so we were only able to debate and assume as I think thats where the idea of the socket cap became ideal for everyone until now :cool:

Oh, thanks! Was wondering about that.
#309556
Yep, Chris said it best. As soon as last year, when I started on my pack, most of the details that are now 100% known were mostly guest work. The packs that are made right now are the most accurate packs ever, and you can all thank the So-Cal guys for that. :D
#309577
Ditto! (I had an ex who said that all the time and I hated it, but it works so well here...) Absolutely. It's really incredible to look at even the plans from the early days of GB prop making. I think back on Norm's plans from 2000-ish, what I based my first pack on, way back then and it's one of those situations like the VCR, or CD, or first DVD players. We thought we had the best, but it just gets better!!! :) Thanks, Mike, for showing us that perfection can be achieved if strived for!!! LOVE this pack! I have an Alkaline shell, and I will be thankful if my pack turns out 1/10th as good as yours!!!
#348477
I know some others have said it already, but I'll say it again: KILLER PACK!! Did they actually say "killer pack"? Probably not, but awesome, bad-ass, sweet, whatever works. I made my first pack from scratch last year and and now collecting parts to build one hopefully somewhat similar to what you've done here. Hopefully it'll be somewhere around half as good as yours. If it's not even that good, I'll probably still be happy with it. BRAVO!! :cool:
#354300
Hey guys! To celebrate the fact that it's been 6 months since I've worked on my pack (I've been really busy with real life stuff) I've decided to try and complete the darn thing. I've been working on it for almost 2 years, and I never truly considered it done. So in the next few updates, I'll fix a whole list of inaccuracies (at least the ones that I can fix) But first, something that I wanted to do for a long, long time: replace the N-filter!

Sometime last year, I acquired an aluminum N-filter, custom made to fit on the Alkaline shell. The filter was made with the current accurate specs, 3" OD and all. And during all that time, I constantly postponed the installation, because I didn't have the nerve to cut straight through my shell (which was necessary for installation) Well last week I finally gathered the courage to do it. So here's the results! (Sorry for all the pics, but this is an epic update)

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First things first: chop off the old N-filter. It has to be, by far, the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done in prop building. My pack was 99% complete, after all. Flipped the shell around, sticked a Dremel in there with a heavy-duty cutting wheel, and I went to town. 5 minutes later it was done.

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Yeah, I know it looks sad. Shame on him, he just didn't do the job. ;)

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Boom! New N-filter. You know what the scariest thing was? The only way to know if it really did fit was to try it on a cut filter. No turning back, baby!

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A closer look. You'll notice the screen-accurate, "stack of coin" weld. Beautiful.

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Aaand it fits. Collective sigh of relief, everybody. At this point it got easy. :D

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Old and new. Reeeally looks better. And it doesn't stick out too far, like I feared. 3" OD is right on the money. :)

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A quick primer and paint job later (Krylon BBQ to match the rest of the pack) and I got it on the pack, using a metric f**** of epoxy steel between the aluminum and the fiberglass. I scuffed both surfaces first, to help adherence, and I made a few "welds" with epoxy putty from the inside. Now, a few days later, it's like a rock.

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Another shot, for kicks. Really like the look of the bigger filter. Completely changes the face of the pack.

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Now that everything was cured, it was time to finish up this baby. Aluminum screen in the holes, with #0000 steel wool behind it. Took 5 minutes, and it really looks good.

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A closer look. Really spot-on, I think.

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The final stretch! Testing for correct placement for the label and the transfer. The label is Bobamatt (luckily I used the metallic, non-accurate one on the old filter; still had this one :D) and the transfer is from Brian.

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One down...

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Aaand done! Of all the labels I've installed on N-filters, I think it's the first time I installed it straight. :P

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Final touch: the red band. 3/16" red pinstriping tape, just on top of the holes, just like the Sony lobby's hero pack. As a matter of fact, my N-filter is pretty much 100% Sony lobby (except for the fact that it's pristine, of course)

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And a couple of shots for the road. You'll have to forgive me, it's the first time since I started building this pack that the N-filter isn't getting on my nerves. :lol:

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Oh, wait: it IS getting on my nerves. It's too clean! But that's another story. ;)

Stay tuned for more! I have a whole bunch of updates in store for this old thing. :D
#354322
So the first thing I see is "Hey guys, to celebrate" and I look down to see a hole where the N Filter used to be!? CELEBRATE!! Mike, you have to be the bravest person I don't know!!! Seriously though, your build thread is the one that I have consistently looked at and come back to time and time again since I began my own build 14 months ago. Thanks so much documenting your build so meticulously, it has both inspired and helped me beyond words!!! Cheers!!!
#354517
Thanks for the nice comments guys, it feels nice to start working on the old girl again. :)
KieranWalker wrote:
CPU64 wrote:How did you secure it to the shell?
Also, if you don't get a ribbon cable soon, I'll make you one if you don't mind it not being 157% accurate.
Mine came out pretty good ;)
Believe he said something about eight tons of epoxy...
In fact the exact amount was a metric f*** ton, but the board censored it. :lol:
bigi71 wrote:Looks great Mike ! :)
I think this makes a big difference in the overall look of the pack and now its even more awesome.
Bjorn finds my pack awesome. *faints* Seriously, thanks man. :D
#354646
Thanks Mark. Don't mind if I do! :)

OK so for the rest of the modifications I've talked to you about. A little context: the ultimate goal is to finish the pack, of course, but it's also to "downgrade" it to GB2, and to make it look as much as possible like the Sony lobby pack. I know it's not possible to make 100% accurate/like the lobby pack without restarting it from scratch, and I don't want to do that. After all, this is my first pack, I've been working on it for almost two years, and dismantle it to repaint to shell would be like starting a new build. Plus if I replace every single inaccurate part, I'll lose some "classic" parts that are no longer available (like all the parts that Jason made for me, Exoray's bumper, or Bobamatt's labels) So, let's just say that my pack will be completed with the accuracy that was possible with the parts used, but heavily influenced by the Sony lobby pack. So here goes!

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First thing I did was to replace the generic 3/4" ID ribbon cable clamp with an accurate, 1 1/8" ID, mil-spec cable clamp, just like on the hero packs. Yeah I know it's huge, but it really looks better, IMHO.

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I also replaced the Clippard hex fittings, which were with a large bevel, with some with a "medium" bevel. The large bevel were used on the Minnesota/Murray hero pack, not on the Sony lobby. I also removed the white zip tie from the tubing that goes from the HGA to the shell (even if it's not shown in this pic) That particular zip tie was only present on the "Spengler" pack (at least I think; it wasn't on the lobby pack :P)

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I changed back the DALOHM resistor to a Dale (with logo, of course) Same thing: the DALOHM was used on the Minnesota, and the Dale on the lobby pack.

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First detail that wasn't on the Sony lobby pack but that I chose to replicate anyway: the "Caution Hot" label on the thingy by the cyclotron. I really like that label, and the small red danger was a little redundant. The caution label is usually present on the packs that were specifically made for GB2 (like the semi-hero packs)

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These two little guys are things I wanted to fix for a long time. I removed the base plate from the beam line (which wasn't welded on, thank god) and I filed down the bottom right corner. I also painted the spacer from the V-hook, another detail that's present on GB2 packs (but not on the Sony lobby; sue me, I like it :D)

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It's hard to see in this pic, but the corner is round. Really nice little obscure detail.

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And the black spacer for the V-hook. Like I said it's not like that on the Sony lobby pack (as a matter of fact it doesn't even have a V-hook) but it's present on the Minnesota. That's why I say that my pack is "inspired by" instead of "accurate". I take what I like and leave the rest. :D

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OK now for something that have been in the back of my mind for many months: the foam on top of the back of the motherboard. I've found this 1/4" thick black foam with an adhesive backing, sold by the foot on eBay (really easy to find if you search for it)

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I started by tracing the approximate shape of the foam against the motherboard with a pen...

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Then I cut it out with scissors. I could've used a blade, but I like the messy hand-made look.

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Before...

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And after. I like that thing a lot. And that's why I've done it, even if the lobby pack doesn't have it. :P

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Now for a small, really obscure detail: I replaced the screws on the ribbon cable clamp and the Clippard valve. Both of them were 8-32 (which were considered accurate for the longest time) but now the clamp has 6-32, and the valve has 10-32, you guessed it, just like the lobby pack. I would've replaced the screws on the booster frame too, but I couldn't (the 10-32 are held in place with glued nuts from the inside; couldn't do it without changing the whole booster) Plus I like the brass washers (which aren't on the lobby)

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I also switched the matte grey crank knob for a brand new, shiny gloss black one. :) With that modification, the pack is really starting to look like a GB2. :)

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A really small, hard to see detail: I've added a grey Legris cap on the elbow on the ion arm. That particular detail of the Sony lobby pack was pointed out to me by my good friend Ken. I also took the time to replace the modern Nycoil tubing with a bit of the accurate vintage one (made of nylon instead of polyurethane)

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Final stretch now: I've replaced the LC-1 straps with some LC-2. The kidney pad is accurate, but hero packs usually had padded LC-1 instead of the LC-2, so these are temporary. The frame is still an LC-1, because I don't think they ever used LC-2 frames (at least on the hero packs)

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I also used a bit more of that 1/4" thick foam to add another layer on the existing foam on top of the frame. Yeah I know about the seams, still don't know what I'll do about those. The GB2 hero packs don't have tape over the foam.

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Seam or not I still like the "stacked foam" look. Really captures the look of the GB2 hero packs, methinks.

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Oh and look! I even installed the straps in a really incorrect, but accurate way! At least they're like that on the Sony lobby pack. Those prop makers never studied. :D

That's it for now! The pack is almost complete now, I'm only waiting for a few final details (like the Philips screws for the bumper and shell) then it'll be final weathering and reassembly! Never thought I'd see the day. Stay tuned!
#354713
Great job again Mike !

So youre going for the sony lobby hero pack or the semi hero pack now ? I would guess its the hero pack because you have all metal parts etc. But it looks like you changed a few things to what is present on the semi hero one. So if you dont mind im gonna point out those details ^.^

The legris on the ion arm has the grey cap on the semi hero pack, on the hero pack it doesnt. It has some brown epoxy around the base though, maybe you wanna add that instead ? ;)

And for the screws on the ribbon cable clamp on the cyclotron im 99,73% sure theyre 8-32 on the hero pack. Looks like they could be 6-32 on the semi hero pack though.

The foam on the back of the motherboard is (or was) definately there on the hero pack, not much left of it though, lol
#354728
I'm going to the hero pack, definitively. But, like I said, there's some details on the other packs that I like, and that I included on purpose (like the black V-hook spacer, and the caution-hot label) Now, about the Legris cap: I actually didn't notice that it was on the semi-hero. I eagerly included that update, because 1- I had a spare grey cap laying around, and 2- the elbow that I have under there has a steel tip, not a brass one. So I really don't mind if the tip is hidden! That one will stay there, if only because it's an interesting detail. :)

As for the screws on the cable clamp, I was sure that the Sony lobby hero had the same screws than the Minnesota (that one has 6-32, I'm pretty sure :P) So it's an honest mistake from my part. I'll switch them back ASAP. :D

Yeah I know about the foam; just like my N-filter, it looks like the hero pack, but really doesn't because it's waaay too clean. Next step is weathering. I'm not sure I'll weather it as much as the lobby pack, but I'll manhandle it quite a bit. :P

Oh and thanks for all the tips Bjorn, it's always nice to hear from the master. :lol:
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