By Azurial
#4837596
So a lot of people are understandably upset with the entire reboot. I myself see this new movie as a disaster waiting to happen, but (and I'll probably get some hate for this) I really want this movie to be good. Paul Feig has turned out a lot of crap (in my opinion) in his short career thus far, so hes due for a wild success. That being said the new pack has started to grow on me and the idea of building one of these hulking masses of twisted steel and tackle box/colander amalgamated messes has me excited if for no other reason than to get my wife to suit up at cons with me.

What I (we?) know after staring at this thing for hours are the following.

The covering (Faraday Cage) is evidently a mesh colander that has been stripped to just the brim.
The door on the bottom of the pack is from a tackle box that has been riveted in what looks to a 1/2 inch by 1/2 grid.
There are at least 2-3 wrapping of copper tube around the inside of the cage.
There are two sata connectors under the cage, next to a screw bank. One orange cable on the right socket connector, no other cable on the left. This same bank has a single copper stand-off screw at the very end.
Some sort of Flashlight lens (looks military issue?) seems to serve as the N-Fitter (or equivilant)
All the wiring looks to be about 22-26 AWG (probably to keep costs down).
The Top Counter box is a Radioshack 3x2x1 project box with an additional ramp bound to it (epoxy?) with its round edges sanded flat.
The green handle on the wand side of the pack is an NSF-61-G Ball valve that has definitely seen heavy use.
Tubing leading into the wand from the pack looks the be standard braided plumbing cable or brake line (probably putting to use stuff that fell off of that Buick, am i right?)

Screw count is as follows as far as I could see, and all seem to be in the #1 or #0 size range
hex bolt screws - 26
flat head screws - 1
philli[ps screws 10

The framing (bumpers?) are all custom and welded to what looks to be a 2/16th machined steel plate motherboard.

Thats all I got so far... So, what do you say we start to brush off the hate bunnies and wait for the movie to come out before we loose our heads even more. Remember that not all reboots are created equally.

Remember the Fly and the Fly II (originally staring Vincent Price in the 50s and its squeal The Son of the Fly), The Blob, The Thing (not talking about the "prequel" in 2010 but the movie from 1982 which was a remake of the 1951 The Thing form another world, originally a novella by John W. Campbell, Jr. "Who Goes there") and a whole host of other American classics that shared similar success as reboots/remakes.
By Hijacker
#4837604
2/16 is 1/8. Sorry, just a pedantic issue of mine. Blame all of my teachers who forced reduction of fractions on me.

Unless that braided steel line is from a semi truck, it's not a SS braided brake line. More than likely it's a custom length SS line that can be bought at a variety of stores. Your local Lowes or Depot won't have it as they come in only precut lengths and most are usually around 1/2 in diameter. This looks closer to 3/4.. Maybe one of the guys that have hands on with it at SDCC 15 can comment on the diameter of the line.

The box lid cover has been very elusive to me. I've spent a few hours trying different search terms, and I have come up with nothing that matches the profile and dimensions. We know it's a 12" wide lid from Feig's tweeted dimension picture, but I haven't found anything in that category that matches the shard angle of the edges, while maintaining a flatter hinged edge. Best guess is that the lid was sourced from something and then modified to have the steeper front and side edges as well as having the rivets added.
Azurial liked this
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By Kingpin
#4837606
Actually, there's no guarantee at the moment that the Faraday Cage is a colander, nor that the lid on the bottom actually a Tackle Box. The former could just be mesh that's been worked into a dome, and the latter could actually be a costume fabrication with a sourced handle.

There also appear to be two separate fittings on the "box lid", some are hex screws, some look like similar fittings at first glance, but might be closer to pop rivets... or rubber grommets.
User avatar
By 910dohead
#4837697
There was one of the production packs on display at SDCC. The propmaster told one of our group members that 28 packs were made for the film. Also that 95% of the pieces on the packs were completely 3D printed. After seeing it in person, I agree with that. It looked very much like a prop and not an actual piece of equipment. The cyclotron part under the faraday cage also lights up.
User avatar
By AJ Quick
#4837754
I don't know about the pack being heavily 3D Printed. The wand probably was, but the pack looks like a lot of parts welded together. (Hey maybe they are just really good at making plastic look like welded metal!).

I just sourced out the green handled ball valve. I'm fairly certain I got the right one, but I'm waiting to receive it to post my results.

The disappointing thing is that green handled ball valve costs $30+.
User avatar
By Austin
#4837760
Based on the dimensions provided by Paul Feig on Twitter, here's what I've come up with so far:

-1/2'' Copper Pipe x 6ft
-3/4'' Copper Pipe x 4''
-1/4'' Copper Pipe x 2''
-1/2'' 45° Copper Elbow x 6
-1/2'' 90° Copper Elbow x 3
-1/2'' Copper Coupler x 4
-3/4'' 90° Copper Elbow x 2
-1/4'' 90° Copper Elbow x 4
-1/2'' RUB Brass Ball Valve, P.N. T242D00 x 1
-Hammond Aluminum Project Enclosure, 2.3x2.17x1.02, P.N. 1550Q x 1
-Hammond Aluminum Project Enclosure, 4.4x2.3x1.6, P.N. 1590BS x 1
-Hammond Aluminum Project Enclosure, 3.5x1.38x1.02, P.N. 1550A x 1
-*Hammond Aluminum Project Enclosure, 4.77x2.6x1.39, P.N. 1590N1 x 1(I'm still not 100% sure about this one)
-Rubber Boot for 2.5'' Ashcroft DG25 Gauge, P.N. 471B190-01 x 1
-TE Connectivity Round Connector Cable Clamp, P.N. 206966-7 x 2
-TE Connectivity Round Connector Housing, P.N. 796094-2 x 2

All of the copper should be able to be gotten at any hardware store, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc., the project boxes and connectors are available on Allied Electronics, the RUB Ball valve you can order through Fastenal, and the gauge boot is from Davis Instruments or Cole Parmer.

I've ordered everything and will confirm it's accuracy once it all arrives.

I'll also photoshop a diagram showing where each piece is located on the pack.
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By AJ Quick
#4837767
Awesome Austin.

I was looking more closely at the photos that the Socal Busters took and was wondering if the tubing on the main pack really is copper plumbing. At first it is what I assumed as well, but upon closer inspection it looks like it could be something different... and doesn't appear to be soldered like the rest of the exposed copper is.
User avatar
By Austin
#4837768
The copper fittings I've looked at match the design of the ones on the pack and there's a few areas where it looks like copper is showing through(especially on the upper part of the pack). Honestly, I think they just painted it.

But never say never! I'll dig around and see if I can find anything else that matches.
User avatar
By AJ Quick
#4837775
Actually no. I think that's copper. Those are really good pictures of it.

The tubing at the bottom though is a little different. You can see maybe some copper on top, and then welded pipe being secured into the copper with a screw. (Lower portion of this photo).

Image

There is also those brackets welded on to the copper. While possible, it just seems weird if it were all copper.
User avatar
By Austin
#4837820
AJ Quick wrote:Actually no. I think that's copper. Those are really good pictures of it.

The tubing at the bottom though is a little different. You can see maybe some copper on top, and then welded pipe being secured into the copper with a screw. (Lower portion of this photo).

There is also those brackets welded on to the copper. While possible, it just seems weird if it were all copper.
It does seem odd, especially for a big budget production, to use one type of metal but paint it to look like another. But stranger things, I suppose.

It all looks soldered to me and I'm personally leaning towards it all being all copper, just painted.
User avatar
By Austin
#4837827
In regards to the Hammond 1590N1box, I THINK it's used for these two:

Image
Image

and

Image

Both boxes have obviously been cut down. I did some rough measurements and I think cutting up the 1590N1 box into two pieces will give you those two parts.

Also, here's a better look at the 1550A box tucked behind the piece of bent aluminum:
Image

The top of it has been cut off as well. And looks like a section of the lid has been cut out to accommodate the piece of black material that's visible.
By Azurial
#4837834
Also, the more I look at it, the more the cage looks like chicken wire, maybe a medium gauge?

What ever it is, its clearly doubled - there's an edge under the outter most part.
User avatar
By Austin
#4837835
Azurial wrote:The two parts that are driving me nuts are the motherboard and the setup under the cage, not to mention what I can only guess is a heatsink in the center of the cage...
I would almost guarantee they're made for production. One thing I do know is that it's not actually copper tubing on the inside of the cage but rather larger copper wire wrapped coils.
Azurial wrote:Also, the more I look at it, the more the cage looks like chicken wire, maybe a medium gauge?

What ever it is, its clearly doubled - there's an edge under the outter most part.
Definitely not chicken wire. It's a woven mesh.
User avatar
By AJ Quick
#4837836
Good eye. They really did just use a bunch of Hammond boxes.

Wouldn't be surprised if they just raided a store that had all of these parts on the shelf. Their choice of ball valve seems odd, but it is stocked at 1 store in California.

The more you post those pictures the more I do believe it is just copper. Looks like maybe they screwed some of the odd pieces together and then brazed or soldered it together.
User avatar
By AJ Quick
#4837839
Azurial wrote:Also, the more I look at it, the more the cage looks like chicken wire, maybe a medium gauge?.
The mesh shouldn't be hard to get. It is called "standard wire mesh". Perhaps 5x5 or 6x6 grid pattern per inch.

Finding the 'right' one might be hard, but they are certainly very common and readily accessible on McMaster:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-wire-mesh/=y0zq90

(If the link doesn't work, just search for "Standard Wire Mesh" and select woven.
User avatar
By Austin
#4837840
AJ Quick wrote:You can buy that copper tubing coil from Home Depot or Lowes. Normally used to hook up ice makers in fridges, swamp coolers and humidifiers.
Copper wire wrapped:

Image

I didn't notice it until probably the 100th time I looked at the picture. That's a hell of a lot of copper wire. This pack is already adding up fast :sigh:
User avatar
By AJ Quick
#4837841
This post may contain an affiliate link that helps support GBFans.com when you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Jeez. I hadn't noticed that. The metal scrap value of these packs alone must be a few hundred dollars.

That's a lot of work to wrap something in that copper. But I can't imagine it is anything off the shelf either.

Most likely it is enamel coated copper, called "magnet wire" used for creating electro magnets, motors... etc.

Not super expensive. For example here is 6.25 miles of the stuff for $28:

http://www.amazon.com/Magnet-Enameled-C ... B0082CV1KQ

(Note it's probably a larger gauge than 40 AWG. Maybe 28 AWG).
By timmystyle
#4837869
Anyone care to guess if they're going to use practical lighting effects within the cyclotron? Seems more likely that it'd be added in post, but I'm trying to scratch together speculative ideas using off the shelf parts for a home build; an ambient pulsating glow, maybe automotive led strips, I dunno?
User avatar
By Kingpin
#4837887
Austin wrote:
AJ Quick wrote:You can buy that copper tubing coil from Home Depot or Lowes. Normally used to hook up ice makers in fridges, swamp coolers and humidifiers.
Copper wire wrapped:

Image

I didn't notice it until probably the 100th time I looked at the picture. That's a hell of a lot of copper wire. This pack is already adding up fast :sigh:
An alternative to hand-wrapping it could be to find something made of wrapped silver extruded metal, like those grabbing devices used to reach items in hard-to-reach places. You could take a few of those, join them and apply a gold-ish/coppery paint to it... and you'd have something that looked similar.

timmystyle wrote:Anyone care to guess if they're going to use practical lighting effects within the cyclotron? Seems more likely that it'd be added in post, but I'm trying to scratch together speculative ideas using off the shelf parts for a home build; an ambient pulsating glow, maybe automotive led strips, I dunno?
They might add some lighting effects in post, but there's no certainty to that. One report did indicate the Pack has practical lighting.

If I had to make a guess, the black rectangle above the spot where the sticker was lights up, and there'll be a light or lights in the "Cyclotron" portion as well.
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