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TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 12:09 am
by TENIME_art
Here it is!

I finished my uniform a few years ago, and have just been wearing that with the Mattel equipment:

Then, as I prepared to wear it all again for this past Halloween, I started going through build threads here, looking for inspiration on the Dollar Store pack I was planning, after a friend sent me a pic of hers.

Around Christmas, my unused sick time at work paid out, so I ordered an Alice frame from eBay in preparation, and was going to wait for my tax refund late January/early February to go bargain shopping (since getting my own place last year, I don't have expendable funds otherwise, even "Dollar Store money").

I was perusing threads & the build plans here, and stumbled across Alan Hawkins' Studio Creations build. Upon finding out how inexpensive it was, I made a decision - do better than a Dollar Store pack.

So, as soon as I got my tax refund, I spent most of it on parts to start my own build of my first pack!

I'm still waiting on the shell (SC shipped today!), GBFans ribbon cable, and heavyprops' resin parts from eBay; but I have KCGhostbuster's bumper, bellows, N-filter, Clippards, ion arm cap, & Legris pieces; order_thru_the_phoenix's tubes & lenses; CPU64's Matty Wand V-hook; spongeface's Matty Wand light adaptor (though I need a GBFans light kit to use it); GBFans splitless loom (with PVC coupler from Menard's that plugs onto the end of the wand perfectly, and the loom screws into), vinyl & metal labels (both sheets should be enough for one pack, right?), Clippard elbows, ribbon cable clamp & hold down, and 9v connector (for when I can finally get that light kit); hockey pucks, and a brass rod for the ion arm (it doesn't have the knurled section, but it's the right thickness & both ends are threaded, so they should nicely screw into the resin).

I'm praying the weather warms up enough to fiberglass the shell, then again to paint when everything is put together, as I'm hoping to have this done by C2E2 (March 18-20), which I know is crazy, lol. But I have a friend who's started his own creative production company, part of which is prop creation, who's not only willing to help, he's excited to.

So...wish me luck! I'll post progress reports, I just got everything in the picture (except the Alice, and loom & coupler) today, and wanted to share.

I'm not going for super accurate, just what I think looks good, which most of is accurate, but I'm not going to sweat things like the SC shell not being 100%, or the Mattel pieces being toys instead of props. I've gotten enough wide-eyed smiles from my usual setup, I'm not too worried about reactions.

I Sharpied the banjos on the wand right before making this post:

I have a sheet of $5 labels I got off eBay for the Dollar Store pack which I'm going to use to fill in the missing ones on the wand (and save the vinyl ones for the eventuality of building my own thrower - I can't be making this little money forever). No pics because I should really go to bed because I have work in the morning, and haven't put them on yet, lol.

I just want to thank everyone here for making such great threads of their own. Just reading through them has been invaluable, and has given me the confidence to take on this task!

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 1:28 am
by Morfeusoneiros
Good luck on your pack. I'm happy with my SC Shell, but bear in mind that you'll have to adjust some parts to the shell, since it's a little bit smaller than a "regular" shell. So it takes a little extra work, but the end result will be worth it.

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 2:13 am
by Venkman's Swagger
Good luck with the build dude. 1 thing caught my attention, you said your Ion Arm rods were going to screw into Resin? Are you aware that the Ion Arm has an end cap which is made of Aluminium or are you skipping that to save on funds?

Looking forward to seeing this come together

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 6:54 am
by TENIME_art
Both the ion arm and the end cap I got for it are resin. I got the cap from KCGhostbuster (you can kinda see it in the picture, between the crank knob, which I forgot to list, and the Clippards), and am waiting on the arm itself from heavyprops. :) It was the more affordable route for me.

And thanks to Alan & Riggs & a few others, I am prepared for all the SC shell can throw at me (unless it shows up broken from shipping - then I'm going to scream, swear, and probably cry - then see if I can scramble a Dollar Store pack anyway for the con, lol).

Thanks, guys!

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 9:39 am
by Venkman's Swagger
I see it mate. I didn't even realise a Resin end cap was available in the community, nice find man. Really enjoy seeing SC builds and can't wait to see this one unfold too

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 9:55 am
by TENIME_art
Neither did I, lol! Thank god for Eric Hunter (and everyone on here giving him positive feedback)!

I'm super excited. I've wanted one of these since I was 7 or 8 years old (fun fact: GBII was my first exposure - I didn't see the first one for awhile after I'd practically memorized GBII, lol)!

:)

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 9:59 am
by Venkman's Swagger
Although I've never purchased any of KC's stuff, I know it is very highly regarded in the community.

I hear ya there man. My first exposure to GB was GB2 also. Good luck with the build and if you have any questions just throw them up and I'm sure they'll get answered.

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 10:16 am
by Alan Hawkins
C2E2 is one of my favorite cons. Are you in the Midwestern Ghostbusters Coalition yet?

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 10:49 am
by TENIME_art
I am not. I tried finding a thread in the Midwest section here, but didn't see anything IL based on the first page and got sidetracked by my day job (lol) before I could investigate further.

I'm in the western suburbs, I don't know if that makes a difference (I know of the Windy City team, but I don't make it out to the city often, and don't know if that would disqualify me).

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 11:19 am
by Alan Hawkins
Windy City has members all the way out in Crystal Lake. So you could become a member. Usually it's best to first join the MWGBC and do an event like the Saint Patricks Day parade so everyone can meet you. Be yourself. Be "Normal" if that fits within the "Be yourself" part. Help out when people need it.

Here is the link to join the MWGBC https://www.facebook.com/groups/370332036339097/

Click that and I will get you approved.

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 18th, 2016, 12:01 pm
by TENIME_art
Sweet! Thanks! :D

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 19th, 2016, 6:58 pm
by cckaiser2
@tenime_art: I'm also in the western suburbs and somewhat new to the forum. I haven't participated in much and am working on a resin thrower kit. The pack will have to come later. Reach out anytime!

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 20th, 2016, 3:42 pm
by TENIME_art
Excellent! Thank you, sir!

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 21st, 2016, 9:08 pm
by TENIME_art
Picked up two more packages from my parents' today (I can't get stuff delivered to my apartment or it'll get stolen):

(Combined with the previous stuff I posted)

Excuse me while I break down sobbing tears of joy. T_T

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 22nd, 2016, 3:02 pm
by TENIME_art
Anyone have any ideas for a cheap quick temp light setup?

I eventually want the GBFans light kit when it comes back in stock, but that won't be for 3 or 4 months, and I would like something for mid-March provided I can finish this build in time for the con.

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 23rd, 2016, 8:38 am
by TENIME_art
So, we haven't even cut the mobo yet (but we have the MDF), but we were trying to figure out - how do you do the bolts for the brackets to the shell? Considering one end is on the inside, lol...

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 23rd, 2016, 9:20 am
by csullivan1980
I'm pretty sure Gush had it very well documented in his thread. If not I'm sure it's in mine.

You basically have to position the "L" brackets on the mobo and carefully place the shell I top to make sure there are where you want them. Once you are happy with the placement you can clamp them down and drilled into the "l" bracket into the mobo. From there you can rivet them in place, then you can drill holes with the shell on from the outside of the shell through the "l" bracket as it sits in the inside riveted. It's a scary process but once you've done that the worst part is over.

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 23rd, 2016, 9:35 am
by TENIME_art
Does that still allow for removal of the shell later on? I'm going to want to put the GBFans light kit (and spongeface's Matty wand kit) inside once it comes back in stock, but that won't be until months after I want this otherwise done.

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 23rd, 2016, 9:55 am
by Alan Hawkins
Yes

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 23rd, 2016, 4:19 pm
by TENIME_art
We have fiberglass! :D

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 24th, 2016, 5:14 pm
by TENIME_art
So, I can't find colored tubing measurements.

Norm's plans have the lengths for the Ion yellow, and Ion to PPD blue, but I can't find anything for the HGA or Cyclotron reds or the Injector red & blue.

Anyone?

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 25th, 2016, 1:39 am
by Venkman's Swagger
Most builders tend to go with what looks good to the eye. Use plenty of reference pics and choose something you're happy with.

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: February 28th, 2016, 10:37 pm
by TENIME_art
Got a lot of work done today in just a few short hours!

Mobo!

Put the middle hole just about an inch above the crossbar, as other board members in the Alice thread confirmed it's good enough, and because my middle bar curves a lot earlier than other frames, and I wanted to make sure my spacers were all even, since the motherboard is flat and needs to stay that way:

Holes!

Powercell:

We're gonna try to file it straighter, but being the first pack either of us have worked on ever, and using handheld tools, I think we got it pretty good (and I wouldn't have done any better on Dollar Store tupperware with my crappy little Dremel).

Cyclotron:

Ribbon cable:

Vaccuum line hose:

For the N-filter:

Thrower hose:

N-filter itself:

The resin is kinda thick, which is great for structural integrity - but any ideas on how to make the mesh more visible? Or will it be once the filter's been painted black? We tried to pull it forward through the hole a little more, we tried to push it forward through the hole a little more from the inside...nada. :-/

Cyclotron plates:

We cut down the short one (you can see it marked), and drilled the holes for the bumper screws and thrower hose (we also prepped the bumper & bellows), but I forgot to take pics of all of that for some reason. Dollar Store cutting boards! No idea how we're doing the bottom block & injector receiving module. Most likely just wood, unless someone else has a better plan?

Ion arm:

Booster tube:

The plug sits oh so nicely on the screw from the inside of the shell. I was so excited. The tube itself is angled to fit the GBfans shell perfectly...unfortunately I have the Studio Creations shell (which I do like quite a bit), lol. We concentrated on getting it flush against the back of the shell, and my friend is going to fill in the gap between the bottom and the EDA. The frame will cover the seam, so we should be good. We're planning to use the discs we drilled out of the Cyclotron holes for the EDA discs, just fill in the middle holes.

Booster frame (the screws are placeholders - I did get the 10-32 socket heads):

PPD:

Ion end cap:

I don't know how flush the heads are supposed to sit, but I like them like this, personally.

Beam line & filler tube:

Everything sits together kinda tightly, given the smaller shell and full size pieces, but the pieces are holding sturdy (it's all a dry fit for now - we're gonna add plastic welder epoxy after sanding & washing everything before priming), and I think once everything is done and painted and wires & everything, it'll look nice and not so crowded. Or it'll look crowded and people will have to deal with it, because I'll just be happy to finally have a proton pack! Again, it's going to look leaps and bounds better than my initial plan, and one day when I have more money, I can go full-accurate and not give myself such a tight timeframe either. This will not be my last pack build. Heck, Matt wants to make one as well, so we're basically using mine as a learning experience.

Vaccuum line & Clippard:

Is the "Clippard" engraving supposed to face upwards or downwards? It's facing upwards right now, but we can spin it around if we need to (I'm just going to stick with the fake molded screws, as I'd worry about causing integrity issues drilling them out - it's screwed from the inside and will be epoxied, so I'm not worried about them not being there to hold it on).

Ribbon cable:

We still have quite a bit left to do, and time is ticking to the 3/16 deadline, but we're optimistic, despite my having a full time job and his having other projects.

I cannot find solid aluminum brackets anywhere. I found a three foot angled strip, but Lowes said they had no way to cut it, and neither do we. We might just have to get some with the holes already there. He's confident his riveter should hold them just fine (he's as concerned about everything being rock solid as I am - he even joked "so when we're done with this, I'll just buy it off you, okay?" lol).

Also, I found this picture from 2011, where a friend let me wear his proton pack for 15-20 minutes at a Christmas party, before I got elbow pads & leg hose, had the wrong No Ghost patch, and hadn't yet sewn on the name tag:

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: March 3rd, 2016, 8:40 am
by TENIME_art
Had limited time last night, so didn't take many pictures:

Ion Arm!

The Clippard sits flush now, we were just still working on the hole when I snapped the pics.

Waiting on the apoxie sculpt to fully cure before sanding it even:

Legris:

Clippard:

Gun mount!

with a wood block that we'll be epoxying inside for added stability & strength:

Started to cut the foam roll like Alan:

I'll widen the holes more once the frame is painted and I can put the straps back on.

HGA:

We drilled the holes for the elbows, but took them out to attach it to the shell.

Injector tubes:

It was tougher trying to get inside the power cell to tap the screws, and the one further in ended up getting stripped while we were trying to fix it, so this is the first piece to be epoxied to the shell.

We're basically ready to sand, epoxy, and paint!

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: March 3rd, 2016, 9:36 am
by rayp_Stantz
Great progress and really nice parts!
greets

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: March 6th, 2016, 11:43 pm
by TENIME_art
Thanks!

Only had a few hours tonight, so we concentrated more on working than taking pictures, so I only have one:

Also heat-gunned the ribbon cable so it's ready for attaching (at the very end), and prepped every other piece not seen for painting.

Everything on the shell is on the shell, and ain't comin' off. Plastic-welded with screws from the inside. (The rest will be, too, but we want to paint those separately first.)

The bottom box is a little big, but I'm more concerned about the rest of the pack right now, if it's such an issue, I'll even just leave it off for the time being and make a new one later. We were wondering why, with all the parts that people cast, that no one makes/sells the plates or the boxes for the cyclotron. Hm.

Barring any major catastrophes, we should be done in time for the con! I'm so excited!

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: March 8th, 2016, 7:05 am
by TENIME_art
(Photobucket blocked my pictures for exceeding 3rd party hosting, so I'm trying to get rid of a bunch of pictures on message boards to not have to upgrade my account - because I'm not paying them.)

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: March 8th, 2016, 8:01 am
by Alan Hawkins
Keep up the good work!
We were wondering why, with all the parts that people cast, that no one makes/sells the plates or the boxes for the cyclotron.
I think Jackdoud here on the boards sells the box that connects to the injectors. The foot is pretty easy, it's just four plates stacked up. As to why no one casts the plates? Most shells already have them cast in along with the boxes. Also, they are just rectangles, so they are easy to cut out of styrene and glue on. It would take a lot of money and time to cast them and sell them when the demand might be pretty low.

Make sense? :)

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: March 8th, 2016, 9:09 am
by TENIME_art
Hm, I didn't know other shells molded them on. That seems like the easiest option.

Wonder why SC didn't?

They got spacing between the ribs up top, and those are way skinnier than the plates have to be.

(Also, we're cutting the foot in half. It was bugging both of us how giant it was.)

Though, I'll say finding styrene proved to be quite difficult. Most mom & pop hobby shops that I used to frequent have all closed down, and the big stores didn't even know what I was talking about ("is that a type of styrofoam?"). None of the big hardware stores did either.

I used a small plastic bin top for the boxes. I used the dollar store cutting boards other people have used for the plates, but they were giving us some issues sticking last night, and I was getting frustrated to the point of just leaving them off, but my friend gave it a second go, and said they seem better now. If they still don't (the plastic weld is holding to the shell, but it wasn't to the plates), I'll have to tape off the area and keep going with our planned schedule, and find a better material to make new ones, paint them separately, and then glue them on after.

Re: TENIME's first pack build!

Posted: March 8th, 2016, 9:12 am
by Alan Hawkins
I'm going to help you here...

http://petersenplastics.com

Go get a sheet of 1/8" styrene from them. Makes perfect plates and other parts.