#4956630
So this is a project that started about a year ago when I started designing the plans and buying parts but it never really gained much ground until recently.

The plans were initially done in AutoCAD where I a top look for the overall wand and then some elevations of the central box so I could print them out to use as drill patterns.

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Work began in earnest this year when I started actual assembly. The first thing I did was cut out the side panels from 1/8" Styrene. This was a huge pain in the ass because I did it using an xacto knife and the stuff was way harder to cut than I was expecting. I eventually got the pieces cut, drilled and sanded so they're close enough.

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The central box was a 4.5" x 3.5" x 2.2" project box and the entire build was built around that. I drilled the matching holes for the side panels into the box and then cut out the big hole on top for the main switch.

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Then the holes were drilled out for the central pipe which is 3/4" PVC conduit.

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The pipe has been cut down to size (still going to take another inch or so off for the final product), a hole was drilled for the light on top of the box, two conduit couplers have been cut down to size, and a hold drilled in one of them to add a switch.

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And this is where it sits now more or less. Everything has been sanded and prepped for paint. Hoping to get that started and mostly finished this weekend.
gamera1968 liked this
#4956693
Looks great so far!
It reminds me of the neutrona wand on my first pack.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who went this route. :)
#4956748
gamera1968 wrote: October 6th, 2021, 11:38 am Looks great so far!
It reminds me of the neutrona wand on my first pack.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who went this route. :)
Well I already have the Matty Wand. So I figure I'm covered well enough for a movie style wand. My plan is to use garden hose fittings so I can swap the wand out for different looks if I want to, leaving the main part of the pack the same.
#4956974
Dremen wrote: October 7th, 2021, 5:50 am
gamera1968 wrote: October 6th, 2021, 11:38 am Looks great so far!
It reminds me of the neutrona wand on my first pack.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who went this route. :)
Well I already have the Matty Wand. So I figure I'm covered well enough for a movie style wand. My plan is to use garden hose fittings so I can swap the wand out for different looks if I want to, leaving the main part of the pack the same.
Sounds like a plan! Best of luck.
#4957153
I hoped to get the wand all assembled last night but ran into some issues when I accidentally cracked one of the small project boxes trying to rivet it to the side panel. This also led to the rivet being stuck in place which caused more problems.

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It took a bit of work but using some nippers, I managed to get the rivet removed. All the damage to the side panel is going to be hidden since its connected towards the central box. Once I got the rivet removed, I managed to get the side box with two switches installed this morning using some spare parts. The two side panels were then rivetted into place onto the main box.

I feel comfortable saying this is like 90% done, maybe 95% if I'm generous, but I feel comfortable posting it regardless. I'm really happy with how its come together, and I cant wait to get it attached to the pack itself.

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Stuff still left to do:
1) Still waiting on side knob and replacement front grip to arrive in the mail.
2) Need to install wire wrap around front grip.
3) Need to finish the tip of the clear tube. I have a 3D printed part that's going to take some work.
4) Looks a little plain still. Need to do some more weathering and apply labels.
5) Need to paint the light on the main box red.
6) Need to find and install a V-Hook solution. Options in Canada seem to be limited with even 3D printed options costing almost $50 in shipping alone.

And here's a size comparison with the Matty Thrower.
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gamera1968 liked this
#4957280
Looks great! Hopefully you'll have it ready by Halloween! (if that's the plan)
Can't wait to see it ready to go and lit up. :)
#4957294
gamera1968 wrote: October 12th, 2021, 8:29 pm Looks great! Hopefully you'll have it ready by Halloween! (if that's the plan)
Can't wait to see it ready to go and lit up. :)
Unfortunately electronics are outside my knowledge base at the moment. Hopefully sometime in the future I would be able to do something with it though. I have some ideas for what I would want to do.
gamera1968 liked this
#4957341
Dremen wrote: October 13th, 2021, 4:08 am
gamera1968 wrote: October 12th, 2021, 8:29 pm Looks great! Hopefully you'll have it ready by Halloween! (if that's the plan)
Can't wait to see it ready to go and lit up. :)
Unfortunately electronics are outside my knowledge base at the moment. Hopefully sometime in the future I would be able to do something with it though. I have some ideas for what I would want to do.
There are a lot of plug and play kits out there and I know that the site does have a shop.
Check it out if it's in your budget or do what I did for my pack back in 2015 - hit up your local Halloween shop and look for chasing or blinking battery operated lights for the power cell and a rotating party light for the cyclotron. For the lights in the neutrona wand, I used a bright LED 'push lamp' found at a dollar store. Wire it up to one of your switches and you're good to go. As for the lights in the clear tube - (the business end) you can find battery operated light sticks and use that.
#4957403
Only a small update for today. I bought a coiled aux cable at the local dollar store and drilled a couple holes in the wand. I cut the ends off the Aux cable and fed it into the holes wrapping the cable around the front grip. This will eventually be held down with a zip tie but I think it looks pretty awesome.

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I know the cord that goes around the front grip would probably be better as a split tubing or something else a little more robust but the coiled look of the aux cable looks fine to me and I really like it.
#4957991
Update time!
Got a few things knocked off the list. I painted the LED pilot light housing red. Used Citadel transparent red airbrush paint and it worked perfectly.

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I also commissioned a friend of mine to 3D print some Legris banjo fittings and a trigger tip. These were sanded and then painted using gundam markers. I drilled a hole into the wand and then used a power screw driver to tap the holes using the screw I was going to use and now they're held in place and threaded into place.

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My replacement front grips finally came in and I drilled a couple holes to add the coiled wire around the front grip. Once everything is finished, I'll zip tie these places into place.

Finally I bought a garden hose fitting at Home Depot and used friction tape to pressure fit it into the read of the wand and this is how I'll attach the wand to the proton pack eventually.

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Still waiting on the last knob to show up. I have to get the labels all added and then hit the whole thing with some more clear satin. And finally I'm in the works of trying to figure out how to add the electronics still. Its slow going, but its coming along. Working with a few friends to figure out what I need to do to actually wire it up. Gonna need to bite the bullet and buy some electronics gear soon which is something I've wanted to get into for awhile.
gamera1968 liked this
#4958428
Wow, it turned out great!

Nicely done! Now to see it with the hybrid proton pack. :)
Dremen liked this
#4958430
gamera1968 wrote: October 28th, 2021, 11:09 am Wow, it turned out great!

Nicely done! Now to see it with the hybrid proton pack. :)
That's next summer's plan. Wont be so much a hybrid pack as just a Spirit pack for now. Though I am taking some cue's from Extreme Ghostbusters in the hose I'm using.

I also will be buying some electrical stuff soon so I can actually get electronics in this thing as per your suggestion.
#4958569
Okay, cool. I understand these things take time to build.
Can't wait to see it next Summer.

Sounds like a plan, so best of luck!
#4958576
gamera1968 wrote: October 29th, 2021, 7:13 am Okay, cool. I understand these things take time to build.
Can't wait to see it next Summer.

Sounds like a plan, so best of luck!
Unfortunately I don't really have a good place to do any paint work other than my parents shed. So most of my projects are limited to when the weather can accommodate that.
#4958577
Dremen wrote: October 29th, 2021, 9:32 am
gamera1968 wrote: October 29th, 2021, 7:13 am Okay, cool. I understand these things take time to build.
Can't wait to see it next Summer.

Sounds like a plan, so best of luck!
Unfortunately I don't really have a good place to do any paint work other than my parents shed. So most of my projects are limited to when the weather can accommodate that.
Understood! Limited space can be a pain. I do most of my painting outside so the paint dries/cures faster, but that's just me. I know what you mean about the weather. I live in south Florida, so it rains A LOT, especially during this time of year!!
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