[EctoLabs]

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One prop I've been excited about ever since we got our first glimpse at Frozen Empire, is the new Wrist Thrower (also referred to as the Compact Thrower or Wrist Blaster or Melnitz Thrower or Arm Wand or Arm Canon or.... hell, I really wish there was a definitive name for it). I like it so much that I decided to have a go at building my own, using a 3D printed main body augmented with real-world or replica items (and, if possible, screen-accurate found parts).

This then led me to creating a brand new Light & Sound Kit especially for Wrist Thrower builds. This is not a sales post, but you can find more information about that kit on the EctoLabs website. I've been asked if I'll be posting a tutorial on how I built my replica, so here is a guide (of sorts) with the photos I took as I went along. This is just how I did it, but you can obviously adapt it as you see fit.


SCREEN-ACCURATE FOUND PARTS & ATTRIBUTION

As soon as detailed reference photos of the screen-used Wrist Throwers was made available, a small group of us here in the UK - Stuart Thomson, David Rotheram, Carl Mitchley, Toby Canham-James, Vito Andreoni and myself (Dave Tremaine) - sought to track down the various found parts used on this new prop. Many hours were spent trawling though the dullest of Google searches in an attempt to work out what they are and, after a big group effort, the puzzle was eventually solved!

With special thanks to prop-maker Ellen Gould (who designed and built the Wrist Throwers for Frozen Empire) and assistant Ben Millen, for sharing with us some invaluable information on the parts that were used.

So, for the first time, these screen-accurate parts can be confirmed as follows:

Metal Arm Brace:
This is a cut section of a 600ml vacuum food flask sold by UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's under their 'Home' brand of products. Also sold via their sister stores Habitat and Argos. EAN: 5057989609019.

Straps:
Vintage WWII-era 1937 pattern utility straps with KG3 (Khaki Green No3) blanco. They are the basic strap style without the shoulder support. Commonly found in British Army surplus stores and can be regularly found on eBay. They were shortened for production as indicated by the black stitching visible in some of the reference photos.

Strap Buckles:
Many 1937 Pattern utility straps include a brass buckle. The screen-used props used vintage 'Roko' buckles with a weathered black enamel finish, although modern nickel-plated Roko buckles are readily available from many retailers and online sellers.

Red Anodised Handle:
While we were able to partially identify this part (which includes the silver dial) and track it down to a piece of aviation test equipment, exact specifications and model numbers are still unknown and is almost certainly extremely rare and virtually impossible to source. As we understand it, even the movie's prop-makers themselves didn't know what it was and was found in a random box of parts! Therefore, either a replica will need to be manufactured or something similar fashioned in its place.

Aluminium Knobs:
Replica wand knobs were from Mack's Factory - as confirmed to me by Aaron Mack.

Hose Clamp:
A Breeze brand hose clamp available for sale within the US. These are the same as used on the Afterlife Phoebe Packs.


3D PRINT FILES

I've released the 3D files I created for this build on the EctoLabs GitHub page. These are available to download for free and I'll be referring to them in this thread, so you can grab those files from here: https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-thrower. The main body and shroud are highly modified from Quentin Machiels' 'wanQer MK1' files, with the rest being new models designed with my new electronics kit in mind.


SHOPPING LIST

Here is a list of the rest of the parts that I utilised for this build. Purchase links are to UK sellers, but you should be able to find equivalents for most of this through other sellers worldwide:

• Tubes and Rods:
  • 1x 32mm OD, 1.6mm wall thickness aluminium tube (available from various sellers on eBay)
  • 1x 25mm OD, 1.6mm wall thickness aluminium tube (available from various sellers on eBay)
  • 4x 3mm brass rods - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09BQ7BZ8J? ... ct_details
  • 1x 5mm steel rod - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KT43ZXT? ... ct_details
  • 1x 10mm diameter pull handle - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283358951141 ... 4305402799

• Arm, Handle and Brace:
  • 15mm copper piping (about 35cm needed)
  • 1x 15mm copper elbow (right angle) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079NFM9GT? ... ct_details
  • 1x 15mm copper end cap (right angle) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NW4VC3U? ... ct_details
  • 2x 13mm OD yellow screw caps - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CXR2QJ1T? ... ct_details
  • 1x Yellow silicone hose (8mm OD, 4mm ID) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08L33CTV6? ... ct_details
  • 1x Stainless steel food flask - https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9468038
  • 1x 25.4mm red anodised bicycle seat post - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09B2FJ5R9? ... ct_details
  • 1x 22.2mm red anodised bicycle handlebar extender - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07451NT5T? ... ct_details
  • 1x RS 30mm aluminium potentiometer knob - https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/potentio ... bs/4659864
  • 1x Breeze brand hose clamp (size 4) - https://amzn.eu/d/3kYQeZS
  • 5mm EVA foam - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CHJB3YRX? ... tails&th=1
  • 10mm ID split loom - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C3CHWNVF? ... ct_details

• Clippard Valve:
  • FrangoFett Custom R701 replica (Compact Thrower style) - https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1695147 ... rv-3&sts=1

• Straps:
  • 2x Green Vintage 1937 Pattern Straps (available from various eBay sellers and army surplus stores)
  • 2x Roko buckles - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404215910067

• GBFans greeblies (note: the screen-used props used aluminium knobs and side discs from Mack's Factory, so these could be used instead for extra accuracy):
  • 1x Aluminium Top Knob - https://www.gbfans.com/shop/proton-gun- ... -top-knob/
  • 1x Aluminium Front Knob - https://www.gbfans.com/shop/proton-gun- ... ront-knob/
  • 1x Orange Hat Light Lens - https://www.gbfans.com/shop/orange-hat-light-lens/
  • 1x Milky White Hat Light Lens - https://www.gbfans.com/shop/milky-white-hat-light-lens/
  • 1x Clippard Hose Barb - https://www.gbfans.com/shop/clippard-hose-barb/
  • 1x Aluminium Side Disc set (smooth GB1 style) - https://www.gbfans.com/shop/proton-gun- ... ide-discs/
  • 1x Aluminium Heatsink - https://www.gbfans.com/shop/pack-parts/ ... -heatsink/
  • 1x Red, 1x Clear Cliplite lenses - https://www.gbfans.com/shop/pack-parts/led-cliplites/

• Tape, Paint and Primer:
  • Halfords Black Insulation Tape - https://www.halfords.com/motoring/tools ... 24102.html
  • ProGaff Orange Fluorescent Matt Cloth Tape - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00XTV8WAM? ... ct_details
  • Halfords Filler Primer (Yellow) - https://www.halfords.com/motoring/paint ... 08776.html
  • Halfords Etch Primer (Grey) - https://www.halfords.com/motoring/paint ... 70400.html
  • Halfords Acrylic Paint (Satin Black) - https://www.halfords.com/motoring/paint ... 68835.html
  • Halfords Enamel Paint (Aluminium Silver)
  • Halfords Satin Lacquer - https://www.halfords.com/motoring/paint ... 70277.html

• Decals:
  • EctoLabs Dry Transfers - https://www.ectolabs.net/products/pack-dry-transfers
  • Grey Danger Label (from EctoLabs Proton Pack Label set) - https://www.ectolabs.net/products/pack-labels

• Electronics (including switches and buttons):
  • EctoLabs Wrist Thrower Light & Sound Kit - https://www.ectolabs.net/products/wrist-thrower

Okay, with all that out of the way, let's get into building this thing...

[EctoLabs]

PRINTING THE FILES

Okay, with the shopping list out of the way, let's get into building this thing. First job is to print all the essential parts which I printed with a layer height of 0.3mm which saves time - especially as we will be smoothing the hell out of them. I also used a brim for the larger parts to help prevent lifting from the print bed. The main body in particular is quite a long print and because of its shape, it needs A LOT of support material for best results:



I use Cura as my software and I find disabling the 'Support interface' option essential, as leaving this on tends to fuse the support to the walls of the model . Turn it off and you should be able to pull the support away from the walls. This is a bit of a laborious job, but you can get there in the end using pliers to pull it all out bit by bit. This does create a lot of waste, but the end result is nice:




The face of the mini-cyclotron comes as two parts. Be aware that the main triangular section is not perfectly symmetrical, so I have included an arrow on the inside that denotes the top corner.




Flip it over in this orientation and super-glue the ring to the front, making sure to position it as central to the holes as possible:



For the base of the thrower, the arm brace needs to be recessed into it by about 5mm. To allow this, the base has a curved section that the brace will sit into. This curved section should be facing down when you print it which means the support material may make the walls around the mounting holes quite weak. To remedy this, I have extended the solid walls around the holes for extra strength, but these should be trimmed using flush cutters. The first photo here shows a square recess from an earlier version of my model, but you get the idea:

[EctoLabs]

SMOOTHING & FAKE WELDS

Nobody likes visible print lines, so let's smooth the prints. There are a few ways of doing this, and everyone has their own methods, but here's how I get a nice looking finish. If done properly, it should be difficult to tell that these parts are 3D printed at all.

The first step is to apply a layer of clear jewellers UV resin to the surface of the print. I do this as it is very good at immediately filling in many of the small grooves between the print lines. I also find PLA very difficult to sand directly as it likes to clump up and shred as the sandpaper creates heat from the friction. Using a small bottle of resin with a nozzle with makes this easier to apply. Brush this evenly over the print and allow the resin to level itself as much as possible. Then you can give it a few seconds under a UV light to cure the resin until it is hard:





Once everything is covered, you can sand everything down using 240 grit wet and dry sandpaper until most of the print lines are no longer visible. I prefer to wet sand as this reduced the amount of resin dust produced. This dust is rather nasty and can be potentially dangerous if you breath it in, so make sure to wear a suitable mask when working with it.:



The second step is to spray a coat of yellow filler primer. Once this has dried, sand it down with 800 grit sandpaper until it is smooth to the touch. Repeat this process with a second coat of the filler primer and sand down again using slightly less pressure (more like a gentle scrub) so that the surface of your prints are silky smooth and mostly yellow in appearance.

NOTE: I forgot to take a photo of this part of the process, but there is a detailed description with photos of this same technique in my Mega Deluxe Ghost Trap build here: viewtopic.php?t=46530

This is now a good time to cut the 32mm OD aluminium tube into two sections. You will need one section that is 65mm in length and a second that is 55mm in length. You will need to scuff the surface of the metal with 400 grit sandpaper before proceeding as this will give our primer some texture to grab on to (don't worry - these scratches won't be visible when the primer is applied). Finally, wipe both tubes down with some isopropyl alcohol until they are nice and clean.



Put the 55mm section aside (this will form the outer part of the front barrel). We will now use the longer 65mm section to create the rear tube the connects to the mini-cyclotron (this would normally be the rear handle on a regular wand). It will be a tight fit, but rotate the tube as you push it into the large slanted hole in the main body of the thrower until it sits flush with the edge of the hole inside the thrower. You can secure this in place by using some rapid 2-part epoxy glue inside the body.

With this now in place, we can now create some fake welds that simulate the look of TIG welding on metal parts. I have found that I tend to royally suck at fake welds, but I have had better results using legend642's technique using the same UV resin we applied to the prints earlier. You can find his tutorial here: viewtopic.php?t=49251



You will need to apply fake welds around the metal tube we have just added (above), as well as around the trigger and fuse boxes as shown here:




Again, be sure to cure the resin with a UV light before spraying everything with a couple of coats of grey etch primer. It is important to use ETCH primer here as this contains a chemical that bonds with the aluminium tubes to prevent the final paint from flaking off and leaves you with a much more durable finish.

Don't forget to also spray primer onto the shorter 55mm aluminium tube as well!

You should then be left with nice smooth surfaces with no visible layer lines:

[EctoLabs]

BRACE & ARM

Let's move away from our printed parts and tackle the arm and handle assembly. After receiving some intel via Frozen Empire's prop maker Ellen Gould, it was revealed that the metal arm brace used was a stainless steel food flask obtained from UK supermarket Sainsbury's (under their Habitat/Argos brands):



The first thing we have to do is remove lid and all of the the black plastic parts. This can be done by cutting through the plastic using a Dremel tool and pulling it all off. Now we can see the unique profile that matches the screen-used prop:



From this we need to cut it in half and remove the inner section of the flask, leaving the outer wall. The required cuts are indicated by the red lines below:



This can be a tricky job and you will need a relatively powerful rotary tool to cut through the steel. I used a Dremel 3000 with an EZ SpeedClic metal cutting wheel which did the job nicely. Make sure you wear eye protection here as flying bits of metal are inevitable!



You will also need to cut the top section down so it is roughly the same length as the base of the thrower itself. I cut along the section indicated by the red line below:



Once this is all done, we are left with the section of the flask that we need. Make sure to use a file or a sanding wheel on your Dremel to smooth out any rough edges on the metal as these can be very sharp after cutting:



To create the arm, use 15mm OD copper piping - commonly used for plumbing. You'll need a 280mm section of piping for the main part of the arm, with a slight bend at about 155mm from the end. Add an end cap and a right angle elbow to the respecive ends and add another short 40mm section of piping to the elbow (this will connect with the red handle that we will create later). You can secure these parts in place by using some strong epoxy glue inside the joints.

The brace and the piping are then connected by drilling two holes through both and bolted together using M3 bolts and lock nuts, finished off with two yellow screw caps:

TIP: I found it was better to screw the bolt through from the inside of the brace with the lock nut underneath the screw cap instead of the bolt head. This means that there is less of the bolt protruding from the pipe that can dig into your arm while wearing. You may need to experiment with different bolt lengths to get just the right fit.



Note that the brace should be inserted INSIDE the copper pipe and not simply bolted to the side of it. I used the Dremel again to cut a slot the same length as the brace in the pipe - this should be about 10mm x 125mm. As most of this will eventually be covered in black tape, you don't need to make this particularly neat:



Now we need the two parts that make up the back plate of the trigger box. You will need to insert the hose connector (https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... nector.stl) into the hole of the trigger box plate (https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... _Plate.stl) and super-glue them together from the back.

You will now need approx 45cm of 8mm OD silicone hose (it doesn't need to be yellow, by the way) and add some heat shrink tubing to one end. Insert this end of the hose into the connector - the heat shrink should allow it to grip and stay in place. Wrap the protruding hose connector with some black insulation tape and then add the Breeze hose clamp around it.

Note: the hose clamp is not actually functional in this design and is purely cosmetic, so no need to over tighten it.

[EctoLabs]

FRONT HANDLE

On the screen-used props, the red handle was actually a very obscure piece of aviation equipment that is virtually impossible to source (in classic Ghostbusters props style). Instead, we will have to fashion a handle that looks similar. To to this, I used a 25.4mm bicycle seat post (already in anodised red) and another similar coloured 22.2mm handlebar extension. For the dial at the end, the closest I could find was a 30mm aluminium potentiometer knob from RS:



Cut a 75mm section from the end of the 25.4mm seatpost and a 10mm section from the 22.2mm handlebar extension. These can then be fitted together using some epoxy glue inside:



Unfortunately, the potentiometer knob has a black line engraved in it as it is intended for audio equipment, but the black itself can actually be removed by using a cotton bud soaked in acetone. This will make the line a little less obvious:



Now drill a 12mm hole through the knob - this is so the yellow button (included in the EctoLabs Light & Sound Kit) can be mounted and the wires threaded through:




We now need to attach a shaft to the dial. Use Handle_Dial_Shaft.stl (https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... _Shaft.stl) and epoxy it to the inside of the dial - this should then slide into the end of the red tube we created earlier. You can see this in the photo below with the button attached and its wires going into the tube:



To connect the handle assembly with the rest of the arm, I created a 3D part Handle_End_Cap.stl (https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... nd_Cap.stl) which slides over the end of the red handle with the short end of the copper piping slotting into the central hole. Below you can see this in place underneath the black tape.

Note: this photo is from a test fit, so you won't need to add the tape to this yet:



You will also need to drill a 5mm hole into the bottom of the red handle (about 40mm from the arm end of the tube). The handle hose connector (https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... nector.stl) slides through this hole from the inside of the handle and allows the wires from the yellow button to be threaded through it and then through the length of the silicone hose. The hose than can be pushed over the end of the connector to hold it in place:

[EctoLabs]

PAINTING & TEST FITTING

Now that we have our main parts primed, we can apply the main paint top coats. Just like the packs and regular throwers, use a Satin Black as that will give you the right sheen without being too glossy. If you are in the UK, Halfords paint range is by far the best available and give an excellent finish every time.

Here is the thrower body after a couple of coats of satin black. You'll see I've also done a test fit of some of the greeblies as well as applied the dry transfers. The copper arm has now also been given coats of etch primer as described earlier.

The trigger and fuse box assembly can be attached to the main body using 4x M3 bolts.




After the black coat, the face of the cyclotron should be painted a metallic silver (which you should also use to paint the now primed copper arm):



I also filled the gap inside the slot in the arm with a load of hot glue. This prevents the brace from wobbling and keeps the whole assembly feel far more solid:



We would recommend drilling a hole inside the thrower that goes through the aluminium tube. I added a brass thread for an M3 screw here. This screw can then be used to secure the cyclotron:



Slot the main body of the cyclotron into the thrower's rear tube. You will probably want to wrap some tape around the shaft to increase its diameter slightly so that it fits firmly. Then tighten the screw inside the thrower to lock it in place and prevent it from rotating:



The heatsink on the Wrist Throwers have a GB2 style appearance with the corners of the wavy fins rounded off. You can do this by sanding the corners down with your Dremel. To make them consistent, I created curve on a small piece of plastic which I stuck to the side of each fin - this acted as a guide so that the diameter each of the curves is the same. You can refine this by sanding by hand using some 240 grit sandpaper until each of the curves are nice and smooth:



Once this is done, rub down the heatsink with 400 grit sandpaper and clean with isopropyl alcohol to prepare the metal surfaces, before adding a coat or two of grey etch primer.

Just to make things awkward, the screen-used heatsinks were painted yellow between each of the fins. The best way of doing this is to first spray the front of the heatsink with the yellow filler primer we used in the smoothing of the 3D printed parts:



Now we need to apply some painters tape between each of the fins. I used a cutting machine to create some precisely sized strips of tape, but this can also be achieved by carefully measuring the size needed and cutting with a sharp craft knife:



Once the filler primer coats are fully dried, finish off by adding your satin black top coats. Once this is dry, you can slowly remove the painters tape to reveal the yellow sections underneath. Finish off by spraying a couple of coats of clear satin lacquer - this will protect the paintwork and also give the yellow sections more of a sheen as they will otherwise have a very flat matt appearance with the filler primer alone:



Next, you'll need to cut a 70mm section from the 25mm OD aluminium tube. This does not need painting, so you can leave as is. If you are using the EctoLabs electronics kit, you can test fit the barrel light at this point as shown below:



I have included a barrel shim in the GitHub files (https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... l_Shim.stl) which should be placed inside the outer painted barrel tube at the deepest point. The unpainted tube then slides into this to create a gap around it while holding it securely.

The end of the outer painted tube should line up with the deepest point of the curved cut out in the shroud, and the inner unpainted tube should line up with the very end of the shroud as shown below.




Once you are happy that everything is fitting together okay, disassemble the thrower and remove any greeblies. If you want to add any weathering, this would be a good time to do it - I went with some subtle weathering by scratching small areas of the black paint away from some of the corners and edges to reveal grey primer underneath. For the cyclotron, use some sandpaper to lightly scratch away the silver to reveal the initial coat of black paint:



I would highly recommend referring to the Ghostbusters Reference Library for weathering ideas: https://www.theghostbustersreferencelib ... tz-thrower

Finish off by spraying a couple of coats of clear satin lacquer over all the main parts. This will protect the paintwork and seal in the dry transfers which can otherwise be rubbed off easily with handling.

[EctoLabs]

FINAL ASSEMBLY

Phew! Now all the hardest work is out of the way, we can start putting it all back together.

Use the 3mm brass rods to create the terminals at the front of the shroud. Put a bend in each one (at about 18mm from the end) and use a Dremel to bevel the ends to create points. Wrap some blue painters tape around each one The movie props also have to create a stop when they are inserted into the four holes inside the shroud. On the movie props, these rods also feature two black rings around each one - I am still trying to work out the best way of recreating this without having to use a lathe! I will update this thread once I do!



For the wrist support bar, I used a 10mm diameter drawer handle - this is particularly beneficial as the ends of the handle will already have threads to fit mounting screws. The length of the handle does not matter as we will need to cut out a central section anyway. You can do this using a metal cutting wheel for your Dremel to leave two right angled sections that almost meet in the middle.

Mount these to the bottom of the shroud with two screws appropriate for the handle you are using. Rather than trying to tighten them from inside of the shroud, keep the screws in place and rotate the handle sections instead until they are firmly mounted and in alignment:



Now we can add the split loom and wrap around a piece of EVA foam, secured with some strips of the ProGaff cloth tape. You can also rub some dirt into the tape to make it look grimy and less fluorescent.



To finish off the cyclotron, you can either add a small circle of red acrylic or cut a circles from a sheet of red acetate. If adding electronics, you may wish to experiment with some diffusion - I have had a good result by adding a circle of cloudy plastic from a milk carton and another from a sheet of white copy paper. Also make sure to print the lens clamp (https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... _Clamp.stl):



Arrange these inside layering the red acetate, followed by the cloudy plastic and then the copy paper. Sit the lens clamp over the top and hot glue into place if it is loose:



Insert the face of the cyclotron into the main section. Be aware that this will only fit one way so don't try and force it - this is indicated by the red arrow below which relates to the arrow on the inside. You may still need to sand the tabs slightly until it can be inserted without too much friction. Do this just enough so it can be removed with out too much effort, but can still be held in place without falling out:



You will also want to add some padding to the underside of the brace. I went with 5mm EVA foam which I cut to size. I also drilled two 4mm holes in the brace itself to line up with the holes in the base of the thrower. I then cut out some circles in the foam so that the mounting screws can be accessed:



Wrap the foam around the outer edge of the brace and hold in place with the black insulation tape:



On the thrower base, you will need to insert two M4 lock nuts into the hexagonal holes - super-glue or epoxy these in the holes so that they will stay in place when screwing the brace to the base from the bottom:



Now you can thread the green straps through the slots in the sides of the thrower and then attach the base using 4x M3 screws or hex bolts. Once this is in place, attach the brace and arm assembly using the M4 screws.

If all is well, you should now have a fully assembled Wrist Thrower.

Don't forget to also add two 5mm rods to the holes underneath the shroud (which you can see are unpainted in the photo below. Yes, forgot to add them myself before this!) These rods should be 30mm in length and be primed and painted in the same way as all the other metal parts.

You can now add the copious amount of black insulation tape around the arm, brace and handle. The silicone hose should also now be completely wrapped in this tape and attached to the lower part of the arm. Again, I highly recommend checking the Ghostbusters Reference Library (https://www.theghostbustersreferencelib ... tz-thrower) for clear photos of where this was applied on the original props.



Finally, you may wish to make more accurate modifications to the straps. I shortened them to about 55cm before adding Roko buckles and stitching in two places. The more modern versions of the Roko buckles are nickel-plated, so difficult to weather without removing the plating first. This can only really be done with specific chemicals - I may be trying this at a later date, but is beyond the scope of this guide for the moment.

[EctoLabs]

BUILD COMPLETE!!

That's it! You've done it. You are now the proud owner of your very own Wrist Thrower. Give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy a delicious Crunch bar with a smile on your face...








NEXT STEPS

If you want to install lights and sound into your Thrower, then our new electronics kit includes everything you need . A full installation guide is included with every kit, so please see our website for more information.

I hope this guide has been useful, and don't forget to share photos of your own builds here or in the official EctoLabs Facebook Group at: www.facebook.com/groups/ectolabs

Happy building!
Dave

[pda4ever]

Amazing!

[Stroudy]

Awesome!

Thanks so much for posting this!

[Mercifull]

Incredible build guide. I’ve purchased your electronic kit, just spent a small fortune on Amazon and eBay and I’m about to pop to my local Sainsbury’s now!

As soon as I’m finished with my RTV this is my next build.

[EctoLabs]

Incredible build guide. I’ve purchased your electronic kit, just spent a small fortune on Amazon and eBay and I’m about to pop to my local Sainsbury’s now!

As soon as I’m finished with my RTV this is my next build.

This is the way

[alphabeta001]

Amazing. Thank you for the detailed instructions for the build.

I'll be using these as a rough guide for my junk build of this prop, but will certainly keep an eye out for a re-release of the kit

[Mercifull]

Amazing. Thank you for the detailed instructions for the build.

I'll be using these as a rough guide for my junk build of this prop, but will certainly keep an eye out for a re-release of the kit

Many of the "real world" parts can be substituted or modelled and 3d printed. I'm certainly going to be 3d printing most of the greeblies for the thrower like the top knobs and side bits/heatsink etc. I do have one more Clippard in my box of junk, not a 331 or 701 but with some modifications, it'll be ok. I haven't yet ordered the copper piping or aluminium tubing that'll be needed because I can get that at any time. Ordered lots of the other bits though in case they start selling out everywhere. For those looking for hat lights and don't want to import in the UK from GBFans then you can get some resin replicas on eBay.

My focus at the moment has to be my RTV, I'm a sucker for starting new projects before I finish old ones (take a look at my Minirad thread for a prime example) but at least this thrower has an actual build guide so I'm not winging it as I go along like I am with my other props. Hoping to finish the RTV this summer so I can work on the thrower a bit later in the year. I do enjoy taking my full-size packs to events but it is a pain (literally... in the lower back) to carry around all day.

[pda4ever]

Who's ready to explain the purpose of all the new/different parts?

[alphabeta001]

Just wondering if rough sizes for the cyclotron part are available anywhere?

As I'm gonna have to sculpt out of clay and make myself one out of resin.

[Mercifull]

Just wondering if rough sizes for the cyclotron part are available anywhere?

As I'm gonna have to sculpt out of clay and make myself one out of resin.

Which cyclotron part? There are STL files already if you dont have a printer you could at least use software to measure it all.

[tobycj]

For those looking for hat lights and don't want to import in the UK from GBFans then you can get some resin replicas on eBay.

PunkRockPockets (Ben Millen - one of the FE prop team, based in the UK) sells them on Etsy too.

[Mercifull]

For those looking for hat lights and don't want to import in the UK from GBFans then you can get some resin replicas on eBay.

PunkRockPockets (Ben Millen - one of the FE prop team, based in the UK) sells them on Etsy too.

It's him who I bought mine from, just on eBay instead of Etsy because I couldn't find them on etsy when I searched the other day.

[ImperialWalker]

Awesome thread. Need to dig into it more, but I'm wondering about that flask. The original prop seems to have quite a large flat edge on the front. Any idea what that might be?

[EctoLabs]

Awesome thread. Need to dig into it more, but I'm wondering about that flask. The original prop seems to have quite a large flat edge on the front. Any idea what that might be?

This stumped us for quite a while but it seems it's actually the edge of the foam padding that lines the inside of the flask which makes it look like a lip. They may have used a greyish EVA foam, so the lighting in some of the reference photos makes it look like it's part of the metal.

[The_Y33TER]

FINAL ASSEMBLY

Phew! Now all the hardest work is out of the way, we can start putting it all back together.

Use the 3mm brass rods to create the terminals at the front of the shroud. Put a bend in each one (at about 18mm from the end) and use a Dremel to bevel the ends to create points. Wrap some blue painters tape around each one The movie props also have to create a stop when they are inserted into the four holes inside the shroud. On the movie props, these rods also feature two black rings around each one - I am still trying to work out the best way of recreating this without having to use a lathe! I will update this thread once I do!



For the wrist support bar, I used a 10mm diameter drawer handle - this is particularly beneficial as the ends of the handle will already have threads to fit mounting screws. The length of the handle does not matter as we will need to cut out a central section anyway. You can do this using a metal cutting wheel for your Dremel to leave two right angled sections that almost meet in the middle.

Mount these to the bottom of the shroud with two screws appropriate for the handle you are using. Rather than trying to tighten them from inside of the shroud, keep the screws in place and rotate the handle sections instead until they are firmly mounted and in alignment:



Now we can add the split loom and wrap around a piece of EVA foam, secured with some strips of the ProGaff cloth tape. You can also rub some dirt into the tape to make it look grimy and less fluorescent.



To finish off the cyclotron, you can either add a small circle of red acrylic or cut a circles from a sheet of red acetate. If adding electronics, you may wish to experiment with some diffusion - I have had a good result by adding a circle of cloudy plastic from a milk carton and another from a sheet of white copy paper. Also make sure to print the lens clamp (https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... _Clamp.stl):



Arrange these inside layering the red acetate, followed by the cloudy plastic and then the copy paper. Sit the lens clamp over the top and hot glue into place if it is loose:



Insert the face of the cyclotron into the main section. Be aware that this will only fit one way so don't try and force it - this is indicated by the red arrow below which relates to the arrow on the inside. You may still need to sand the tabs slightly until it can be inserted without too much friction. Do this just enough so it can be removed with out too much effort, but can still be held in place without falling out:



You will also want to add some padding to the underside of the brace. I went with 5mm EVA foam which I cut to size. I also drilled two 4mm holes in the brace itself to line up with the holes in the base of the thrower. I then cut out some circles in the foam so that the mounting screws can be accessed:



Wrap the foam around the outer edge of the brace and hold in place with the black insulation tape:



On the thrower base, you will need to insert two M4 lock nuts into the hexagonal holes - super-glue or epoxy these in the holes so that they will stay in place when screwing the brace to the base from the bottom:



Now you can thread the green straps through the slots in the sides of the thrower and then attach the base using 4x M3 screws or hex bolts. Once this is in place, attach the brace and arm assembly using the M4 screws.

If all is well, you should now have a fully assembled Wrist Thrower.

Don't forget to also add two 5mm rods to the holes underneath the shroud (which you can see are unpainted in the photo below. Yes, forgot to add them myself before this!) These rods should be 30mm in length and be primed and painted in the same way as all the other metal parts.

You can now add the copious amount of black insulation tape around the arm, brace and handle. The silicone hose should also now be completely wrapped in this tape and attached to the lower part of the arm. Again, I highly recommend checking the Ghostbusters Reference Library (https://www.theghostbustersreferencelib ... tz-thrower) for clear photos of where this was applied on the original props.



Finally, you may wish to make more accurate modifications to the straps. I shortened them to about 55cm before adding Roko buckles and stitching in two places. The more modern versions of the Roko buckles are nickel-plated, so difficult to weather without removing the plating first. This can only really be done with specific chemicals - I may be trying this at a later date, but is beyond the scope of this guide for the moment.

Looks good! The microtron looks amazing.

[Mercifull]

It has a name. It’s called the “single shot”.

[in_the_city]

BUILD COMPLETE!!


NEXT STEPS

If you want to install lights and sound into your Thrower, then our new electronics kit includes everything you need . A full installation guide is included with every kit, so please see our website for more information.

I hope this guide has been useful, and don't forget to share photos of your own builds here or in the official EctoLabs Facebook Group at: www.facebook.com/groups/ectolabs

Happy building!
Dave

I love all this, but am kicking myself because I've spent the last 2 weeks figuring out how to Arduino this whole thing. Should have waited.

[EctoLabs]

The new Savage video shows a few details that weren't clear before. We can now see that there is a curve built into the body of the thrower underneath the fuse box. This means that the flask sits flush where I originally had it a little more forward.

I have updated the GitHub files to replicate this which will mean the flask will sit in alignment better:

https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... y_Main.stl
https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... y_Base.stl

If you've already printed the previous version of the main body, you could always create a curved cutout in the appropriate place and print the updated base to work with it.

[Mercifull]

The new Savage video shows a few details that weren't clear before. We can now see that there is a curve built into the body of the thrower underneath the fuse box. This means that the flask sits flush where I originally had it a little more forward.

I have updated the GitHub files to replicate this which will mean the flask will sit in alignment better:

https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... y_Main.stl
https://github.com/EctoLabs/wrist-throw ... y_Base.stl

If you've already printed the previous version of the main body, you could always create a curved cutout in the appropriate place and print the updated base to work with it.

Thanks for the updated files. I need to reprint the body base again but thankfully the body main was the only bit I hadn’t made yet because I was awaiting a new reel of filament. So at least I didn’t waste a 10 hour print haha.

[The_Y33TER]

It has a name. It’s called the “single shot”.

Horrible name, considering it doesn't seem to be... single shot... the UK team is seriously unmotivated.

[SP Productions]

Don’t really understand how a single-shot would work…? Don’t the neutrona wands act more like a lasso - holding the ghost in place until they can be trapped, versus just shooting the ghost…?

In either case, cool prop!

Sean

[Kingpin]

Don’t really understand how a single-shot would work…? Don’t the neutrona wands act more like a lasso - holding the ghost in place until they can be trapped, versus just shooting the ghost…?

I guess it could be viewed more for deterrence, than entrapment... Something that'll get a ghost out of your way if it's in your face, maybe even weaken it a little, but can't be used on its own for capturing a Ghost.

A bit like the Proton Gauntlet in Ghostbusters: Answer The Call.

[The_Y33TER]

A bit like the Proton Gauntlet in Ghostbusters: Answer The Call.

Amazing example. An interesting thing about all the sidearms in ATC is they didn't permanently kill an apparition, they only rapidly dispersed their collective PKE in an overly violent manner. In the comics about ATC (I think it was in the comic where the ATC gang got put into the OG universe), Ray explains that their sidearms just dispersed their particles, the only reason they didn't come back was because of the vortex taking back all foreign psychokinetic matter. I like this explanation, but I'm pretty sure we either never get to see the gauntlet fire or we do see it and it fires a stream. Whatever, production names will be production names, whether they're really stupid or just kinda stupid they're still gonna be kinda dumb.