This is for other Ghostbusters Props that don't fit into the categories above.
User avatar
By Petzrick
#4948879
First off, I want to give very big credit to Greg Daley (Logan Cade) for a fantastic kit and excellent guidance. The electronics are a blast and I can’t imagine how long it took him to track down the different parts. This will also be the first time I’ve posted a build. I signed up in 2013, but have been lurking around the site since 2000 or 2001.

These first two photos aren’t mine but they show Greg’s kit and the parts I started with, including the Micronta 3001 Metal Detector.

Image
Image

As far as I know, there are no close-up images of the actual KUD meter, or at least I couldn’t find any. Ernie Hudson doesn’t remember it. I repeatedly re-watched the museum scene in Ghostbusters II to see the spacing, angles, etc. I decided to do sort of an idealized build. I wanted the meter to look accurate from a distance but have some detail up close.

*I’m terrible at process photos. I made more effort and it still didn't go well. I lost my phone data three times, so this starts about half way.

First photo with a new phone. The metal detector has already been disassembled and most of the electronics are finished. A lot of the tools laying everywhere were used for flattening and shaping the stainless steel masher, which was not easy. I pounded it with the big mallet, then filed off any remaining bevel, and used steel repair kits to make it look nice again.

Image

Here’s the masher—the first time I thought it was done. In the original prop, my guess is they just stuck the LED through a hole. I used aluminum spacers for the LED hole and for the hole into the meter body. I drilled a recessed hole inside the LED spacer so that the bottom of the LED would be flush.

Image

I used pop rivets to mount the masher to the detector. I really wish I had waited until later to do the rivets…

Image

I tried using helping hands to figure out the distance and angle of the strainer.

Image

This wasn’t working well so I bought a dowel the same size as the detector’s aluminum pole. After drilling a hole for the strainer, I gradually trimmed down the dowel until the spacing seemed right. Then I was able to get a good measurement which I marked on the aluminum pole.

Image
Image

Here is where I went back several steps. As I obsessed over the spacing, I noticed that in the film, the masher doesn’t appear to be a perfect 90° angle—there’s a curve. Because I had already attached it with rivets, this was not easy but I went back and curved it, then refinished it again.

Image

I had part of a strainer. But I straightened it.

Image

Below, the strainer isn’t attached yet, just propped up temporarily.

Image

After trimming the pole, I used epoxy to secure the strainer. Later, I packed in quick steel to strengthen it.

Image
Image

When the pole is screwed into place on the detector body, it needs to be lined up with the masher, like a crazy rifle sight. The design seems very intentional.

Image
Image

This is where I could’ve called it a day, but I got obsessive. First, the end cap. In the movie, it looks flush to me. The size isn’t one of the most common, and I couldn’t find any existing flush caps online. I eventually made my own using a thick aluminum blank epoxied to a washing machine washer.

Image

This will never be visible, but I went with pink. Because it’s Ghostbusters II.

Image

I was really into it at this point and did not want to stop. Instead of just using AA batteries, I decided to make the meter rechargeable, using the headphone socket on the detector. Greg had made this suggestion in his guide and I took it as a challenge.

This took a bit of figuring out. It would have been easier to use a DC socket, but the original headphone port seemed cooler. This is not ideal for power because of how it makes contact and limits on what it can handle. However, the KUD meter doesn’t need a lot of juice. It’s a slow charge, but I’m not necessarily using the meter every day.

Here’s my scribbled set-up. To charge, you turn the meter's power switch off.

Image

Initial testing with a headphone jack

Image
Image

Prototype KUD charger

Image

Original socket connected to battery pack

Image

Second and third successful tests
*The first test had smoke but no fire.

Image
Image

Final switch wiring

Image

KUD meter successfully charging, with final charger
*Charger 2 has better strain relief and doesn’t put as much pull on the solder tabs.

Image

Then I just needed to clean up this mess.

Image

The KUD Meter:

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

And finally, I took some readings to see if I could detect any spooks, spectres, or ghosts.

RedSpecial, tobycj, robandliv and 1 others liked this
User avatar
By Logan Cade
#4948888
Outstanding Job, Paul! Best Kud build I ever seen!

Image
Petzrick liked this
User avatar
By gbjedi
#4950954
Question: How long is the pole the strainer fits in, completed. I'm working on my KUD now, and was curious what the perfect length is to cut it at.
User avatar
By Logan Cade
#4950963
It depends on how long you left the masher when you bent it. It'll be different with each build because of this but it's usually somewhere between 9-10 inches. Try to leave about 2 inches between the masher and strainer. This determines what the length of the pipe will be.
Image
User avatar
By Petzrick
#4950965
Here are measurements from mine. Definitely not perfect—a lot of eyeball comparisons to GBII. Someone needs to track down the original! Like Logan said, it could vary a lot depending on the angles. I also straightened my strainer handle and didn’t use a normal end cap.

Outside rim of plastic casing to end of pole: 4 9/16" The blank I put on the end makes it 4 5/8".
Image

Rim to strainer groove: 4 1/8" *This doesn’t leave enough room for a lot of end caps.
Image

Outside distance of masher to strainer: 2"
Image

Inside distance, edge to edge: 1 11/16"
Image

    Someone ID'd them on Facebook first, there w[…]

    Two specific ideas I have are basically holiday sp[…]

    While waiting impatiently for Frozen Empire to rel[…]

    Make it that pack, sell it for $599. (While I […]