[92hatchattack]

Hey guys, been on here for awhile and though it to be time to make an official build thread.

This is a pack build for my 6 year old son for halloween. As well as the fact that he loves GB. It started out around 3 months ago when i started thinking about building his pack. It started out like this....



It was going to be a simple build from whatever i could find at Lowes. Then something terrible happened. I stumbled apon this site called http://WWW.GBFANS.COM . Now my 6 YEAR OLDS pack is looking something like this...



Im not exactly sure how it happened, but i went from electrical boxes to scratchbuilt parts, lights, and sounds. I guess im a little over the top... but that would go for most of you reading this as well! I had to keep things as light as i could, so the gearbox, and section under the booster tube are made out pink foamboard covered with very thin plywood. This is nice as it gives my strength and suuport from the foamboard, and the outer wood will keep it solid against dents and whatever. The ion arm, angled section at the bottom of the booster tube, and gun mount are all solid wood. The sync-gen is also made out of pink foam board, then wrapped in veneer to make it more durable.

As far as size goes, i cut it down a few inches in length,width, and made it 1" less thick. It is still really big on my 6 year old, but it is managable. Going any smaller would have made some of the pre-build parts im using too big for the pack. But i think it will be managable, and good in the fact that he can grow into it for many years. Here is how it sizes up on him.





And thats it for now. I just finished cutting out the bumper today. Id like some opinions on it if you dont mind. My tooling is very raw, It was cut out with a 30 year old jig saw.... and in fact this entire build has taken place in the living room of my apartment (Its a freaking mess in here!)

But yeah, thoughts on the bumper would be appreciated. I wish it could be more fancy, but i dont have a router and it seems kinda fragile. So i think i will just sand it nice and leave it be!

Thanks for looking!

[kind2311]

i dont get whats jr. sized about this? comparing the rest of the pack to that JT94 cyclotron, it all appears to be full sized.

[92hatchattack]

Ok, maybe it not "Jr. sized"

Its reduced size. Around 3" shorter, 1.5" more norrow, and 1" less thick.

And yes, it makes a differance. Keeping the pack around 12 pounds is the other fun part.

[gbrob]

Darn, I thought you were scratch building a Semi truck....

Looks cool so far

[joeghostbuster]

nice

[hooker]

I love seeing kid pack buids. I can only imagine how awesome it would have been at 6 to have my old man build me a pack....

Size is a little big for him but it will be something to grow into. Nice job on it Hatch.

[92hatchattack]

Thanks guys! Now im just getting a litle nervous as its getting down to the wire, and there alot of work left to do ..

[92hatchattack]

Finally got the primer on.. getting closer now. The primer really shows all the little inperfections in the pack, but theres not time for going back and sanding now. Gotta get this thing finished asap!

[92hatchattack]

Almost there!

[Gareee]

I just hope he can carry that pack around.. he looks kinda small for a 12 pound pack. At least its large enough if he has to bail, that you can wear it the rest of your trick r treating, and he'll grow into is very quickly if its too much for him now.

It really looks great so far! I love kid packs!

[92hatchattack]

He is strong for his size. But your right, I can see him wanting to tke the pack off half way through trick or treating. As light as you can get a pack they still arent easy to run around and get candy in. I would have liked to make it smaller, but i knew that i just didnt have the time and the right tools to make some of the more dificult parts myself, like the cyclotron, booster frame, gun box. (Plus i built this whole pack in th living room of a 1 bedroom apartment) . If i made it any smaller those pre purchased parts would have looked very out of scale. Plus he really likes GB and i knew i wanted to build something he would not quicly outgrow.

Unfortunatly to cut down on weight i did not use an alice frame, and i have nice kid sized straps on there so i will not be able to wear in. I am a BIG dude. lol

Thanks for the comment!

[Gareee]

Ya do what ya can, and this is something he'll remember his while life! (Just remember that while you are carrying it for him.. LOL!)

[joeghostbuster]

Almost there!

I built one for my 6 yr old nephew over the weekend - I thought it looked okay but it looks like shit compared to yours LOL

[92hatchattack]

^^^ Its a miracle you can build anything that resembles a pack in one weekend. Ive been working on this for over 2 months.

I guess it doesnt help that my workshop is my apartment living room though....

[92hatchattack]

Ya do what ya can, and this is something he'll remember his while life! (Just remember that while you are carrying it for him.. LOL!)

Gareee

My son finally got the pack on him, minus about 1 pound of details. He seemed to do just fine. Didnt seem to be laboring when walking abound, but he only had it on for around 5-7 minutes before i got back to work on it. At least i know its not overbearing.

He is very excited. "Can I wear my pack now? Can i wear my pack now? Can i wear my pack now?" LOL.

Im sure he will remember it forever. My dad built me a pack when i was young, and it was nothing like this one... and i still remember it.

But i must say, i am jelous. I got the lights and some of the sound working today... and even though i was all by myself with no one to hear me... i spoke out..... "I WANT ONE!"

[enchanted unicorn]

Yeah, don't worry about the weight. The adrenaline from the excitement will get him through. Kids are capable of much much more than we give them credit for. Some can lift heavy weights and operate dangerous machinery. This is why I support the repeal of most if not all child labor laws. They are a huge, untapped resource. The pack is looking really good by the way.

[Gareee]

Good to hear he's just as excited as you are about it! After halloween, you can make a wall mount like many of us have, and hang it up on the wall. That way it won't also take play abuse by other kids tinkering with it either.

Walmart also has some $20 3 foot tall black bookcases that are perfect for stowing his belt, boots, uniform and such, and you could probably devote a shelf for his Gb toys as well. You could spruce it up for him with some yellow and black hazard tape on the shelf edges from Harbor Freight as well. That could even be a present from "Santa".

[92hatchattack]

All done, just in time for his parade as school tomorrow! The picture doesnt do it justice! As youll notice there is no Ion rod on the pack yet. Thisd is because i thought it to be too dangerous at school with a whole bunch of kids at the perfect height to get poked in the eye. It will go on after the parade.

The pack is not perfect, but i am pretty happy... with lights and sound, and in at just under 11 pounds!



And some action video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9BMbbYWlsA

[ProtonCharger]

dude, if i was 6, and my dad made me a pack like that id be going nuts from how cool that is. that is insanely awesome. 6 year old me is totally jealous.

[joeghostbuster]

All done, just in time for his parade as school tomorrow! The picture doesnt do it justice! As youll notice there is no Ion rod on the pack yet. Thisd is because i thought it to be too dangerous at school with a whole bunch of kids at the perfect height to get poked in the eye. It will go on after the parade.

The pack is not perfect, but i am pretty happy... with lights and sound, and in at just under 11 pounds!



And some action video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9BMbbYWlsA

are you shitting me? that is unbelievable! more screen accurate then anything Ive ever done, especially the one I jsut built for my nephew - and only 11 pounds?! I may have to contract you to build one for my nephew next year!

[The Stiff]

That's incredible! Lights and sound, and only 11 pounds! You are a master!

I hope you consider making a detailed tutorial!

[92hatchattack]

I think it only weighs 11 pounds at least. Not sure hom much i trust my scale, but thats what i got when i put it on. Came out the same when i put me on, and then added the pack to me.

Unfortunaly this pack went to my sons school and took a hard beating today. We were afraid of kids pulling parts off and breaking things... truned out one of the teachers helpers ended up knocking it over. Must have took a pretty hard hit cause the batteries came out of the batter hold, and ended up breaking a wire off a soder point. Also lost two of the small top parts of the power cell ribs. Luckily i found the pieces on the floor and they fit up nice. There are some other paint scars as well.... but with about two hours of work tonight i think i can touch her up real nice.

I dont expect the pack to take this kind of abuse again. He kind of knew that sending it to school was a bad idea.... but this is why I built it. So he could take it and show it off. The teachers say it was a big hit .

[92hatchattack]

And by the way, Im never building one of these again!!! Unless of course i had a propper workshop. Building this to this lever was a nightmare in my living room with poor tools.


But i can surely share what i did to anyone interested. I dont really know if my methods are that good but they seemedto work. At my sons parade today he seemed to do fine. He just turned 6 in late september. He did seem a little uncomfortable after standing in one spot for a few minutes, but when walking he apeared to have no troubles at all.

[KCGhostbuster]

My son (9 years old) also took his pack to school today for a parade. No electronics to worry about, but it was a room mom that did our damage. Wanted to take a picture with him and a couple of other kids and backed him into a wall ->snap, off comes off one of the gun handles.

It's already glued back on and ready for battle.

http://www.gbfans.com/community/viewtop ... 18#p275618

[92hatchattack]

^^^ right on my friend! Great looking pack!

I am almost done touching up the pack.. Almost looking good as new and ready for more seasonal action tomorrow! My son reminded me that i need to get the Ion rod on too! Lol, the little ones dont miss a thing.

I was thinking about weathing the messed up parts, but id like to get some practice time in on that before i bring it to his pack...

[92hatchattack]

For the record, all repairs done! Ion arm on! Ready to go.... I am so pumped... i cant even imagine how my son felt today at his school parade... he looked great!

[Stroudy]

Wow, that thing is.....well just superb. Congrats!