[edspengler]

Here is another project that has been brewing in the parts collection stage for quite some time. These goggles will be made using the following
GBfans: frames, lenses, side knobs, battery cover
Mack’s Factory: dry rubs
Moby Sign Co: gloss and matte label set
eBay: power knob and rotary switch - EDIT: THIS IS NOT ACCURATE, NOT USED
Pixel Props Store: electronics set (when available)

So far I have to say the GBfans setup is rock solid and I look forward to wearing it! I finally received the frames in the mail this week and can begin assembly. Here are a few pictures of some dry fitting:

[Bootlegger137]

Commented on this on Facebook…following here.

What are you planning to use for the padding?

[edspengler]

Commented on this on Facebook…following here.

What are you planning to use for the padding?

I am keeping an eye out for a legit face pad, I recently lost an eBay auction for a used one that was well priced. Although it is not screen accurate, the real NVG pad might be good for trooping.

[edspengler]

I only got around to painting the front lens plate today using Tamiya TS-28. I am thankful for those in the community that identified this particular paint as it is pretty much an exact match to the goggle frame. I am looking forward to squeezing a bit more assembly in this week along with my current pack build.

[edspengler]

So I had a bit of a mishap assembling the side knobs, the heads of the bolts are supposed to friction fit into the plastic knobs. I decided to use a rubber mallet to give them a few taps, but apparently I tapped a bit too hard on one of them. Such is life, lesson learned… emergency GBfans order placed. That said, I could have used some pliers to hold the bolt straight in place while tapping as it tended to wander to one side, that is likely what did one of the knobs in.


I decided to leave the interior metal bare just because I like the way it looks. I feel that will set this build aside from other reproduction goggles. The GBfans lens kit comes with green and clear lenses, I decided to go with green as I just like the way they look. I got the lenses reassembled and installed into the frame. The replacement knobs should be shipping pretty soon.

[edspengler]

Fun random shot of the goggles on my desk keeping me company. The rear happens to be facing the window with the sun shining through and the light is shining through the lenses onto the desk.

[darthbuster]

Wow awesome work so far I’m building googles myself right now. Different kit, but following your build with interest.

[edspengler]

Wow awesome work so far I’m building googles myself right now. Different kit, but following your build with interest.

What kit are you building?

[edspengler]

I had ordered the straps last year while I was still in major parts gathering mode for this build, the only problem was that I had done such a great job putting them in a safe spot that I couldn’t find them. So I did some serious searching through all my boxes after work today and luckily the straps turned up safely placed in a box of parts for a different build. I got them snapped into the frame and finally tried these bad boys on!

I placed them on a ball we had lying around to help the rear portion of the straps take shape since they had been folded up tightly in the package.


Overall the goggles are pretty hefty to wear but awesome , I will definitely keep an eye out for a face pad to use when in full outfit… or I could always go back to wearing my spirit goggles…nah.

[edspengler]

I realized thanks to another builder that the straps I have shown above are not accurate to 84, they do not match the screen grabs below (courtesy of the reference library). I can use these for now and likely make some new ones from nylon webbing. What I have are the straps that would have been used with the original AN/PVS-5 goggles, vs the straps used in the movie were custom made. The saga continues…

[darthbuster]

I’m working on a kit off of Etsy to convert your spirit kit to look more like an original 1984 goggle. Nothing as fancy or accurate as your build. Still, following for all the great tips and advice.

[edspengler]

I’m working on a kit off of Etsy to convert your spirit kit to look more like an original 1984 goggle. Nothing as fancy or accurate as your build. Still, following for all the great tips and advice.

The spirit goggles look amazing for the price, I have worn a pair for several years. I remember how thrilled I was when I first got them. I did major mods to the original pack, trap, radio, and PKE… I just don't really have in me anymore to tear apart the goggles, although the mod that you are doing looks amazing, I have seen several people do it in the Spirit Facebook group.

[edspengler]

My replacement knobs from GBfans arrived ahead of schedule! I happened to open the front door and there they were waiting! So this time I carefully tapped the screws into the plastic knobs, not all the way in but secure enough not to fall off. Also added some decals. As shown, Moby Sign decals are matte large black side label and gloss red DANGER label. I decided to go with the metallic CAUTION-HOT decal based on discussion on Spengler’s 1984 Workbench. I had the CAUTION-HOT decal from the Mack’s Factory pack decal set and it would have been unused anyway for the pack. Here are some progress shots:


I will be making my own straps from 3/4” black webbing that should arrive tomorrow, getting an “accurate” head strap will be the next heavy lift with this build.

[edspengler]

I received the webbing, snaps, D-rings, and web adjustments today. The webbing has the perfect thickness and flexibility to be able to double up at the side snaps and the D-rings are the perfect size (I checked measurements before ordering but I am still pleased they actually fit the strap nicely). Of course everything came in ridiculous quantities so I have more than I will ever need. I am feeling optimistic about this task. I am shooting to make a a strap that can be adjusted vs something that is made to my exact size.


Quick test run was a success! The actual tool takes a lot of force, the the snaps are rock solid and fit the goggle snaps perfectly! Lucky for me I have vise grip hands of death so it wasn’t too big of a challenge.



I will need to figure out how (if possible) to correctly incorporate the D-ring into the frame as the frame has the snap preinstalled. For the sake of testing I can insert a snap into a D-ring to be able to snap it to the frame, for the record - THIS IS NOT ACCURATE, from the movie stills, the D-ring appears to be screwed directly into the frame.

[edspengler]

Minor update, but I am super proud of this! The 84 goggles have a single silver snap on the right side below the snap where the strap attaches. The goggle frames do not come with this snap, but there is a hole there. I had to drill the hole one size up (using a step bit) in order for the rivet to fit, then adjusted the jaws of death very carefully to not exert so much pressure that it would crack the surrounding ABS. Put the fastener in the hole, asked for a blessing from Gozer, held my breath and clamped the jaws down… and it’s in!!!


The tool did leave some minor marks in the plastic so to remedy this I strategically placed tape and sprayed those small spots with the Tamiya TS-28

Here is the final state with the tape removed, I am very pleased with how this turned out (and relieved that I didn’t crack the frame - in the wrong spot). One step closer!

[edspengler]

So I took one more plunge on modifying the frame to match the shots from 1984. In multiple scenes it is clearly seen that the top attachment of the straps to the frame is via a D-ring and not the default snap that is in the frame. I attempted (without success) to emulate this look while keeping the snap in one of the previous posts above. The shots below (LA shooting) clearly show the D-Ring from multiple angles:


Installing the D-ring to match the frame as seen on screen required the existing snap to be removed, which is simpler that it seems. After getting the snap tool I got to see how these are installed, they work basically like a rivet where the one end expands into the half that holds it, all you have to do is reduce that expanded portion and the snap will fall right out. This can be accomplished using a pair of large pliers, it need lots of leverage to accomplish this (I used a pair of plumbing pliers). I gripped the head on the top and squeezed it so it deformed and continued this all around the head, the bottom portion of the snap just dropped out:


With the snap removed, I attached the D-ring using a button head bolt and washer, the hole where the snap was is larger than the bolt and needs the larger washer to hold the tab for the D-ring. Some shots of the finished process:


One thing is bugging me, from the movie shots above it appears the D-ring is black in one of the shots. It is clearly a different finish than the surrounding metals. So to emulate this I have painted one of the rings to give this look. The question is, which one do I choose? I think the solution might be to make two different straps.


The last modifications to the frame will be drilling to accommodate the power switch and small holes in the top. I received the remaining items (rivets, ladder buckles, etc) needed to fabricate the goggle straps. Stay tuned!

[edspengler]

So I went down another rabbit hole after thinking about the D-ring. The ones that I have pictured above also don’t seem to be the same shape as the one in the movie shots. The D-ring on the movie goggles appears to be slightly longer than what I have. That said, I have chosen to change what I am going to use. I found a retailer with a similar ring AND in a gunmetal finish. The darker finish will provide the contrast from the one shot yet remain shiny like the other shots. Package should be arriving next week…

[edspengler]

On my lunch break I decided to take a crack at prototyping the goggle strap. I usually take my dogs for a walk at lunch but it is too hot today. Preliminary design looks very promising but it does have some things to work out. The final iteration will be using the longer gun metal finish D-ring. This design includes a size adjuster for the side strap, I need to move it further towards the back, it is currently too far forward to give enough slack/tension for multiple goggle users. I will be doing something similar to the top strap as well. I used blue tape for now, once the design is set those points will be machine stitched. Here are some shots of the preliminary strap:


Further shots of the “T” point in the straps (ignore the unflattering face and back of my head). This does not require any stitching of the top strap and allows it to remain adjustable.


I revisited the task after work and feel like I have finalized the design. I have decided to forgo stitching for a rivet to hold the adjustment loop. The strap is now fully adjustable for a large or small head! Some shots of the final design, I will replace the D-ring when I get the new ones.

[edspengler]

I am glad I have been holding off on the installation of the “power knob”! What I thought was the correct knob was totally mistaken and was not even the correct knob for the AN/PVS-5 goggles that were contemporary to the film! Big thank you to another builder for pointing this out as well as the discussion on Spengler’s 1984 Work Bench! The film used the frames from the original production AN/PVS-5 that had a different power knob than the subsequently produced AN/PVS-5A and AN/PVS-5B that we are more familiar with (that you will find for sale on eBay). A comparison of the knobs is shown below. Original production that would have been contemporary to the film for the frame used on set (left) vs the subsequent A and B versions of the frame that post date shooting of the movie. Also note the knob on the left is positioned more closely to the hole seen in the LA shooting.


An additional view of the original knob:


Pictured below is the rotary switch and knob that I had originally sourced for this build, which turns out is NOT correct. It is for the AN/PVS-5A and AN/PVS-5B goggles that post date the movie. I will put this aside for a future project (maybe GB2, Afterlife, or Frozen Empire?)


Aside: here it appears this particular knob MAY be accurate to GB2, Afterlife, and Frozen Empire so if you got one don’t toss it in the trash yet. Images of the goggles in the subsequent movies are courtesy of the Reference Library:


Now, back to the task at hand with 84…

Below are all the shots I could find that offer a somewhat ok view of the “knob” which is likely some thumbscrew or other fitting. All the shots are pretty crappy, but it can be made out that the skirt on the knob I thought was “correct” is not present. Another aside: this “knob” is only present in the NYC shooting of the film (we only get brief montage shots of the goggles) and not the LA shooting - the “knob” is missing from the hotel shots, there is an empty hole and crack.


The book shown below also has a great shot:


All that said - the original knob on the AN/PVS-5 frame used in the movie was removed and replaced with something else. I want this build to be an NYC version of the goggles, therefore the knob - or something else- should be present and there should be no crack where it was broken off sometime before the LA shoot.

Now with all that covered, I chose to use a thumbscrew at this spot. Here you can see the thumbscrew compared to the switch that was used on the AN/PVS-5A and AN/PVS-5B:


I took care to install the screw at the location of the switch shown on the AN/PVS-5, it is slightly more forward than on the AN/PVS-5A and AN/PVS-5B as shown in the pictures above. Here is the final result:


Here is a side by side of somewhat similar angles, while others may not agree I am happy with the results. Should I ever find something different this is very easy to replace.


I have made some progress on the strap design, more to follow, thanks for stopping by!

[oidoglr]

Outstanding detective work!

[edspengler]

I was able to finalize the design for the goggle strap today. The final design includes an additional sliding buckle that allows the user to adjust the horizontal strap and not have excess strap hanging off providing a really clean look. I also added metal end tips to the two ends to prevent the nylon from fraying over time. Two things remain outstanding with the strap though, I am still waiting on the different D-ring and I will be replacing the rear buckle for the top strap. A fellow builder is being kind enough to provide me with one that is very close to matches what is seen on screen! Here are some shots of the final strap design with the exception of the rear buckle and D-ring:

[edspengler]

I was able to apply the dry rub decals today, which I have to say are VERY nice. They came from Mack’s Factory and like everything Aaron produces they are absolute top notch. What I did not realize is that there is not a definitive answer on which decals are on the right side of the goggles, there are multiple interpretations across various builders. And of course the dry rub kit contains all the decals needed for each interpretation. I referred to the screen shot below and decided on what jumps out to me at first:


An additional enhanced version of this view that was provided to me by another builder is shown below:


Based on these shots I decided to go with the decal configuration below:


To be clear, this is not definitive nor am I an absolute authority on reproducing these props, I am basing my decisions on observation and interpretation. Other builders may have a different opinion. That said, the decals on the underside are pretty well agreed upon and were straight forward:


A few items remain to be completed and I then hope to install the electronics kit when it becomes available.

[edspengler]

I received the new D-rings today and am incredibly pleased with the result! This is the level of detail that I was looking for that makes all the difference in a build. The new D-ring has a slightly different shape and will change color with the light and angle under which it is viewed very similar to what is seen in the movie! See the comparison shots below.

Under bright direct light the tab is very reflective but the D-ring is darker and more muted:


Here is another shot showing the contrast that is seen on screen. The tab and rivets are bright and the D-ring is again darker and more muted:


Viewed from a different angle and lighting orientation, the D-ring appears to be the same color and finish as the tab and rivets:


This is exactly what I was looking for! The last detail with the strap will be replacing the rear buckle, a fellow builder dropped it in the mail for me yesterday so it should be arriving soon!

Here are some additional shots showing the new D-ring in outdoor light: (note how the decal under the black knob on the right side changes color with the angle of the picture, this matches the side view screen grab above)

[edspengler]

The final remaining exterior detail that has been missing is the holes in the top of the frame. This has been weighing on me because I don’t own a period specific goggle frame nor do I know anyone that does. The later versions of the goggle frame that are more widely available for sale or that are in ghostbuster collections have the information plate stuck on rather than screwed on. However, the two smaller diagonal screws on the top left remain constant over the generations of the frame. They seem to be securing an internal part in place. Here you can see how the plate screws change but the other two remain constant over various generations:


Now the question is, without an actual plate, and without straight out guessing, how to get the holes in approximately the right location? A fellow builder helped me determine this and we came up with the template shown below based on the assumption that the overall dimensions of the frame in the historical photo are very similar to the overall dimensions of the frame for this build:


For additional reference, the template is shown side by side with a historical photo:


Although I have no way to know for certain whether or not this is accurate, it seems to be a very good guess based on the photos. The next step was to tape the template to the frame, mark, and drill the holes.


Now another important thing to note, the data plate is not present in any of the movie shots and therefore many builders do not place screws in the holes. I was going to do the same, but another builder pointed to a specific movie shot where the screws are undeniably present:


Based on this I decided to insert screws into those holes. I decided on the same screws used on the left side as they appear to be very similar. Here is a side by side shot with a historical photo showing the screws type that was used to secure the data plate:


The next two holes as stated above seem to be consistent throughout most of the goggle generations. I did not have any definite dimensions to go by for these either, so I made an assumption based on as many historical photos that I could find. A good portion are shown below that illustrate the screw placement from multiple angles:


I used the photos above to mark approximate hole locations using the dot snaps and the side knob holes as a reference. Here is the result of all the screws side by side with one of the historical photos:


Process complete!! Some photos of the final result of the screws in the top:


I am very pleased with how this turned out so far. I still have to replace the rear strap buckle, make a face pad, and install the electronics when they become available. The buckle is scheduled to arrive this weekend.

[SpikeAPD]

What kind and size of screws did you use on top for your cosmetic editions of the diagonal screws? Also what was the thumbscrew you went with?

[edspengler]

What kind and size of screws did you use on top for your cosmetic editions of the diagonal screws? Also what was the thumbscrew you went with?

The screws in the top are M2.5 with washers and nuts on the inside of the frame. They look pretty close, I do not know what the original size of the NVG frame screws are. I used the knurled thumb nut shown below:

[SpikeAPD]

Thanks. I meant the thumbscrew you used to replace the switch under the goggles. I can’t find one like that online.

[tobycj]

The screws in the top are M2.5 with washers and nuts on the inside of the frame. They look pretty close, I do not know what the original size of the NVG frame screws are.

Pretty sure Dan Harshman posted the spec on the Work Bench group a while back.

[edspengler]

Pretty sure Dan Harshman posted the spec on the Work Bench group a while back.

Thanks for that, I’ll look into it. The ones I got were decently priced and easy to get - even though they came in a quantity of way more than I really needed. I can switch them out later if there is a big visual difference, but they look pretty close for now to those on the 5A frames that I have been able to reference. The notable difference to me is the washer width compared to the reference pics I show.

[edspengler]

I finally received the new rear buckle from another builder in the mail today and replaced what I had before. The old buckle is on the left and the new buckle is on the right:

I am very happy with the change since it is far closer to the rear buckle that briefly appears on screen in the montage shots:
(Images courtesy of the reference library)


Although my fitting is a little cleaner than the twisted up straps that are seen on screen, here is a side by side of the back of Ray’s head and the back of my head wearing the goggles:


Here are some shots of the finalized strap design without the goggles:


I also got around to completing the face cushion. It should be noted that the face cushion from the genuine AN/PVS-5 was not used on screen. It is agreed upon that a much thinner cushion was made for the ecto goggles for the film. I am not aware of any shots in the film that clearly depict the cushion that was used, but from multiple angles it can be seen that the AN/PVS-5 cushion was not used.

All that said, many builders choose to make a cushion out of adhesive foam, but I do not like the idea of gluing something on to this beautiful frame. So I decided to make my cushion snap into the existing cushion snaps that are already in the frame. I decided to make my cushion from 5mm EVA foam.

The first step was to create a template from the goggle frame. I first attempted to use a piece of printer paper but it was not stiff enough to hold against the frame and trace. My kids had a pizza for dinner earlier in the evening, so I salvaged the box from the bin and that was perfect to make the template.


After finalizing the paper template, I traced it onto the foam sheet and cut it out. From measuring the frame, I determined the depth of the cushion should be 15mm. I measured enough points offset from the outer edge to be able to connect the dots to cut out the inner portion.


Once cut out, I taped it to the frame to test fit and to mark the snap points. Once the points were marked, I punched the holes and riveted the snaps into the cushion. Snapped the cushion into the frame and it fits perfectly!


The final item will be to install the Pixel Props Store electronics kit when it becomes available, but for now some glamor shots of the “finished” build: