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Help with my Proton props pack

Posted: October 2nd, 2022, 9:39 pm
by SalemManor
Hello all!

I’m not at all tech savvy so bear with me. I recently picked up a proton props ‘84 pack from a fellow collector. It’s amazing, however the smoke effect no longer works.

Obviously I’m not shipping it back to the UK for repairs (if they’d even do repairs lol waiting to hear back from the company as we speak, I’m sure they’ll have some good ideas too), but I’m impatient!

Anyone ever replace one of these units before? Help!!!!

Re: Help with my Proton props pack

Posted: October 3rd, 2022, 4:48 pm
by tobycj
The smoke kit will likely be from CS Prop Shop, so try reaching out to them as well.

Re: Help with my Proton props pack

Posted: October 4th, 2022, 11:10 am
by Kingpin
In what way does it no longer work? Is it that the whole smoke unit won't activate? Of if it does turn on, it doesn't emit smoke?

Help repairing my Proton Props 84 pack

Posted: October 5th, 2022, 7:40 pm
by SalemManor
Well I bit the bullet and managed to get my hands on a used Proton Props 84 pack. Unfortunately, this beauty needs some TLC and repairs after the postmen did a number to her! I've reached out to proton props, and they're helping me too, but I wanted to get some other opinions.

I have ZERO technical skills, limited tools, and have already sank a lot into this project. Trying to come up with repairs that I'll be able to do that won't break the bank!
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As you can clearly see, she didn't fair well on her voyage!

First repair: the crank knob. I found what I assume is the screw floating in the box:
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I assume I just loosen the existing screw that is already in the crank knob, pop it on the volume knob, and tighten everything back up?
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Next up, the Ion arm is sheered completely off. I'm hoping theres a way to just remove it and put a new one in its place?
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the last thing I found is the pop spring on the neutrona wand. It still pops...but its...really slow about it. Just kinda slowly slides out, and is difficult to get back in.

Any ideas/assistance would be really appreciated guys! IT was a bummer seeing the box the way it came :( hopefully we can freshen this old girl up!

Re: Help repairing my Proton Props 84 pack

Posted: October 5th, 2022, 9:05 pm
by SalemManor
UPDATE:

Wow what you can do with an Allen wrench!

Crank knob is back where it belongs.

I’ve figured out how to remove the ion arm, now I need to find one that matches my pack. In the mean time I’ll just attach the old one together to get me by.

So that leaves the wand and the smoke machine to repair

Re: Help repairing my Proton Props 84 pack

Posted: October 6th, 2022, 2:57 am
by tobycj
The ion arm will be a gbfans one.

Pop mechs are fiddly bastards at the best of times, so you'll need to open the wand up to see what's going on with that. The six Allen screws on the wand base plate will provide you access.

Crank knob grinding against pack body

Posted: October 9th, 2022, 8:31 pm
by SalemManor
As some of you may know from my previous post, I got a damaged Proton props 84 pack. When it came the crank knob had fallen off the pack.

I reattached it, but no matter how I position it the crank rubs against the pack and is peeling the paint (fortunately it’s a weathered pack!)

Any suggestions how to make it so it doesn’t rub?

Re: Crank knob grinding against pack body

Posted: October 9th, 2022, 10:31 pm
by l3w1sb159
Is it mounted on a potentiometer? If so see if theres enough room to have it a bit higher on the shaft.

Re: Crank knob grinding against pack body

Posted: October 10th, 2022, 2:05 am
by SalemManor
It is, and I’ve attempted that, but it seems no matter how tight I make the crank knob screws every time I turn the crank knob it sinks down on the shank

Re: Help repairing my Proton Props 84 pack

Posted: October 10th, 2022, 4:11 am
by Kingpin
Preface: Rather than creating a new topic for each issue you're encountering, please keep all the posts relating to your Pack confined to a single thread, please.

Have you considered gluing a small washer onto the Gear Box, centered around the potentiometer? This should hopefully prevent the Crank Knob from becoming flush and damaging the painted surface of the Gear Box - and was something that was done on some of the screen-used props:

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Re: Help repairing my Proton Props 84 pack

Posted: October 10th, 2022, 5:02 am
by UEF
Your pot has a split shaft, so, use a flathead screwdriver to carefully part the split ends so that they'll fill the knob, then carefully angle the knob as you place it onto the pot shaft so that the screw goes straight into the split, rather than into one of the halves, which will just cause them to squash together. By screwing into the split you'll part the halves further outward and the knob should grip.

Split shaft pots should only really be used for un-screwed knobs, a screwed-in knob requires a solid shaft potentiometer, or the screw being driven (carefully) into the split as above.