#4845623
I keep seeing these sweet build threads and have gotten jealous. ;)
I didn't expect to contribute anything to the awesome threads by gEkX, Nick-a-Tron, Cyland, Goffcorp, and the rest of the amazing builders here in this forum, so I didn't suspect a build thread would be necessary.
Over time though, I've learned to love this ugly, cumbersome, unrealistic prop, so I thought I would compile my build and my notes thereof in a thread so that other people can learn from my mistakes now that my build is finally complete.



My build began in February of 2013 with a MMM gun kit.

I didn't have ANY knowledge on the gun's construction at the time, so I suppose that even though it's not terribly accurate, it came out better than it probably should have. That's the main thing I want to replace one day.

Here's a picture of all the pieces before assembly:

Image

The parts are as follows:

-Aluminum MMM gun kit
-MMM U-handle
-Nick-a-tron "thrower boxes"
-Jack Doud's pneumatic elbow/tubing/straight

Image

I later upgraded the nozzle of my "gun" with sheet styrene. I traced the reference photos hosted illegally on Cyland's website to ensure it was completely accurate.

Image

And added some accurate Parker fittings:

Image

Now some notes on the "gun":
-Make sure you diagram things before assembly. Make sure you know where things are supposed to go instead of assuming what is accurate.
-MMM's gun kit in inaccurate in almost every way. The nozzle isn't long enough, the back "end cap" covers the piano hinge, the ring on the back end cap is supposed to be offset, aligned with one edge, both the nozzle and end cap should have four holes for screws instead of three, the U-handle hole should be mounted nearly on the side of the "gun", not centered on top, and the hole for the ball valve handle should be on the seam, not below it.


Now onto the pack, itself!

I purchased the ALICE frame and some scrap aluminum first. Here is my humble attempt at the frame:

Image

Now with some more of MMM's fine aluminum on it:

Image

For the "pump boxes"/electrical power supplies, I decided to create a custom stamp online with the template created by the talented Goffcorp here: http://www.gbfans.com/community/viewtop ... 89#p473789

After that, some inaccurate heat sinks! (cutting those out with a hacksaw is murder):

Image

My original acrylic red ball and its aluminum replacement , also, the hose is the type that is used on a manual water syphon pump. Aesthetically, it looks very similar to the screen-used one.

Image
Image

Then I got a very big package in the mail. The gracious vbvabuster told me where he bought the bollard covers he used as his main tank. Needless to say, I went the same route. It's really the best way to construct that tank in my opinion. I used two bollards joined in the middle with a ring on the inside and Gorilla Glue. Gorilla Glue is polyurethane, which means it binds the polyurethane bollard covers extremely well.

Image

I attached Nick-a-Tron's "lower tray" and a generic heat sink found on ebay went on next. I made sure to include that weird piece of aluminum that sits there with the tape on it. It's all in the details.

Image

I finally got the main tank done and went on to the hoses from the pack to the "gun".

The outer hose was made of a car bellows. If you go to ebay and search "moulded rubber bellows", you should be able to find some similar, though they no longer carry the size I bought. I purchased the last two and had to settle on the final hose.

Image
Image

Moving right along, the 5" tank was made of a bollard cover with an acrylic dome on one end. You'll notice I used a set of Kingsword lights. They're the first things I bought for the blower. I couldn't betray them by using accurate lights, though I may end up upgrading to Cateyes later.

Image
Image

The 4" tank was made from an acrylic tube and two acrylic domes. It cracked when I mounted it. Turns out acrylic is prone to doing that unless you're careful. THE MORE YOU KNOW!

Here's a shot of the two boxes on the side tanks:

Image

And here it is all mounted together. I used Nick's method of mounting. I got a compass and drew three circles the same diameter as the tanks, then measured the distance between them and drilled away!
Decals by FunkPunkTwang, lights by Crix:

Image
Image
Image

Notes on the pack:

-Don't ever guess when it comes to mounting everything. Ever. My frame crossbar is crooked, as is my lower tray. Don't do it.
-Drill into acrylic slowly. Take your time.
-You'll want an aluminum red ball. My acrylic one cracked almost immediately. They take quite a beating.
-The Alice straps have an O-ring riveted on the end. That's a detail that most people somehow seem to miss.
-The reversed LC-1 straps don't go through the little loops on the frame. just loop them over the top of the ALICE frame.
-Bollard covers are bae.

Now onto the "soft" elements of the pack:

There's not a ton to say on the subject of the kidney pad and head rest. I'll just show pictures:

Image
Image
Image

Image
Image

The last thing I did on the pack was create a vest. I started off with a Winnwell hockey vest. After several dyeing attempts, I decided it best to re-cover the pads with the same fabric as I constructed the head pad with. The pads I used aren't 100% accurate, but after a year of searching, it was the closest thing I could find. The most notable differences are the break in back and the flatness of the front. The accurate pads should flare out at the bottom of the front.
I used the same method as gEkX to make the front plates.

Image
Image
Image

Thanks to an image I received from a friend, I was also able to see part of the back of the blower's vest. Here's a picture showing what I replicated based on what I was able to see:

Image

Four metal plates. Two on the shoulders, one on the mid back, and one on the lower back. I don't have clear enough pictures to try to replicate the lowest one. I can just verify it exists. The bottom of the mid-back one was all guess-work, too.

So I've held off making this thread, as I wanted some "beauty photos" to show off first.
So naturally I bought a Gibson and Barnes suit, BlkMesaHero belt, made an accurate GB II belt gizmo, and waited for a con.

Image

Here's the finished product:

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Thanks for looking, guys! I know a recap thread is kind of an odd way to do things. I hope this is well-received, as the images in my profile's album are quite sporadic and uninformative.

For more info, message me or check out The Ghostbusters of Salt Lake's Facebook address:
https://www.facebook.com/GhostbustersofSaltLake/

Thanks for lookin'!
-Kolten

Image
Last edited by KoCo on March 29th, 2018, 5:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
JoeLuna33, jackdoud, Kingpin and 6 others liked this
#4845636
How I wish I could put one together, but I have other priorities... such as saving money... LOL! Looks amazing, man! Love the detail!
#4845774
Thanks, guys!

Phil, I'll help you with anything you need to make that dream a reality.

robandliv, a little at a time! It adds up quick, but as long as you spread it out, finances don't take THAT hard of a hit.

Lucas, fortunately, we've found that the cure to that is copious amounts of alcohol!

SpaceCoastGBs, thanks! That means a lot! I loved following your reboot pack build!
#4845796
I'm collecting as well. I'll def use this for many references. Thanks for sharing it!
#4846056
TheKevinShow,

Yes!
There are three velcro straps that connect the vest to the ALICE frame/straps.

One pair is just behind the shoulders looping over the frame.

Image

Both of the other pairs attach onto the shoulder straps for the ALICE frame.
It's a bit difficult to explain where they are, so just take a look at this:

Image

One goes on the very top of each strap, the other goes on the main body of the strap.
Both attach on the shoulder padding of the vest, itself.

Hope that clears things up!
#4846058
I would reconsider using an ALICE frame.
That's about 40 lbs hanging off the plastic frame. I'd be worried it would bend or wobble or even brake.
The ALICE frame, being metal, is a very sturdy base. I would think that would be essential for an accurately mounted blower.
But if accuracy isn't the case, why worry about attaching it to the frame in the first place? Just strap it onto the straps and call it good.
#4846059
Mine won't likely be as heavy as yours, so I'm thinking that the weight won't be as much of an issue. That being said, the frame is quite solid and I'm hopeful that it can hold a decent amount of weight.

And no, I'm not going for 100% movie accuracy since I'm building almost everything for my packs and blowers from scratch, so I'm willing to take some liberties with the designs.
#4846068
KoCo wrote:Well, good luck! The weight adds up quick.
I can't wait to see what you come up with!
Thanks! The idea I'm going for with my builds and the overall is that me and my three associates are a franchise who found the plans for the equipment on the internet and had to take some liberties with the designs. I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to take the place of one of the original 'Busters anyway, and I'm building from scratch so some differences are inevitable.
#4846150
Side-note!

After a few years of trying to find out what the type of lock nut that locks the U-Handle onto the blower "gun" is, I've found it!

It's called a self locking aircraft nut.

I bought mine off ebay. Here's what it's listed under:

NUT, SELF-LOCKING, HEX HEAD MS21046C4 (NEW) AIRCRAFT

Image
alphabeta001 liked this
#4846238
KoCo wrote:Nick, your build was one of my inspirations. Glad to see it's come full circle.
Awesome feeling, isn't it? It's great to pour over everybody's builds, ogling at their beauty, skill and technique, and then start yours, and then they come back complimenting your work! Such a great community!
#4846550
Hey Kolten...thanks for posting this. I definitely think yours is one of the best looking out there. Definitely be referencing your build once my starts up in the winter ;)
#4846850
KoCo wrote:Thank you for the praise Adam!
If there's anything I can help with on your build, let me know!
You can bet your bottom dollar I'll take you up on that :)
Hasbro Ghostbusters

While you're 100% correct about the function[…]

Uniform Tips

It does rain frequently here in London, but not to[…]

The yellow parts are raw 3D prints, unsanded and u[…]

Sorry, I hadn't seen any of these replies. Either […]