This is going to be an interesting take on the pack and wand. Looks great, so far!!
I was hoping to have more pictures to share after this weekend, but I suffered a setback. I spent no small amount of time making a “lock plate” out of a piece of scrap steel and inlaying it into the stock… only to discover that I made the plate backwards, and accidentally built a lefty.
Gotta tell you, it’s a real embarrassment. I’ve built REAL flintlock rifles before… I REALLY should have noticed sooner.
Anyway, I’m happy to confess it here, because everyone should know: you can’t roll over and let your mistakes hurt you even more. I’m about halfway through making a second lock plate and should have some new picks up soon.
I’ve also been spending a lot of time tweaking little details and working out the electronics; and my wife is starting to get rolling on the fabric parts.
I’m getting a little nervous about making the con in August… but if we don’t make it, there’s always other cons.
Biggest problem I have right now is figuring out the connection between the pack and wand, and exactly how they’re going to attach.
I wandered around a few antique stores today hoping for inspiration, but still no dice.
You’ve got to use a fabric-covered cord… something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/113721961167
I decided to run the wand connection through the belt gizmo. That way I have an easy place to disconnect the wand from, and a place to hide the buttons that control the colors on the LEDs
Still working on a few small details. Last weekend I made a stand for dispaying / taking breaks at cons.
I haven’t weighted it yet, but I’m pretty sure its a little lighter than my regular pack. Yay.
I just want to say, this is the best Steampunk proton pack project I’ve ever seen. Much like you, I also feel that I have never (up until this point) have seen any steam punk proton packs that really got the aesthetic correct. I have secretly been wanting to build my own steam punk pack for years now; often citing to my friends that there truly is a way to make “steampunk cool,” instead of lame Victorian outfits with gears hot glued to the hats and goggles. You are nailing it so far. I personally would love to see an update to this pack, if there are any.
Thank you; Sadly the latest “update” on the pack is that I took a break to build another bass guitar. If all goes well it should have strings on it by the end of this upcoming weekend.
After that I’ll probably go back to the pack. I want to wear it for this year’s Halloween parties. I have some copper tubing I’m going to add if I can bend them to my satisfaction. I’ve also been doodling ideas for the trap, which will be the next big thing I do.
My wife has put together a pair of slacks, a leather apron, and hat that should give the correct “working Joe” look for the period. She still needs to work on the shirt and patches.
We also talked about an outfit and some support equipment for her, but that’s way down the road.
That’s a beautiful Bass. I have played guitar since I was 12 so I have an appreciation for your work there.
I look forward to you finishing this up for Halloween. Please post photos then. Prior to finding your post, I was collecting reference material of “found” objects I could use in my own build. Your wood work on this pack has definitely inspired me. I found it funny because what you did with your thrower with the perforated cylinder with LEDs inside of it; I was planning on doing that with my powercell, prior to ever seeing your thread here.
Everything is fantastic and I cannot wait to see it all finished.
For me those kinds of decisions are all down to the luck of the draw.
That punched tin on the thrower came from a wall mounted candle decoration I found at a yard sale. The booster tube and bottom of the cyclotron used to be a tea set until I came across them at a local thrift store. All the leather is used horse saddle parts. ( I may have said it before, but the prices on used horse stuff is extremely reasonable as long as you don’t mind the smell of horse.)
After building a screen pack and saying “no, a resistor that’s kind of close is NOT ok” It’s nice to just wander through junk piles and say, “sure, why not this?”
Getting back into this. I added some star inlays and a “grounding greeblie” to the left side of the thrower.
You are a really skilled craftsman. Keep the updates coming.
Started making parts for the trap. Very important to do dove tail joints. you can’t store ghosts in a container with finger joints. Ecto plasma will leak right though the 90 degree angles.
I was reading through “The Shunned House” by HP Lovecraft this morning and this passage brought to mind your build.
