Hi all - I’ve been cruising the boards for a couple of months since deciding that I was destined to be a Ghostbuster for Halloween this year. There have been countless helpful tips and threads that I’ve found here so thanks to everyone who’s posted!
My goal is to have a good looking pack in 6 weeks or so. It doesn’t have to be movie accurate it all, it just has to look good for my Halloween party this year (the fact that I have to compromise due to time constraints is killing the perfectionist in me, but realistically if I can get a pack that looks even close to as good as Bradster’s, I’ll be very happy!).
Anyway - my specific question is how are people who are using foam board attaching hardware to the foam board pieces.
Some pieces, like the V/daisy clip to hold the thrower on the pack would need to have a wooden block mounted inside the foam core piece to attach the hardware to, but for pieces like the screws for the ribbon cable holder and clamp and clippard hose barbs and elbows… it looks like these parts need more stability than the just the foam board itself will provide.
Hey! Great to hear. Our projects sound very similar. I started my foamboard pack about 2 weeks ago and I am halfway done. My whole pack is basically foamboard sealed with wood filler, some MDF, and lots and lots of hotglue. I am using mostly hotglue, but also “amazing goop” and gorilla glue for other parts. If I had to start over I would find a plastic dealer and buy styrene sheets, and also use basswood instead of balsa (I did not find out about basswood until I had done most of the work with balsa). I have not attached the screws and such yet, but I am planning on drilling holes for the screws, but still gluing them in, just for cosmetic reasons. I hope this answers a question or 2. I am waiting till after I am done with my pack to post up pictures.
So - did you cover the entire surface of the foam board with wood filler? I take it that this was to avoid any sort of reaction between the paint and the foam board? I was kind of hoping to avoid needing to do that… oh well.
I hear what you’re saying about styrene, but it seems tough to get in the states and with the amount of time I have to get this done, foam board was definitely the way to go. If I ever decided to do a true to the movie pack, I’d probably take a serious look at styrene.
I haven’t decided whether or not I’ll post pics… One thing that I was surprised at is that there really aren’t a lot of step by step instructions. The plans are good… the pics that people post are great, but it would be fantastic to have more step by step tutorials so some of the trial and error experiences can be passed on. Anyway - that’s it for now. Thanks for the reply - more feedback is certainly appreciated!
I hope you post pics! I can not wait to get mine further. Within a week I will be near completed. I only used the wood filler on the edges and any joints. I did not cover the entire thing in it. Mainly because I am new to building things like this and it was my first time using the filler, so I did not want to cover my whole thing in it.
That’s a good idea. I’ve seen that stuff before used for signs. I’m not sure where you’d buy it though. I think they make these white plastic crates with the stuff. And I think they may sell those at Staples. Or Walmart. The only issue would be the need to fill in the holes at the edge. I’m pretty sure there’s little pockets all along the border.
This looks very similar to styrene - is it the same thing or something different? In researching styrene, it seems much less readily available in the states and a lot more expensive. If it’s different than styrene, then I didn’t know it existed until you made your post! In reading through the forums the past couple months, I don’t recall seeing anyone post about using this material (like I said, unless this is the same as styrene).
It seems reasonably priced, 10 sheets of 8x10 for under $15.
At this point, it’s too late to consider switching materials, but definitely a good idea for the future, like if I decide to go for a full out prop replica for next year. I know that the styrene packs have really looked great, with sharp clean lines, edges and detail.
I’ll at least take pics, lookatthemonkeys, we’ll see how things look before I post them. Hopefully the regulars won’t be too hard on me with this being my first attempt at a non replica quick and dirty (but hopefully still good looking!) Halloween pack! Bradester and Radar set the bar pretty high for the quick and cheap crowd!
you can find this stuff at Tap Plastics. They call it Comatex. The stores usually have a scrap bin full of the stuff. I grabbed a few 1 foot squares for a dollar each. I’m using them to make my belt gizmo.