[Posted over at proptopia also, just seeing if there’s anymore feedback here]
I’ve come into having quite alot of time on my hands, so I’ve decided to make some improvements to my proton pack before the next Wizard World Chicago.
Thats the pack as it is now. Pack and gun cost a total of about $150. I designed the proton gun to fire silly string. It did work but the weight of the gun was a bit much plus maintaining it was a pain in the ass.
I like the cost effectiveness of the pack. My ultimate goal is to make a fan film and only 150 per pack sounds better than trying to find all the parts for about a grand a pack. Also I know nothing about vacuum forming.
My questions are this…
-Any ideas for what can be used as the bumper?
-I’m using a metal cakepan for the cyclotron with thick LED’s bulging out. -Any ideas to make the lights internal as they should be?
-Any tips for the lighting sequence of the cyclotron?
-Does anyone know of an excellent adhesive?
-Tips for hiding wood grain?
-Finally, I’m looking to put sound in my proton pack. Has anyone dealt with Hyperdyne labs’ kits? or accomplished it on their own?
Any other help or tips people can offer would be great.
Sanding, then Priming usually hides woodgrain. If you just hit it with the spraypaint that usually makes the grain stand out even more.
How well does it hide it?
Also would bondo help hide it?
I didn’t get that far, I just know that stuff from woodshop! XD
oh okay
And in case anyone is wondering why the shape of the barrel is the way it is.
It was original designed to fire silly string. The design was sound and did actually work. However, For Wizard World Chicago 07 I changed it to LEDs and used a flashlight housing for the tip which worked out well.
Woodgrain -
It depends on the type of wood. Something with a deep and open grain may require a filler. Lowes or Home Depot is where you’ll find it. Apply it cross-grain with a flexible scraper, let it dry, sand it smooth. A light coat of primer will reveal any spots you missed. Re-apply , if needed.
A tight-gained wood (I like birch) can be filled with a couple coats of primer, sanding in between each coat.
Hyperdyne -
Their products are great, their customer service fantastic. They will answer any question you have. I installed their Pack and Gun light kits and their “Economy +” sound module. There is a small circuit you have to build, so soldering skills are a requirement for the “Economy +” kit.
I have several pics of my electronics installation in the Fan Built Props section.
(Fans > Fan Built Props > Proton Packs > Busybuildr’s Proton Packs)
Hope this helps !
Nice solid start!
My questions are this…
-Any ideas for what can be used as the bumper?
do a search for bumper (or anything) for lots of ideas
-I’m using a metal cakepan for the cyclotron with thick LED’s bulging out. -Any ideas to make the lights internal as they should be?
You’ll need to cut holes and mount the LED’s from the back.
-Any tips for the lighting sequence of the cyclotron?
there are various kits to make LED’s dance. I have a blinking set of bulbs from a pumpkin light from Walmart.
-Does anyone know of an excellent adhesive?
I swear by hot glue. Goop and Gorilla Glue are good too.
-Tips for hiding wood grain?
Paneling for walls has vertical grain, and you can sand and prime to hide it. If you use Bondo, go paper thin or you will be sanding forever!!!
-Finally, I’m looking to put sound in my proton pack. Has anyone dealt with Hyperdyne labs’ kits? or accomplished it on their own?
Any other help or tips people can offer would be great.
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[quote=- Gorilla Glue is another exellent glue, but it swells up and foams as it sets. That’s fine for some things (large pieces of wood, for instance), but it’s not ideal for gluing small pieces.
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if you are afraid that u might put too much on it, then apply it on with a paint brush, that’s what i did; however it will ruin the brush when it’s dry, so i suggest for brushes you to wal mart and and get the 30 pack set for either five or ten bucks
thank you all for your help. Right now I’m going to be working on adapting the plans out there to improve my pack.
