I was reading norm’s plans and it says to use a metallica tube with some wire wrapped around it… I tried this and I’m not too pleased with the effect… or lack thereof. Anyone have any suggestions for making an ion knob?
On my first pack, I used a threaded plumbing tube through which the bumper was bolted to the cyclotron. It wasn’t exactly movie accurate but it looked pretty good. I think i’ll do the same thing this time around.
Cool idea, thanks! 
I did the same thing, it looks accurate to the untrained eye! 
SFamicom, how thich was the wire you were using? You may just be using thin wire.
Another way to go could be to simply stack washers, alternating between two different sizes.
Yeah, that wire was prob too thin. And wow, I never thought of stacking washers… that sounds like it would work very well too. I need to get into the mindset of just looking at the plans and thinking “what could I do to make this look right?” rather than expecting to have it all laid out for me.
For what its worth, the “Ion Knob” is a “found” item.
Some friends of mine and I built our first packs in time for the opening of the second Ghostbusters movie. There wasn’t a lot of reference material back then. We scoured the electronics surplus stores here in silicon valley looking for pack parts.
My friend Matt (who I’ve since lost contact with) actually found an ion knob in a bin at the surplus store. We never knew exactly what it really was, but it was definately the real deal.
It was light-weight (aluminum I think), and it was one piece. I think it had threads on the bottom. It looked exactly like the Ion Knobs from the film without any modifications. The best way to describe it was that it was “corrogated” like a little metal bellows.
Now, here I am building a new pack years later, and I can not locate one. I wish I knew what the part was for!!!
To see proof that the ion knob was made of a soft material, look at the scene in the first movie where the boys first show up in uniform and approach the elevator. Danny’s ion knob is bent upward as though it has been pressed up against something. Think of the flexible corrogated section of a drinking straw, and you’ll get the picture.
Does anyone out there know the real identity of this illusive part?
good news, the Ion Knob IS a metalic bellow, and may even be what you guys found back in '89. Check out this link, I personally can’t figure out which one to get, but those are definately them…ENJOY!
Great find! :o
ah, I didn’t find it, someone on Proptopia had sent me the link. It’s the guy who did the absolutely perfect replica of one of the hero packs from reference photos of a PH pack. I forgot his screen name but he was the one who mentioned it. He actually made his from little Tambourine cymbals, in which I had noticed it and asked him about. He’s very creative because it looked exactly like the bellow! Anyways, enjoy and if you figure out which one to put on the pack, lemme know! lol
DUDE!!!
I don’t care where you got it! You rock!!!
haha, it’s true, I was very happy when the guy sent me the link, it’s THE actual part, another one found! yay . . . enjoy!
None of the bellows in the photo leap out at me, but if I had to guess I’d say it’s the tallest silver one in the left of the photo.
Jolly good, jolly good…I think now it’s not so much a question of what has been found, but rather what hasn’t. My question to all you proppers that’ve been doing this for years: what parts on the pack haven’t been discovered yet? It’s gotta be a fairly short list at this point…
it’s true, the list is definately short…I’d say a mystery that hasn’t been solved yet is what, if at all, authentic parts make up the pack itself, such as the spacer, or HGA, or whatever…I mean, these guys had to have had some idea as to why they were putting it together in that way…I noticed on ebay when I was looking for some aluminum fittings a “clamp” that was used on an oil pan, and it just so happened to have looked very, very similar to the metalic clamp that holds the Spectra-Strip to the upper left corner of the cyclotron, it was just very rounded and seemed smaller. So i’m personally guessing that the spacer really WAS an oil pan of some sorts and that clamp really did go onto it somehow. I’m not exactly sure how, but it just makes sense. Alot of the parts in the uniform/proton pack, etc. can be categorized, such as pneumatic, or electrics, or mechanical…yeah, DUH, i know, but still, maybe if we keep looking at it that way, we’ll discover what exactly the guys had in mind. Anyways, just a thought . . . later guys!
Guys,
Just so that we don’t duplicate our efforts, I wanted you to know that I contacted the metal bellows company today and sent them pictures of the Ion Knob on the original props.
I have asked them to recommend the closest bellow they’ve got - based on looks. Once I find out what that is, I will post the information here.
Wow, that’s very cool and helpful of you 
-Eric
Just pictures? You may want to send them dimensions, too (Stefan’s plans have the measurements). Otherwise, they may refer you to a bellows that looks the same, but isn’t the right size.
Looks like my last attempt at a post didn’t work. I’ll try again.
I did, of course, send estimated dimensions. I didn’t just send pictures.
If you are nervous about getting the wrong one, wait until they recommend something - then I’ll buy one and post pictures of what I get.
That way you can decide for yourself.
Anyone know if these bellows might be found locally? Home Depot or somewhere? Just wondering