# Iona conversion help **URL:** \ **Category:** PKE Meters\ **Created:** [September 16, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360 "2016-09-16T22:42:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/1 "2016-09-16T22:42:05Z")
Just bought this - working with accessories and original box - want to convert it to the pke meter- looking for tips, advice , guides to conversion - ect — appreciate any help -Randall in Ohio ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/8/d/8d4737af542b5b02cf059c8f34a6d5304830e573.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![cpu64](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/cpu64/32/104792_2.png) [@cpu64](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/cpu64)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 6:25am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/2 "2016-09-17T06:25:06Z")
My honest opinion, I wouldn’t ruin it by turning it into a pke. I would mold the shell inside and out, and modify the cast, then make more and finally provide nice shells. But that’s just me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/WShawn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/3 "2016-09-17T19:00:22Z")
I faced the same choice 20+ years ago. After building a [PKE meter](https://www.gbfans.com/shop/mattel-pke-meter) from scratch in 1989, [![](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/6/e/6e792736a42739cdea42b9e12373e17b560677fb.jpeg "1989 PKE Meter") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpBYY05WPqE) a friend of mine gave me an Iona shell around 1993. My original plan was to make a cast of the shell, modify that and make finals from that so I could return the shell to my friend. I was never able to get a good cast, and my friend told me he didn’t need the Iona back, so I decided to modify the Iona directly. What’s the point of keeping a pristine old shoe polisher? If you’re comfortable cutting, filling and sanding styrene and building parts from scratch it’s not an impossible task. There are other PKE build threads on these forums. Perhaps I can post some shots of the one I’ve been working on for a LONG time. I can also post some reference photos the same friend who gave me the shell took at Modern Props in 1993 or so. Shawn ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/4 "2016-09-18T12:53:53Z")
Is there a pattern for the “wings” ?? ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/5 "2016-09-18T18:14:26Z")
I have now gutted the polisher - much lighter now - anyone want or need the motor or accessories ? Been looking into how much in materials it would cost to mold it , once modified - I have a lot of casting experience , have many of my own works for sale in other forums ---
**Author:** ![WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/WShawn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/6 "2016-09-18T19:13:27Z")
Here’s what the wings look like in the real prop: ![image](http://marshall-arts.net/GBProps/PKEHero1.jpg) I’ve scratch-built my wings from styrene. ![image](http://marshall-arts.net/GBProps/styrene_wings_open2.JPG) I filled them with a bit of polyurethane resin to add strength. ![image](http://marshall-arts.net/GBProps/resin-filled-wings-2.JPG) This shows how I plan to mount them in my modified shell: ![image](http://marshall-arts.net/GBProps/PKE_wing_Solo_with_Servos-PB150046.JPG) When I get time in the next week or so I’ll create a thread showing my build. Best. Shawn ---
**Author:** ![WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/WShawn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/7 "2016-09-18T19:31:48Z")
My plan last year was to create molds of my modified Iona and use a resin cast for my final prop. I ended up with a handful of decent copies: ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/3/d/3dcf0aa51ae82c5343f3f66d3b96e75b809842aa.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/a/7/a7781eb63a871665adf891e9a4cbe09296c1edc5.jpeg) Though these would be useable with different degrees of clean-up, I was never happy with the feel of the resin. I tried two different types made by two different manufacturers, but neither really felt like styrene, so I’ve decided to use my modified Iona for my hero prop. It would be more fragile than a resin copy, but it would be a more authentic reproduction of the actual prop. I’ve been working on this stupid thing for over 20 years. I had the shell pretty much finished around 2003, but I wasn’t able to get the electronics working properly. A few years ago I learned about the Teensy Arduino, and I was able to prototype functional electronics to drive the servos and LEDs. Then I got greedy a year ago and decided to explore adding sound effects. I made some progress, but life and work got in the way, and I haven’t touched it for almost a year. I made a big push last week to upgrade some of the lights in my 1984 [Proton Pack](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack), and I’m itching to continue that and this PKE. Shawn ---
**Author:** ![Hammer](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/hammer/32/6544_2.png) [@Hammer](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Hammer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/8 "2016-09-19T01:50:28Z")
Great googly moogly! I’m anxious to see more ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2016, 10:20am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/9 "2016-09-19T10:20:02Z")
Shawn - nice shells- would love to build those ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/10 "2016-09-20T14:41:31Z")
![image](http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s109/rknightandkarr/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsa7cjvhxe.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/11 "2016-09-20T14:43:07Z")
![image](http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s109/rknightandkarr/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsalpkuahf.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/12 "2016-09-20T14:45:00Z")
![image](http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s109/rknightandkarr/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsvp87tdxs.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/13 "2016-09-20T16:09:25Z")
![image](http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s109/rknightandkarr/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsbjc37gkb.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/14 "2016-09-21T18:45:26Z")
Trying to figure the best way to fill in the hole on the bottom-had considered putting tape on the outside and then using two-part 5 minute epoxy and fiberglass mat on the inside and then building up the outside with Bondo I think that would work? ---
**Author:** ![WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/WShawn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/15 "2016-09-21T21:28:34Z")
The idea of putting fiberglass into styrene frightens me. As far as I can tell on the original prop (as visible in the photo above), and in my reproduction, they glued a circle of styrene plastic over the hole and filled [the other side](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/publications/comics/ghostbusters-the-other-side) with filler. I used Bondo and spot putty. ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/8/c/8caaa6c7834085830715938f001358560e0c6863.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/8/8/88a65dda6600b4b4dbd2fd5a838a9bc258afeb6f.jpeg) Note that to be accurate you have to reconfigure the holes for the upper screws, moving them out to accommodate the ribs. Shawn ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/16 "2016-09-22T00:46:38Z")
Thanks for the responses ! I plan on doing a "close " replica - I’ve come this far , might as well move the screws too , LOL ---
**Author:** ![WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@WShawn](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/WShawn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/17 "2016-09-22T01:27:20Z")
The photos my friend Bryan took: [http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=42356](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=42356) don’t show those screw holes very well. This shot from GB 2 was my best reference. ![image](http://marshall-arts.net/GBProps/PKE_Back_GB2.jpg) Sharper images could probably be pulled from the Blu Ray. Shawn ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 9:34am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/18 "2016-10-14T09:34:20Z")
More work - built temporary display ![image](http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s109/rknightandkarr/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_0074_zpsd8pif06s.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 9:35am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/19 "2016-10-14T09:35:44Z")
Closed in bottoms with Sintra and epoxy ![image](http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s109/rknightandkarr/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_0075_zpsjawirvyk.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Randallace](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Randallace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 11:47am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/iona-conversion-help/14360/20 "2016-10-14T11:47:47Z")
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