# Nick-a-tron semi-hero build **URL:** \ **Category:** Proton Packs\ **Created:** [October 14, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285 "2013-10-14T21:56:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MGC](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@MGC](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/MGC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/1 "2013-10-14T21:56:27Z")
I’ve not posted here for years or had a pack for even longer, but having getting to know Nick through work, repeated visits to his house gave me the urge to make a pack again. Some of you may remember my [old one](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/characters/old-one): ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/2/e/2e1474efe4ecc5d3c2fc47d9d259d67a647a415b.jpeg) which lives in the states now. I wanted to make a quick pack where accuracy wasn’t really the major goal - so I headed over to his to do some fibreglassing. Once we got started I realised I wanted to go as far as possible with it in terms of detail… ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/8/3/8307bd924a6a6fb20d3f8db5e7ba12971c88a270.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/5/8/5875f233f5949db72f884ff419d872dbf47292b1.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/9/5/95c73f274e01b2a32802a70163bcc33faab709f0.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/6/2/625a5a95d13f7ba534ff604c5b2d0dc826064637.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/b/f/bfca61124e144b1539a38ceceb0e083571e89e92.jpeg) Aluminium labels! We would have killed for these in my day! ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/0/1/015ca5b9045c1fee169ccc72681281d566970a46.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/0/f/0f60c29a4a73d130a00ea3f5a95179ba4cd5bd84.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/7/e/7e992b1f813dd5e58c94974f25a91f24b910c8ad.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/c/5/c5792858182f7258a2ce3a7d931ac87401d48491.jpeg) End of weekend 1. By this point I had the bug so I wanted to finish this thing to as high a degree as possible. So the next weekend was all about getting the little details right, as well as trying to get the paint feeling correct. My old pack was way over the top with the weathering - although it felt right at the time - and now I wanted to go for that clean look without it being too shiny. After a bit of playing about, I feel like the right paint to capture the look of how it appears on screen under studio lights as opposed to real life was a full coat of Humbrol matte black, followed by a heavy misting - but not complete covering - of satin black. Then lots of layers of [Dirty Down](http://www.dirtydown.co.uk/) greys and browns - the greys especially on the metal fittings and the brown all over the pack to dull the sheen a little. End of build day 3: ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/d/9/d9ea0c096f0966287b5351db7587cc9086d82947.jpeg) Mine on the right, another of Nick’s builds on the left. I think we’d started the gun by then but I didn’t get around to photographing it. ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/3/5/350e9a6cb2865946a739ea729b5a7a547caab46c.jpeg) Working on the gun. I used inaccurate [hat lights](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/hat-lights), but I like the fact that they’re real. Getting accurate, correct hat lights seems more trouble than it’s currently worth. I was rushing the gun so there aren’t many photos at this stage. Having a gun with metal handles that’s really solid is lovely after using PVC for so long. End of build day 4: ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/a/e/ae259ede24cb28a96de3e2b86d9e205175eb9ad7.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/8/b/8b1ce86b75299fe047712b4cce1cfa6d29917e5a.jpeg) Left to do: - Add gun banjos - Weather Ion block - do a gentle motherboard/shell weather with tiny bits of rubbing powder - add GB1 [ribbon cable](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/ribbon-cable) (yay!) - drill [N-filter](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/n-filter) holes (argh) ---
**Author:** ![Vincenzo330](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/8c91f0/32.png) [@Vincenzo330](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Vincenzo330)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/2 "2013-10-14T22:00:38Z")
[It’s about time](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/real-ghostbusters/its-about-time) you made a new pack! 😛 Glad to see you back, Matt! ==6 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/2X/c/c5b3f4ae5c26d244057cd203721288eccc8b8ad6.png) [@system](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/3 "2013-10-14T22:43:45Z")
I always liked the “over-the-top” weathering of your original pack, honestly. Also, I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard of anyone taking into account the effect of studio lighting vs daylight on the sheen of the paint. I guess it’s one of times when you have to consider whether you want to replicate the actual prop as it appears in RL, or replicate what you see on screen. ---
**Author:** ![XxEctOxX](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/59ef9b/32.png) [@XxEctOxX](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/XxEctOxX)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/4 "2013-10-14T22:46:50Z")
i really like that [hat light](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/hat-lights). where did you get it? great work on the pack btw. ---
**Author:** ![MGC](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@MGC](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/MGC)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/5 "2013-10-15T12:33:56Z")
> [@Vincenzo330](#): > > It’s about time you made a new pack! 😛 > > Glad to see you back, Matt! > > ==6 Thanks! It’s nice to have one again. To be fair most of the work here is Nicks, I just poured some of the resin. Do you still make metal throwers? That’s the next step I want to take… > [@Master Taran](#): > > I always liked the “over-the-top” weathering of your original pack, honestly. I think it looked better in that photo than I think it did in real life, but thanks. Part of me still liked how it looked when shiny: ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/d/1/d1230deffc87f38cf7809865825e8c513e5d9a56.jpeg) (from 7 years ago… I remember taking those photos!) > [@XxEctOxX](#): > > i really like that hat light. where did you get it? great work on the pack btw. I have no idea where the [hat light](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/hat-lights) came from actually - I was going through all my boxes of GB bits that go as far back as 1999 (urgh) and I had no idea how much stuff I had. I found a stack of pnumatic tubing like the green stuff which is apparently very rare, about 9 billion clippards, complete sets of resin accessories from various makers over the years… and bumpers. So many bumpers. I had a whole stack of those lights but they’ve been used on other projects over the years. ---
**Author:** ![MGC](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@MGC](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/MGC)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/6 "2013-10-19T19:18:01Z")
Pre-weather, with a GB1 cable. Who made that cable? I’ve been in the hobby on and off for nearly 15 years and holding even a replica GB1 cable was sort of mind blowing. Back In My Day this sort of thing was but a fever dream. Gun has been finished with banjos added and dry rubs applied, washers under all the scocket screws as seems to be right for GB1, and a bit more dirty down applied. Still not drilled the [N-filter](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/n-filter) and need to make an alu [motherboard](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/motherboard) for this rather than MDF. Not sure how far I’ll take the weathering tomorrow but for posterity, here’s the before: ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/a/2/a276e202f1b3a37fc3138dda2e215cb7e8a3c82d.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/d/c/dc5de58b2492417b4618ca6f27819532526927dc.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/1/9/194621b4cf90413b94528eec04856f3be2d0a2bf.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/e/3/e3496b6a0b51f8d1eed94df88a551ae57ff89b68.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/e/d/ed0f394607cd0898d132f928d4661c3c4f96d792.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/3/9/39bde78e7e202403c6deec8c1a091f63d25568e7.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/6/4/644013db98bcdb185f59bbc8ff7651e7dabb650e.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/d/a/daa86ed04906bd297f1d119d2ecabfddcb6a604b.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/0/4/0419d5c934ae50d4068ae9b43d435a1fda015d7c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![kingpin](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/kingpin/32/188026_2.png) [@kingpin](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/kingpin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/7 "2013-10-19T20:41:09Z")
I’m only aware of two folks who’ve produced runs of the GB1 [ribbon cable](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/ribbon-cable), the first one was solidgoldcaddy… who unfortunately had a problem with his eventually delaminating. The second guy was BlkMesaHero, who after his initial run produced a large batch that were sold through the GBFans shop. I’m willing to bet that ribbon cable on your Pack is probably one of Mesa’s. ---
**Author:** ![abaka](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@abaka](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/abaka)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/8 "2013-10-19T21:10:22Z")
Phish-4-Dinner also has been selling some on eBay though. ---
**Author:** ![MGC](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@MGC](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/MGC)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/9 "2013-10-20T16:52:31Z")
Apparently it was phish4dinner’s cable. Thanks for the heads up on that. Anyway, it’s very impressive. Did the weather today. Didn’t do much - I realise that in the films most of the ‘weather’ is dirt or primer coming through the paint rather than faux silvering and dust seems to be much of what gives it the aged look so I hit it with some more dirty down, some metallic rub-in powders, and some silver paint on the ‘metal’ parts to get it relatively clean but used, as opposed to aged. Sealed it with a plastikote satin clear coat wish is RUBBISH but the texture of the spray worked out quite well. ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/c/5/c570ef536692503ac6cf08ceea65bc89a26b0f07.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/e/e/ee0eee4d3723bca3592b52b798ae30fd2d1f4236.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/9/5/95a04bf089bc99e9b93928ad56bf8070e8b73df8.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/8/d/8dd5206269d871636826e75f2b3f830a489fde40.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/5/5/55f84de4260be03be236b078b7089cb5668f73e5.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/9/9/997a2b5efb82976c4bcea3d63134d0234ba57ba2.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/0/a/0a0815735bab38820ca919d231a61103636e2f15.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/f/4/f469623fee811400a7c800ef8f3069d9fac4012e.jpeg) ![image](https://discdn.gbfans.com/original/3X/2/d/2ddbf9744e55be5cb24f6c3fa06cec1f6ddf5785.jpeg) Really need to sort out an alu [motherboard](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/motherboard). But until I get round to that + a decent light kit, it’s done. ---
**Author:** ![kingpin](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/kingpin/32/188026_2.png) [@kingpin](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/kingpin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/10 "2013-10-20T17:47:14Z")
Looks lovely. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ecto\_1](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Ecto\_1](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Ecto_1)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/11 "2013-10-20T19:38:29Z")
> [@Frinky](#): > > clean but used, as opposed to aged I really wish more people would use this approach to making packs, Ill admit that even on my first pack my weathering effects look quite garish now… ---
**Author:** ![moughonsolo](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@moughonsolo](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/moughonsolo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 7:07am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/12 "2013-10-31T07:07:37Z")
This is very nice. How does the gun attach the pack? Curious about that metal bracket… Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![kingpin](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/kingpin/32/188026_2.png) [@kingpin](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/kingpin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 9:26am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/13 "2013-10-31T09:26:53Z")
The metal bracket is comprised of two main components, a male piece and a female, both V shaped. ---
**Author:** ![moughonsolo](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@moughonsolo](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/moughonsolo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/14 "2013-10-31T22:13:16Z")
Thanks. Pretty easy to holster while wearing the pack? ---
**Author:** ![abaka](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@abaka](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/abaka)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/15 "2013-10-31T23:30:24Z")
> [@moughonsolo](#): > > This is very nice. How does the gun attach the pack? Curious about that metal bracket… > > Thanks! I appreciate you’re new, but this question can be answered very simply by researching the equipment wiki section. The metal bracket is what is known as a V hook and it’s screen accurate. > [@moughonsolo](#): > > Thanks. Pretty easy to holster while wearing the pack? Completely the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![moughonsolo](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/59ef9b/32.png) [@moughonsolo](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/moughonsolo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/nick-a-tron-semi-hero-build/29285/16 "2013-11-01T01:43:05Z")
Wow, abaka…ok, thanks. Yeah, as you can see next to my post, I joined the site yesterday. So I’m still finding my way around the many sources of info. Thanks for the info…