Hey guys, I am atempting my first build and I could use some advice.
I have my alice frame and straps (correct to GB1) and that is it. My question is should I build from scratch or start with a shell? I am considering a shell by mikenelson, but I am wondeing what the pros and cons are of scratch vs shell.
Thanks in advance!
Just a few pros and cons with each method;
Shell - Less work, easy to use, Price can be high.
Scratch Built. - time consuming, Requires more tools, can be cheaper than fiberglass Shell,
Thanks! I have seen your pack/shell and it looks great! I think I would have more fun with a scratch build, but I don’t have a lot of tools right now, so I am leaning with a shell.
I was wondering why you recessed the top of the n-filter? From the screen grabs I can’t tell if it is like that in the movie?
depending on how detailed a craftsman you are and how movie accurate you’re shooting for, you could probably get by minimally with a jigsaw, a drill saw or dremel, and a power drill.
2 reasons. 1 I liked the depth it added to the piece. 2 catching lazy recasters would be easier 
I have those tools and I consider myself pretty crafty (I love detail).
On a side note, I just wanted to say this is a great community. There is always someone willing to help and everyone is very open about how they do things. I know i plan to give back by posting photos of my build.
2 reasons. 1 I liked the depth it added to the piece. 2 catching lazy recasters would be easier
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LOL! Form & function, huh? It looks really good.
Yes sir haha. Yea if you have the tools an TIME ( cant stress that enough, this will consume you) go for it. Like you said there are tons of people here who are more than willing to help a new guy out. This project was both awesome to work on and maybe one of the most frustrating things Ive ever done but the results are worth it.
also in most cases a little lighter as well.
i would by a shell. Quite a few choices now and pretty affordable. Dont buy anything off ebay. I learned that the hard way trying to get a pack togther a week before halloween. Stick with forum members, some parts may be a little more $$ but quailty is far better as the members here actually care about the products they sell to other members.
i second what alkaline says, building a pack is an extremely rewarding experience, but it is a TON of work. shells are lighter and yield a much quicker end result, but you don’t get the satisfaction of knowing you built every piece from the ground up.
either way, if you really focus on what you want out of your build you’ll be happy with the results.
Thank for all the advice guys, I am going with alkalines shell. I would like to start a build thread, but I don’t know if it is too early?
I have the correct alice fram + straps (minus the turnbuckle).
I am looking for my flightsuit (nomex), but it is hard to find a 50 or 52r for a good price.
I am ordering the real clippards and the patches next week.
And hopefuly my wonderful wife will get me a dremel for Christmas.
I can’t wait to put this thing together!
I am at the same crossroads but have decided to scratch build. I built a scratch (but not very accurate) pack before Halloween and enjoyed the process immensely. I look at it now and despite it’s faults I can’t help but be proud of it, admire the (IMHO) ingenuity of getting round certain problems and the homemade solutions I created. To just clip loads of bits of plastic togehter in a shell build it seems to me you are missing out on one of the best parts of building a pack. It’s the journey not the destination.
Have a look at Garee’s pack building thread, it is inspiring and full of helpful tips.
I definitely do agree that the scratch building processes is more rewarding than that of a resin shell and resin pieces pack build, but building a pack from a shell has its own journey and rewards. I just felt like I should say that there is far more work that goes into building a fiberglass shell than simply clipping loads of bits of plastic together. I worked my ass off on my packs for about 2.5 months sanding, drilling, cutting, gluing, painting, more sanding, ect. Granted I was only able to work three days a week but I worked solid 12 hours all three of those days the entire 2.5 months. It was a challenge and there was (at least I can say for my builds) a lot of ingenuity and getting around certain corners used as well.
I know building a shell pack is slightly looked down upon around this site, but the way I look at it is if you can afford it (because it costs a lot, I think I spent a little over 1500 per pack, including lights and sound. Way more that that of a scratch built pack) you should go for it. There aren’t many times, if any, in someone life that allow you to drop that amount of money on essentially a model. That’s why I did it the way I did, because I was at that time in my life where I could. I’ll tackle a scratch built pack next so I can say I’ve done both. I am definitely proud of the work I did and how both my pack shell builds came out and can honestly say that these turned out better than any scratch built pack I could ever make with my limited tools and expertise.
Just wanted to throw my 2 cents out there, either way you go your going to have a blast and learn tons of stuff, both about ghostbusters/proton packs and yourself.
Please don’t start a build thread until you have actually started something, and have pictures. There is nothing worse than people who start threads saying “I’m going to start soon”, and then they never post anything. :sigh:
But when you do start, keep us updated, with lots of pictures!
Also, Alkaline’s shell looks exceptional, great choice. 
I see what you mean about not startng a build thread yet.
I see people feel very strongly about scratch or shell build. I think my biggest reason for going with a shell is the accuracy. While I am sure some of you can scratch build a screen acurate pack, I cannot! Lol! I also think there will be plenty of work left for me to do after the shell is on.
I truly admire those who scratch build accurate packs.
It takes a lot of time and work.
I was a cheapskate and went with an Exoray shell for my first build because I truly believe that if time is money to you, a scratch built pack will actually cost a lot more then any of the highest quality shells packs available just based on labor times alone.
Apologies I don’t want to come across as having a pop at shell builds, I know that even then they take a lot of effort and work, but you are still starting far higher up the ladder than a scratch build!