OK so I am prepared to start my proton pack, thing is I want it to be as cheap as possible and still look good. Can you guys check out my plans and sort of steer me in the right direction?
Jerry can and various tupperware and pie pans all black then doll it up with graphic paint, wires and hoses and ribbon and what not?
How did you make yours from scratch?
Throw up some pics of what you are using. Most build scratch packs from foamboard, styrene or wood and some even from cardboard, just depends on your budget. With some imagination anything can look good.
That was the original idea but we found something different that would make an awesome base. still any and all advice about what goes on the pack is appreciated.
My pack was scratchbuilt from wood. Mainly MDF. It was very nice to work with. I finished it completely in under a month, and yeah its not perfect, but its pretty darn screen accurate. I even made the ribbon cable myself (GB1 Style).
Give it your best shot and im sure you’ll come out with a decent looking pack!
Lawrence
what would you recomend for the gun?
scratchbuilding again. I used the Hprops wand templates and cut them on 1/8 mdf. Worked very well. The rest was eyeballed from reference pics.
Heres a link that has a pic of my pack and wand.
Lawrence
Paranorman’s plans are great for beginners, and I think they are posted at this site. I used plywood, a soup can, old plastic signs, and LOTS of hot glue. If you’re using a Jerry can, make sure all the gas is out of it if you are doing any drilling or welding. An empty gas can is more dangerous than a full one because the fumes catch fire, not the liquid. (Important safety tip : ) Budget is very important, too. I’ve seen people spend $1000 and it looks like crap, and Dollar store packs for $60 that were pretty cool looking. Take your time, don’t rush. I’m over halfway done with my new 21st century pack (Mac Pack 2.0) because I ran out of glue sticks, and my wife won’t let me get more until February–it’s like Burgess Merideth Twilight Zone Hell!! I go down to the den, and the pack says “finish me” and I shake my head and turn out the light. : (
Instead of making it hard on yourself by using substitutes that don’t look great, just use Paranorman’s plans like Bradboss12 suggested. You can build a decent pack for very little cash. One of the nicest packs I’ve ever seen was made using screen-accurate plans…but constructed out of cardboard.
However, if you’re really interested in making one for cheap and aren’t concerned with accuracy (which can be a lot of fun), it’s tough to say what goes good on a pack and what doesn’t. My first pack used stuff like rubber tubing, a test tube rack, an electrical box, a snuff can, and other odds and ends. I used those things because I had them on hand for free, but the stuff you’ve got access to might be totally different but look just as good. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. My bit of advice if you’re going that route: get a piece of wood and cut it out in the shape of the motherboard seen in Paranorman’s or Stefan’s plans and use that as your base. That way, no matter what all you add to it, it’ll still be the right size and shape for a proton pack.
http://www.geocities.com/brainofbrians/proton_pack.html
Made this bad boy for $100. Backing board was wood; the rest was project boxes from radio shack, tupperware, and misc stuff I had lying around. Came out pretty darned good, I think.
I agree with Radar, but learn from my mistake. I had 3/4" plywood lying around, and it was free, but HEAVY! Use something thinner for the motherboard. Sometimes they have an aluminum one on ebay for $40 plus shipping.
I sell the Aluminum motherboards but are currently out of stock until first week of Jan. and they are $49 plus $20 shipping to US and Canada. I had a recent price increase for materials so the price went up 