I apologize if this has been asked before or if it is crass but i was wondering if you guys can help me with a ballpark estimate to build a replica pack.
My fiance is moving to school soon so i need a project to fill my time and i cant think of any better idea than to build something i have craved since childhood. Ill need to start saving to do this but want to know what ill need to get it all together.
Also, would glady take any help from some Kentuvkians to build since i doubt my skills are truely up to par to pull this off.
Yeah, it all depends on what you’re looking to build as far as accuracy.
A styrene shell, MDF motherboard, resin parts and plastic tubes can get you a decent looking pack with no lights or sound for $400-$600.
A fiberglass shell, aluminum motherboard, real parts and aluminum accessories with no lights or sound is probably $800-$1200.
Lights can be built yourself for about $30 or kits will run you $150-$200. Pack lights alone can be $5-$65, thrower lights $5-$1500 depending how crazy you want to get.
Sound can be an mp3 player and speakers for $20 up to $200-$300 depending on amps, speakers, batteries and kit.
For a beginner pack plan on $600-$800 unless you think you have the skills and knowledge to go for a high-end pack from the start.
Man, you guys are awesome! I feel ill have to go for a cheaper end one to start like you guys think. Id be happy if the pack had the lights working but nothing crazy. Im very excited to start planning for this. I cant tell you how jealous i get when i see people with them!
Please keep the info coming! I cant tell you guys how helpful this is for me.
Stay away from them. Most parts are poor quality or of a stolen design (recasted).
There’s one particular offender who sells a whole resin casted “kit” on ebay.
His name is Robert Moseley aka Video Bob of Bob’s Prop Shop he is crooked and sells sub-quality kits and equipment. I’m on the mobile app so I can’t direct you to his feedback thread.
Also; in the Proton Pack forum, there is a number of stickied threads that I highly recommend you read before undertaking this project. Figure out your budget and I also recommend taking your time with this project. The cost itself CAN be daunting for you all at once but if you do this over a period of months (you won’t be the first year plus long proton pack project) then you wont be rushed and will be less apt to f*** up parts (read: me).
Also, for your consideration, I’d advise you to buy from either this websites stores or the people who have posted threads on items for sale. Many sellers offer resin casted parts which are made with loving care. Each seller has a Feedback thread in the Classifieds Section.
While there are some sellers who use eBay to branch their sales out, working with the people on this site is great for a few reasons. Your ability to give feedback and get further support from the sellers of the product on how to use, build, apply, build techniques, etc.
Do yourself a favor: spend this evening researching parts and ballpark costs and mate that up with a budget that fits.
Use this thread for your master parts list, transfer to a spreadsheet and then you will be able to price out the costs of what you want and how close to your budget you will be
Fuzzy, just please check the feedback section here in gbfans before you buy anything. In particular read the black listed seller thread. It will save you a ton of headaches.
Again, i cannot begin to desribe how awesome you all are. This site/threads will absolutely be my choice for all parts to make this happen. True fans like you guys arent here to exploit like that joker on ebay that was mentioned in a previous post. I love how the shop here has a specific section for it. And i trust this site way more than I do ebay. Id really rather give my money to gbfans.com or a somebody on a thread here to support true fans. If i am going to do this, i want it to be right!
My fiance is going into a 28 month program for school, so i think thats the time span i will use to properly save and get the parts over time.
Thats a good plan. Many start with one section, whether it be the particle thrower or the main pack itself.
Myself, I have chosen to start with the main pack. I am making baby steps but I am collecting all my parts and have recently started putting it together.
If you watch you can see complete kits on here IE Nickatrons thrower or Throwing Chickens thrower.
Go through the build threads. Bookmark the ones you like. It will give you an idea of what kind of build you want/can do. There is a wealth of information in the Proton Pack section.
I spent months going through them. You learn a lot. Also get a good drill and a nice Dremel kit. You will need them. Best if luck!
Be patient with the parts, they’ll come. I started over 2 years ago collecting what I knew I’d want for my pack and I wont have everything until the end of the month. Like Alan said use that time to research and admire other packs. You’ll pick up way more info than you think.
Its awesome to have all these suggestions. It seems like you all really enjoyed the process of building a pack. I feel a lot more comfortable knowing this will be a long process; just the type of hobby i will need to make the 2 years pass. You guys are really putting me on a good path with great guidance.
Again, thank you all so much. Im sure you guys will eventually get tired of me asking advice on this.
It has been 2 years for me just in research and collecting components.
This is fine, because the suggestion I have is to take some time to get super familiar with all of the components, so when you shop for parts you will know what you are looking for. You will have to decide not only on what seller to go with, but whether you will be doing resin vs aluminum, real parts vs reproduction, etc.
Also this thread is pretty much the bible of how to build a pack:
