# Steve and Jimm's Dual Proton Pack Builds

**URL:** <https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044>\
**Category:** Proton Packs\
**Created:** [April 23, 2016, 3:16am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044 "2016-04-23T03:16:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 3:16am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/1 "2016-04-23T03:16:02Z")

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My brother and I built our first packs (Studio Creations shells with scratch-built, vaguely-accurate wood parts) over a couple weekends leading up to Halloween 2010. It was a fun and rewarding experience, but shortly thereafter we vowed to someday make “real” packs. We talked about having them finished before February 14, 2016, but didn’t make that deadline (…bummer). Ultimately our agreement was that if a third [Ghostbusters movie](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/movies) was ever made, we’d have our packs finished before it was released.

Our First [Proton Packs](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack), Halloween 2010

We’ve been collecting parts for a couple years, but the time has come to start putting everything together. We shared an apartment in 2010, but now live about 80 miles apart, so progress will be made primarily on weekends. We have most of the parts we need, and 12 weekends left to get it all put together.

**Contents**

1. [Mounting Motherboard to Frame](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4861530#p4861530)
2. [Assembling Bar Graph Bezels and Riveting L-Brackets to Motherboards](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4862431#p4862431)
3. [Mounting Shells to Motherboards and Replacing Vertical Cross Bars on Frames](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4863416#p4863416)
4. [Cutting Out N-Filters and Filing Out Bar Graph Slots](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4864142#p4864142)

**Parts List**

This list is incomplete. It will be updated as our builds go along, and at the end will be a checklist of every part found on our packs.

- Fiberglass Shell (GBFans Shop)
- Aluminum [Motherboard](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/motherboard) (GBFans Shop)
- Mounting L Brackets (Ejgunth87)
- 3/16" Large ■■■■■■ Rivets (Ejgunth87)
- 1/4"-20 Socket Cap Screws (Ejgunth87)
- 1/4" Washers (Ejgunth87)
- ALICE Frame
- 1" x 1/8" Steel Flat Bar (Home Depot)
- 3/16" Rivets (Home Depot)
- Rubber Spacers (Nickatron)
- 3/8"-16 x 2" Carriage Bolts (Home Depot)
- 3/8"-16 x 2" Button Head Socket Cap Screw (Menards)
- 3/8" Chrome Washer (Menards)
- 3/8" Lock Washers (Home Depot)
- 3/8" Hex Nuts (Home Depot)
- [N-Filter](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/n-filter) (GBFans Shop)
- Thrower Body (CPU64)
- [Bar Graph](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/bar-graph) Bezel (Spongeface)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/2 "2016-04-24T20:20:17Z")

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We had our first day of actual work on the packs yesterday, and it went pretty well. We decided to start by mounting our [motherboards](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/motherboard) to the ALICE frames.

The GBFans motherboards already have the three holes for this step, which was extremely helpful. We used 3/8"-16 x 2-1/2" carriage bolts with 3/8" lock washers and hex nuts.

Two quick notes. I believe that 3/8" is slightly larger than accurate (which would be 1/4" if I’m not mistaken). Also, the bolts were longer than necessary at 2-1/2" (2" bolts probably would have been fine).

Using slightly larger bolts meant we needed to drill out the existing holes in the motherboard, but the bolts fit perfectly in the slots on the ALICE frames. We also marked and then drilled a 3/8" hole in the crossbar of the frame for the third bolt. We didn’t like how the square piece of the carriage bolt rested against the frame, so we filed the hole into a square.

Square Hole for the Carriage Bolt

The Carriage Bolt Sits Flush in the Square Hole

We are using Nickatron’s rubber spacers, which also seem made for 1/4" bolts (probably should have taken the hint at some point, right?). We were able to get our 3/8" bolts through the spacers with a little bit of effort.

ALICE Frame Upper Rubber Spacer

ALICE Frame Lower Rubber Spacers

Following [GohstTarp’s example from his build thread](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4812041#p4812041), we filed down the sharp edges of the motherboard and then washed it using dish soap, water, and grade #0 steel wool.

One more note. These ALICE frames come from our previous packs (pictured in the first post). They’re the one piece we’ll be carrying over from our old packs to our new ones.

Motherboard Mounted to Frame, Inside of Pack

Motherboard Mounted to Frame, Outside of Pack

That’s it for proton pack updates, but we had two more exciting things happen recently. Our patches arrived!

The Real [Ghostbusters of Minnesota](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/fans/websites/ghostbusters-of-minnesota) Logo Patch

Having our logo patches made us start to feel like a real franchise, but this helped even more:

[Ghost Corps](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/uncategorized/ghost-corps) Certificate and Pins

I never framed my high school diploma, nor did I frame my college degree that I paid thousands of dollars to get. But this got framed the very next day.

Framed Ghost Corps Certificate

The next step for our [proton packs](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack) will be mounting our shells to the motherboards.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Riggs45](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/riggs45/32/6571_2.png) [@Riggs45](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Riggs45)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/3 "2016-04-29T03:33:37Z")

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I love that patch!!

One thing I would suggest, if you can reinforce that center bolt in the Alice I would. If thats a aftermarket frame, they are very flimsy, especially when you take the structural integrity out of them by drilling larger holes. A friend of mines broke, mine bent at the point, and I’ve read horror stories of packs hitting the ground and shattering because of it. Some people get some steel slats and replace the original center support, others have come up with neat methods as well (look at what Pyhasanon did) Its worth looking into while you’re at this stage instead of regretting it later. This is my biggest fear. My pack ison the lighter end of the scale (22 lbs) and I still think its too much stress on that point.

Other than that, Ill say again, I am seriously in love with that patch! I also felt like our [ghost Corps](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/uncategorized/ghost-corps) cert was cooler than my HS diploma.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/4 "2016-04-29T15:44:29Z")

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Hey, thanks Riggs! The patches were designed by a friend of ours, based on the Fearsome Flush card art. We couldn’t be happier with how they turned out!

Thanks for the info about the frame. I didn’t realize how weak that piece is, nor did I consider just how much weight would actually be hanging on that one point. I found a couple builds and I think we’ll try [Mat’s method](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=36199&start=180#p4814936) of replacing the vertical bar with a steel slat.

Between that and using slightly-too-large carriage bolts, our builds are off to a somewhat rough start… :walterpeck:

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Riggs45](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/riggs45/32/6571_2.png) [@Riggs45](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Riggs45)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/5 "2016-04-29T15:55:15Z")

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I think you’re off to a great start! I used a 3/8 carriage bolt on mine too. You’re just in a great time to make it stronger before you go much further or regret it later. I know its always my fear, and I really should’ve done it when I was building.

Keep up the good work!! Can’t wait to see these!

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**Author:** ![TK5759](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@TK5759](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/TK5759)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/6 "2016-04-29T16:25:28Z")

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Signing up for this thread. 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/7 "2016-05-02T02:57:16Z")

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Work continued this weekend as we assembled our [bar graph](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/bar-graph) bezels (from Spongeface) and riveted L-brackets (from Ejgunth87) to our [motherboards](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/motherboard).

Spongeface’s assembly instructions for the bezels are intimidating, to say the least. We only needed two, but bought four so we could afford to make mistakes here and there. We followed the directions as best we could, and by “we” I mean “Steve” because I was too scared to do any of this myself.

Tint Applied to Lenticular Pieces

Decals Applied to Plexiglass Pieces

None of the bezels turned out perfect. The tint didn’t stick down on the edges of the plexiglass (even though we used 600 grit ultra fine sandpaper as instructed) and the decals ended up tearing here and there.

Tint Applied to Lenticular Pieces with Imperfections

Decals Applied to Plexiglass Pieces with Imperfections

The decal film that Spongeface suggested in his instructions made the black portions of the decal look much cleaner. The clear portion of the decal (or maybe the plexiglass itself) was a little cloudy afterwards. It was less noticeable once the bezels were fully assembled.

Decals Coated with Liquid Film

Fully-Assembled Bar Graph Bezels

With one of the most stressful parts of the build completed, let’s move on to something easy…

Nah, let’s attach these L-brackets. We read through [kind2311’s tutorial](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=119402#p119402) and found a few useful tips. First, we measured the thickness of the shells at each mounting point and placed the brackets accordingly. We held them in place temporarily using painter’s tape. We put the shells on top to make sure everything seemed to fit like we wanted it to, then marked the bracket locations on the motherboard.

L-Brackets Positioned on Motherboard

Once we were (mostly) sure we had everything positioned correctly, we drilled through the brackets and motherboards, then pulled the rivets.

L-Brackets Riveted to Motherboard, Inside of Pack

L-Brackets Riveted to Motherboard, Outside of Pack

Next up, we’ll be drilling through the shells and into the brackets, then tapping the holes. We started on Steve’s pack already, but only got two done because we were exhausted (and so was my cordless drill). The GBFans shell has several spots marked, including all four spots to be drilled and tapped.

First Hole Tapped in Shell

But it wasn’t all work this weekend. There was a Ghostbusters pinball release party at the nearby Surly Brewery on Saturday night, so we took some time to mingle with other fans.

Oh, yeah, and [Ernie Hudson](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/people/ernie-hudson) was there too!

The Real [Ghostbusters of Minnesota](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/fans/websites/ghostbusters-of-minnesota) with Ernie Hudson

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/8 "2016-05-08T22:39:21Z")

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With a fully-charged drill, we picked up yesterday where we left off last weekend. With the L-brackets already riveted in place and the positioning of the shells already figured out, it didn’t take long to drill through the shells and brackets and then tap the holes.

Shells Mounted to [Motherboards](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/motherboard)

The big project this weekend was replacing the vertical cross bars on our ALICE frames with stronger ones. We are forever grateful to Riggs45 for suggesting that we do something to reinforce the top mounting point on the frame. When we went back and looked at them again, we realized just how flimsy that part of the frame was.

We followed [Mat’s method](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=36199&start=180#p4814936) of replacing the vertical cross bar. We cut some 1" wide by 1/8" thick steel flat bar to approximate length, then used a vice and a rubber mallet to bend it to match the curves of the old bar. Once we were happy with the shape of the new bars, we cut them down to the appropriate length.

We lined them up on the frame, drilled holes, and pulled 3/16" rivets to hold them in place. Our rivets had a 1/4" grip range, which was a little short for the bottom of the pack. Instead, we used a couple of the large ■■■■■■ rivets left over from mounting the L-brackets to motherboards (since those rivets also had a 3/16" diameter).

1/8" Thick Steel Vertical Cross Bar

The new bars are a huge improvement and replacing the [old ones](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/characters/old-one) was definitely worth the effort. Again, special thanks to Riggs45 for giving us a heads-up. The old bars were extremely weak and flexible, and I think it wouldn’t have been long before they snapped. And even if that did happen, we probably would have just bought new frames and not realized we’d probably have the exact same problem next time. So if anybody else has tips like that going forward, please do not hesitate to let us know!

Replaced Vertical Cross Bar

The last step was to drill a hole for the top mounting point. Since the carriage bolts were a little long at 2-1/2", we replaced them with shorter 2" bolts instead. We also swapped out the top carriage bolt for a button head socket cap screw (also 2" long) with a chrome washer.

Button Head Socket Cap Screw

The final step was to put it all together: shells mounted to motherboards, and motherboards mounted to frames.

Shell Mounted to Motherboard Mounted to Frame

And with that, we’ve now accomplished what we wanted to get done during our first weekend of our builds. But, we’re much better off now than we would have been if we’d gotten this far two weeks ago. Slow and steady is going to be the way to go, I think.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bishopdonmiguel](https://forum.gbfans.com/user_avatar/forum.gbfans.com/bishopdonmiguel/32/187401_2.png) [@bishopdonmiguel](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/bishopdonmiguel)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/9 "2016-05-08T23:53:53Z")

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Great start guys. That’s quality work there.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TK5759](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@TK5759](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/TK5759)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 3:12am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/10 "2016-05-09T03:12:19Z")

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If you guys need parts, I have an extra full set of Crix resin parts. Same parts as found here: [Heavy Props Semi-Hero Pack Parts! (New MOLDS Page 2!) - For Sale - GBFans.com](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=34823&hilit=crix+resin)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SAMIAM](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/7c8e57/32.png) [@SAMIAM](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/SAMIAM)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/11 "2016-05-09T04:18:34Z")

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Thank you to all of you for the encouragement! It’s been six years since either of us has done anything like this, so the kind words are a huge confidence-builder! 🆒

As Jimm said, any and all suggestions are welcome, and appreciated. If you see us doing something questionable, we’d love to learn a better way.

To TK5759, thanks for the offer! I think we have most everything we need at this point, but we are looking to upgrade a few small items to authentic bits and bobs. Jimm posted a list here: [viewtopic.php?f=30&t=41301](http://www.gbfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=41301)

-Steve

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Venkmans\_Swagger](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/6bbea6/32.png) [@Venkmans\_Swagger](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Venkmans_Swagger)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2016, 7:53am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/12 "2016-05-09T07:53:38Z")

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Nice work!! Looking like the makings of a 2 badass pack builds

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/13 "2016-05-16T02:14:52Z")

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More progress! Another big stressful part of the build is out of the way. This weekend we cut out the fiberglass [N-Filters](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/n-filter) from our shells.

N-Filters Cut Out of Shells

They aren’t attached yet, but we’ll be adding our aluminum N-Filters to the shells soon.

Aluminum N-Filters

The other little bit we got done was filing open the existing bar graph slots on our throwers so that the bezels would fit.

Thrower [Bar Graphs](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/bar-graph)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![THECRAIG](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@THECRAIG](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/THECRAIG)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/14 "2016-05-16T02:48:42Z")

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Any suggestions how or what to use for the [cyclotron](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/cyclotron) [bumper](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/bumper) ? I’m stumped

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/15 "2016-05-16T20:25:42Z")

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> [@THECRAIG](#):
>
> Any suggestions how or what to use for the cyclotron bumper ? I’m stumped

We ordered resin bumpers from Nickatron, but aren’t ready to mount them to our shells yet.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GohstTarp](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@GohstTarp](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/GohstTarp)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/16 "2016-05-16T22:00:45Z")

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Just found this thread and caught up. You two are doing a fantastic job and I can’t wait to see more.

> [@Jimm](#):
>
> Spongeface’s assembly instructions for the bezels are intimidating, to say the least.

I felt the same way looking through the instructions, but the many details he includes in all of his instructions really help. But that being said, the bezel assembly will probably be one of the last things I tackle.

Keep up the great work.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/17 "2016-05-16T23:32:31Z")

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> [@GohstTarp](#):
>
> Just found this thread and caught up. You two are doing a fantastic job and I can’t wait to see more.
> 
> Keep up the great work.

Thanks! We’ve spent a lot of time in your build thread, and it’s been super helpful. We’ll spend a lot more time in there before we’re done!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [May 17, 2016, 7:01am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/18 "2016-05-17T07:01:45Z")

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I still wish I could find out what happened to the first two throwers… :sigh:

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@Jimm](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/Jimm)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/19 "2016-06-02T01:15:18Z")

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The long weekend gave us an opportunity to get a couple big steps completed. First, we attached our aluminum [N-Filters](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/n-filter).

Loctite Putty

We used a general repair putty from Loctite and let it sit for a full day. After that, we were able to clean up the outside. The N-filters came from the GBFans Shop, which I meant to mention last time.

N-Filter Attached with Putty, Outside

N-Filter Attached with Putty, Inside

Finished N-Filter

There’s more to do with the vacuum lines (which are also from the GBFans Shop), but they’re attached to the shells so far. From inside, a 1/4"-20 x 1" socket head cap screw, fender washer, and lock washer are used to hold it in place.

[Vacuum Line](https://www.gbfans.com/shop/aluminum-vacuum-line)

A trip to RadioShack yielded a couple potentiometers, so we were able to attach them (and our [crank knobs](https://www.gbfans.com/shop/crank-knob)) as well.

Crank Knobs and Potentiometers

Both are legit black crank knobs (from the GBFans Shop). Steve likes his, but I’m looking for a grey one. If you’re reading this and have one to spare, please let me know!

Last, but definitely not least, we attached our bumpers. Both came from Nickatron, but each is different. Steve wanted a clean-looking [bumper](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/bumper) and sanded down the seams on his, but I went with the Volguus bumper and did absolutely no clean up on it.

We used 4" stove bolts that go through our GBFans [metal bellows](https://www.gbfans.com/shop/metal-bellows), the bumper, a fender washer, a 1/2" steel spacer, the [cyclotron](https://www.gbfans.com/wiki/equipment/proton-pack/cyclotron), another fender washer, a lock washer, and a hex nut. Unfortunately, we were only able to find combination slotted/Phillips-head bolts, but will hopefully replace them with slotted heads if we can find some.

Bumper with Stove Bolt

Bumper with Steel Spacer

Here’s something we did that could probably have been easily avoided. We found 10-32 x 1-1/2" socket head cap screws to go through the arms of the bumpers and into the sides of the shell, but they weren’t threaded all the way to the head. Shorter, fully-threaded 10-32 screws were available, but we weren’t sure they’d be long enough. Using a die, we painstakingly added threads that went the entire length of the shaft. I don’t recommend doing this, but it worked. It would have saved a lot of effort to buy some that were already completely threaded, but we didn’t want to spend extra time searching for them.

Screws with Extra Threads

On the outside, the screws go through #14S brass flat washers. On the inside, each screw gets a flat washer, lock washer, and hex nut.

Bumper Arm with Screws and Brass Washers

I’m not sure that we went about attaching the bumpers using the best method possible, but they’re on there now. It was a lot of work, a lot of arguing, and a lot of time second-guessing decisions, but finally having the bumpers attached feels like a major hurdle is now out of the way.

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**Author:** ![GohstTarp](https://forum.gbfans.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@GohstTarp](https://forum.gbfans.com/u/GohstTarp)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044/20 "2016-06-02T18:12:57Z")

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Nice job with the threaded bolts and the bumpers look great. Keep up the nice work!

[Next page](https://forum.gbfans.com/t/steve-and-jimms-dual-proton-pack-builds/31044.md?page=2)
