After I am done with my foamcore pack, I want to make a RGB and an EGB pack from it to
wow, a lot of good tips just in this thread! I will be doing some (hopefully) close to movie accurate props for our fan film, so any $$$ I can save is a good thing. : )
rust-o-leum is an incredible primer for a flat black pack. especially packs that want the “weathered” look. if you spray the rustoleum, and go light with the flat black, the rustoleum will show through and it looks exactly like worn metal. good stuff.
also, for your bumper, 2 inch wide curtain rods work amazingly, and cuts easy with any circular drop-saw.
these are things that i found while making my pack.
I played the movie like 20 times during my build… I posted pictures of my make-shift pack. Everything was from work (Home Depot) including the cannibalized dehumidifier housing I used for the cyclotron.
These look surprisingly good.
When I was a kid wearing a cardboard box for a Proton Pack, my neighbour had a toy lawnmower that his dad turned into a Proton Pack for him. I was so jealous… til mum bought me an RGB proton pack, hehe. But anyway, I think it could still work for costume parties if you need a quick cheap Proton Pack. Take the wheels off, put some shoulder straps on it, and a hose and a ray gun, and there ya go.
This is an awesome resource - the various plans that’ve been put out for the packs are incredible detailed… but also daunting to me! =(
I’m really excited to check out some of my local shops and get started on a pack (picked up an ALICEf frame from the Army-Navy Store that’s going out of business up the street)!
where did you get the lights at Mat.
Beany, he mentioned getting them at a dollar store.
For what it’s worth, I was poking around the dollar store yesterday and found a perfect little gizmo to use for the shock mount on the bumper. It’s the bottom piece on the handle of one of those cheapy little pop-up umbrellas. I loaned out my camera to a friend so I can’t take a pic today but it it is pretty much dead on as far as a very low-cost shock mount goes.
Here is the part I’m talking about though, on a different umbrella.
Basically the part is all but the exact height and diameter, made of ridged plastic and very similar in appearance to the real deal. I will post pix when I can.
I know it’s not earth-shattering but it was a great little find of a dollar and a very quick and easy solution to creating that part!
Walter Neff
im actually going to steal that lawnmower idea. its actually pretty sound for a girly pack for girls.
I’m a “Halloweener” reading up right now towards my costume. I’m 23, and want to revisit my dream as a 4-year old of being a 'buster. All the same, attitudes like that - where a $250 pack is considered a ‘bargain’ and where I’d be ostracized for not wanting to dress like a Ghostbuster every day (if the costume cost me hundreds of dollars, it’d have to be daily wear otherwise the missus would kill me and I wouldn’t blame her)…
Way to welcome a guy.
Uh.. ya realize yer replying about a post that was made like 9 months ago now?
Oh, and on the basswood topic.. mine warped REALLY bad, so while I’d use basswod for the gar and crank boxes, and maybe the gun, I wouldn’t consider it again for a motherboard at all.
I detailed which is was in my wip build thread, but I think it was a plywood of sorts.
I’m trying to make a proton pack for halloween, and i didn’t want to stab the wallet :vinzclortho: ,so this thread really helped me with the dollar store lighting and such. 
Here’s an interesting question for you guys: Is there anything you can think of that could act as a good substitute for an actual Alice Frame in a halloween-er pack?
I ask because I’m building budget Halloween packs based off of Bradester’s Dollar Store pack, and I’m having a lot of trouble finding an affordable supply of Alice frames. It doesn’t have to look great/good/accurate, I’d just like some ideas of alternative components, especially ones that won’t strain our backs.
I’d really prefer to use an alice frame, but so far I haven’t found a supply that’s less than $50. If I could find them used in my area I’d be set, but no luck so far 
PVC pipes painted black. They are quite cheap and sturdy.
You are though going to have to then try to find or make padded shoulder straps, and come up with somethinbg like a kindey pad on it as well.
You might well end up spending the same amount as a real alice frame, and honestly, thats a REALLY important part, because it’ll make or break the difference if your pack is comfortable to wear, or if you end up with a sore back in 10 minutes.
Your best bet might be to cannibalize a backpack and belt, along with the PVC, but by the time you’ve bought all that, you’ve about paid for a used alice frame.
Some people have found them as low as $10 with all the straps used in amy navy stores, and that would be at least half the cost of all those other things as a substitue to one.
This makes sense, and I’m going to try to design a good layout and try to price the parts asap.
This has been my main point to the other people i’m planning to do this with, who are all saying I’m over-designing this by including the Alice frame. Good to have some backup on this. I saw that even with the dollar store builds the Alice Frame was included, and figured that was a pretty good indication.
Had a bad feeling that’d be the answer.
I’ve been looking trying to find out from the local Boot&Surplus if they have some. They do, but they only quote me the brand-new price ($60), and I’m not sure if they have anything used. Maybe it’s a symptom of being Canadian, but i’ve always found it’s really hard to find used military stuff. Maybe i’m looking in the wrong places.
I plan on being a ghostbuster for Halloween and want to make all of the props myself. This was very nice. I wanted to know what plans you guys think are the best. I really want to make all the lights and soundeffects work. And also put speakers into the proton pack so I can play music from the soundtrack. Any help would be great, Thanks!
Thank you for the awesome idea of hitting the dollar store for the electronics and other odds/ends… I hadn’t thought of that.
Cinnamon, check ebay for alice frames… you can usually find them reasonably priced there, including shipping.