So here’s the skinny. I’m a girl with an unnatural desire to build herself a pack. That being said, the concept is a bit daunting as I’ve got little technical know how. I’m not afraid of a lot of hard work, nor the idea of having to spend a little bit of money to make this happen. But I suppose my first major question is this. Is it generally better to use a ‘shell’ or to try and build every single section of the pack by hand? Will a pack made using a shell be better/worse or less/more accurate or visually appealing? I’m going for as close to a cinema build as I can, because if I’m going to do this, I plan to go for gold the first time as I’ve this pesky little issue with not trying my best. Any and all advice will be welcomed. Id like to go as big as i can, lights sound etc. Then if I’m lucky, I’ll begin the traps/PKE’s/Giga Meters etc.
Kenzie~
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If I’m not going to give it my all, why bother doing it?
A good, nice quality shell will make a nice pack and make your build a little easier and save a lot of time. Depending on who made the shell, how you finish it and how it’s painted, it can be made to look like the a movie pack.
I just finished a scratch-built pack, and I won’t make another one again. It takes too much time. My next (third) pack build will be with a shell, like the first.
Like Goldenhawk said, a shell build is easier, because the hardest part to scratch build (the shell itself, duh) is already built. Of course it’s more expensive, but you can’t really have both (cheap and simple, I mean) Also, accuracy-wise, screen-used packs all used shells. And generally, a pack made from a good shell can be tough as all hell.
Great idea going gold the first time. Buy every component as if you were buying them for your dream pack. That way you won’t upgrade every single component multiple times. Plus, make a ton of research. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as discovering that your end-all accurate parts aren’t accurate at all.
Pretty much what they said. Shells are fast and there are some very accurate ones out there these days but they’ll cost more money than building one yourself. Building it yourself you can make it as crazy accurate as you want but it’ll take time.
Either way just know that there’s no way you’re getting one done in time for halloween this year if that has anything to do with your desire to make a pack.
If this is your first time making anything like this I’d reccommend starting with a trap. It’s much simpler than a pack, most of the parts are readily available and won’t take up a ton of room on a shelf when it’s done. If you find you just can’t figure it out you won’t have wasted time and money working on a full pack.
Oh I hear ya. But I decided after a bit of things in my life fell through that i was going to do a pack in a year. This of course giving me the time to do research, buy parts kits etc and do the actual build. Is there a list of recommended shells? And for the proton gun body, is resin castings the way to go? Id prefer as many all metal parts as possible. I’m actually hunting down any vintage bits i can to keep it as authentic as i can. But as i said, I’m not finding metal proton gun parts, well, not the boxes. I’m just not sure i want to buy like, a ‘proton gun kit’ it somehow feels like cheating. But perhaps I’m over thinking this.
Looking forward to as much advice, critique and info as possible.
There are two people that make metal guns but one isn’t currently producing and the other has a waiting list. They’re both in the forsale section if you dig around a bit.
As to shells they’re not really a constant thing, more like breif runs. I don’t think anyone is currently taking orders for fiberglass shells, there may be a couple vaccform producers available. Again, dig through the for sale section, it’s constantly updating and changing with what’s on offer. It generally takes a while to piece together the parts for a pack.
I would also add make sure all the parts you buy fit the pack shell you decided on. Parts like Motherboards and bumpers especially. All shells are made from different plans and vary by size.
Just keep in mind…If I can do it, anyone can do it and make sure to HAVE FUN with it…these are great little projects to pass the time with.
Don’t totally discount building a pack from scratch! Shells are cool and convenient, but scratchbuilding is a lot of fun, and if you have the tools, it can be done pretty fast. My pack’s totally handmade, as are many others here. Take a look around and go with whatever you’re most comfortable with, I say.
I did the ‘build over a year’ thing last year and a bit. I got myself on some waiting lists and went through all the forums. I did get a little inpatient once and bought a true spec uniform and not the good nomex one. Sigh. I just saw a post ther other day under new posts where a seller was offering tons of new parts. all Metal. He had everything. dang I wish I still had the link.
I’ve found there are generally two types of builders. The hardcore fans that check every little detail and then the “Its good enough for me” fans who are just so excited to get out there with a vacuume cleaner on their backs they can’t stand the wait. Money ends up being a deciding factor for many but doing it slowly over a year has been the best bet for me. I think I’ve spent nearly $1200 now on parts and most of that sadly is shipping costs. But I didn’t have to shell it all out at once which was nice.
Good luck on your pack - can’t wait to see some pictures.
If you are not in a hurry, the best thing to do is to gather up money, sit down and browse this forum.Look up any and all builds, try searches with ‘shell’ and ‘alcaline’ etc. If you are going for gold in the first run, it will cost you some penny, or time.
There is a wise saying in the prop communities: Quality, Price, Time. You can have two, but not all three.. For a one year project with not muh tech know how, shells are best choise, just wait until January, or the prices to drop, and for the pro’s here to get working on them after family holidays.
We did our gear from scratch, (with parts bought here of course) and the price for all of our gear (without the PKE) was nealy the same as a shell built pack. And it took near five years to do so..
