I am currently in the planning stages for building my first pack. I have spent some time looking over a lot of different plans. I was going to build it from wood using norm’s plans. but after thinking about how heavy it is going to be I am thinking of going with a shell. The only problem with that is the price. I can not find a shell for under $300. Well I did find one for $150 linked below but it does not quite look right.
Ebay Link Deleted
Anyways my other concern is if I go with a shell how easily do they break?
Honesty I am looking to make more of a show piece (on the wall) that only gets worn maybe on halloween.
Im looking to mount it to the wall in my movie room.
I’m pretty sure there have been several threads already talking about the differences, so trying giving it a search.
A wood one will be heavier than a shell. But a quality fiberglass shell is strong it shouldn’t break unless you are extremely abusive or running it over with a car. If cost is a concern though scratch built wood will probably be cheaper. Just stay off Ebay unless you know who the seller is.
Great advice. The vacuum formed shells is probably the best mid range option. Its lightweight and looks great if you take your time. Wood is heavy and if you need to buy any tooling to make it, it can be more expensive than the vacuum formed packs.
I knew absolutely nothing about constructing something this large, but I kept poring over photos of eBay shells and Studio Creations shells, and I always found some detail that wasn’t in concert with my mental image of what a proton pack should look like.
I almost pulled the trigger on an eBay shell once or twice, but I ran the sellers past my friends who had been doing this longer, and they always told me who to avoid and why, so I dodged some expensive bullets that way.
Finally, I went with a very accurate fiberglass shell from a well-established and respected seller here on GBFans, someone that my friends recommended highly, and even though it was more expensive, I have no regrets whatsoever. Vincenzo330 provided a shell to my requirements and furthermore was always there to answer the questions I had at every turn.
What would you rather have up as a wall decoration and yearly Halloween prop… something where corners have been cut in order to produce it for less money, or something where the time, care, and craftsmanship have already gone into making it as accurate as possible.
You get what you pay for.
(A cliche’ perhaps, but things only become cliche’d because there’s truth to them.)
I wouldn’t count out building a wood shell if you have the time and some basic tools available. My complete pack only weighs about 18lbs and it is made out of wood with plenty of reinforcement. I have seen plenty of packs that weigh a lot more than that with fiberglass shells and I am sure mine could survive more abuse.
Wood is fantastic if it’s your first pack and you’re hoping to build it yourself. It will be HEAVY, but has the potential to look just as good as a fiberglass shell if you do it right.
Basswood is a good one to start with, though just about any wood will work, with varying degrees of woodgrain to hide. I’d stay away from pine, cedar, or other evergreen woods, though. They make gorgeous furniture, but they’re not so great for prop building. MDF, while not technically wood, is also an amazing building material. Easier than working with wood, similarly durable, and no woodgrain.
it depends on your budget. but coming from a person who has made a few wood packs(rob) sooner or later your gonna get some splits no matter what. and patch work on a wood pack can be a pain sometimes.
I have pretty much thrown a lot of the plans out. Me and my dad have never built a prop but we have built plenty of other things. We are going with all kinds of materials (pvc plastics, metal, wood foam, ect) we are using the plans as a guide…I think it will turn out nice
