GhostbusterDan
Sr Member
WARNING! - if you deal with Proton Props you will have an INCREDIBLE experience.
As someone who buys and sells props like I change my socks, I’ve come across good sellers, bad sellers and sellers in between but it’s very infrequent (sadly) I come across one who blows everyone else out of the water.
The sheer amount of times in my adult life I have invested so much time, energy and money into a set of props only to sell them on later is a travesty really. Im soooooo fussy! I have a terrible habit of buying something, realising its not up to my standard and selling it on. The amount of times I’ve owned the same Star Wars helmets but in increasing rarity or build quality is daft. I like lineage props, things with provenance OR things created that leave you under no illusion of how artistic the maker was. Not only do I waste money buying something and deciding its not for me I need to upgrade it, but when I get my head in something, its IN it. Like it will take over my life, my browser search history and I am immersed beyond belief until there is nothing more on the subject I could possible research and absorb. It’s probably a combination of being a saddo and a bit of OCD, but also being a full on geek who wants the pinnacle (if its attainable).
Anyway, why’s all that important here, I told you that for a reason … I love Ghostbusters. The 1984 movie is an absolute favourite of all my movie loves, literally of all time. So being a prop lover and collector it was an ambition to own a Proton Pack too. How many adults wouldn’t want one given half a chance?!
Luckily a few years ago, I realised that dream. As far as Proton Packs went, it was actually a decent pack and so a dream well fulfilled. It cost me a pretty price to build in parts alone, (with the labour absorbed by me building it myself) when I made it in 2019/2020 and it used some fairly good parts too, some actually were about as good as I could buy at the time. Anyway, it was probably a 7/10 pack, could be improved but equally was a pretty decent attempt after years of dreaming and months of research and adorning other peoples. I had to sell it due to COVID19 financial implications much to my regret and it was a sad day driving to hand it over to its new owner.
As time and situations changed I decided it was a Prop I couldn’t live without and my ‘dip’ into the Ghostbusters Proton Pack world needed to be rekindled so I made things happen to ensure I could start that again. I had kept active enough within the Ghostbusters community during my time ‘away’ and so I knew what was being made and by whom and with what, and thats how I met David Rotheram at Proton Props.
I recognised Dave’s face as a Star Wars collector which is where I spent most of my time, and I remembered he’s as fussy as a collector as me and only liked the lineage pieces so anything he knocked out id expect to be at a similar standard. Id watched his Ghostbusters related posts for a while and sort of witnessed the evolution of his pack building business unfold and he really did some impressive work, which for a fussy guy like me with a terrible reputation for selling to ‘upgrade’, was imperative. David seemed to be working with the best suppliers using the best materials and generally coming across as someone who you wanted to work with, so amongst all the builders available he was edging top of my list.
In in early 2021 I decided it was time to do it, and so I sent David a message and made some enquiries. I told him I wanted something he didn’t sell and so I wanted it bespoke, the best parts I could buy or he could attain and this needed to be a 10/10 build, I’ve done it once and it was good but this one needed to be the pinnacle. No problem he says. I mean I got fussy, I wanted just about all of it and I wanted to know how he was going to put it together piece by piece and he delivered word for word.
We fast forward to today and what you see here, my delivered and finished pack .. just wow.
The build experience was unlike many other. Of all the props I’ve owned before I can think of 2 where the build experience was enjoyable (a Boba Fett and an HDPE Sandtrooper Helmet). This was most definitely a 3rd. David messaged me with build photos at various points, he would ask questions about how I wanted something mounted or finishing and generally just seemed like he was as devoted to this build as if it was his own personal piece to keep. You could feel he loves his work and his sense of pride oozed out of his messages and passion for doing it the ‘right’ way.
I would actually say talking about this to Dave as he built it was as enjoyable as seeing the pack finished in the flesh, he really did flesh that experience out and make it as enjoyable and fun as it could have been. I even asked 100s of questions to make sure it was as good as it could get, he answered them all day/evening and not once did he complain, moan or laugh. I cant speak highly enough of his customer service.
The quality is unparalleled. I have built a pack before, and so I know how they go together, I know where people take shortcuts and I know where people graft, David grafted. This thing is EXCEPTIONAL. It used a variety of vintage NOS parts, or the crem de la crem of replica parts from a variety of sources. David made upgrades at my request along the way and helped bring this to another level of life. He also suggested upgrades where I’d missed parts or worked to implement things I didn’t think were possible.
I wanted things that didn’t exist, so he researched what I wanted, how to do it, and he implemented it. I wanted fussy add ons or specific weathering requests, he just did it.
To take this to another level, Dave lives 10 hours away from me (on a good day), in the UK that’s a combination of Toll roads and alot of traffic jams, so call it 12 PLUS rest breaks. He INSISTED that he hand deliver this to me, as he had put so much time, effort and love into the build. So this is not just a prop made by a prop maker now, this is his labour of love, something he is so passionate about that he drove halfway across the country to personally hand me my pack and to make sure I was happy in the flesh. When does that EVER happen? I could post about the delivery service alone 100 times, but the fact he did it and didn’t just whack it in a box and post it says everything. Sure he could have, and no doubt sometimes he has too, but given this was a special commission, this time he felt that it was too important and he went way out of his way to do this.
I’ll let the photos do the talking, theres no amount of words that will describe his work but for those of you who want to know the ‘gubbins’, I’ll list below. But David Rotheram at Proton Props, you sir are a legend and an artisan, of all the prop builders knocking out packs I researched you are head and shoulders above.
Overall 12/10, I smiled like a kid at Christmas when I saw it, more than when I got my first Sega Megadrive as a young lad.
SENSATIONAL. David, I basically slow clapped when it was turned on, and given I’ve seen and owned one of these before, you raised the bar.
Specs of the build (for those curious of interested) - pointless telling you the price as it will adjust and change depending on what you fit and use so id recommended contacting Dave for those sort of enquiries, but if you want to replicate mine, you’ll find below:
As someone who buys and sells props like I change my socks, I’ve come across good sellers, bad sellers and sellers in between but it’s very infrequent (sadly) I come across one who blows everyone else out of the water.
The sheer amount of times in my adult life I have invested so much time, energy and money into a set of props only to sell them on later is a travesty really. Im soooooo fussy! I have a terrible habit of buying something, realising its not up to my standard and selling it on. The amount of times I’ve owned the same Star Wars helmets but in increasing rarity or build quality is daft. I like lineage props, things with provenance OR things created that leave you under no illusion of how artistic the maker was. Not only do I waste money buying something and deciding its not for me I need to upgrade it, but when I get my head in something, its IN it. Like it will take over my life, my browser search history and I am immersed beyond belief until there is nothing more on the subject I could possible research and absorb. It’s probably a combination of being a saddo and a bit of OCD, but also being a full on geek who wants the pinnacle (if its attainable).
Anyway, why’s all that important here, I told you that for a reason … I love Ghostbusters. The 1984 movie is an absolute favourite of all my movie loves, literally of all time. So being a prop lover and collector it was an ambition to own a Proton Pack too. How many adults wouldn’t want one given half a chance?!
Luckily a few years ago, I realised that dream. As far as Proton Packs went, it was actually a decent pack and so a dream well fulfilled. It cost me a pretty price to build in parts alone, (with the labour absorbed by me building it myself) when I made it in 2019/2020 and it used some fairly good parts too, some actually were about as good as I could buy at the time. Anyway, it was probably a 7/10 pack, could be improved but equally was a pretty decent attempt after years of dreaming and months of research and adorning other peoples. I had to sell it due to COVID19 financial implications much to my regret and it was a sad day driving to hand it over to its new owner.
As time and situations changed I decided it was a Prop I couldn’t live without and my ‘dip’ into the Ghostbusters Proton Pack world needed to be rekindled so I made things happen to ensure I could start that again. I had kept active enough within the Ghostbusters community during my time ‘away’ and so I knew what was being made and by whom and with what, and thats how I met David Rotheram at Proton Props.
I recognised Dave’s face as a Star Wars collector which is where I spent most of my time, and I remembered he’s as fussy as a collector as me and only liked the lineage pieces so anything he knocked out id expect to be at a similar standard. Id watched his Ghostbusters related posts for a while and sort of witnessed the evolution of his pack building business unfold and he really did some impressive work, which for a fussy guy like me with a terrible reputation for selling to ‘upgrade’, was imperative. David seemed to be working with the best suppliers using the best materials and generally coming across as someone who you wanted to work with, so amongst all the builders available he was edging top of my list.
In in early 2021 I decided it was time to do it, and so I sent David a message and made some enquiries. I told him I wanted something he didn’t sell and so I wanted it bespoke, the best parts I could buy or he could attain and this needed to be a 10/10 build, I’ve done it once and it was good but this one needed to be the pinnacle. No problem he says. I mean I got fussy, I wanted just about all of it and I wanted to know how he was going to put it together piece by piece and he delivered word for word.
We fast forward to today and what you see here, my delivered and finished pack .. just wow.
The build experience was unlike many other. Of all the props I’ve owned before I can think of 2 where the build experience was enjoyable (a Boba Fett and an HDPE Sandtrooper Helmet). This was most definitely a 3rd. David messaged me with build photos at various points, he would ask questions about how I wanted something mounted or finishing and generally just seemed like he was as devoted to this build as if it was his own personal piece to keep. You could feel he loves his work and his sense of pride oozed out of his messages and passion for doing it the ‘right’ way.
I would actually say talking about this to Dave as he built it was as enjoyable as seeing the pack finished in the flesh, he really did flesh that experience out and make it as enjoyable and fun as it could have been. I even asked 100s of questions to make sure it was as good as it could get, he answered them all day/evening and not once did he complain, moan or laugh. I cant speak highly enough of his customer service.
The quality is unparalleled. I have built a pack before, and so I know how they go together, I know where people take shortcuts and I know where people graft, David grafted. This thing is EXCEPTIONAL. It used a variety of vintage NOS parts, or the crem de la crem of replica parts from a variety of sources. David made upgrades at my request along the way and helped bring this to another level of life. He also suggested upgrades where I’d missed parts or worked to implement things I didn’t think were possible.
I wanted things that didn’t exist, so he researched what I wanted, how to do it, and he implemented it. I wanted fussy add ons or specific weathering requests, he just did it.
To take this to another level, Dave lives 10 hours away from me (on a good day), in the UK that’s a combination of Toll roads and alot of traffic jams, so call it 12 PLUS rest breaks. He INSISTED that he hand deliver this to me, as he had put so much time, effort and love into the build. So this is not just a prop made by a prop maker now, this is his labour of love, something he is so passionate about that he drove halfway across the country to personally hand me my pack and to make sure I was happy in the flesh. When does that EVER happen? I could post about the delivery service alone 100 times, but the fact he did it and didn’t just whack it in a box and post it says everything. Sure he could have, and no doubt sometimes he has too, but given this was a special commission, this time he felt that it was too important and he went way out of his way to do this.
I’ll let the photos do the talking, theres no amount of words that will describe his work but for those of you who want to know the ‘gubbins’, I’ll list below. But David Rotheram at Proton Props, you sir are a legend and an artisan, of all the prop builders knocking out packs I researched you are head and shoulders above.
Overall 12/10, I smiled like a kid at Christmas when I saw it, more than when I got my first Sega Megadrive as a young lad.
SENSATIONAL. David, I basically slow clapped when it was turned on, and given I’ve seen and owned one of these before, you raised the bar.
Specs of the build (for those curious of interested) - pointless telling you the price as it will adjust and change depending on what you fit and use so id recommended contacting Dave for those sort of enquiries, but if you want to replicate mine, you’ll find below:
- Gelcoat topped Fiberglass shell from Karnivorous Creations with screen accurate detailing and texturing, mounted on Aluminium motherboard.
- Mounted on a genuine ALICE frame with screen accurate replicated spacers and neck foam.
- Vintage Dale / Sage resistors, genuine Clippard R331 valve, genuine Clippard 701 valve for Thrower, genuine Clippard brass elbows and barbs w/ inserts, vintage and genuine 3/16th Legris Elbows.
- Screen accurate bellows replica by Macks Factory.
- Screen accurate GB1 ribbon cable custom made by Fincher Technologies.
- Bumper moulded taken from a screen used shell for some lineage sprinkling
- Aluminium GBFans parts comprising of PPD, Ion Arm End Cap, Injectors, Welded Vacuum line, N Filter, Ion Arm, HGA, Beam Line, Filler Tube, Booster tube and plug, V Hook & Cable Clamp.
- Vent smoking N Filter with custom formulated ‘Toasted Puft’ Smoke fluid, powered by auxiliary Talentcell lithium ion battery.
- Screen replicated labels and aluminium labels from Macks Factory.
- Custom built Spengler style charging plate
- Resin Thrower body from Karnivorous Creations with Aluminium handles and front twist grip with Pop Pechanism.
- Aluminium Thrower parts from GBFans consisting of Track, Thrower front and rear Cylinder, Thrower Heat Sink, Welded Thrower Trigger Hook, Top Knob, Front Knob, Side Knobs and Discs and Crank Knob.
- ‘Milky’ white replicated Hat lights, acrylic wand tube.
- Dry rub transfers from Macks Factory.
- Vibration Motor within the Thrower.
- Flash Bulb in Thrower tube
- Full light and sound kit from NinjaTunes with custom party mode playlist, powered by Talentcell lithium ion battery.
