Making a scratch built Proton Pack for Halloween

Burnfactor

New Member

• Sep 18, 2016

• #1

With the new Ghostbusters movie out, I decided to scratch build a Proton Pack for Halloween. I will be going with the original Proton Pack from the 1984 movie, although I don't intend to make it a perfect movie accurate pack. I have a little less than a month and a half until the Employee Costume Party, and I have to make two of these packs!



I've started with a piece of roofing foam that I've had kicking around for years. In the past, I've used them for gravestones during Halloween, but now they are being re-purposed for the Cyclotron shown above. The foam was pretty banged up, so I glued poster-board to the primary surfaces with the glossy side facing out. Once it's painted, it should look like metal.

 

tommin

Sr Member

• Sep 18, 2016

• #2

Some really neat & additional ideas might be gathered from the following link. Hope this helps.

Dollar Store Proton Pack Tutorial

 

Burnfactor

New Member

• Sep 18, 2016

• #3

Thank you Tommin for the link, it definitely helps! I think I need to read up a bit more on that site before I continue any further on my proton packs. Here are some more photos of what I've accomplished so far.



I used cake pans for the cyclotron and hot glued them to the synchronous generator, and used some more roofing foam for the crank generator. Once they were covered in poster board, I glued foam strips on them for the detail.

 

Snow Builder

Sr Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Sep 19, 2016

• #4

Good luck with your build.

I just finished a 12-hour pack build -link is http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=228547 if you think it can be helpful to you.

 

Burnfactor

New Member

• Sep 30, 2016

• #5

I've been scrounging up every pill bottle, soup can and bottle cap i could find to add detail to the project. Oh and popsicle sticks, and cardboard. That 12 hour build by Snow Builder is pretty darn cool. Thanks for posting it, really got me inspired. Here's some pictures of the work so far on my foam popsicle cardboard proton pack.



I still need to build it up a bit more before paint. After paint, I'll add the wiring.

 

Burnfactor

New Member

• Sep 30, 2016

• #6

Foam, lots of foam.

 

Burnfactor

New Member

• Sep 30, 2016

• #7

So far, I've applied an initial coat of flat black paint and have begun to add some of the cables.

 

Burnfactor

New Member

• Oct 6, 2016

• #8

Here are some more pictures of the proton pack so far.


I was able to add some red and blue wiring to the injectors.


I don't think the above photo reference is movie accurate since the n-filter is offset from the cyclotron instead of being incorporated into it. Darn it.

I still have a lot of work to do on it, but so far it's been really fun creating this. I will add more pictures as I make progress.

 

H

hewito

Active Member

• Oct 6, 2016

• #9

Burnfactor said:

View attachment 668607View attachment 668608View attachment 668609View attachment 668610

Foam, lots of foam.

Click to expand...

For my nephew I used a few things that you might be interested in..I used a cheap sound board(with built in amp) and speaker and a VU meter..it works great and it does the job(check my video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gkto6rTiqU )the proton pack wasnt built not even close accurate but he wanted lights and sounds more than anything.I also used a small strip of LED and left it on red to go around it.I am attaching a list just in case you are interested..good luck!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2pc...32593991938.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.IMF9Mw
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pc...32478136211.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.uO3Wdc
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Blu...32678598336.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.Zy99ie
You will also need a few batteries and push buttons

 

Burnfactor

New Member

• Oct 7, 2016

• #10

hewito said:

For my nephew I used a few things that you might be interested in..I used a cheap sound board(with built in amp) and speaker and a VU meter..it works great and it does the job(check my video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gkto6rTiqU )the proton pack wasnt built not even close accurate but he wanted lights and sounds more than anything.I also used a small strip of LED and left it on red to go around it.I am attaching a list just in case you are interested..good luck!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2pc...32593991938.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.IMF9Mw
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1pc...32478136211.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.uO3Wdc
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Blu...32678598336.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.Zy99ie
You will also need a few batteries and push buttons

Click to expand...

Hey, now that is pretty neat. I like that blue LED light up thingy, I might have to look into that. Thanks for the part links

 

Burnfactor

New Member

• Oct 11, 2016

• #11

Okey dokey, here's the latest on what I've done so far. I went to Wal-Mart and looked at some of their cheaper line of toys and I found a "laser sword" that lights up. Totally NOT a lightsaber, but I thought that it would work pretty good for the neutrino wand. Again, not movie accurate, but pretty neat and it lights up. I cut some PVC pipe, mocked up some styrofoam bits, and painted it black.



I still need to print off the decals, and add some more weathering. I love adding weathering effects to pieces like this, but I have to restrain myself sometimes because it's so easy to go completely overboard and add too much weathering. And wires! Lots of wires and cables to add! I have a hard time throwing anything away because there MIGHT be a use for them down the road.



I need to hook up my printer so I can print off the decals, and get this thing done. More photos to follow.

 

propmainiac

Sr Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Oct 11, 2016

• #12

I like it. Maybe I can do two and the wife and I can give oit candy dressed up!

 

Burnfactor

New Member

• Jan 1, 2017

• #13

Well, it's been a while, but here is one of the two completed proton packs. This one is hanging on my wall in the living room. It is not movie accurate at all, but it is amazing what you can make with soup cans, pill bottles and styrofoam. I have all kinds of parts kicking around from old computers and stuff that I had taken apart, so I used some of that as well. Well, it was fun and I am happy with how they turned out.