[bradboss12]

WOW! That is amazing!!!! That is a lot of work! I hope Zane likes it. What a lucky kid! I mean, building a prop is one thing, but an accurate, scaled down prop? Keep us posted : )

[Keaton Kohl]

Thanks but Zane is Guyver's son. My children are Cohen and Zoie.

[Guyver]

Yup. gotta keep that clear. I will however be wanting to buy a shell from you!

[bradboss12]

Thanks but Zane is Guyver's son. My children are Cohen and Zoie.

D'oh! Sorry, I get lost in these posts. Did you make ones for Cohen and Zoie? Are you selling casts? Just wondering...

[CAZAFANTASMA]

Looks so cool man, are u going to be selling them?

Thanks

Sal

[Keaton Kohl]

I've only managed to pull one cast so far and it was tricky but when I get the hang of it I would like to sell some for two reasons.
1. I really need to recoup some of the money I spent on materials.
2. It would be so freaking cool to see lots of little kids wearing Proton Packs.

The gun mold is working well, but I haven't quite mastered rotocasting a consistent thickness I really don't think anyone wants to have to grind them out to get all the lights and buttons on.
I just made the molds for the hand grip and heat since today and hopefully I will pour some plastic in them tonight. I changed the heat since from the previous pics because I kept seeing pics of heat sinks with rounded edges and I liked that. I'll post pic when I take some.

I'm wondering what to charge for parts. My first inclination is to just charge 65% of what the others charge for theirs since they are 65% of the size. Any suggestions?

[gbrob]

Mini ' busters. That's friggin sweet.

Gotta pick a couple up for my kids. Awesome work guys!

[bradboss12]

I've only managed to pull one cast so far and it was tricky but when I get the hang of it I would like to sell some for two reasons.
1. I really need to recoup some of the money I spent on materials.
2. It would be so freaking cool to see lots of little kids wearing Proton Packs.

The gun mold is working well, but I haven't quite mastered rotocasting a consistent thickness I really don't think anyone wants to have to grind them out to get all the lights and buttons on.
I just made the molds for the hand grip and heat since today and hopefully I will pour some plastic in them tonight. I changed the heat since from the previous pics because I kept seeing pics of heat sinks with rounded edges and I liked that. I'll post pic when I take some.

I'm wondering what to charge for parts. My first inclination is to just charge 65% of what the others charge for theirs since they are 65% of the size. Any suggestions?

Well, are the materials used 65% of what you would normally use? Does it take 65% of the time to make them? That's stuff you need to figure into it. : ) The other thing to figure is kids costumes retail for $35. There are also issues of safety (small parts could be a choking hazard, how well are things secured, can it break and have sharp edges, etc.)

[Keaton Kohl]

Well, are the materials used 65% of what you would normally use? Does it take 65% of the time to make them? That's stuff you need to figure into it. : ) The other thing to figure is kids costumes retail for $35. There are also issues of safety (small parts could be a choking hazard, how well are things secured, can it break and have sharp edges, etc.)

Those are some good points to consider bradboss12. I'm not sure what I'm spending in materials. The choking hazard shouldn't be a problem if the kids are 5 or older. I'm working making the parts secure enough that they hold up to kid play.

[bradboss12]

I went to school for Industrial Design--my "hobby degree" : P I wanted to design toys, my my drawings are terrible, so no one would hire me. Oh well, I'm still making toys more or less. There has to be a balance between "That is an awesome, accurate prop" and "it's a safe toy to play with" For example, on my pack and my son's pack, I gooped 2 part resin on the heat sink, because someone could get cut on the 90 degree. metal edges. Not saying you have to do that, but you may want to round any potential sharp corners. I don't think any of want to see kids getting hurt, and we all would be geeked if our kids could be our little "mini Busters" : )

[gbmichael]

I went to school for Industrial Design--my "hobby degree" : P

I have that same hobby degree. I'm guessing you went to AIP? (90% highering rate out of that school my a$$)
I did the special effects makeup track.

[bradboss12]

I went to school for Industrial Design--my "hobby degree" : P

I have that same hobby degree. I'm guessing you went to AIP? (90% highering rate out of that school my a$$)
I did the special effects makeup track.

LMAO! Rubber head, huh? Wow, what a small world. Yeah, they don't tell you that working at McDonald's counts as a job for the hiring rate. Yeah, I went to AIP, had a 3.5 ave, and represented the school at some local high schools with a sales rep. Nothing came from it. Oh, well. I go a corporate job in a mailroom through the school, and got hired on at my current job thanks to the job experience that I got there. All office/admin stuff--no art. : (

[gbmichael]

LMAO! Rubber head, huh? Wow, what a small world. Yeah, they don't tell you that working at McDonald's counts as a job for the hiring rate. ([/quote]

Yeah, one of my roommates was a graphic arts guy and the school got him a job touching up photos at some development place. The job they got me was with a company going bankrupt. I was a sculptor doing 3d signs for companies in Mexico. It only lasted a few months and I had to threaten to sue to get my pay. I haven't been able to get anything since so I am back in school.
However, my first pack was made for my prop class. It wasn't perfect or screen accurate but it blew the teacher and everyone else away. I actually walked to and from class to get it graded in costume from the Allegheny apartments. He didn't think I could put it together in 3 1/2 weeks.

[bradboss12]

LMAO! Rubber head, huh? Wow, what a small world. Yeah, they don't tell you that working at McDonald's counts as a job for the hiring rate. (

Yeah, one of my roommates was a graphic arts guy and the school got him a job touching up photos at some development place. The job they got me was with a company going bankrupt. I was a sculptor doing 3d signs for companies in Mexico. It only lasted a few months and I had to threaten to sue to get my pay. I haven't been able to get anything since so I am back in school.
However, my first pack was made for my prop class. It wasn't perfect or screen accurate but it blew the teacher and everyone else away. I actually walked to and from class to get it graded in costume from the Allegheny apartments. He didn't think I could put it together in 3 1/2 weeks.[/quote]
That's a shame about Mexico. Do you have any pics to post here of that pack? I'm doing a comic book collaboration with a guy from the Art Institute (he's doing the art, natch) and he's trying to get some of his comics off the ground. At least he's doing what he loves. : )

[gbmichael]

That's a shame about Mexico. Do you have any pics to post here of that pack? I'm doing a comic book collaboration with a guy from the Art Institute (he's doing the art, natch) and he's trying to get some of his comics off the ground. At least he's doing what he loves. : )[/quote]

Thats cool, I wish I never left the city but I couldn't afford to live there. I plan on posting pics of that pack and the condition its in now and start my next build after the semester is over. there will be some progress pics too.

[Keaton Kohl]

Hey Brad boss you said you couldn't get any toy making jobs because of your drawings. I was wondering, how do you find those jobs to apply for? cause that has always sounded like an awesome profession.

[bradboss12]

Hey Brad boss you said you couldn't get any toy making jobs because of your drawings. I was wondering, how do you find those jobs to apply for? cause that has always sounded like an awesome profession.

mmm, well, KK, depends on your perspective. We were lucky enough to have Grey Williams teach for a year at the Art Institute, and I grilled him : P He invented "AT Wheeler" in the 80's. What? What is that? Oh, let's try it's other title---Mobile Armored Strike Kommand--M.A.S.K.!!!!! Anyhow, he said it sucks the life out of you. If you're really a good artist, you draw sketches/plans 8 hrs a day/5days a week. After 7 years you get burned out, and go design toilets or something. There are only a few toys that make billions, so they crank out tons of ideas until one hits. The company has you as a "work for hire", so if your toy takes off, they make $$$$, and you get your paycheck (if you are lucky, a bonus). I talked to the VP of boys toys at Mattel years ago while I was in school. The big companies want you to have a BA specifically in Toy Design, and 5 yrs experience doing Toy design just to get in the door (I got my AA, for reference) Not saying you shouldn't try, just that they want people with a specific background, and it's a lot of hard work. Same as Special FX (note Rubber heads reference above) you get in with a small FX company, doing grunt work. Somebody is sick/quits, they give you a shot. Maybe you do some touch ups, apply make-up. Later, maybe you get to sculpt stuff. You move onto a movie set, maybe get in with KNB, Rick Baker, etc. and you've made it. I want to write sci-fi like Bradbury, but I'm trying to get a comic off the ground now. Little steps, KK. : )

[gbmichael]

Hey Brad boss you said you couldn't get any toy making jobs because of your drawings. I was wondering, how do you find those jobs to apply for? cause that has always sounded like an awesome profession.

I was fortunate enough to get chosen for a internship for playskool in Cincinatti but the funding fell through so they couldn't offer it any more. It was probably the best way I would have got into the biz. I kept trying but many of the companies were not offering internships and alot were out-sourcing prototypers and designers.

[gbmichael]

mmm, well, KK, depends on your perspective. We were lucky enough to have Grey Williams teach for a year at the Art Institute, and I grilled him : P He invented "AT Wheeler" in the 80's. What? What is that? Oh, let's try it's other title---Mobile Armored Strike Kommand--M.A.S.K.!!!!! [/quote]

Hey Brad Boss, Did you get to see any of Grey's Masters of the Universe (He-Man) prototypes. We were bugging him for weeks and he finally brought in a mess of them. We actually had a class on how he designed alot of the vehicles and other stuff he worked on.

[bradboss12]

Hey Brad Boss, Did you get to see any of Grey's Masters of the Universe (He-Man) prototypes. We were bugging him for weeks and he finally brought in a mess of them. We actually had a class on how he designed alot of the vehicles and other stuff he worked on.[/quote]

What? Wow! No, I didn't know that he worked on MOTU! I (unfortunately) didn't have him for class. He did a cameo in our toy design class. We must have been in school the same year. PM me. I don't want to hijack KK's thread anymore than we have. Keep us updated on the mini packs!!! : )

[Keaton Kohl]

About the comic your trying to get off the ground bradboss: what are you doing the writing or art or what just curious. I did a lot of flats on a comic called The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft (yet to be released but check it out at http://www.lovecraftcomic.com/ ) and I've written a few scripts too, I love graphic novels.

[bradboss12]

About the comic your trying to get off the ground bradboss: what are you doing the writing or art or what just curious. I did a lot of flats on a comic called The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft (yet to be released but check it out at http://www.lovecraftcomic.com/ ) and I've written a few scripts too, I love graphic novels.

oh, the writing. If i drew it, no one would buy it. : ) Of course, if i could draw, I might be designing toys. : ) Good luck on your comic--keep us posted on that, too.

[loly2kn2]

Looks Good!

What is your mold made from?

What will you be casting in?

Lawrence

[Keaton Kohl]

Mold was built from moldbuilder latex, you can see a can of it in one of the photos in the background while I'm brushing it on the old pack. The one in these latest photos is cast in plastic but it wasn't very study so now I'm using a Bondo and Fiberglass mix.

Today I got a package from Brock and in it there was a Dale resistor that is the exact size of one I need for the scaled pack. I will have to buy some more silicone and make some copies of it. THANKS BROCK!!!

[Keaton Kohl]

Some progress on the gun. I don't know when I'll get around to putting lights in these so for know I made a little sticker. I kinda like it. Got kinda lazy on some parts, I didn't cut the little grooves in the clippard knob, or side hole, and the black washers in the side have circular holes not hexagon but at this size I don't think it matters.

[bradboss12]

you "got lazy"? Please! That looks fantastic, KK! Please put up a size comparison shot (next to a ruler, or a full sized nutrona wand)

[Keaton Kohl]

Here's what the Fiberglass shells are looking like fresh out of the mold. I am mixing fiberglass and bondo and painting it in in several layers. The surface isn't ideal if your going for that shiny new pack look, but if you want that worn look the texture is great for catching paint if your dry brushing silver over your black to make it look worn. You can see the effect in the painted shell pics here. Currently I have two almost completed packs. Still working on a scaled alice frame. Does anyone know if you can buy kid sized alice frames?








Someone asked for a pic with a ruler, sorry I forgot to take one but the pack is exactly 16.75" from top to bottom.

[80sguy]

Dam, that's awsome.

[Marsupial]

That looks amazing!

once I'm done with my own pack, I guess the kids will want theirs. Maybe I need not show them these pictures. lol.

[bradboss12]

KK, don't know if they have ALICE frames for kids. Maybe a kid's hiking frame pack?