Jump to content

Christian's Pack #3 build thread


Chrelle
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone,

 

Long time lurker, first time poster. My name is Christian, I'm 30 years old and living in Denmark. 

This year, my sandtrooper costume was approved and I was so psyched! I was already a part of the Danish Garrison with my TK costume, but the sandie is just a bit cooler - also you get to carry a big-a** gun!

uiSDrhG.jpg

But naturally I could not feel content - nay, complete - without a backpack, so when a garrison mate told me he had some backpack parts to sell, I couldn't refuse. I went with pack #3. I have read and re-read the great build threads by Machine, Strider, Henselmonster and Duden15 and many others but am still a bit daunted by the project :blink:

So far, this is what I have:

  • Karrimor frame (looks vintage; very worn at least :P )
  • Mortar tube and end caps (came with my costume from RS propmasters)
  • Exhaust port (3D print, bought from my garrison mate)
  • Seed trays, brexton box, mushroom caps, mortar tube control panel and vac-formed Shires siphon from Ross
  • Vintage tupperware lid (I think it may be a tad too large - it's 13,5cm in diameter)
  • Sonix radio kit form Sonix world
  • 1x 1500ml shampoo bottle (9,5cm in diameter, need to find 1 more)
  • 5x shotgun shells (AKA lip balm stick covers)
  • "Style" canteen 
  • 3cm wide aluminum strips for crossbars
  • RAL 7031 spray cans are in the mail, and should arrive next week

This is what it looks like, all spread out:

GtuplEl.jpg

Not pictured are the siphon and the remainder of the Sonix radio, as they are currently set out to dry after being primed and glued, respectively. 

 

Now, I was thinking that the next step would be cutting the karrimor frame to size and mounting the crossbars. 

How does the curve on the frame look? Does it need to bend more?

yRqczAG.jpg

Also, as far as I have gathered, you need to cut the frame an inch (2,5cm or so?) above the crossbar:

erGbs3h.jpg

So should I just go ahead and cut it at the mark I've made? :) 

 

Any input is greatly appreciated!

 

-Christian

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What type of Karrimor frame did you get? I've a Totem but not 100% on it being correct, as for me I think the cross bar at the top is in the wrong place/height.

Will try and add pictures to explain what I mean. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Christian and welcome to the MEPD! :salute:

You've got the right parts, this is going to be a nice build. 

As far as the Karrimor frame is concerned, try test-fitting the trays first, I had to reposition the crossbar but I have used different trays. The Karrimor originally comes with two such crossbars and the lower one is said to be in the right position. 

Otherwise you're good to cut the frame an inch above the crossbar. 

Have fun building, cheers mate! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Marv: Not sure what type it is; I looked for a label but could not find one that said what type of bag the frame came from :blink:

@Hausi: Thanks for the welcome and the advice! I did a little test fit today, after cutting the aluminum crossbars to size. This is the result:

MKDXQ4o.jpg

I think it looks pretty good? Or do the seed trays need to be closer together? It's a little hard to judge from the reference photos I've looked at.

Also, my Sonix is nearing completion (after hours of hand stitching the pleather surround :icon_eek:):

63iPqoo.jpg

Now to add or not to add the dial and the decals; that is the question! I would be inclined to add at least the dial, just because I think it looks cool ;) I've seen builds both with and without dial and decals; the CRL doesn't mention this, so I suppose it's a matter of personal preference? (apologies if this has been discussed at length before)

Finally, a shot of my siphon after priming:

cknywFA.jpg

Just needs some black paint now! (and to attach the mushroom cap and shampoo bottle of course)

Please let me know if you spot anything that can be improved!

 

-Christian

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice work, the Sonix really looks great. Do you want to go for SWAT? If you do, leave those decals away, pack#3 / the move along pack had the radio sprayed black... so actually you could put them on and spraypaint over them to have the most accurate look,but that won't be necessary (I did it anyway :sweat:). 

If you really want to go for a screenaccurate look, move the trays closer together. 

Syphon looks excellent as well. 

Keep up the great work mate! 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Roger that! Decals and dial stay off I am not planning to go for SWAT, as the weathering on my armor doesn’t match a specific trooper. But i am definitely gonna take a crack at PO when i finish my field pack!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did another test fit today where I moved the trays closer together. I'm also thinking about moving the top crossbar down a notch to match the reference photos below, where it's only just visible above the top seed tray:

ZfkpNiT.jpg

2oYMhOb.png

(Pictures courtesy of m4vrick's build thread)

So this is how it looks with the top crossbar in the 2 different positions:

Topmost:

CJcORUA.jpg

One notch down:

rp15Gtj.jpg

I think it looks like the lower position matches the screengrabs the most. So I think I am gonne go with this configuration, and cut the frame 1" above the crossbar. This will make the total length of the pack around 50cm, which I seem to recall reading is about the correct length. 

Does this sound about right to you guys? I wouldn't wanna cut too much off and ruin the frame :sweat:

 

Thanks for your input!

 

-Christian

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It already looks really good, but keep in mind that there are two versions of this pack and if you want to build the version on which the top of the lower grey tray has slipped down and is held in place with tape, you might need just a little more room between the tray and the bottom of the Karrimor frame. 

Also you will probably have to bend the frame a tad bit more to get the correct angle for the trays. This part really gave me the creeps as I was afraid of ruining it. :sweat:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A little progress update:

The frame has been assembled, cut to size and painted - along with the siphon:

KjuJCpz.jpg

 

Also finished sanding down the texture on the canteen:

MsgMP1y.jpg

So it's almost ready to have the stinger added and paint applied. First I need to cut off the top part where the cap goes, and then find som way to attach the hose/stinger. And add the brackets, of course!

 

-Christian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m pretty sure the original vintage canteens “Gio Style” are definitely what they used on the original packs.

i really can’t imagine the prop department taking off the texture as it would take far too much time and they were really in a hurry just before travelling to Tunisia!

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the comments everyone! I know it wasn't necessary to sand down the canteen, but I saw some threads where it had been done, and I liked the look :)

 

Now, in between moving and starting a new job, I have been able to squeeze in a few hours of tinkering with my pack. 

 

I have finished the attachment of the bottle and mushroom cap to the siphon using a long threaded rod and a wood insert nut that I screwed in to a wooden crossbar in the shampoo bottle:

Tpnqi06.jpg

(And apparently I need a more solid work table, as I keep drilling through it. Oops.)

 

Also I created some aluminum frames to fit inside the seed trays - a blatant knock-off from @knopi's build thread here:

To these frames I am able to attach the Sonix radio (which is heavy), and transfer some weight to the metal frame, rather than having the heavy radio hang solely on the plastic seed trays. I hope this picture shows it well enough:

PFXjC1o.jpg

The 2 circled bolts are attached through the back plate of the Sonix, and I am thinking about adding a third for added stability. The bottom screw opposite the siphon is hidden beneath the wider portion of the siphon, and the top screw is inserted into a brass insert nut in the siphon itself.

The 4 bolts attached to the frame with tape then go through the aluminum crossbars of the Karrimor frame and are attached with nuts:

xHuvoVU.jpg

Oh, and I also made some brackets for the canteen - just need to make the stinger now :) 

Next up, I need to:

  1. make aluminum frames for the top seed trays and attach the Brexton box, bottle+cap, exhaust and shotgun shells
  2. apply primer and paint to the parts that are painted battleship grey
  3. apply matte clear coat to the black parts to reduce that ABS shine
  4. Dye the shoulder straps black

Stay tuned, and thanks for the attention!

 

-Christian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Jcalus! But all credit of course goes to Knopi for the great idea :) 

 

A bit more progress today, as I finished the mounting system for the brexton box using a piece of wood and 2 brass insert nuts:

AW0BVpD.jpg

X1L4tJW.jpg

Lj8y16S.jpg

Like the Sonix, the brexton box is attached to the metal frame inside the seed tray. The top and bottom parts of the brexton box are held together with superglue.

Made a similar system for the top bottle, again using a piece of wood and 2 brass insert nuts:

FuNqvBg.jpg

bngpN3p.jpg

As you can see, I also managed to apply a couple of coats of primer to the pieces that are gonne be painted in the RAL 7031 color. Also hit the black pieces with a few layers of matte clear coat:

u6mUhEg.jpg

I guess I went a little heavy on the brexton box, but I'm gonna weather it anyway som I'm not gonna worry too much about it. 

While all of this was going on, the shoulder straps were in the washing machine with some black dye powder. The result is...not overwhelmingly positive, to say the least :P

MuxhKSh.jpg

They used to be greenish-brown; now they're a slightly darker shade of greenish brown. I guess the straps are made of polyester, and hence very difficult to dye. Any tips? :)

Otherwise, I'm gonna have to scavenge some black shoulder straps from another backpack somewhere, or make some new ones myself :) 

 

Plan for tomorrow is painting the grey parts in the correct color, and mounting the mushroom cap on the top bottle using the soda bottle method I saw in this thread:

 

 

-Christian

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice progress Christian and a good idea with the small pieces of wood and the insert nuts. 

My shoulder straps are the same colour as yours and I have just spraypainted them matt black, it holds on pretty well and where the paint comes off it just looks like natural wear and tear weathering. Once a year I give them a fresh coat of matt black. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Hausi Thanks for the tip! Mine are now spraypainted matte black as well, and they look great! :)

@welshchris77 Thanks! My bottles are 9,5cm i diameter :) They're 1,5L bottles from L'oreal - they were quite expensive, but now my girlfriend has a year's supply of shampoo :P 

 

Before the weekend I made a chunk of progress, and got all the grey parts painted:

VkF8z4H.jpg

The RAL7031 paint I bought was quite glossy, so all the pieces got a once-over with some matte clear coat so they would match the black parts.

In the foreground are my newly painted shoulder straps!

Also attached the mushroom cap to the top shampoo bottle using the "soda bottle method":

OzT8B12.jpg

First I glued the soda bottle cap inside the mushroom cap. Then, I cut a 2cm slit in the soda bottle to accommodate the wood bar inside the shampoo bottle, applied some super glue and slid the soda bottle inside the shampoo bottle. Who knew a 1,5L Fanta bottle fit perfectly inside a shampoo bottle? :D 

Here's a shot of all the parts (minus shotgun shells and canteen) sitting on their respective seed trays;

Fy04uWl.jpg

I feel like I am very close to the finish line now! :D Just need to sand down the print lines of my 3D-printed exhaust port, then give it a coat of black paint. Also, I need to make some sort of rig for for shotgun shells, and of course paint those black as well. Then, once those things are mounted, all that remains is the weathering - unless I'm forgetting something? :) 

Any input is of course much appreciated :)

 

-Christian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great progress!   :duim:

 

Just some suggestions:

It might be due to the camera perspective but the lower bottle looks too long imho.

And the upper part of the exhaust ports could also be a tad smaller looking at your picture.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@RoCKo Thanks for the feedback! The picture with the exhaust port is from before it was glued together, so it was just loosely assembled. I have since glued and painted it, and now it looks like this:

FCfVMLW.jpg

As far as I can see it looks about right, and the top ring sits (almost) flush with the edge of the seed tray, like in this picture:

ZfkpNiT.jpg

Also measured out the bottle at around 15cm, which I seem to recall is in the ball park according to some measurements I saw in another build thread. 

YklarRU.jpg

 

I've completed the shotgun shells using some lip balm covers and a type of clay/putty that you can shape and then harden in the oven:

9JK2usw.jpg

A coat of black paint and they're done:

LvpEU01.jpg

I glued the shells onto a piece of black ABS and glued the whole thing onto the top seed tray.

Also I sacrificed a plastic picnic plate to turn into a backing disc for my radar dish, so all in all everything is looking just about done :D

F8heYdp.jpg

Now all I need to do is try it on with my armor and maybe make some final adjustments, then it's time for weathering :D 

 

As always, comments and suggestions are more than welcome :) 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...