Nate Miller posts
Posts: 151
Files: 383
EXCLUSIVE - Video Game Thrower Light Electronics Guide
Like with my video game proton pack lights, this post captures my setup used to sequence lights on my video game thrower. Here is the Instagram post that captures the effect.I used an Arduino Nano setup with some basic millisecond timing. There are 4 outputs that control the indicator light patterns - wired in parallel off of these outputs (see diagram)To complete the project, you will need: Arduino Nano Breadboard Jumper wires Resistors (around 330 ohm should do the trick - you can calculate your exact value needed to suit your LED) LEDsThe di...
EXCLUSIVE - Video Game Pack Lights Electronics Guide
I finally managed to complete my install of some expanded Proton Pack lights inspired by The Video Game upgrades. This lighting guide should work well for both a full size or smaller (like the Spirit pack). To get an idea of how the sequencing looks - here is an Instagram post!As is the case with most of my electronics, I tend to code light sequences with Arduino - in this case an Arduino Nano on a breadboard. The code uses a series of millisecond timers within the Arduino loop function in order to allow the lights to blink or fade at different...
3D Scan Objects (from your phone!) - Photogrammetry Tips
One of the technologies I've been using in developing some recent builds is called Photogrammetry. This technology processes 3D shapes by interpreting patterns in a series of image files. For example, imagine if you take 20 pictures of the same object from different angles. Photogrammetry technology will look for patterns in those images and produce a 3D mesh of the object or environment.It's a great technology and - best of all - it's becoming readily available on smart phone devices. Recently, I used an app called Metascan to take...
January 2022 Patreon Charitable Pledge Update!
Greetings Patrons!As I indicated in my New Year's post, I have set up a series of charitable funding goals with a pledge to contribute a portion of this Patreon's proceeds to good causes that I am passionate about. I will be doing posts like this on a monthly basis to discuss different charities and organizations that I am happy and proud to contribute to on behalf of this Patreon account!This month, there are two non-profit services I'd like to highlight where the Patreon funds will be directed:Firstly, there were a number of addit...
Video Game Pack ALICE Accessory Tips
A distinguishing feature of the video game proton pack are the accessories that decorate the ALICE frame straps. This includes attaching a torch light and a walkie talkie. I really like what these accessories add to the front of the Ghostbusters uniform and they are practical additions - they allow a Ghostbuster to see in dark areas and quickly contact the team for assistance.The torch light depicted in the game is a 90-degree G.I. light. I recently picked up this Rothco reproduction version which looks really close to the in-game version. It&#...
EXCLUSIVE - Servo Electronics Guide for Movie Ghost Trap
Last November, I published a new set of movie-style Ghost Trap files. One of the mechanisms I worked out was a servo + gear assembly that allowed for both doors to be opened and closed with a single servo. This makes the door electronics quite efficient (in comparison, these electronics use two servos and an armature).Additionally, I also employed the use of an NRF model to trigger the open-close action remotely. This allows me to avoid having to run wiring to the trap from a pedal or remote control. I really like these modules - they are easy ...
IGTV Livestream Tonight! My Spirit Pack Mod History
The Spirit Halloween Proton Pack was my first pack. In the late-summer of 2018, my son was discovering Ghostbusters and my family decided to create our own costumes for Halloween. In the proceeding 4 years, my Spirit pack continued to undergo transformations - even as I had since created a full-size movie replica and RGB pack.Today, my old Spirit pack is now my "game pack".In tonight's IGTV livestream, I will talk about the storied history of modifying my first Spirit Halloween Proton Pack and how it jump started my hobby in making ...
EXCLUSIVE - Addressable LED Ring Array Setup for Cyclotrons
AUTHOR'S NOTE 1/23: I recently updated the attachments of this post with Arduino code that does a "gradual spin up" effect for the cyclotron ring light - the spinning cycle starts slow and then gradually increases speed over the course of a few seconds. It looks pretty cool as part of a pack startup sequence!These last two weekends, I've been working on some electronics for my game pack. I wanted to try out a different kind of cyclotron effect - instead of 4 blinking lights, I wanted to installed a cycling array of lights to rep...
Happy New Year! It's 2022: What's next?
Greetings patrons!The year 2022 is here! Last year was a good time to be a Ghostbusters fan - even amidst all of the craziness in today's world. There seemed to be no shortage of new Ghostbusters content: a new movie was released and toys are back on shelves!For me, Ghostbusters is quite personal - it's a way to share an interest with my son and a has become a welcome hobby distraction from the day-to-day grind of work, news, politics, and all of the other trappings of 21st century life. It has been an honor to see this Patreon grow int...
Extreme Ghostbusters Proton Pack for Kenner Figures
I often get asked about props and accessories for the Extreme Ghostbusters series. By the time the series aired in 1997, I was 14 and big into Star Wars, X-Men, and Spider-Man. Needless to say, I don't have the same childhood connection to the Extreme series as I did with the original movies and The Real Ghostbusters cartoon series.It was only recently that I caught a few of the Extreme episodes on streaming. It's a decent show and I like the concept of a younger team being trained by Egon. I like the look of some of the new equipment s...
EXCLUSIVE - 3D Printed Ecto Containment Unit Playset for Kenner Figures
Just in time for the holidays! This exclusive patron post features 3D printable STL files for created an Ecto Containment Unit inspired by The Real Ghostbusters cartoon and scaled for use with vintage Kenner Ghostbusters figures. This playset makes for a great display piece or something to give to the kids in your life to let their imaginations run wild.While it is scaled for the vintage Kenner figures, the Hasbro "Fright Features" figures look right at home. It's also large enough that the Plasma Series figures look quite good as w...
IGTV Livestream - Full Containment Unit Reveal Tonight!
It’s finally done! (For now… lol). Join me tonight at 9PM central US on IGTV for a tour of the 3D printed Containment Unit playset from The Real Ghostbusters.I am currently preparing to publish the 3D files this weekend so Patrons can build their own - it should make for a fun project over the holidays!
Holiday Pledge Update!
Greetings Patrons and Visitors!Thank you again for being valued supporters to this Patreon account! As I highlighted in November, I am pledging my Patreon earnings to be directed towards good causes and charities during the November and December holiday season. In November, I used the Patreon funds to make donations to Make a Wish and No Kid Hungry.This month's earnings (after fees and creator pledges) totaled $397. Rounding up, I made donations totaling $400 to the following groups who - in their own way - have missions to improve the live...
Containment Unit IGTV Livestream at 10 PM Eastern (US)
I have some evening free time before I head on vacation for a week - I thought I'd do another impromptu Instagram livestream in about.... oh... 15 minutes! If you are around, feel free to join - I'll be talking a bit about the trials and tribulations of designing and building a Kenner figure-scale Ecto Containment Unit.I'll be starting shortly over at the Instagram account!Not to worry if you can't make it - it'll be available to watch on IGTV afterwards!
Roof Rack for the Kenner Ecto-1
What a big week for Ghostbusters fans! In celebration of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, I have a published a fun 3D printing file set for the Kenner Ecto-1!This roof rack lets you dress up your vintage Kenner Ectomobiles with some features that pick up on some movie details - including the sniffer, radome, and side ladder. The assembly is designed to be removeable and simply plugs into the hole where the original 'gunner chair' is located.I printed mine out of a mix of matte black, red, white, and silver PLA. I used 0.12 mm layer height (fine...
Hasbro/Kenner Movie-Style Ghost Trap Accessory
Last week, I released new 3D Printed Ghost Trap STL files.... this weekend the project is a bit.... smaller! I thought it was missed opportunity by Hasbro not to include a small ghost trap accessory for the 'fright features' figures. I decided to make an STL part that fits comfortably in the hands of these new Ghostbusters figures. This accessory is also compatible with my RTV Trap originally created for the Kenner figures!I printed my 3D file using fine settings 0.12 mm layer height using a Hatchbox black PLA. It's a fast print - t...
My pledge for the holiday season...
Greetings Patrons (and visitors),There have been a notable uptick in subscriptions in the last week or two - it's extremely humbling to see that the subscription total sits at just over 100 patrons! So first of all - THANK YOU! I never would have imagined that there would be this kind of interest in my DIY 3D printing work. I originally started this Patreon to provide some value back to the GB prop builder community and maybe collect some passive income that could fund my modest hobby efforts.Seeing this Patreon community grow beyond expect...
3D Printed Movie Ghost Trap with Digital Instructions
In the last few weeks, I became inspired to 3D print a new movie-style Ghost Trap. It has been on my list for awhile to make a new one for myself. The new trap would replace my modified Spirit Trap for costuming and display. I knew I wanted to have a few key features - namely a removable cartridge and servo-controlled doors.I surveyed available 3D print files already out there thinking I could simply build from work that had already been completed. In particular, "Countspatula" has released some excellent Ghost Trap files on Thingiverse...
IGTV - Livestream Tonight! (October 28 @ 9:35 Eastern US)
Greetings patrons! I wanted to let you know that I am doing a planned livestream on IGTV this evening at 9:35 Eastern. I'll be discussing some of my Ghost Trap builds and also preview some progress I am making on the upcoming "Movie Trap" I am designing for 3D printing!I am happy to have you join and ask questions!The stream will also be published on the @ghostbustersgear Instagram account if you want to view it later!
What's Next??? Planned Projects...
Greetings patrons! I hope everyone is enjoying the week leading up to Halloween and that everyone is staying safe and healthy. I am getting ready for a fun set of evenings this weekend with my family - including a collaboration with my neighbor on a haunted house installation (garage).As you've noticed, this Patreon page has seen an uptick in content in recent months - including 3D printable accessories for vintage Kenner and Hasbro toys and Spirit Proton Pack upgrades.Looking ahead, I wanted to give you all a preview of where my current en...
Proton Pack Variation for Hasbro Figures
I really like the new stylized Hasbro "fright features" figures and especially like that they are "in scale" with the vintage figures. My one criticism is that the included Proton Packs have very little play value compared to the old Kenner versions. With the Hasbro version, it looks like they are holding a police baton - you can't even have the figure aim at ghost to blast them!I decided to adapt my movie-style Kenner pack to plug into the Hasbro figures and give them that classic "arm blaster" so they can aim and f...
EXCLUSIVE - 3D Printed Spirit Proton Pack Video Game Upgrades
Halloween is right around the corner and I know Spirit packs are especially popular this time of the year. I also know that most owners like to modify their packs to their liking - including me! Personally, the Spirit pack is the item that opened up my interest in making Ghostbusters props and it was my first mod/prop project. Even today I still tinker with my first Spirit pack. I have since turned it into a video game pack (and I'm still not entirely finished!). It's kind of my working lab.In this post, I have published a few new STL p...
Movie-Style Proton Pack for Vintage Kenner Figures
For this week's toy-related release: I have created a movie-style version of the proton pack accessory that is compatible with your vintage Ghostbusters toy figures. It is also compatible with all of the other toy accessories I have been publishing lately - namely the Ecto Pack Gurney!The parts shown in these photos were printed with a black PLA filament by Hatchbox. I used and Ender 3 to make my parts using a 'fine' print setting in Cura as follows: Parts were "vertically" oriented on the bed 0.12mm layer height 205 degree ...
Slime Blower Nozzle for the Proton Blaster MOD
The Hasbro Proton Blaster MOD has a yellow attachment that activates "slime blower" style sounds. It's a neat idea although the part feels incomplete and doesn't look like it has a legitimate barrel or nozzle at the end - just a longer yellow "stub" to connect to another part.This 3D printable "Slime Bower Nozzle" is inspired by the video game Slime Blower Mark 2 which is a video game upgrade inspired by the Ghostbusters 2 blower. It pops right on to the yellow slimer MOD part and can also be attached directly to...
IGTV - Livestream Tonight! (Sept 22 @ 9:35 Eastern US)
Hello Patrons!In recently weeks, I have started to do some informal, unscripted livestreaming on IGTV to talk about the work that I've been doing as part of the @GhostbustersGear Instagram and this Patreon account. Today, the IG account hit a 2000 follower milestone - to celebrate, I'll be doing a livestream tonight to say thank you and generally reflect on the process of making a proton pack.If the format is popular, I'll plan to do them more regularly!In any event, feel free to pop over to the Instagram account, leave a comment, o...
Slime Blower Pack for Vintage Kenner Figures
These are likely my favorite custom "Kenner" accessory that I've designed so far. When GB2 was out in theaters in '89, I always wanted a slime blower pack for my Ghostbusters toys. I made these 3D printable packs to plug into the vintage figures just like the original Kenner packs.A few notes: I printed mine using .12 mm layer height and about 20% infill I used a silver silk metallic PLA filament by CC3D The blower and pack are connected using a 22 awg wire I recommend printing the pack in the 'vertical' orientationI mad...
Proton Blaster MOD Hose Adapter (3/4" ID, 1" OD)
As a follow up to the release of the Proton Blaster MOD Barrels, I have created a series of three variations for a removable 'host adapter' that can be used to attach to a split loom sized at 3/4" ID, 1" OD. After printing, these parts will plug on to the Proton Blaster MOD without the need for modifying the original toy!I used 0.2mm layer height on a silk metallic PLA with 15% gyroid infill - these will look great printed in black if you are painting the toy to be "realistic".The parts came out feeling really strong for...
RTV Trap for Kenner Figures
It's Labor Day in the US - so here is an easy project you can print up! The RTV ("Remote Trap Vehicle") is a new piece of gear used in the upcoming Ghostbusters Afterlife movie. The modern toys are starting to include variations of this accessory - notably the newer Ecto-1 vehicles.I thought it would be fun to have a version for my vintage Kenner figures. This simple kit incudes two parts: a Ghost Trap (previously included in my Proton Pack release) and an RTV "chassis" that you can plug your trap into. This means that your ...
Proton Pack Gurney for Kenner Ecto-1
How cool was the scene when the Ghostbusters showed up to Dana Barrett's apartment, parked the Ecto-1, and pulled out the gurney with all of the Proton Packs lined up?I have created my own version of the gurney designed to be compatible with vintage Kenner Proton Pack accessory for the figures. It is also compatible with my 3D printable replacement pack that I released a few weeks back. The gurney has fold-up legs so it can stand on it's own or slide into the back of the Kenner Ecto-1I printed my parts using PLA with a 0.2 mm layer heig...
Barrel Upgrades for the Proton Blaster MOD
I mentioned in my post that I am a fan of the new Proton Blaster MOD by Hasbro - it's a decent sized toy (maybe 10% smaller than a full-size movie thrower) and the play value of the exchangeable parts feels very "Ghostbustery". Super fun!Out-of-the-box, the blaster comes with two blaster extensions that use a simple attachment point on the toy. It's an easy way to configure the thrower and fun for kids!I saw an opportunity to create some custom 3D printable parts for the toy - namely barrels that are styled after the different N...
