Browsing category: Projects

Ruby slipper automaton

Posted by on April 14th,2011

Nick Rayburn advised us of his delightful ruby slipper automaton:

Image of automaton device

Used with permission of Nick Rayburn

Ruby Slipper automation in action

Artists wanted for Steampunk Art book project

Posted by on September 28th,2010

James Richardson-Brown of The Artificers’ Club needs your help:

I have received news that a proposed book on steampunk art will be going ahead. Published one of the UK’s leading art publishers and edited by myself. I am now looking for artists of all types to grace the pages of this humble endeavour with your wonderous creations. Apply now…

If you’re a Steampunk maker-artist, and you want to be featured in a book on the subject, this is your chance! Being considered for inclusion requires membership in The Artificers’ Club, which appears to be free of charge, but application-based.

[hat tip: Herr Döktor from our Steampunk Forum]

Steampunk Flying Olympics

Posted by on April 28th,2010

I have come up with something that might be crazy or might be wonderful fun. If you are game then speak up , come forward and lets have some good friendly sport.

All that could be can be read here :   Steampunk Flying Olympics

Approved and edited by HAC

To keep everyone updated with my my previous post/s, here’s some links regarding the official launch of the Aquitarian Guild of Inventors & Engineers or AGIE for short.

(Note: This name is still not set in stone and subject to change depending on the communities’ reaction however, this name will now be officially used until enough surveys and mailing list subscriptions have been completed.)

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Official Website

TBD (Awaiting vote on Guild name)

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Twitter Feed

Used for future AGIE updates rather than spamming Brass Goggles with posts.

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Mailing List

The core AGIE mailing list.

We urgently need as many people as possible to join the mailing list but more importantly, take part in the survey! Anybody from any walk of life within the Steampunk community is welcome to join this list regardless of location. Please note we have a large opening for skilled artists to work with members of the guild in exchange for each other’s services as well. One of the guilds aims is to become the ultimate one stop repository of skilled proffesionals from the Steampunk community for both personal and corporate client bases. However the guild itself will always remain strictly none-profit. The exchange of money will be solely controlled by the parties involved. Authorisation most be sought from the guild prior to this so as not to bring the guild into disrepute for its other members. Providing previous examples of your work will satisfy this so that we hold a strong quality base.

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Discussion Thread

Temporary base of guild discussions until a proper structure has been put in place and the name of the guild voted on. After which, the website shall have its own dedicated forums.

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p style=”text-align: left;”>A NOTE FROM YOUR BLOG ADMIN – please take all discussion of this over to the forum.  Comment fields are NOT the place for lengthy discussion or debate. Thanks, Harold

A Big Hello to the Brass Goggles Community

Posted by on December 18th,2009

Hi everybody,

Let me start by introducing myself. My name’s Leonardo Wolfe but feel free to call me Leo. I’ve long been the occasional visitor to the Brass Goggles website and once had a stint at writing for the blog however unfortunately, I think only a couple of my posts came to fruitrition. Long story short, I got myself into a commitment I couldn’t fulfil due to my terrible time management skills which leads me onto the irony that I’m a student with the British Horological Institute where I’m training to be a clock/watch maker.

So, why am I here darkening your doorstep? I have a proposition for all the amateur and professional engineers and inventors out there and I need your help however big or small to spread the word and join in.

I currently live in Cambridgeshire, England. The famous home of 84 Nobel Prizes and 8 Field Medals. The plan is to start in Cambridge and then to branch out nationally and potentially internationally. I’m hoping it really could become that big but I’m only testing the water here and it could go in the complete opposite direction. But what on earth am I talking about?

The idea is to start a guild (easy there MMORPG fans) of people that are mathematically and mechanically minded in the pursuit of creating devices and inventions from a period  now long gone but which we’re all here to enjoy, admire and relive. A rebellion against the torrent of cheap, mass produced capitalist junk that rolls out of the worlds factories to end up in the garbage day after day. Melted down to create the next fad and stale function. However we’d be by no means political and this is something that would have to remain key to the guild. Discrimination and snobbery also wouldn’t be tolerated.

So, due to the high level of talented students and professionals within the area, this seems like the ideal place to start such a project. Before we talk about drafting manifestos and creating secret handshakes (I joke), I need to gauge everybody’s initial interest. Now, the plan is we hold regular meetings within the Cambridge area however this will be determined by the average availability of those interested. A good idea if this takes off is to actually take minutes from our meetings so that we can publish them here or on a separate dedicated site so that others not so local and abroad can join in and contribute. As some of you may know, there’s regular lectures open to the public here in Cambridge and I don’t see why we can’t work our way up to some accredited recognition. However, this is a long way off. The plan is also to support each other in our inventions, that would be the heart of the guild be it swapping skills or maybe even applying for patents.

So, I need your thoughts and ideas. This isn’t my guild, it’s our guild! (As a note, the title “guild” is currently a working title)

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your ideas and suggestions. Also, a big thank you to Harold for allowing me start this project and post on Brass Goggles!

Lets get the steam ball rolling!

Direct E-mail: theagie@me.com.

Lykamobile – what’s not to like?

Posted by on November 9th,2009

Fancy a steam powered auto to go with your goggles and duster?  Well, look no further. Steam Traction World offers the LykaMobile,  a ready to asssemble full size  kit , delivered in a series of ready to paint and assemble kits over 18 months or as a complete set of kits from stock, complete with full assembly instructions and drawings.

When F.E. Stanley exhibited a small steam car at a horseless carriage show in 1898 the public response was so fantastic that he decided to start production commercially. However, before production began, Stanley sold the production rights. One of the purchasers, Mr. Amzi Barber set up the Locomobile Company. The first model was called Style 1 but this was quickly superseded by Style 2 which became the Standard Locomobile. By June 1901 it was claimed over 3000 had been sold. Many have been preserved and they remain immensely popular

The Lykamobile is a  full size steam vehicle similar to a Locomobile Style 2, but fitted with a modern boiler and different style of burner for safety reasons. The tyres are modern and treaded. Disc brakes are also fitted. The design reflects the Locomobile as far as is practical whilst maintaining a straightforward and cost effective design, utilising available materials and components.  The engine has  Modified Hackworth valve gear and is capable of 30mph with forward and reverse.

A Lykamobile recently did the 1000 mile John O’ Groats to Lands End run to raise funds for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

Trionic Morphatractable Engineer

Posted by on October 4th,2009

“The lives of robots have always been a topic explored by authors and artists alike. Isaac Asimov has written some of the best novels in the history of robots, DreamWorks created the computer animated movie Robots in 2005 and Pixar is currently making Wall-E.

“But it is not just the “big guys” who create amazing robotic art. Independent artist Andrew Chase is making this 50-page picture book about the Robot TME (short for “Trionic Morphatractable Engineer”)” and the pictures are absolutely stunning! See more at this Page. Thanks to a Mr Andy Barss for bringing this to our attention!

“Damnation” Timberclad PS3

Posted by on June 21st,2009
maduncle writes from the Antipodes:
 
A long time ago in a basement far, far away…
  
Mr. Jake of All Trades faces the daunting task of building the ultimate gaming PC for the launch of the new Steampunk themed game ‘Damnation’ and also knock up a modified PS3 in the same genre.
 
Both items were to be prizes for the launch of the game – with budding steampunkers invited to dress steampunk to win the PC, or draw their own version of a mooded PS3 to win one.
 
In order to give the PC his full attention, Jake kindly offered me the work modding the PS3 – which I accepted with honor.
 
So – a Sony Playstation PS3 arrives on my doorstep from the US, all sleek and black an minimalist – time to change that.
 
I went with a wood veneer finish trimmed with brass, as this was something I could fit to the curved outside of the PS3 without too much trouble. One thing about modding the PS3, it all had to be done from the outside with no internal access – otherwise all warrantees are voided!
 
So, the wood veneer went on and I fitted it with locating pins for the items to be fitted on to the wood. These include an old radio valve, a pipe valve, a pressure gauge, assorted brass plumbing parts and some trim. The wood veneer was then aged with a few coats of varnish.
 
Once all parts were fitted, I needed to change the look of the remaining plastic, so I applied some Porters ‘Liquid Iron’ and then treated this with Porters ‘Instant Rust’. This applies well to plastic as long as there is a good etch primer under it first.
 
Final addition was a hand cut 3D Damnation logo – supplied loose so the customer could place it where he thought it looked best.

House of Secrets Incorporated

Posted by on April 20th,2009

House of Secrets Incorporated is the independent designers identity of a Miss Hilde Heyvaert from Belgium, who specializes in original and custom-made steampunk outfits that should agree to any type of steampunk enthusiast!

The lovely photograph above show several items from her “Steampunk Adventurer” wardrobe. Besides the goggles (“Girl Genius”), aviator hat (“‘t Amerikaantje”), belts (“Moda Stoffen”) and boots (“Schuh”), all clothes depicted are custom made, combined to produce an attractive outfit that breaths both steampunk and adventure.

(more…)

Steampunk TARDIS Console

Posted by on February 2nd,2009

               
May I direct your attention to this rather wonderful work in progress, as made by one ‘douglas442′, more details can be viewed here.