Steampunk R&D Features
How To: Make a Super-Simple Steampunk iPad Case Out of Leather
I chose to make this a Steampunk iPad case, but you can change the details and make it look as modern as you'd like. As I said earlier, Steampunks probably shouldn't buy iPhones or iPads, but if you're going to get one, you may as well make it look cool, right? The iPad pictured below was borrowed from a friend of mine, though I should add that this design will easily work with tablet computers of any variety, Apple, Android, or otherwise.
News: Treat Yourself (Or Someone Else) to Some Steampunk Music This Holiday Season!
Steampunk music is an oft-debated genre, full of bands playing all sorts of different sounds. While this can make it difficult to generalize about the genre as a whole, it means that the average person is bound to like at least some Steampunk bands. That's why it's a great idea to support some independent Steampunk bands this holiday season by buying their music for yourself, or sharing it with someone else.
How To: Become a Tea Duellist
Those of you who have attended a Steampunk convention in the last year or two may have heard of something called "Tea Duelling" and been intrigued.
News: Giant Mechanical Hands for Everyone!
Etsy seller Ivan Owen is offering for sale some giant mechanical hands that are fully functional, and can be used as it if were your own.
News: The 26 Best Online Stores for Steampunk Christmas Shopping
The holiday season is creeping up fast, and if you're shopping for a Steampunk, it could be almost impossible to find anything for them unless you know exactly where to look. Luckily for you, some of us have done all of the work you'll need. Whether you're Steampunk shopping for Christmas, Hanukkah, Chrismukkah (yes, that's real), Kwanzaa, or Festivus, you're sure to find something for that special lady or gentleman in your life by taking a stroll down this list!
News: Plastic? Steampunks Don't Use Plastic! But Wait…Victorians Most Certainly Did
We frequently associate plastics with the modern era, starting at around the 1950s with the prevalence of bakelite. However, for all of you "you can't use plastic in Steampunk" purists out there, I have bad news for you:
How To: Get Started with Arduinos—For People Who Literally Know Nothing About Electronics
I obviously do a lot of Steampunk projects, but there are a ton of things out there that I haven't tried yet. So, in an effort to broaden my horizons, I recently taught myself how to use Arduinos, which I plan to incorporate into some of my future Steampunk builds.
How To: Building a Steampunk Hand Cannon, Part 1: How to Make a Wooden Gun Stock
One of the hardest, most intimidating parts of making your own Steampunk guns from scratch is the wooden stock of the gun. To be fair, it's probably the hardest part. It requires the most artistry, and is the easiest to mess up.
How To: Use Real Steam Power For... Robots?
First off, let me say this—using real steam power is dangerous, and heavy, and just generally not worth it when you have modern alternatives. Except, you know, if you're a Steampunk. Or this guy:
News: How Victorian Era Gamers Would Have Played Computer Games Using the Analytical Engine
Text adventure games, such as the well-known Zork series, were some of the first computer games ever made, second only to the likes of Spacewar! and the better-known Pong. So let's travel back in time for a moment, to a time that never was.
How To: How Panic! at the Disco's "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" Was Steampunked
You may or may not have heard of alt-rock band Panic! at the Disco, but a year and a half ago they released a single called "The Ballad of Mona Lisa", which had an accompanying music video that was Steampunk-themed. In fact, here's the video:
The Known and Unknown Unknowns: Is All of the History You Know Wrong?
The vast majority of people involved in Steampunk are interested in history but, like with science, there's something about history that we don't talk about very often: The holes.
News: How H.G. Wells and the Bicycle Drove the Evolution of Science Fiction
We don't spend much time thinking about bicycles today, do we? Sure, they're a "green" alternative to driving everywhere in cars, but the vast majority of America has dismissed them as simply being too much work, or more importantly—too slow. That wasn't always the case, though, I assure you!
News: Steampunk Is More Accurately Vernian, Not Victorian!
ATTN: HUMOUR ALERT Jules Verne was an author of immense imagination, who had a profound effect on speculative fiction, whereas Victoria was a stodgy & pampered royal who led a sheltered and traditional existence. Boring, frumpy, grumpy royal! (Photo from The Guardian, UK)
News: 8 Tips and Tricks Every Steampunk Writer Should Know
While I am a writer with a degree in Creative Writing, I haven't published any Steampunk fiction. However, as a panelist and track director, I've been on panels with many well-known Steampunk writers and have gleaned insight from the things they've said. I've compiled some of those things into this post, which will hopefully be helpful to all of the writers out there!
News: Steampunk Fashion - Timetravelers and Warriors
There are many opportunities to make Steampunk clothing. Clothing can be elegant and relate to the aristocrats of the 19th century. But Steampunk also can be rough and dirty, inspired by the adventurer from stories like 2000 miles under the sea or even movies like "Mad Max" or Wild "Wild West".. There are no rules how Steampunk has to look...
News: Playing Video Games Is the Most Important Thing You Can Do as a Child
It's a controversial headline, I know, but bear with me and I'll explain in due course. Disclaimer: I was once a child, and I played lots of video games. I didn't look anything like this child.
News: The Top 10 Steampunk Music Videos
"Jef with one F" from the Houston Press compiled a list of the 10 best steampunk songs, but it's really a collection of the best steampunk music videos. There are some amazing videos in the collection, such as this one, "Brass Goggles" by Steam-Powered Giraffe. It's not the best-looking, but it's a great performance.
How To: Building a Steampunk Hand Cannon, Part 2: How to Make and Detail a PVC Gun Barrel
As I said in this earlier post, there's no easy way to explain or define the Steampunk aesthetic. There are a large number of Steampunk tropes or "cues", as I call them, that bring to mind the feeling of Steampunk. These cues combine to push past the "not-Steampunk" threshold into firmly "Steampunk" territory.
How To: Make a Steampunk Straight Razor
I collect straight razors from the Victorian era and then add some steampunk style. Step 1: Remove the Old Scales
Steampunk's Rising Popularity: How to Take Advantage of the Hottest 'New' Trend
As practically the entire Steampunk world knows by now, IBM has predicted that Steampunk will be the big new trend from 2013 to 2015. They based this prediction on their computers, which sift through broad swathes of the internet in order to see patterns that may help commercial industries. According to them, Steampunk has been on the rise for the last few years, and they predict that it will explode into peak popularity within the next two years. But what does that mean and how will it impac...
News: A Do-It-Yourself Singing Tesla Coil Kit
I happened across this in my Steampunk Facebook group, and I had to share. A company called oneTesla is running a Kickstarter campaign for a DIY singing Tesla coil.
Steampunk Travesty: Cross-Dressing in Fandom
Cross-dressing and gender-bending are nothing new, but the realm of Steampunk seems to be especially accepting of role-reversal in dress.
Steamdown: How I Made My Liquid-Cooled Steampunk Rifle Prop
I know, "Steamdown" conjures images of a hoedown, but "Steampunk prop breakdown" is a bit of a mouthful, I thought.
Arthrobots: Steampunk Insects on the Loose!
A man named Tom Hardwidge has taken it upon himself to create an army of steampunk insects from a bunch of different found materials, including bullets and pocket watches. He's made a ton of them—and they're really awesome. They're modeled after real insects, too, and aren't just fantasy creations. His website has them all categorized by species, with clever, robot-inspired names. His arthrobots are for sale, too, so if you're interested in owning your very own horde of steampunk insects, you...
News: What Is Steampunk?
So I have been wondering this for a while now. What exactly is steampunk? I know a little bit about it but I feel as thought the internet definitions can only give so much information. What do you guys think? Is steampunk a lifestyle? A fiction base? A for of a art? I think that steampunk has way more potential than people think. Share your ideas on what you think steampunk is and what you would like to see be done with it!
The Black Dandy: People of Color in Steampunk
I just returned from a trip overseas and I came across this great article over at The Chronicles of Harriet about the role of black men in the evolution of Dandyism. Dandyism rose to prominence at the end of the 19th century, so there's a clear connection to Steampunk. I hope that many black men embrace the fashion and find their way into steampunk!
The Time Traveler's Companion: Surviving the Past and Future with Your Kindle
Not that long ago I wrote an article discussing what it would be like, realistically, if you were to accidentally travel back in time to the Victorian era. At the end of that article, I mentioned that the best thing you could bring with you on a time-traveling adventure is a Kindle, or similar e-reader, stuffed full of the knowledge of the 21st century. Why a Kindle? Well, I own a Kindle, and I love it. However, there's far more to it than that.
How To: This DIY Steampunk Toothbrush Timer Tells You When You're Done Brushing Your Teeth
If you're a steampunk enthusiast looking to give your bathroom an extra kick, this just might be the project for you. This stylish and functional "vintage" toothbrush timer knows when you've grabbed your toothbrush, and will visually count down two minutes before alerting you when you've brushed long enough. All you'll need to put one together yourself is a microcontroller (the designer used a ATmega328p), a weight sensor, light bulbs, brass cups and a tray, an alarm clock's chime, and some w...
Meet the Steam Ant: A Steampunk-Inspired Hexapod Robot That's Actually Powered by Steam!
So you've made a somersaulting robot, one that delivers your beer, and even a robot you can ride, but you want to try out something really different. Why not add a steam engine?
News: Have a Little More Christmas in Your Steampunk
Religion is one of the most-ignored topics when it comes to Steampunk, which is surprising given how important religion was in Victorian England. Even the hot-button issues of race and gender are confronted with a greater awareness than religion.
News: Trudy's Mechanicals
Concept artwork of a Toronto based video game studio Incubator Games upcoming steampunk turn-base tactic game: Trudy's Mechanicals. The military's boat-like Battle Platform. Butler-bot variations: pantsless four-arms and sleek tuxedo. Denizens of the Clockwork Labyrinths and various fashion. A placard for the Aerie and its floating islands connected by cable cars. Incubator Games » games.
News: The Ultimate Valentine's Day Date Guide for Steampunks
You (or your partner, or both) are a Steampunk. Let's get away from all the mindless, unfeeling commercialism for a few minutes and think about dates instead of gifts—where do you take your significant other for Valentine's Day? What would be the ultimate Steampunk Valentine's Day date?
How To: Increase Your iPhone's Volume by 14 dB with This DIY Steampunk Music Amplifier
Do you listen to a lot of music on your smartphone or MP3 player? Ever wished the built-in speaker was louder? You're in luck, because this simple amplifier can increase your volume by 14 decibels and make your device look totally steampunk while you're at it. What You'll Need
News: My Latest Steampunk Creations...
Wow, nearly 2013! This is the time I look back over my body of work in 2012 and assess where I am creatively. With large gaps in the year due to moving into a new studio and two extended hospital stays certainly took a toll on my productivity mid year. I'm really proud of the pieces I submitted to "The Antipodean Steampunk Show", an exhibition that will be touring for three years in regional Australia.
News: The 28 Best and Worst Definitions of Steampunk
Ever since the mid-2000s, there's been a lot of bandying back and forth on the Internet over what exactly Steampunk is. Some people think it's one thing, others another thing, and some think that it shouldn't be defined at all.
News: Steampunk Pin-Up (Not Porn!)
The lovely Kato of Steampunk Couture has gone hardcore. For those who prefer to exercise their imaginations a bit more, Voila! Veronique Chevalier in Gearhearts Steampunk Glamour Revue- click here should do... A recent kerfuffle unfolded on facebook's Steampunk Revolution group when a discussion was started by Steampunk R &D''s very own Austin Serkin on the subject of Kato's new foray into steampunk porn, which was, ahem, examined in detail. (Well, figuratively, not literally, since her websi...
News: The Best 3 Steampunk Video Games You've Never Heard Of
I can imagine you sitting there thinking to yourself, "I've played a lot of games! I bet he won't have any that I don't know about!" Well, that's entirely possible. I'm only drawing from my own personal experience here, so you may, in fact, know of all these games.
News: Amazing Steampunk Claw Glove
This claw glove by Curiomira, called "Von Richt's Mechanical Glove" is really, really impressive. In addition to the amazing craftsmanship, it also has cool moving parts that make it look mesmerizing in action.
How To: Steampunk Your iPhone! How to Add Your Favorite Art to Apple's Boring Back Glass Panel
Jake von Slatt of The Steampunk Workshop kept breaking the rear glass panel on his iPhone. So, he ended up making his own gorgeous replacement out of brass to replace the standard Apple logo ones who kept getting. The only problem was that it made his signal strength super weak, so he figured out how to transfer the etching onto a glass back. Here's the basic rundown of how he accomplished this feat...