Steampunk R&D Features

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...

Steampunk R&D Podcast 01: Thomas Willeford on Creating His Empire

Today, on our first episode of Steampunk Research and Development, we'll be interviewing Thomas Willeford, owner and operator of Brute Force Leather. Thomas is a man of many talents, and has worked in a vast array of fields. His Steampunk work can be seen in his book, Steampunk Gear and Gadgets, as well as on the television show Castle. Thomas is also one of the creative consultants on the upcoming television show Lantern City.

How To: 7 Things Every Steampunk Should Know for Making It Through Airport Security Stress-Free

There was recently a case that came to national attention where a gentleman was arrested at an airport for having a watch that looked like a bomb, among other things. As it came out, the watch was, in fact, not a bomb, and the man was just an artist who was probably trying to make a statement of some sort. Well, that message was lost amongst the hail of people shouting that either he had been stupid for bringing that watch on the plane and so deserved to be arrested, or that it's a free count...

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!

How To: Steampunk Your Next Party with the Elixirator, a Truly Exquisite DIY Robotic Bartender

So, you want to throw a steampunk party and you have almost everything in place—your steampunk persona and iPhone are ready to go, and you've even got your own steampunk straight razor. What's missing? The Elixirator, that's what. The Elixirator is a steampunk cocktail-making machine by Botronics that can hold four different ingredients and mix up to ten drinks. It has a Picaxe microcontroller for a brain and was built using a lot of pieces from thrift shops. It has a plasma globe at the top ...

News: World War 1 Body Armor Was Steampunk?

I came across a really cool article about armor that the Americans wanted to use in World War I. Since it was before kevlar and modern body armor but still needed to stop bullets, they designed it to be similar to medieval armor. It looks terribly uncomfortable and ineffective. Just look at this helmet design: The flaps could be opened when not in combat.

News: Why LEGO's New Monster Fighters Screams Steampunk DIY

For those who don't know, LEGO recently came out with a new line called Monster Fighters. This set is about fighting monsters, sure, but it's about fighting classic monsters in a Steampunk universe. Just look at this promotional picture from the LEGO site: That LEGO dude (properly called a minifig) is wearing a vest, pocket watch, bowler hat, and a mean smirk. Not to mention that he has a robotic leg. You won't find the word "steampunk" anywhere in this marketing campaign, but I call Steampun...

News: Steampunk Surfboard

I made a Steampunk Surfboard recently, just for the fun of it. It took quite a bit of time, but I really like the end result. If interested, you can check out my blog for more pics and info on how I made it.

News: Mainstream Comic Strip About Steampunk

You know that steampunk is mainstream when they even talk about it in comic strips. At least they got the punk in steampunk right. I don't know why anyone would be mad if their child was a steampunk. All the steampunks I know are really nice and aren't into subversive stuff or anything. We just dress up nice and do things like drink tea.

Steampunk R&D Podcast 02: Joey Marsocci on Professional Steampunking

This week on the Steampunk Research and Development Podcast, our guest is Joey Marsocci, better known to the world as Dr. Grymm. He's a full-time, professional Steampunk maker, and is the owner and operator of Dr. Grymm Laboratories. He's written several books and has worked as a designer at companies such as Hasbro and Disney. In fact, he worked with Disney to design the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attractions for both Paris and Tokyo Disney parks.

Steampunk R&D Podcast 04: Matt Silva on How Artists Can Succeed in the Film Industry

In this episode of Steampunk Research and Development, our guest is Matt Silva, the co-founder and art director of Penny Dreadful Productions. While his current love is producing, Silva is also responsible for bringing to life some amazing creations in PDP's Remnant line, which we talk about on the show. Silva, who supports himself entirely from his work as an artist and a producer, talks about how he got to where he is today and offers advice for anyone interested in following in his steel-p...

Steampunk R&D Podcast 06: Thomas Willeford Behind the Scenes of Steampunk Reality Television

This week, another guest returns to our Steampunk R&D show for the second time, Thomas Willeford. In our very first podcast, Thomas talked to us about creating his empire; this time we most notably talk about his recent appearance on the Science Channel's program Odd Folks Home, in an episode entitled "Blow Off Some Steampunk". Thomas Willeford is the owner and operator of Brute Force Studios, and has been responsible for some of Steampunk's most recognizable props and accessories, such as th...

How To: Print Your Emails in Style with This Steampunk Tape "Ticker Machine"

Last year, Instructables user Horatius.Steam created Dr. Brain, a small computer connected to a model brain that can tell stories and have Skype conversations. But one thing it couldn't do was print, so to solve that problem, he came up with this awesome Steampunk "Ticker Machine". A wooden base and glass dome make up the housing for a thermal printer, and the driver is hidden in a paper tube that's painted to look like wood. A slot at the bottom feeds the paper out from under the dome and a ...