Steampunk R&D Features
End of the Century: The Fin De Siecle's Role in Steampunk
With the new year right around the corner, it's time to talk about the end of the 19th century, a time which plays an enormous role in Steampunk. If you've done any reading of British books written from about 1890 to 1899, you may have come across the phrase 'fin de siecle' and wondered what it meant. You also may have come across this term in reading about the late Victorian era. No worries, I'll tell you all about it! Image by Giovanni Dicandia
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
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.
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...
How To: Find Inspiration for Your Steampunk Projects
Once you have the skills to bring your ideas to life, the hardest part is coming up with ideas. What do you do when you can't think of something to make? What happens when your well of inspiration runs dry?
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!
How To: The Quick and Dirty Beginner's Guide to Steampunk Leatherworking, Part Two
In the first part of this two-part guide, I covered cutting, grooving, beveling, making holes, and stamping/tooling. I hope you enjoyed that part, because we're pushing the accelerator to the floor and moving ahead at full speed!
News: Beautiful Custom Steampunk Guitar
I've seen some pretty ugly steampunked guitars in my day, but this isn't one of them. This one's about as beautiful as they get. French company Wild Customs made this Gibson LesPaul into a steampunk masterpiece.
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: Amazing Steampunk Restaurant in Poland
While this is pretty out of the way for people who don't live in Poland, this restaurant, Wodna Wieza, is really gorgeous!
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 Vatican's Hidden Steampunk Treasure Inside the Sistine Chapel
While the pope himself may not be Steampunk, you might be amazed at what is: the coronation stove. For those who don't know, it's been a tradition for a very long time to signal the election of a new pope (or the lack of a new pope) via colored smoke. More specifically, once the cardinals have all voted for the new pope during the conclave, the ballots are burned in a special stove in the Sistine Chapel, and the smoke is visible in St. Peter's square.
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.
The Anachronist: A Crowd-Funded Steampunk Film About Time Travel
I guess it's steampunk film night, because there's another film out there in the works, though this one is trying to raise money via Kickstarter. The promotional animation that they have up on their kickstarter page is pretty awesome, and from what the director had to say, it sounds like it would be a really cool film. Go over there and check it out, and if you like to contribute to the indie scene, give them some money!
How To: Use Gears, Propellers, Wheels, and Watch Parts in Steampunk Jewelry
If you've never heard of Steampunk before, then you're about to be educated. Steampunk is a relatively new hybrid style (and subgenre) of old anachronisms and technology. So, for instance, a steampunk computer is one that's done in an industrial, victorian manner with brass parts.
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: 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...
How To: Turn a Boring Old Flashlight into a Steampunk Star Wars Lightsaber
There are tons of uses for a flashlight. You can turn it into a laser, hack it into a night vision flashlight, or make it super bright. Or if you're a Steampunk Jedi, you turn it into a steampunk lightsaber. Jen from EPBOT started with a vintage flashlight and attached a piece of plumbing extension pipe. Screen splicing was glued on with E-600 for the grip and brass mesh with buttons and rhinestones makes up the 'control panel.' She added a silver gear to cover up the logo on the end. The LED...
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.
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: 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: 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.
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: Steampunk Lara Croft Cosplay from Tomb Raider
Even most non-video gamers know who Lara Croft is, thanks to Angelina Jolie. The movies were pretty awful, but even I'd go see the next one if it looked like this: The photos are from LJinto. And the character design is from Tess Fowler.
News: A Small Survey of a Selection of Steampunk Santas
This post has been brought to you by the letter S. With the Christmas season fast approaching, it's time to ask one of the most important questions of our lifetime:
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: Shark Jumps Steampunk
Shark jumps Steampunk, experts unsure of the meaning. Cape Town -- In an unprecedented move today, a Shark have jumped a steampunk couple as they were attempting to work on their hobby steamboat.
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...
News: Steampunk Elevator Erupts from Underground
It's actually an art installation made to look like an elevator was erupting from the ground, or perhaps as though it had fallen from a great height.
News: Why Andrew Jackson Was Terrifyingly Crazy
President Andrew Jackson was a pretty rough guy. He routinely fought in duels, and even used to beat people with a stick. That's not very funny.
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: 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: A Close Look at the Upcoming Steampunk Web Series "Crypto-Historians"
The upcoming web series "Crypto-Historians" does for cryptohistory what Indiana Jones did for archaeology. For those who don't know, cryptohistory is the study of supernatural or alien elements throughout history, and yes—it's a "real" field.
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: Steampunk Your Halloween with These Creepy Steampunk Decorations
Since it's October and Halloween is fast approaching, it's time for a series of articles on how to make the coolest Steampunk Halloween decorations for your home! In this installment, we'll look at some jack-o'-lanterns, skulls, and a few other things that are easy to Steampunk, but will still keep that "spooky" Halloween feeling.
News: Steampunk Fashion - Handcrafted Costumes
For creating my costumes I try to use only authentic materials, such as old leather, steel, brass, copper, wood and glass. Nearly nothing is glued, most parts are reversible connected with screws.
How To: 8 Animals That Think They're Steampunk (Plus Tips for Steampunking Your Own Pet)
Many of us in the Steampunk community have pets that we love and cherish, myself included, and we want those pets to share our joy of Steampunk. In reality, they couldn't care less, but for some reason we still love to dress them up. Their reactions usually range from bemused acceptance to temper tantrums, but the awwwws we get from onlookers usually makes it worthwhile.
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: 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.