#biomech
Steampowered Pollinator
Sticking gears on everything is debated in the steampunk community. Some just love the gear in its own right, others say sticking gears on everything and calling it “steampunk” misses the nuance and aesthetic of the genre. I’m in the middle - I use gears but not “orphan” gears and they must look like they actually have a purpose in the design. They can imply movement.
I’m telling you this because I wanted to make this piece with no gears. I wanted it to look like a miniature steam engine powering this little guy. Starting with a brass shelf support pin I drilled numerous holes to attach the “engine”, exhaust, wings, head and legs. Everything is screwed in.
He needed a purpose - in situ - so I made him a stand, bracket with a copper and brass flower to “fly” to. It’s curled around the main support. He can be taken off the bracket but I really like seeing him “working”. He is a combination of parts from jewellery supplies, watch parts, electrical supplies and miscellaneous hardware.
Thanks for looking! I really appreciate all the support I get from my Tumblr community.
Post link
Automata X
Another steampunk goddess made with a range of watch parts, brass bits and pieces, electrical probes and two part resin. She can look very intimidating from one angle yet strangely zen from another. She’s in my Etsy shop.
Post link
Photonic Angel
I’ve had another go at these resin heads - this time ramping up the complexity and symmetry. On top of my original inspiration, the movies Ex Machina and the Fritz Lang masterpiece, Metropolis, I’ve been watching a ton of science documentaries on youtube. Photonic computing is equal parts of terrifying (possibly undermining e-commerce security and privacy) and exciting with life changing possibilities. It could grant us immortality - digital immortality with our consciousness being uploaded.
Resin is never simple to work with. Lots of trial and error, testing different resins, a pile of rejects. Every pour runs the risk of not setting if I botch the ratio. The parts are placed and fixed layer by layer with a 16 to 24 hour drying time between each pour. With 5 layers the “brain” has depth and complexity. Due to the convex curve of the forehead there is some distortion/refraction when viewed from the front. I didn’t use any trick lighting in photos - the shape and material tends to capture light in unusual ways. There are some occasional air bubbles - something I’ve got to learn to live with when working with resin without spending a fortune of a vacuum chamber. I’ve bought a lot of watch parts over the past 10 years to create a complex “brain”. Many are NOS - new old stock - parts never used - perfect for the pristine look I’m going for.
Due to the original being a clay model. the mold produced a frosted appearance and texture even using crystal clear resin. Each face must go through levels of sanding and polishing. It takes a long time and a lot of elbow grease to get a glass like polish. I like to keep the frosted texture around the eyes, nose and mouth. Her features would just disappear without it. Her eyes are half spheres attached with UV resin.
After five or six days it’s always exciting to see how she looks coming out of the mold. Once I’ve finished polishing I start working on her exterior features. For this piece I’ve combined electrical glass fuses on either side of her head, two half drilled bead posts as antenna and laser cut arc slice attached with screws on the back of the head. There are two three hole bars also screwed into the head for hanging holes. Two hanging points mean the pendant won’t flip around.
The head is 2 inches high, 1.5 inches wide and 0.75 deep. It is designed to be worn mid length on the chest but I’m happy to change the length or put it on a cord for a masculine piece. The chain is silver tone ball link with larger ball stations. I’ve ended each chain length (10 inches each - so a total 20 inch chain) with finished cord caps. If you would like to wear it higher or lower - I’m happy to alter the chain to any length you want.
Post link
I’ve been drawing on two inspirations - the movies Ex Machina and the Fritz Lang masterpiece Metropolis. Both have amazing android/robots in lead parts. I was disappointed with the LED embedded head experiment but this direction may change that. These pieces don’t have the LED light just layers of resin with watch parts embedded. The silver head is symmetrical - the gold just random parts. The “eyes” are gold tone pin heads. I’ve used mixture of jewellery findings.
I wanted it to look like the heads are “crowned” - with slight religiosity mixed with technology and biomechanics. They are designed to be worn mid length on the chest but I’m happy to change the length or put it on a cord for a masculine piece.
So I’ll start working on the other resin heads to see where this tangent leads me….
Post link
Steampunk clockwork “brain” pendant necklace. Mech head 1, 2 and 3.
These look really simple but like anything with resin - it wasn’t simple. Lots of trial and error, testing different resins, a pile of rejects but I really like the final piece. The face has a zen quality to me - it reminds me of the automata dolls from the 19th century or the robot in Metropolis. The brain being represented as a clock work mechanism is an old trope but I really wanted to attempt it using epoxy resin. It’s opened up a thousand ideas that I’ll be exploring more.
There was a “happy accident” early on. Due to the original being a clay model. the mold produced a frosted appearance and texture even using crystal clear resin - that was great, I love the frosted look, but how to reveal the gears and mechanics - that took awhile to work out. The gears are laid layer by layer with a 16 to 24 hour drying time between each pour. With 5 layers the gear and cog “brain” has depth and complexity.
Due to the curve of the forehead there is some distortion/refraction when viewed from the front. As you can see in the photos, when viewed from the back the gears don’t distort. I didn’t use any trick lighting in photos - the shape tends to capture light. There is the occasional air bubble - something I’ve got to learn to live with when working with resin without spending a fortune of a vacuum chamber.
The gears are all vintage or antique from an array of watches and pocket watches. The head is 1.5 inches high, 1.1 inches wide and 0.5 deep. I’ve put it on a really long necklace, Gatsby length - 38 inches long. Due to the length I haven’t included a clasp as it’s not really needed. The chain is black with faceted cut brass cable link - it really sparkles as it moves. If you would like to wear it higher - I’m happy to alter the chain to any length you want. I can also put it on a different chain or cord.
Post link
Framed Flying Heart
Here is one of my signature steampunk pieces - the mechanical flying heart. Although I make many of these, each one is unique with different features, layout and parts. I love working in miniature - the more complex - the better.
This piece is extremely intricate - 100+ parts some less than 1mm. The green glow under the grill/screen is from glow in the dark powder mixed with resin - I mix my own so it’s a strong glow. I recommend using a UV torch to “charge” it if wearing it at an event.
Nothing is glued on - it’s all deep pinned, soldered, using cold connection methods or screwed. It is robust enough the be worn without fear of anything falling off. I don’t cast or fabricate preferring to use existing items from a variety of sources. Some parts are antique, vintage, NOS or new.
Dimensions:
The pendant is 3 inches wide (75mm) and 1 ½ inches long (36mm) and 1 inch (24mm) deep. The chain is gold tone brass faceted cut cable link, 22 inches long with a gold tone lobster claw clasp.
The frame:
I decided to include a glass frame and dock when clients expressed their desire to be able to have the piece visible when not being worn. So I bought a commercial shadow box, painted it “distressed” gold, attached black felt and brass brackets. The heart can be accessed easily out of the back and attached to the chain with two push clasps and rings. The two clasp points keep the heart from flipping around when being worn.
It takes the piece to another level, especially if given as a gift. As a desk ornament or part of your home decor, my little biomechanical winged heart is sure to be commented on and desired.
The frame is square - 5 X 5 inches (125mm) and 1.6 inches (40mm) deep. The back panel is secured with four rotating clips and also has a “D” ring for wall hanging. The heart just rests on the two brass prongs.
Build time: 40 hours.
Available in my Etsy shop $455
Post link
Makoto Kobayashi’s organicized reinterpretation of the classic ‘80s IDEON mecha.
https://aaltomies.wordpress.com/2016/05/29/mecha-design-organic-vs-industrial/
Post link
Wolf King ⚜
