#steelhipdesign
My latest heart.
I know - another heart. I still love making them and, at this time of year, I get a lot of requests. Each is unique - sometimes on purpose, sometimes to cover up an accident - drill scratch, hole in the wrong place etc. The heart itself is vintage - new old stock from the 1970s - a lucite core with a thick copper plate. They are still available but, eventually, I’ll have to find an alternative. I’d love to find similar wood hearts - that could be hinged with a secret internal compartment. If anyone knows where something like that can be sourced - let me know. Dimensions would be 1 ½ inches wide/high and about ¾ of an inch deep so they could be cut and hollowed out.
The next one I’ll be making will be a bit different - a central “window” with a flashing red LED - with batteries that can be replaced. It will have to be a symmetrical design with a feature taking up that much real estate on the heart. I’m starting it tonight and I’ll post a video of it to show the “flash”.
I had a client recently ask me to make a steampunk mechanical bee for her and gave me a photo of a tattoo for reference. This is the result. The wings were a problem as I wanted them light. I ended up cutting down two brass pendant bases and filling them with UV resin. They then had to be sanded back to the brass and finally polished. I was aiming on transparent but the frosting works. Her body is an old brass electrical terminal cut to fit. Her wire legs are threaded through the body for security. The crimps are for effect and to stop the feet scratching if worn as a pendant.
She also contains an assortment of gears, pinions, screws, bolts, rivets, an electrical probe is her “stinger” and her wire antenna do rotate. I hope the client likes her but if not I’ll try again. I’ve already had interest so she will sell either way.
Well I’m sitting in hospital unexpectedly - nothing too serious. I was going to post this last night but I was in too much pain.
So this is a proof of concept. The word “magical” is used far too much but that was my ambition. Something of unknown use and unknown provenance.
Proof of concept is the build I make all the mistakes on - motor too fast, planets too large and high, LEDs wiring wrong and ugly battery packs. Internally this might not be saleable quality.
The video isn’t great, sorry. When I get home I will take some still photos of all the decorations and detail. It was inspired by those magnetic ballerina jewellery boxes from the 1960s. She would dance around a mirror when the box was opened.
I initially covered the neodymium magnets and attached the planet on a post. Wrong. They fell down, stuck to each other with such force they ended up broken. So I’ve gone for simple using the magnetic force to hold the metal spheres. I will include several spare magnets and planets.
I hope you like it!
Steampunk
Still playing with my little LED lights and tritium. I found these great paracord beads - expensive but totally worth the money. Beautifully turned brass with “windows” - three vertical holes interspersed with a long window around the whole bead. I sealed the holes and poured resin into the center and embedded the LED leaving the connector post exposed so the battery pack “clutch” can turn on the light.
The top photos are “BlueBot” with a domed cap making him look a little like a certain famous robot that I can’t mention because I don’t want a trademark strike. It can be worn without the battery pack and brass ring. Unfortunately the photos make the light seem much brighter than it is in reality. It just gives off a blue glow.
The middle photos are a design I wanted to revisit with a blue tritium stick in a glass vial and silver tone sleeve. Very cyberpunk. I combined it with a horizontal post hanger with mechanical bits and pieces.
Final piece is a little “Green rocket”. The top has a small silver tone stepped cap on top and serrated exhaust funnel over the battery pack. It can also be worn without the battery pack. Again, the photos don’t convey the light well. It gives off more of a green glow and isn’t that bright in reality.
The LED necklaces are on long chains to be worn mid length. The battery packs are very secure and the batteries can be replaced easily. I’ll list them in my Etsy shop. Etsy doesn’t let me sell tritium (I don’t agree with it but their sandpit - their rules) so if you are interested buying it - drop me a PM. It’s US$125 including shipping/tracking from Australia.
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What a dapper chap! I was inspired by a few posts and popularity of my LED experiments in design. Found an old skull charm, gave him goggles and cobbled together a top hat from an XL brass eyelet, some cut brass tubing and walled setting. I attached it at a slight jaunty angle. Couldn’t resist installing a tiny LED within the skull set in resin. Like my other pieces it’s powered by putting a small clutch battery pack on a small post. The whole piece is set on a stick pin so it could be worn on a cravat or dress coat. Unfortunately, the LED has made it very difficult to photograph accurately. The light seems too bright but in reality it’s just an eerie green glow. Perfect finish to a gentleman’s outfit who dabbles in the macabre and dark arts. The batteries are easy to replace.
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Yes, another gold audio fuse but this one has a pink LED and a bit more embellishment - four struts connected to two bracket rings. It does remind me of an old valve. It has very thin gold plate on the caps and central fuse - apparently it doesn’t degrade which effects sound quality in high end audio equipment. On this one I used a pink LED. The photo does make it look more purple but in reality it is more pink. I don’t like altering product photos too much.
As you can see the light is on when the post is inserted into the silver battery pack. The batteries can be replaced by screwing the top off. When I build these it’s so exciting turning it on for the first time - I was thrilled when I saw this one light up. Perfect for that theatrical costume or just that night out. It will certainly grab attention.
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The Detector
I’ve been overdosing on documentaries about CERN, the Large Hadron Collider, quantum physics/mechanics and proof of the Higgs Boson. As a science illiterate it fascinates me. That massive tube full of magnets, cameras, detectors and liquid nitrogen is an incredible instrument. Simply awe inspiring. These docos play in the background in my studio and I would occasionally look up to see the massive size and complexity of the machine.
This started with simple flat brass rings with eight holes and some rescued snake chain I cut into eight lengths. This design wasn’t thought out - I just had to wing it. I vaguely wanted a “cage” to hold a glass vial with a Tritium vial in it. Etsy doesn’t like Tritium (their sandpit - their rules) so I sell those pieces off Etsy. It basically glows without the need for a charge - it glows constantly for 10 to 15 years. But I’ve been working with UV resin and recently purchased some tiny LEDS. So I set an orange LED into a gold tone cord cap with UV resin. Then I put a glass tube into the cap and slowly poured resin into the tube stirring it frantically to produce air bubbles. Normally I’m fighting against air bubbles in resin so trying to form and quickly cure them was surprisingly difficult. I didn’t even know if the LED and electronics was going to work after pouring resin on them. The light refracts and diffuses on the bubbles. I was thrilled when it all worked.
Once I had brass beads on the end of each chain length I threaded a range of beads, pinions, tubing and 5 brass rings to stabilize the tube. I still had no idea if the vial would fit through the middle and how I was going to attach it to the structure. This is where the magic often happens - it fit like it was designed with precision. To fasten it within the tube all I had to do was slide another cap on the top of the glass vial and seal it with a screw.
As you can see - when unlit there is a small silver tube, slightly hidden by the brass tassel. To turn the light on - insert that tube into the battery pack - a tiny silver tone tube with a central hole (3/8 x ¼ inch). Once inserted it turns the LED on. Batteries can be replaced easily by unscrewing the cap.
During the day - it’s an unusual mecha deco design - at night with the light - the wow factor.
It sort of looks like a little mechanical cephalopod with those 8 tassel “legs”. I’ve designed this to be worn low on the body - Gatsby length with a long chain. It’s hitched high on the display bust just to show scale and fit it into the photo. If you want it to be higher - I’m happy to alter the chain length.
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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.
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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.
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I ordered some amazing brass stamps over Christmas and here is one put to use in the latest mechabug. Watch parts feature heavily in this guy with layers of parts on his face, head and along his top “backbone”. His “legs” are repurposed lever action earrings - cut and adapted for this use, with watch winder stems at the end. Flat semicircle brass stamps form the main skeleton all threaded on a brass rod with sleeves and springs between them. Threading the gears and minute pinions on the “top” backbone was very tricky - a lot of swearing at inanimate objects.
He is 2 inches long, 1.5 inches wide and stands 1 inch high. He’s designed to just sit on your desk or shelf, keep you company and impress guests. He has a hanging loop so it would look like he’s walking down your wall.
When I was researching anatomical bugs for this project I accidentally found myself looking at the Russian spy cockroach - very interesting. So here is the steampunk version. Love to see him come to life…
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Light Spider
This has been a long time in the making. The parts have literally been sitting on my work desk all year. First problem was creating the abdomen from two perforated domes - something that could be opened and closed. So I found a tiny little hinge and fashioned a swing hook latch. Next major problem was the legs. Another artist who I admire greatly solders watch winding stems for insect legs. I wanted to use the same materials but I don’t copy. So I used sleeves, cord end tubes with loops, tiny rubber rings and brass rods. They are screwed to a brass ring. I did want a lot more detail in the cephalothorax but decided to go simple with a stepped brass finding with brass rings attached underneath for the central screw. It’s more wild wild west than a real representation of a spider.
The glow is from the innards of a LED “fairy globe” sold on one of the big wholesale sites for party decoration. I took it out of the plastic ball and put it in the spider’s abdomen. The light pulses slowly on and off. Batteries can easily be replaced. It doesn’t have a switch so I just break the circuit with a toothpick between the battery and terminal to turn it off.
It’s 3 inches wide, 2 ½ inches long and 1 ½ inches high.
Thanks to all my followers - I really appreciate all of you. I hope you have a wonderful New Year and fantastic 2019!
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This is a recent commissioned piece - a Christmas gift for my client’s partner. I was going to mount the spring loaded clip holding the vial on a plain rectangular piece of brass.On a whim I held it over the copper ring that was on my work area. Although it’s quite simple I’m really happy how it’s turned out and will take this concept a bit further in the next piece. I’ve got to buy more tritium as I’m down to my last few sticks - just yellow and pink left.
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This small orrery inspired piece is designed to be an ornament but could also be worn carefully as a pendant or as a fob. When I bought the case it didn’t have a crown or bow so I used other vintage parts in my collection. I think they suit the piece. The whole swedge with the planets can be gently rotated.
All the small planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth are on the inner ring followed by Mars, Jupiter and Saturn on the middle ring and finally, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto on the outer ring.
It’s available in my here in my Etsy shop
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Tritium Powered Assassin Bug
No, not really “powered” by tritium but that would be fantastic. It’s just a fantasy mechanical winged insect with a tritium rod in the abdomen.It’s hanging from a stick pin so it can attached to clothing. The legs are vintage watch stems attached to brass rods. Nearly every connection is nuts and bolts - tiny nuts and bolts. The centre piece is brass with a square top screw securing the glass vial to the body and head.It’s estimated the green tritium will glow continuously for 10 to 12 years. It doesn’t need “charging” from a light source like regular glow in the dark.
It’s 1 ½ inches long, just over 1 inch wide and stands ½ an inch high. It’s US$185 shipping included. If you are interested in buying it - drop me a line with your paypal email address and I’ll invoice you.
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Mercury Drone
There is a local art competition coming up in August and I have an idea - three or four “flying” insects mounted on posts mid flight and presented in a diorama under a glass dome. The insects will all be straight out of my imagination and the grass and flowers will also be biomech steampunk. So I’m working on my insects at the moment. The legs and head are the sticking points. I want the legs to look like pistons or micro hydraulics - but they get too big so I’m starting from wire/pins and work from there. Fortunately I’m never short on ideas to attempt.
The main feature on this guy are the great silver tone mechanical clock parts I’ve used as over wings. I wanted a lot more mech on his thorax but there are tiny details in there. He comes with his very own glass and brass display case with a mirrored base to see “under the hood”. He would be a great low maintenance pet for the office desk or a quirky ornament that will catch everyone by surprise. The drop of mercury in his abdomen does move around the sealed glass nodule.
I like to imagine him as a drone used in spycraft espionage sending back images of the secret base, blueprints or a compromised official. He could also take a nefarious payload or just plug himself in to an unattended server port causing havoc.
So if you like my insect creations keep an eye on my new items as I lead up to the main competition piece. I also had the idea of replicating the framed specimen insect collections that the Victorian era loved so much. Join me for the journey!
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