Maker Resolutions for 2010

Libby Bulloff — Fri, 01/01/2010 - 23:02

A very happy new year to all of our readers from the staff of SPWS!

2010 really does sound like the future, does it not? I feel like this year is going to be very productive and positive for many of us. On that note, I'd like to ask you all what your resolutions are, but with a twist: What are you going to make this year? What projects are on the docket? Let's share ideas and trade inspiration.

I intend to work on more DIY fashion--it's been ages since I got out my sewing machine and tailor's chalk. I hope that urging myself to sketch more, stitch more, dye more, and photograph higher-concept shoots will enable me to grow exponentially as an artist and a maker (and give me shinier things to show off here!).

So, what are you going to do?

~~~~~

[In the photo:
Model: Molly Mitchell of Deshret Dance Company
Makeup + Hair: Lindsey Watkins
Corset vest: Molly Mitchell
Hat: Redd Walitski
Military mosquito tent ballskirt and photo: Libby Bulloff]

Lets see things to do this year:
- Go back to college which will require me to make a minimum of three sculptures (all of which will most likely be furniture; a claw footed table, a giant spoon shaped table and some kind of ... something)
- Finally hang the bookshelves I made last year and have been sitting in my hall.
- Make some gauntlets for smithing.
- Fix half a dozen things with my place.

This year I plan to finish

K. Smithington — Sun, 01/03/2010 - 18:49

This year I plan to finish steampunking my solid body ibanez which includes lots of drilling, LEDs, brass hardware, and some cloth covered cables
I too want to break out the sewing machine and make a couple corsets and get back into leather working
Also, my brother is moving out and i'll have an extra room me and my father will be working together to turn it into a workshop, which oddly enough takes a workshop to do :P
i also have bookshelves to build, lamps to wire, violins to saw on, and many other smaller projects to finish. I've planned on 2010 being the year without procrastination!

The New Year

jdmorse — Sun, 01/03/2010 - 12:35

Well, from the perspective of a professional maker; twenty-ten is looking pretty good! I hope to continue the moving in process at the new shop, maybe get the air lines plumbed. I've been dealing with old equipment breaking down so hopefully I can get that sorted out. I've been looking for a slip roll ever since Jake built that lamp, I have a brake, shear and notcher, but no slip roll. I want to enhance my skills in fire arts; welding, forging, braising. Maybe I'll load up that CAM software I bought and learn something about it.

Very busy year!

Sgainbrachta — Sun, 01/03/2010 - 11:39

About 200 projects... maybe more

Full regalia in the SteamPunk style for myslef and my lady, hers as a madgirl chemist (which she really, actually is!) and myself as gentleman on safari (on Venus or thereabouts~).

A steampunk "engineer's tools" set which will fit into a single sheath/pouch, including a large rigging knife, a pipe wrench, a pressure tester, a ruler and small oilcan. The knife will feature holes for wrenching hex nuts and valve bodies~ 4 other knives, a steampunk Scottish Dirk, ladies defense aid, and matched set of sabre, knife, and holdouts (2 or 3, or mayhap 9?) in a pirate-y style. Sabre, rifle and pistol in a Gentleman's style as well.

A new forge, home-built metal & wood bandsaw (111 or 142"), a re-build on an ancient metal lathe, learning to USE said lathe, classes on machine tool use. Building/restoring the following- sten mk 2 mk 3, mk 5, bren mk1*, ppsh-41, pps43, kp-31, stirling, short-lever Martini-Henry and fal rifles~

Set of new German Renaissance costumes for me and the lady; new cooking gear for the guild, 2 grossemessers, about 20-40 small knives for stock, several leather waterbottles (costrels).

I know I'm forgetting a lot, but this list scares me plenty!

Busy Year

Kevin — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 18:05

This year I first have to finish building my new workshop in the garage so I can start everything else, once it's done I've planned to build two steam punk PC mods, a treasure chest (pirate style), a steam punk DLP projector mod, and a project that I expect to take up most of the year, a complete theatrical lighting and sound system designed with a steam punk aesthetic.

I'm moving away from the

HappyJack1888 — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 16:09

I'm moving away from the steampunk a bit this year to focus my creative energy on this future-primitivist vibe I've been feeling. Which I guess isn't really incompatible with steampunk at all, because if you imagine what you're making as artifacts from a post-civ future primitive culture gleaning the ruin of the present from 500 years hence, there will be a lot of gears and cobbled up machinery.

2010 projects

craig — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 12:38

I have a HUGE Theo Jansen walker that is 5'X5'X4' tall that will be motorized R/C or if it is sturdy enough I will ride/pedal it. The legs/frame/crankshafts are 60% done as of now. I have a steampunk version of a 150-in-one electronic project kit mostly done, I need to keep plugging away at that. And lastly I have a massive VAN-DE-GRAFF generator that has also been started but never completed. Again it is massive; 5' tall with a 18"-28" sphere. I'm real good at starting projects strong, and not finishing them due to other projects I keep bouncing around to. I obviously have too much on my plate at one time, and that's a problem. I need to keep my endeavors limited.

I'm hoping to help make and

zerosociety — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 01:55

I'm hoping to help make and surgically implement a better breed of magnetic implants by year's end.

Also: Find someone who can help me finish my set of Edo period firefighter's coats.

Also: the world - take it over.

List of projects

sirkha — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 01:16

My project goals right now are to build a computer into a steamer trunk, and possibly to make my own clock.

Oh dear. So much sewing is

spiffykt — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 01:13

Oh dear. So much sewing is going to go on in 2010, and hopefully knitting - my friends taught me on New Year's Eve, and I want to start making squares to eventually put together in a big mismatched steampunk blanket. And for our school's Victorian Ball, I'm hoping to make a "coming out" dress - like for 19th century style coming out balls, but covered in rainbows. And other, smaller things... I'm so excited!

Happy 2010 everyone, best of luck making many amazing things!

Advance my Metal Working Skills

Jake von Slatt — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 00:04

I was actually thinking about this a lot today and have decided that I want to focus on advancing my metal working skills and that this year I will re-acquire a lathe and a milling machine for the workshop.

Nearer term, I'll be finishing the foundry in the next few weeks and working on the RepRap machine.

Come spring I plan to paint the roadster and start adorning it with all manner of brass baubles.

I also have a itch to do something wearable and I have this old goat skin leather jacket that doesn't fit anymore (it's way too big!) that might make an interesting vest.

Finally, I'm really excited that Jigsaw Renaissance is moving into it's new quarters and I hope to participate by promoting it and possibly holding workshops at Seattle's newest hackerspace!

Happy New Year everyone! What are you going to make?

Projects for this year.

artfuldodger5 — Sat, 01/02/2010 - 10:35

I have 2 projects for this year. They both have a high priority.

The first is to make my back yard into a multi level English style garden. Which means ripping out my deck and using the natural hill slope to make a lowered sitting area, and then an upper area under a pergola roof or tent awnings. I'll post pictures over this year and the spring of next year.

The second is to make two fully animatronic steampunked Anubis warrior costumes for myself and a friend of mine by Dragon Con with a back up date of Halloween. The inspiration did come from the movie The Mummy returns, but it seems like there is something more that can be done that doesn't involve computers. Yes, pictures of the entire ordeal will also be posted.

Wish me luck and fortune.

Projects

Metalsarge — Mon, 01/04/2010 - 23:22

Well i have a lot of ideas to do this year but the biggest one is that am going to redo my room, have a brass bed frame that am going to steampunk up, paint the walls and the furniture. Also going to take of all the old handles on the dresser and the doorknob, replace them with copper ones. Other things am going to do finally make my steampunk vest and goggles, and keep drawing in my note book making more ideas to make