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Workshop Telephone

Sun, 12/28/2008 - 23:35 — Jake von Slatt
steampunk wall phone

I started this project quite some time ago, in fact some of you may have seen it at Maker Faire back in May.  Originally, this was intended to be an example of 'how to steampunkify an object.'  The idea being that by removing the casing and exposing the interesting insides of the phone you can make it more exciting and attractive.

I guess it kind of worked, but to be honest I'm not that pleased with the results.  In any case, it will make a fine telephone for the workshop.

. . .

Oh hey! I just came across this video from TechieDiva where Nathaniel Johnstone from Abney Park shows off my phone at Maker Faire - what's so cool is that he gets it just right and this video was likely filmed with in hours of the time when Nathan and I first met in person!

 

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YASPKB! Yet Another Steampunk Keyboard

Tue, 12/23/2008 - 15:22 — Jake von Slatt

Steampunk Alchemy KeyboardHere's another Steampunk keyboard, and one of the closest copies of the original I've seen to date!  I was alerted to it by the creator of this wonderful example - Peter Sztojanov jr. from the beautiful city of Budapest - who commented on my MySpace page.

There are quite a few more shots in his Flickrstream here!

Since the caption on the leading photo reads "Steampunk Alchemy's 1st keyboard"  I am wondering if my good friend Rich Nagy a.k.a. Datamancer hasn't got some new competition from his ancestral homeland!

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Lyra's Lamp

Sun, 12/14/2008 - 21:31 — Jake von Slatt

We have a new puppy in the house, and while this is a wonderful thing in general, it means I sometimes have to get up in the middle of the night to let him out. The problem is I don't have a bedside lamp so I end up stumbling across the bedroom to turn on the overhead lamp so I can find the leash as well as my robe and shoes. Needless to say this does not please The Lady. So, my next project had to be a new bedside lamp.

Like most of my lamp projects this one started with a visit to the junk bins.  At right you see part of an antique student lamp I rescued from the metal recycling bin before the ban on picking at our local dump went into effect.  It's quite nicely made, but this is all I was able to retrieve.  The other parts are from various more mundane fixtures and the bulb at left is a reproduction Aerolux glow lamp. 

. . .

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Steampunk Gift Guide @ Make:Blog

Thu, 12/11/2008 - 09:16 — Jake von Slatt
Greetings everyone! It's hard to imagine that an entire year has passed since MAKE asked me to write last year's Steampunk gift guide. What a year it's been too!  Last year, I still had some doubt that Steampunk was a bona fide subculture, but so much has happened in the course of the year that there can be no question now that it is.  2009 is already promising to be an even bigger year for Steampunk!

Here at the Steampunk Workshop some very cool things have been happening!   Last month Jeff VanderMeer and I announced our collaboration on a project-oriented book about the Steampunk subculture and in January you will see something I'm really excited about; the Victorian Technology issue of Make: Magazine and the debut of Make:TV - both of which I've had the honor and great pleasure of making some small contribution.

So without further adieu here is the gift guide!  This year I've tried for a somewhat more accessible array of items that are best thought of a 'gifts for the Steampunk' rather than 'Steampunk gifts' as I think that will be of greater utility those those of you choosing presents for the Steampunks in your lives!.    - Jake.
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Mad Uncle Cliff Wins at Steampunk

Wed, 12/10/2008 - 10:13 — Jake von Slatt

Cliff writes:

Just thought you might like to see progress on the communicator, got the monitor done and it is almost ready to mount.
 
Then onto the keyboard...
 
Of course you know that I hold you responsible for this mad fetish of mine, all because a mate showed me this keyboard he was building from an old clicky after seeing your site!

For more on this build - go to www.austeampunk.blogspot.com
 
Steampunk is one contagious meme!
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Small form factor keyboard and monitor

Tue, 12/09/2008 - 23:19 — Jake von Slatt

Here's a nice little keyboard and monitor set from Daniel Pon.  I particularly like the small form factor, I have a Happy Hacker KB kicking around the shop that I might do something like thing too.

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NIMBY must raise another $14,700 by December 15th

Mon, 12/08/2008 - 12:21 — Jake von Slatt

NIMBY FlyerFrom http://www.nimbyspace.org/ :

The outpouring of support for NIMBY in the past week has been inspiring.  Excitement is building in the final countdown to taking possession of the new space.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed thus far.  NIMBY is well on its way to making through a transition that would typically spell the end for most spaces.  It is you, NIMBY supporters, who have made this possible.  If you have been waiting to show your support - now is the time.

NIMBY must raise another $14,700 by December 15th

Do your part to keep NIMBY going and donate.  We can’t wait to thank you all from the new space.

If you want to help in other ways here is our moving wish list:

  • bodies to help moving December 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th

  • trucks to haul all sizes and shapes of junk (contact snook@nimbyspace.org in advance)

  • pizza, beer and chocolate to keep other helpers going

For more ways to help contact rachael@nimbyspace.org with an email describing your skills or interests.

Click through to the NIMBY site to donate via the PayPal button (upper right).

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Dead Simple Charging Station

Fri, 12/05/2008 - 12:59 — Jake von Slatt

simple phone charging stationHere's a dead simple cell phone charging station I installed next to our main entrance.  It's just a pair of hangers of the sort you'd use in the garage to store a shovel or a rake.  If your wall isn't made of barn-board like ours, you can screw the hangers into a block of wood and use regular drywall anchors to attach it.

 

[Bigger pics behind the cut]

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Steampunk Sheddie

Tue, 12/02/2008 - 10:03 — Jake von Slatt

I love to see people's workspaces, probably because my workshop is just about my favorite place in the world to spend time. 

My workshop is in my garage, which is a common situation in the States. However, in the U.K. it's the garden shed that often houses the secret laboratories of British Steampunks. This is doubly exciting to me because I love tiny buildings nearly as much as I love workshops!

Clearly many people in the U.K. share my affliction for there is a website solely dedicated to documenting these architectural gems and today they are featuring the shed of one Outa Spaceman, who many will recognize from the Brass Goggles Forums.

What a lovely little place to spend the day constructing infernal machines!

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Steampunk Star Trek Wallpaper

Mon, 12/01/2008 - 11:48 — Jake von Slatt

The title says it all - these are just brilliant! (via - Steampunkpics )

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