Schlagwort: steampunk

  • A splendid steampunk tea maker

    A splendid steampunk tea maker

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Arduino Team — April 14th, 2021

    Steampunk Tea Timer Arduino Project

    Prolific project maker and Arduino lover Alain Mauer has made a rather splendid tea maker project with a steampunk twist. Despite Mauer being based in Luxemburg, we’d have to say this feels like a very British Arduino application.

    Crumpets or Battenburg, anyone?

    Putting the “Tea” in “Steampunk”

    The Tea Timer is a classic Arduino project. A simple idea with a simple execution, beautifully presented.

    Mauer’s put together a timer that submerges a teabag for a preset period. We all have our preferences for the strength of tea, and everyone knows an entire day can be ruined if the teabag’s left in for too long (right?). So a five-stage timer lets you determine just how strong your tea will be.

    Arduino Nano and servo in steampunk tea maker project

    Once the timer’s run down, an Arduino Nano fires up the servo, which turns the gears and lifts the bag out so you don’t forget. Adjusted correctly, this also means you can consistently make the perfect cup of brown joy.

    And just like the perfect cuppa, presentation is everything. Mauer didn’t need to add the gears, wooden housing or the brass finish. But the steampunk aesthetic really completes the project, and makes it into a work of art as well as an essential kitchen appliance. Now we just need to hook it up to a home automation system.

    Mauer has provided all the CAD parts on his GitHub along with the Arduino code, so it’s easy to replicate.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7B7aF6yfE8?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Tea is a subject of great significance to the British. It can cause arguments, hysteria and family feuds that last for generations. All in a very civilized manner, of course. No Brit would be uncouth enough to have cross words in public about the proper way to drink tea. But we do reserve the right to tut and roll our eyes behind closed doors afterwards, should someone get it wrong.

    Check out the steampunk Tea Timer and automatic teabag remover on Mauer’s blog. And let’s leave the last word on the vital importance of a cup o’ brown joy to the immortal Professor Elemental.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eELH0ivexKA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=375]

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    Website: LINK

  • Steampunk ‘Help is coming’ Raspberry Pi alert system

    Steampunk ‘Help is coming’ Raspberry Pi alert system

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Tom Lee decided to combine his household with his sister-in-law during lockdown so that she could help him make childcare more manageable. The problem was, Tom’s household was a smidge frantic in the mornings, as the family struggled to be up and ready in time for his sister-in-law’s arrival.

    Enter this Raspberry Pi–powered tracking device, which tells Tom when the family car is on its way with childcare support. The DIY appliance helps his household manage childcare routines like clockwork.

    The magic is in the wooden box, but the light cage and electrical meter are all part of the show

    When the family car is moving, a light turns on, and an antique electrical meter points to 30…20…10 to show the estimated minutes until the driver arrives. The movements of the car come in from a cellular Sinotrack OBD2 dongle pointed at a traccar server running on Raspberry Pi 3.

    We see you in there, Raspberry Pi…

    Tom explains: “I have not found traccar to be the greatest to work with, but you can make it forward everything it decodes to your own script pretty easily.”

    Materials:

    • Arduino microcontrollers (ATMega328P & ESP8266 based)
    • Raspberry Pi (Model 1 and 3)
    • Dongle device in car (with SIM card and cellular service)
    • Light device with bulb and solid state relay
    • Antique electrical meter (for the steampunks among you – any similar device will do the job!) 
    The light safety cage was rescued from an old workshop

    The case (below) is a lasercut design Tom had made by online laser cutting business Ponoko.

    Inside there’s a solid state relay and a first-generation Raspberry Pi (hidden under the black cable in the photo below). This Raspberry Pi model doesn’t have wireless connectivity, and Tom found that getting wireless working was a bit tricky for this project.

    Tom produced a nice long webinar to show you exactly how this all works. So if you’d like to give this project a try, watch it for yourself.

    You’ll learn how to…

    Code resources

    Oh, and he’s only gone and uploaded every single bit of code you’ll need on GitHub (what an angel):

    Website: LINK

  • Steampunk-inspired Raspberry Pi enclosure | HackSpace magazine #20

    Steampunk-inspired Raspberry Pi enclosure | HackSpace magazine #20

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Who doesn’t like a good-looking case for their Raspberry Pi?

    Exactly.

    We’ve seen many homemade cases over the years, from 3D-printed enclosures to LEGO, Altoid tins and gravity-defying Zelda-themed wonderments. We love them all as much as we love own — our own case being this one if you fancy one — and always look forward to seeing more.

    Cue this rather fancy steampunk-inspired enclosure made by Erich Styger, as featured in the latest issue of HackSpace magazine.

    The magazine states:

    This steampunk enclosure for the Raspberry Pi by Erich Styger was laser-cut out of 4 mm birch plywood, and stained to make it look a bit more 1890s. It’s built to fit a Raspberry Pi with an NXP tinyK22 board and a battery backup, and there are ports artfully crafted into it so that the system is fully functional even when the box is closed.

    Those gears aren’t just for show: turn the central wheel on the front of the box to open the enclosure and get access to the electronics inside.

    Cool, right?

    What cases have you made for your Raspberry Pi? Let us know in the comments, or by tagging @Raspberry_Pi and @HackSpaceMag on Twitter.

    HackSpace magazine is out now

    You can read the rest of this feature in HackSpace magazine issue 20, out today in Tesco, WHSmith, and all good independent UK newsagents.

    Or you can buy HackSpace mag directly from us — worldwide delivery is available. And if you’d like to own a handy digital version of the magazine, you can also download a free PDF.

    Website: LINK

  • Weekend Project: 3D Print Your Own Workshop-Ready Steampunk Goggles

    Weekend Project: 3D Print Your Own Workshop-Ready Steampunk Goggles

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Many steampunk cosplay items provide mechanical style and an aesthetic look. But these elaborate 3D printed steampunk goggles are equipped with prescription lenses and welding filters that will keep your eyes safe while you’re in the workshop.

    Inspired by historical science fiction and steam-powered machinery, the steampunk genre has blossomed into one of the most popular styles of cosplay. Movies like Mad Max and Wild Wild West exemplify this mechanical fashion to a T, think clothing and accessories made with grinding gears and an anachronistic look.

    Read more: Sci-Fi Fashion: 20 Best Steampunk Props to DIY

    For today’s Weekend Project, we’re sharing some 3D printable steampunk goggles that not only look awesome, but are also extremely useful. Created by Thingiverse user TickTock, this wearable will have you looking the part, and will also protect your eyes when you’re building in the workshop. How? Well, these steampunk goggles are equipped with prescription lenses, welding filters, and even a magnifying lens as well.

    If you’re a maker who loves the steampunk look, these 3D printed goggles are perfect for you. Let’s take a look at what you need and how to build these sweet workshop shades.


    3D Printed Steampunk Goggles: What do you Need?

    The STL files for the 3D printed steampunk goggles are freely available via Thingiverse. Each model, aside from the headrest and eyecups, need to be printed twice. Produce one part as is, and then mirror it and print it again for the left side of the goggles. While the default version contains three lens slots, TickTock has also provided versions for two or five lens slots as well.

    Aside from the various tools listed below, the maker also utilized Rust-Oleum spray paints to give a metallic look to the 3D printed parts. Conversely, you can also try printing in materials like Copper fill, Steel fill, and Bronze fill, all of which are available through colorFabb.

    Here’s the rest of the material checklist for the steampunk goggles:


    3D Printed Steampunk Goggles: Putting it Together

    After printing the components for the goggles, the first step is to remove the supports that TickTock has embedded into his files. Since these support structures are already put in place, you don’t need to worry about adding any during the slicing process. The next step is to throughly paint the 3D printed parts, letting them dry before moving onto the assembly process.

    Once that step is complete, it’s finally time to start putting it together. There are quite a few steps before the assembly is complete, but TickTock lays everything out in detail on his Thingiverse post. The process is quite meticulous, as there are a number of small gears and pieces that need to be connected.

    Lastly, after the build is complete, you’ll add eyecups and lenses of your choice. If you wear prescription glasses, you’ll have to find the right lens for your eyes.


    If you want to find out more about how these steampunk goggles work, check out TickTock’s YouTube video below. And, if you’re ready to start constructing your own workshop-ready glasses, check out the full assembly instructions on Thingiverse.

    License: The text of „Weekend Project: 3D Print Your Own Workshop-Ready Steampunk Goggles“ by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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    Website: LINK

  • Steampunk radio jukebox

    Steampunk radio jukebox

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Spyrul breathed new life into his great-grandparents’ 1930s Westinghouse with a Raspberry Pi, an amplifier HAT, Google Music, and some serious effort. The result is a really beautiful, striking piece.

    Steampunk Radio Raspberry Pi

    The radio

    With a background in radio electronics, Spyrul had always planned to restore his great-grandparents’ mid-30s Westinghouse radio. “I even found the original schematics glued to the bottom of the base of the main electronics assembly,” he explains in his Instructables walkthrough. However, considering the age of the piece and the cost of sourcing parts for a repair, he decided to take the project in a slightly different direction.

    “I pulled the main electronics assembly out quite easily, it was held in by four flat head screws […] I decided to make a Steampunk themed Jukebox based off this main assembly and power it with a Raspberry Pi,” he writes.

    The build

    Spyrul added JustBoom’s Amp HAT to a Raspberry Pi 3 to boost the sound quality and functionality of the board.

    He spent a weekend prototyping and testing the electronics before deciding on his final layout. After a little time playing around with different software, Spyrul chose Mopidy, a flexible music server written in Python. Mopidy lets him connect to his music-streaming service of choice, Google Music, and also allows airplay connectivity for other wireless devices.

    Stripping out the old electronics from inside the Westinghouse radio easily made enough space for Spyrul’s new, much smaller, setup. Reserving various pieces for the final build, and scrubbing the entire unit to within an inch of its life with soap and water, he moved on to the aesthetics of the piece.

    The steampunk

    LED Nixie tubes, a 1950s DC voltmeter, and spray paint all contributed to the final look of the radio. It has a splendid steampunk look that works wonderfully with the vintage of the original radio.

    Retrofit and steampunk Raspberry Pi builds

    From old pub jukeboxes to Bakelite kitchen radios, we’ve seen lots of retrofit audio visual Pi projects over the years, with all kinds of functionality and in all sorts of styles.

    Americana – does exactly what it says on the tin jukebox

    For more steampunk inspiration, check out phrazelle’s laptop and Derek Woodroffe’s tentacle hat. And for more audiophile builds, Tijuana Rick’s 60s Wurlitzer and Steve Devlin’s 50s wallbox are stand-out examples.

    Website: LINK

  • Derek Woodroffe’s steampunk tentacle hat

    Derek Woodroffe’s steampunk tentacle hat

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Halloween: that glorious time of year when you’re officially allowed to make your friends jump out of their skin with your pranks. For those among us who enjoy dressing up, Halloween is also the occasion to go all out with costumes. And so, dear reader, we present to you: a steampunk tentacle hat, created by Derek Woodroffe.

    Finished Tenticle hat

    Finished Tenticle hat

    Extreme Electronics

    Derek is an engineer who loves all things electronics. He’s part of Extreme Kits, and he runs the website Extreme Electronics. Raspberry Pi Zero-controlled Tesla coils are Derek’s speciality — he’s even been on one of the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures with them! Skip ahead to 15:06 in this video to see Derek in action:

    Let There Be Light! // 2016 CHRISTMAS LECTURES with Saiful Islam – Lecture 1

    The first Lecture from Professor Saiful Islam’s 2016 series of CHRISTMAS LECTURES, ‘Supercharged: Fuelling the future’. Watch all three Lectures here: http://richannel.org/christmas-lectures 2016 marked the 80th anniversary since the BBC first broadcast the Christmas Lectures on TV. To celebrate, chemist Professor Saiful Islam explores a subject that the lectures’ founder – Michael Faraday – addressed in the very first Christmas Lectures – energy.

    Wearables

    Wearables are electronically augmented items you can wear. They might take the form of spy eyeglasses, clothes with integrated sensors, or, in this case, headgear adorned with mechanised tentacles.

    Why did Derek make this? We’re not entirely sure, but we suspect he’s a fan of the Cthulu mythos. In any case, we were a little astounded by his project. This is how we reacted when Derek tweeted us about it:

    Raspberry Pi on Twitter

    @ExtElec @extkits This is beyond incredible and completely unexpected.

    In fact, we had to recover from a fit of laughter before we actually managed to type this answer.

    Making a steampunk tentacle hat

    Derek made the ‘skeleton’ of each tentacle out of a net curtain spring, acrylic rings, and four lengths of fishing line. Two servomotors connect to two ends of fishing line each, and pull them to move the tentacle.

    Then he covered the tentacles with nylon stockings and liquid latex, glued suckers cut out of MDF onto them, and mounted them on an acrylic base. The eight motors connect to a Raspberry Pi via an I2C 8-port PWM controller board.

    The Pi makes the servos pull the tentacles so that they move in sine waves in both the x and y directions, seemingly of their own accord. Derek cut open the top of a hat to insert the mounted tentacles, and he used more liquid latex to give the whole thing a slimy-looking finish.

    steampunk tentacle hat by Derek Woodroffe

    Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!

    You can read more about Derek’s steampunk tentacle hat here. He will be at the Beeston Raspberry Jam in November to show off his build, so if you’re in the Nottingham area, why not drop by?

    Wearables for Halloween

    This build is already pretty creepy, but just imagine it with a sensor- or camera-powered upgrade that makes the tentacles reach for people nearby. You’d have nightmare fodder for weeks.

    With the help of the Raspberry Pi, any Halloween costume can be taken to the next level. How could Pi technology help you to win that coveted ‘Scariest costume’ prize this year? Tell us your ideas in the comments, and be sure to share pictures of you in your get-up with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

    Website: LINK

  • Step Inside ‘Truth,’ a Steampunk Coffee Shop in Cape Town, South Africa

    Step Inside ‘Truth,’ a Steampunk Coffee Shop in Cape Town, South Africa

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Features on interior design here on Colossal are few and far between, there are times when a space is so wholly original it’s just too hard to pass up. Case in point: Truth Coffee Shop in Cape Town, South Africa. This radically designed steampunk-themed coffee shop was created by Heldane Martin who considered the form factor of espresso machines and coffee roasters to be somewhat similar to the Victorian futuristic fantasy style found in the aesthetic of steampunk. The hope was also to personify Truth’s attempt at roasting the very best coffee by offering a perfectly executed space.

    Every inch of the coffee shop is packed with visual candy from large saw-blade tabletops to beautiful overstuffed booths and an ornate array of coffee making equipment that looks absurdly complex, almost like interior of a World War 2 submarine. If that wasn’t enough, Martin also crammed the space with vintage typewriters, Singer sewing machines, and old candlestick telephones. The design even extends to the restrooms which have exposed copper pipes, old extending mirrors and victorian tap levers.

    steam-8

    steam-7 steam-6 steam-5 steam-4 steam-3 steam-2 steam-1

    Photos by: Shanna Jones. (via Yatzer)

    Official Source: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/09/truth-steampunk-coffee-shop/