Make:

Posted by: KentKB on February 18, 2009 at 3:30 PM

I am in Awe.
I want to know what is inside....a water cooled Octi-processer?

The Flickr link is worth checking out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steampunkfrankenstein

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Posted by: rijrunner on February 18, 2009 at 3:41 PM

Looks cool. But, I think there needs to be a rule in Steampunk that anything that is in a product needs to do something related to the function of the box. Dials need to give status related to the computer. Valves need to start or stop something related to the box. Gears need to drive something. Boilers need to boil something, etc, etc.

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It's nice but the black CD/DVD/floppy drives right in the middle of the thing break the disguise a bit.

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Posted by: garethb2 on February 18, 2009 at 4:35 PM

While I would never want to prescribe rules for creativity (this piece is AMAZING to me just as it is), I did have a similar thought looking at it: With all of that nifty hardware all over it, it'd be SO much cooler if it actually DID something, even if it was just special f/x (Jacob's ladder, vapor lighting, tubes sluicing liquids, gears turning, etc.)

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I'm sooooo tired of steampunk crap, just in general. Enough already!

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Posted by: garethb2 on February 18, 2009 at 6:20 PM

Well Blarg, you're just going to have to look the other way, 'cause as long as people are doing work this involved, this beautiful -- people who are still clearly inspired by the steampunk meme -- we'll continue to cover it.

I, for one, have basically no interest in programming (except what I'm forced to do to make robots and other physical hardware happen). But obviously, programming is something that lots of folks are interested in. We're not going to stop covering it 'cause I don't happen to like it. To each his/her own. The maker movement is a big tent.

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Posted by: Jake von Slatt on February 18, 2009 at 10:10 PM

First rule of Steampunk: There are no rules in Steampunk.

Second rule of Steampunk: if you are not interested you should move on, but do not ask the rest of us to because we are in love.

Third rule of Steampunk: there is no third rule of Steampunk.

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as far as I have seen it presented, steampunk is a style, a facade for something beneath, generally with the intent of obfuscating the actual functioning or origin of a device.

given that the appearance of this facade is not functionally related to the actual purpose of the device, what, then, makes it unique and more worthy of mention than other styling memes? i am not clear what makes a steampunk casemod superior to a Hello Kitty casemod or a steampunk flashlight superior to one made in the shape of an angry green gorilla. these are part of an infinite array of valid means of styling a device which are documented all over the web.

i'm not a fan of Hello Kitty or angry green gorillas, but for the sake of variety i wouldn't mind seeing more of both when style is the topic.

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Firstly, well done for the craftsmanship at least.

Secondly, I have absolutely no idea why this look/scene appeals to people. I am not trying to belittle it. There seem to be two main arguments for it:

1. It places a high value on crafsmanship, which was valued in the Victorian era.

2. It "breaks down" the machinery so you can pysically see each parts and process.

Let me explain why these are confusing:

1. The aesthetics that most of this stuff seems to exhibit owe more to cinema representations of Victorian life than the real thing. If you go to any industrial museum, of which there are plenty in the UK at least, the stuff looks nothing like this. The victorian age was one of mechanisation, division of labour and the beginnings of mass production. The only reason that stuff was still hand-made then was because they hadn't figured out a way of mass producing it.

2. This applies to absolutely tons of modern machinery. The point is moot.

As a final point may I also say that I find the whole look of the stuff unbelievably twee. More Tim Burton than Manchester. I think the fact that Steampunk isn't nearly so popular in the UK speaks volumes: it doesn't reflect the real Victorian age.

If I have got the wrong end of the stick then please will someone explain to me. As I said, I have a lot of respect for the makers of this stuff from a making point of view but as a meme it leaves me cold.

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Can someone delete some of those!

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cant explain why i dig steampunk but everytime i see it i love it. im in my mid 30's now and i wonder if age groups have anything to do with liking the style.

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Garethb2, Jacobs ladders and PCs don't play well together. I have a 12000volt 30mA ladder in the same room as my PC and having them both on at the same time is bad!

My Wimshurst machine also causes some interesting noises in the PCs speakers :)

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@Mig:
The thing is, it is not meant to reflect the Victorian Age whatsoever (well, some might). As Mr. von Slatt put it, there are no rules. There is nothing to adhere to, so comparing it to Victorian Era articles is irrelevant.

To enlighten you, the style appeals to me, as it excites a sense of wonder and adventure in day to day life. It makes me think of a romanticised past, where the impossible is possible.

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why do people like goth, skater, surf, freak, prep or whatever else? it's because that is what appeals to that person, and if you don't like it, you don't have to participate. Just move on.

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maybe you can add some wood in front the dvd drive with glue to give a more nicer touch, super nice work! always love those frank movies with all those crazy machines... ALIIIVVVEEE!!

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It would look awesome with a set of leather bellows-maybe as part of the cooling system? Not that it really needs anything. Just sayin'.

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