Steampunk How to

Once you have the skills to bring your ideas to life, the hardest part is coming up with ideas. What do you do when you can't think of something to make? What happens when your well of inspiration runs dry? As someone who isn't an artist, I had to figure that out for myself. ...more

Cross-dressing and gender-bending are nothing new, but the realm of Steampunk seems to be especially accepting of role-reversal in dress. As steampunk grows into an entity unto itself, we are seeing issues such as multiculturalism and erotica being addressed. This expansion o ...more

I know, "Steamdown" conjures images of a hoedown, but "Steampunk prop breakdown" is a bit of a mouthful, I thought. Anyway, I'm going to show you how I made my very first Steampunk prop! It doesn't require any tools at all, just some glue and some parts from the hardware stor ...more

While this is pretty out of the way for people who don't live in Poland, this restaurant, Wodna Wieza, is really gorgeous! If I'm understanding right from the website, the building used to be a water tower and it was redone into a restaurant. This gives the Edison in LA a run ...more

This ship is over 4 ft. long with many moving parts all run from a live steam engine. There are two videos, one more detailed about the story and one blog showing how it was built. Hope you enjoy. Video: . Video: . Details of the build can be found here. http://arteros1.blog ...more

Need your hands free, but still want to use your cell phone? Tormented Artifacts has the solution for you, with their Communication Bracer. It's a custom-made leather bracer which fits standard smart phones and covers them with an easy-to-open leather flap so that you don't ha ...more

A man named Tom Hardwidge has taken it upon himself to create an army of steampunk insects from a bunch of different found materials, including bullets and pocket watches. He's made a ton of them—and they're really awesome. They're modeled after real insects, too, and aren't j ...more

Sometimes I forget that I'm also a fiction writer, so I thought it might be a nice change of pace to share one of my stories with you. I wrote this piece awhile ago for an anthology that never came together and I'm tired of just sitting on it. It's one of the more odd stories ...more

So I have been wondering this for a while now. What exactly is steampunk? I know a little bit about it but I feel as thought the internet definitions can only give so much information. What do you guys think? Is steampunk a lifestyle? A fiction base? A for of a art? I think th ...more

I've heard many steampunks look at a prop and say, "but does it work?" Well, this ring certainly works. The gears are all calibrated to turn when the edges of the ring are turned, creating fascinating mechanical motion right on your finger. Gentlemen, you may want to avoid we ...more

A fully functional steampunk computer workstation. With attention to detail this unique computer was manufactured from old materials. The ensemble consists of iron, steel, wood, brass, glass and leather. Perfect for timetravelers office or as ether terminal. Consists of a 150 ...more

I just returned from a trip overseas and I came across this great article over at The Chronicles of Harriet about the role of black men in the evolution of Dandyism. Dandyism rose to prominence at the end of the 19th century, so there's a clear connection to Steampunk. I hope ...more

So, you want to throw a steampunk party and you have almost everything in place—your steampunk persona and iPhone are ready to go, and you've even got your own steampunk straight razor. What's missing? The Elixirator, that's what. The Elixirator is a steampunk cocktail-making ...more

I came across a really cool article about armor that the Americans wanted to use in World War I. Since it was before kevlar and modern body armor but still needed to stop bullets, they designed it to be similar to medieval armor. It looks terribly uncomfortable and ineffective ...more

While the pope himself may not be Steampunk, you might be amazed at what is: the coronation stove. For those who don't know, it's been a tradition for a very long time to signal the election of a new pope (or the lack of a new pope) via colored smoke. More specifically, once ...more

Organic Armor is a company run by Paul Hersey which makes... organic armor. Their Facebook page is a really awesome place to get some steampunk inspiration. Check out some of their work:

These are some really cool sketches of what Spider-man might look like if it was drawn in steampunk style. More pictures are available over at io9.

I guess it's a sex-themed night, but a few well-known people in the steampunk world are trying to put together a "Steampunk's Guide to Sex", including plain Victorian sexual practices as well as the sort of modern information one would want on a modern movement like steampunk. ...more

For those who don't know, LEGO recently came out with a new line called Monster Fighters. This set is about fighting monsters, sure, but it's about fighting classic monsters in a Steampunk universe. Just look at this promotional picture from the LEGO site: That LEGO dude (prop ...more

Even most non-video gamers know who Lara Croft is, thanks to Angelina Jolie. The movies were pretty awful, but even I'd go see the next one if it looked like this: The photos are from LJinto. And the character design is from Tess Fowler.

Many people have spent many hours discussing how to "properly" be Steampunk. Well, I turned it around and asked myself, "How can you not be Steampunk?" The result is this short guide that will teach you how to not be Steampunk. Easy, isn't it?

Steampunk music is an oft-debated genre, full of bands playing all sorts of different sounds. While this can make it difficult to generalize about the genre as a whole, it means that the average person is bound to like at least some Steampunk bands. That's why it's a great ide ...more

We don't generally think of medicine as being very relevant to Steampunk, but it was a big part of Victorian science fiction. Notable examples that you may be familiar with would be Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. However, in an era in which the ...more

This post has been brought to you by the letter S. With the Christmas season fast approaching, it's time to ask one of the most important questions of our lifetime: Where are all of the Steampunk Santas? Santa was even notably absent from the infamous Justin Bieber Steampun ...more

I've tried my hand in the past at defining Steampunk, but as anyone else who has made a similar attempt will tell you, there's a significant backlash from the community against working to create a real definition of what Steampunk is. That may sound ridiculous to some, but it' ...more

I came across this leg piece on the internet made by Skinz-N-Hydez and I just had to share it. I see a lot of steampunk arms on the internet, but I don't often see legs. This one is really well done, and I love the construction and design. Just look at it!

In the early 20th century, some people decided that it would be a great idea to play polo with cars. Sounds like a great idea, right? It was, and it wasn't. Thousands flocked to see auto polo games from the 1910s to the 1920s, but it was ridiculously dangerous. As you may not ...more

Shark jumps Steampunk, experts unsure of the meaning. Cape Town -- In an unprecedented move today, a Shark have jumped a steampunk couple as they were attempting to work on their hobby steamboat. Two years ago, South African steam power and science fiction entusiasts, Werner ...more

This Steampunk portal gun (from the game Portal) was recently featured on Kotaku, and is really, really beautiful. It's rare that you see such refined woodworking in steampunk props. Now if only it worked ...more

If you're a steampunk enthusiast looking to give your bathroom an extra kick, this just might be the project for you. This stylish and functional "vintage" toothbrush timer knows when you've grabbed your toothbrush, and will visually count down two minutes before alerting you ...more

It's actually an art installation made to look like an elevator was erupting from the ground, or perhaps as though it had fallen from a great height. This is in Liverpool. We need more awesome steampunk art installations like this.

This bicycle was found through website CustomMade, which is sort of like an Etsy for people who will custom make things to your specifications rather than selling things they've already made. If only I had the money ...more

So you've made a somersaulting robot, one that delivers your beer, and even a robot you can ride, but you want to try out something really different. Why not add a steam engine? Inspired by the Steam Walker by Crabfu Steamworks, Professeur Shadoko of French DIY blog Brico Bid ...more

ATTN: HUMOUR ALERT Jules Verne was an author of immense imagination, who had a profound effect on speculative fiction, whereas Victoria was a stodgy & pampered royal who led a sheltered and traditional existence. Boring, frumpy, grumpy royal! (Photo from The Guardian, UK) We ...more

We could use some more cool steampunk films, and this one looks like it has pretty high production values for an independent thing. So far as I'm concerned we can use more steampunk horror, too. I love that stuff. Video: . It helps that the outfits look great, too!

I made a Steampunk Surfboard recently, just for the fun of it. It took quite a bit of time, but I really like the end result. If interested, you can check out my blog for more pics and info on how I made it.

I'm not any good with Photoshop myself, but this article on Designer Daily has links to fifteen different steampunk-based Photoshop tutorials. Judging by the images of the finished products, they look really amazing! If you're into steampunk and aren't intimidated by Photosho ...more

You know that steampunk is mainstream when they even talk about it in comic strips. At least they got the punk in steampunk right. I don't know why anyone would be mad if their child was a steampunk. All the steampunks I know are really nice and aren't into subversive stuff or ...more

Steampunk Boba Fett, aka John Strangeway, has become a fixture in the steampunk world. A quick Google search will turn up tons of images of him. Now you can wear one on your chest! It's a must-have for anyone who loves steampunk and Star Wars.

I'm not entirely sure how to describe band Frenchy and the Punk, but if I say things like cabaret, punk, and fun, you'll probably get the idea. Their website calls them "rollicking flapper folk punk cabaret", which is about as many words as you need to describe them. I wouldn' ...more

It wasn't that long ago that we started seeing a variety of beers catering to the Steampunk crowd, so why not some wine? I was at home last night, minding my own business, when one of our friends brought over a bottle of wine that practically screamed "Steampunk!" I mean, I s ...more

Hardly anyone writes by hand anymore, but I would consider starting again if I had this pen. This masterpiece by Caran d'Ache is beautiful. Anyone know how much one of these runs for?

This week on the Steampunk Research and Development Podcast, our guest is Joey Marsocci, better known to the world as Dr. Grymm. He's a full-time, professional Steampunk maker, and is the owner and operator of Dr. Grymm Laboratories. He's written several books and has worked a ...more

Last year, Instructables user Horatius.Steam created Dr. Brain, a small computer connected to a model brain that can tell stories and have Skype conversations. But one thing it couldn't do was print, so to solve that problem, he came up with this awesome Steampunk "Ticker Mach ...more

This week, another guest returns to our Steampunk R&D show for the second time, Thomas Willeford. In our very first podcast, Thomas talked to us about creating his empire; this time we most notably talk about his recent appearance on the Science Channel's program Odd Folks Hom ...more

In this episode of Steampunk Research and Development, our guest is Matt Silva, the co-founder and art director of Penny Dreadful Productions. While his current love is producing, Silva is also responsible for bringing to life some amazing creations in PDP's Remnant line, whic ...more

Religion is one of the most-ignored topics when it comes to Steampunk, which is surprising given how important religion was in Victorian England. Even the hot-button issues of race and gender are confronted with a greater awareness than religion. Christmas would seem to be th ...more

The trailer for the new Bioshock game, Bioshock Infinite, takes the series away from its dieselpunk roots and into the realm of steampunk. Watch this trailer, and you'll see what I mean! Video: . It's due out early next year, and I can't wait!

Steampunk scientists, there's a new spectrometer for your workshop, and it's called the iPhotometer 5. Video: . If you don't know already, a spectrometer is an instrument used to identify unknown materials by measuring light properties over a specific portion of the electromag ...more

With the new year right around the corner, it's time to talk about the end of the 19th century, a time which plays an enormous role in Steampunk. If you've done any reading of British books written from about 1890 to 1899, you may have come across the phrase 'fin de siecle' an ...more

Beautiful etching-like artwork from an upcoming steampunk comic book. Annabelle Avery: Steampunk Girl, Vol. 1 by Matt Kelly. Matt Kelly is raising funds for Annabelle Avery: Steampunk Girl, Comic Book Volume 1 on Kickstarter! Stepping through a strange portal, Annabelle searc ...more

Thomas Willeford runs Brute Force Leather and is responsible for a lot of really cool steampunk things, like the mechanical arm that Nathan Fillion wore in the TV show Castle. He got together with the people from the TV show Face Off and was turned into an amazing steampunk f ...more