Steampunk Goggles

[Wordbiker]

Before I get into my PC mod I thought I'd show you my last project made for my daughter's Prom outfit.

After scouring articles on how to modify welding goggles and such, many of them terrible, I realized that the only way to go was a scratch build.

Starting with posterboard patterns helped to get a good shape and size.

I then drew up a pattern the old-fashioned way...by hand.

With the help of some Elmer's spray glue it was then transferred to sheet brass and the long process of cutting them out started.

I used a combination of a hand nibbler, Dremel, jeweler's saw and a set of mini files to get the cuts needed without distorting the soft brass.

Before cutting the lens hole out and to prevent further distortion, a jig was made out of a pipe flange, a pipe nipple and a wood disc to hold the frame down before beating it into shape with a soft urethane mallet. Here it is with an early eyecup pattern.

The eyeholes got a gear pattern to keep with the theme.

After some polishing.

My first attempt at sewing leather was disastrous. I took this nice clean look:

...and completely ruined it with the horrible stitching job that was my first attempt. Having a deadline pushed me to come up with another plan. The thrift store found purse I salvaged the eyecup leather from had some stitching already...so I faked it. Threaded the existing holes with hemp thread and glued them on with Barge cement.

The next challenge was the braces, hand-bent from solid brass rod. The bending was actually easy after figuring out that it could be heated then handled with wet leather gloves.

The hard part was forging the ends flat to accept the post mount.

I failed and failed again, annealing correctly, but still they'd break. I tried bending tubing instead, but even with a mandrel they'd collapse. Then I had the idea to combine the two.

A short piece of tubing soldered onto the end of the brass rods was easily smashed flat and cleaned up.

A test fitting pic that a friend had some chopping fun with.

Once sized I attached the straps and buckles permanently with rivets.

Hmmm...Photobucket seems to be having fits, so I'll continue this in another post.

[Wordbiker]

OK, it's working again.

All that was left was to rivet the eyecups on and add the standard issue steampunk gewgaws.

I must admit, they looked much better on her than on me.

If you made it this far...thanks!

[TheGreatSatan]

Holy crap. +rep!

[Wordbiker]

Holy crap. +rep!

Hey, thanks!

I have another set to make for my neice out of white leather. Most likely I'll change the design up since I couldn't possibly make another set exactly the same.

[msmrx57]

AWESOME!!!! Can't wait to see what you're gonna do with computer parts.

[Fuganater]

OMG epic! +rep

Please make more steampunk stuff!!!

[slaveofconvention]

Really sweet work. I never really got the steampunk thing personally, but I have to admire the work and craftsmanship in those goggles

[Wordbiker]

Thanks again for the great replies.

If this is the sort of responses I'll get here at TBCS, my mod is not going to be lacking for enthusiasm.

[AmEv]

If you do outstanding work, this is the response you get.

Thus, you are doing outstanding work! +rep

[Wordbiker]

If you do outstanding work, this is the response you get.

Thus, you are doing outstanding work! +rep

Thanks again, but it was a family effort.

My daughter came up with the steampunk theme (and in our rural town, had to explain what that was over and over) and sourced some of the materials. My mom made the dress and all I did was the goggles.

It's good to come from such creative genes.