Gear Goggles in the Works

I'm making a new pair of brass Steampunk goggles, and I thought I would give a little behind the workbench look.
  

  

 I've already sketched out a gear design on one side and a swirl design on the reverse side for both brass strips. After the acid etching, each piece was cleaned, then gone over with a butane torch. Then, I used a jewelers saw to make the cut I wanted (most goes to the frame, the last three inches I wanted to use for the side).  The last thing I do before I start shaping is to file the edges round.

  Now, I mark where I want to make my bends and carefully shape the frame. I'm holding things in place with my little clips before I start cutting any holes for riveting.  I notice here that on the far frame, I need to switch out what's on top so that the edge faces away when I start to rivet, so I've already re-clipped just in case.

  

Airship Noir Tokens

Here's an example of what you will be making at Maker Faire when you come see the Steampunks at the Airship Noir table this Saturday and Sunday.

 On side, you make your own design.  I've chosen one of our Airship logos. 

 On the other side, we'll write out "Airship Noir Token"

Then into the etching solution, a rinse, a clean, and then you get to decide if you want a little hole punched or not.  

http://www.makerfairekc.com/

Introducing the innovators of Maker Faire (Kansas City)

I've been waiting and waiting for the photos and article to come out in Ink Magazine about Maker Faire Makers.

Take a look at the photo of me; I could go on about the how long I hung off that valve until the lighting, and the tilt of my head (goggles on face, and on hat), was worked out just right, but I won't.  =)  I decided to call it the price of admission to Maker Faire, and a damn fine time was had by all.

Anyway, if you haven't already..... go take a look at the online version, and then go out and pick up a printed copy!

http://inkkc.com/content/introducing-the-innovators-of-maker-faire/

Two local (Kansas City) radio stations feature interviews about Maker Faire

ooooooo how exciting!  I've been excited about the upcoming Maker Faire for several months now, but as it comes up in just several days, my excitment has grown.  Teaching and checking last minute details with my crew, Airship Noir.  Mentally arranging the tables over and over again... people will want to hammer their own pennies, so we should put the anvil here, the solution to etch should go back more, and the ink pens for people to draw on the pennies over here.

My little electroplating demonstration is a little lost on the table at the moment, but it's little, and it'll just hang out for people to look at I think. There's just so many little details to remember, but that's part of what I love about all this.  The Makers work so hard to show people that they can do all this themselves if they want.  Making stuff is fun.  Maybe it isn't easy, but it's worth it all the more to figure out all those little details, and it helps to have an example shown and done hands-on.  That's what Makers Faire is all about.  I did Makers Faire last year with Airship Noir, and this year's Faire is going to be bigger and better.

I'm featured on the Maker Faire website this year!  You can also listen to the little radio spot I did that aired on Mix 93.3 this morning.

http://www.makerfairekc.com/2013/06/maker-faire-audio-jenna-tomlin/

New Steampunk Creations

In a recent Ink Magazine interview for Maker Faire 2013 I was asked to describe Steampunkers and this is what I said. "Steampunk is a retro-futuristic re-imagining of the Victorian area.  The genre borrows from every world wide culture of the time depending on the need and desire.  Victorian atheistic is still in fashion, but modified of course.  Corsets are not hidden, and skirts are allowed to not only reveal ankles, but knees as well!  Hats never went out of style. Goggles are useful for open cab motor vehicles, airships, or laboratory experiments, and this is why you see many of us wearing them on our hats or heads.   Coal is still very much the main fuel source burned to produce steam (where we get the Steam in Steampunk), but with fantasy there can still be alternative fuels like aether.  Jules Vern and H.G Wells are big influences on the genre as well, but there are many modern Steampunk writers exerting there own influence.  However, by and large, Steampunkers are a culture of people who make stuff.  We make our gear, we invent gadgets, we ask "what if" a lot and then try to make it happen, we make stories and we try to bring those stories to life in one way or another, we make art, and we have so much fun doing it."

Here's a few of my new pieces

http://reflectionsink.exit256.com/Artwork/Steampunk/Steampunk.htm to see more!

Maker Faire Kansas City 2013 Steampunk Style

First up, Airship Noir will once again be at Maker Faire at the Kansas City Union Station!  This year we will be teaching you how to acid etch flattened pennies using the The Edinburgh Etch (© F.K. 1997) Method, which is suitable for copper, brass, and steel.  It consists of a specific solution of ferric chloride with the addition of citric acid as a chelating agent or catalyst.  Also, we'll be showing just how easy it is to electroplate copper onto another metal.  

Several of us had a photo shoot for Ink Magazine for a spread called "Meet the Makers" - that should be out soon.  Photos from the same shoot will also run in The Kansas City Star closer to the Faire.  I'm in those photos too!

Just finished a 60 second radio commercial for Maker Faire this morning.  It'll air Tuesday on Mix 93.3 sometime between 7 and 9 am.  One of my crew-mates just finished his that airs on Monday!


I'll be teaching my Airship crew all about acid etching this Sunday at one of our Build Days.  I love making stuff!  

http://www.makerfairekc.com/

Saturday June 29th 10 am - 6 pm

Sunay June 30th 10 am - 5 pm

White to Blue

It was suggested that my white lettering might be too hard to read, so I redid my banner to look like this: