Comments on: Steampunk Dalek!

By: Takuan

Takuan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

@12 that’s not a piston,it’s shock absorber. The mount to the main body is behind the shocktube and the rear driving axle is suspended underneath on either side of the main drive train. Sheesh. Did ya sleep through Basic Early Dalek Maintenance in high school?

By: Frank_in_Virginia

Frank_in_Virginia — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I, for one, will never tire of Steampunk.

By: ROSSINDETROIT

ROSSINDETROIT — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Thermionic ElectroModulator MK VIII Steampunk Audio Amplifier is getting a re-think. Vexed by the difficulties of incorporating mercury vapor rectification (toxic vapors, critical warm up sequences, size, heat) High voltage output tubes (critical insulation, complex filtering, separate filament supplies) and high source impedance (ruinously costly transformers) I have subjected this Steampunk amp project to a complete mental overhaul. I’m thinking mirror imaged monoblocks for reduced size/weight. And paralleled smaller Pentode tubes for higher efficiency rather than single large outputs, less danger and ease of implementation. It will still have plenty of pretty glowy bottles with colorful wires spiraling out of the top. Also, the power available goes up from 25 to 75 Watts, which is always better. Mostly, this is a design I can safely lift alone. No sense designing something that’s so heavy it never gets off the bench in one piece, like a sailboat built in the basement. Build is scheduled for July and unveiling at the August Southeast Michigan Audio Club (SMAC) meet. Steampunk cocktails will be served, so start polishing your monocle.

By: BrokenFiction

BrokenFiction — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Dalek’s were steampunk before steampunk was cool.

By: aelfscine

aelfscine — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Don’t knock my smock or I’ll clean your clock!

By: Takuan

Takuan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

bless Sir Ross, you grace us with your skill and forethought.

If the weight is a problem, could it not be done to separate the stages in individual cars borne on their own steel wheels? Flexible cable linking between them and perhaps a small engine to draw the whole thing along a track from drawing room to parlour? Further, can we not make appeal to the BB readership for sources of transformers at more reasonable cost – mayhap even donated?

By: TheFirstMan

TheFirstMan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Better than steampunk or smock is “fezes”

fezes fezes fezes

By: cranguy

cranguy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hummmm there’s something that occasionally annoys me about Boing Boing, but I can’t quite figure out what it is……

By: EH

EH — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m still waiting for the steampunk cotton gin.

By: ROSSINDETROIT

ROSSINDETROIT — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The last time I wore a fez in public a drunk jackass got in my face about it being a Black Nationalist Muslim symbol or some BS. Why this conversation occurred between two white guys standing in front of the stage at a Jon Spencer/Alex Chilton concert has never been explained. But I consider it The Fez Effect and I’m avoiding them until it gets figured out.

By: Neuron

Neuron — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

steampunk \steem*punk\ adj : contains brass

By: OM

OM — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

…GodDAMMit, Cory! Quit posting good Steampunk items like this! You’re actually making me *LIKE* this crap :-( :-( :-( :-(

[bangs head on wall in dismay]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I wonder if the TV Show “Punk’ed” stole it’s title from the Steampunked term? Just makes you kinda’ wonder, hey? Don’cha know?

By: iamgeekusa

iamgeekusa — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Steam Punk Steam Punk Steam Punk!!!! ‘m gttng trd f ll th stm pnk stff. Why not come up with a unique style all your own? I mean That little shampoo bottle gizmo is an amazing piece but still…..I don’t know..

By: Orchestra Spy

Orchestra Spy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

beep beep,
steampunk is Awesome!

By: Bonegnawer

Bonegnawer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Two of my favorite things!! Steampunk and doctor whooooo~!

By: pediddle

pediddle — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

nybdy knw th lnk t n RSS fd tht <>fltrs t ths nnyng stmpnk mntny?

By: zuzu

zuzu — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

steampunk \steem*punk\ adj : contains brass

Too bad it doesn't mean something more like Steamboy. Or, even The Difference Engine. Or, let's go way back here, to Jules Verne.

By: CountSmackula

CountSmackula — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Very nice modeling.

By: eustace

eustace — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Steamboy is seminal steampunk, as is The Difference Engine. Jules Verne clearly anticipated steampunk :)

By: gd23

gd23 — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

monorail!

By: Todd Sieling

Todd Sieling — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That is beautifully done.

And +1 for the current amount of steampunk-related stuff. I’m a fan of the genre and I love that people’s creativity gets some BB love.

By: Torley

Torley — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It’s only a matter of time before hobopunk hits in full stride!

By: Fran Six

Fran Six — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Introducing: The Telectroscope

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0604/p20s01-ussc.html

By: Mindpowered

Mindpowered — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

LOLZ OMFG STEAMPUNKZ L33TS!

By: TheFirstMan

TheFirstMan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Steampunk fezes? Nom nom nom.

By: Takuan

Takuan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

for the lazy
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Dalek-Bath-Shower/dp/B000HBBQ78

By: ROSSINDETROIT

ROSSINDETROIT — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Oh, I like the self propelled idea. Anything that means less lifting for me. I have sourced wheels for this project, but they are of the passive variety. I was thinking propulsion by appropriate traction animals. Trained Dachshunds in livery, perhaps?
Interconnecting separated chassis is the classic solution to the weight problem. Break up the problem and deal with the issues separately. The downside is multiplied floorspace or rack space. I only have 900 sf of Playroom to work with here and recklessly increasing the acreage occupied by audio gear would mean displacing furniture that has earned a legitimate right to be there. Downside #2 is safely conducting 7 power supplies of 1,500v, 10v, 10v, 7.5v, 150v 7.5v and 6.3v at various amperages between the two chassis (15 insulated conductors). That creates another set of problems.
Issue #3 is utility. I want to build the thing but not own it forever. To have a fighting chance of recouping part of the perilously high parts cost (to say nothing of labor), it has to be able to actually drive real world speakers with some defensible level of efficiency. The original design would have been only 5% power efficient at best. I can get that up to 20% – 30% without affecting the appearance if I go Push-Pull rather than Single Ended.
More engineering issues. I need to make some calls to the transformer winders & see what they can set me up with, then take a long walk in the woods to think and think and think.

By: danegeld

danegeld — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Steampunk / tentacles theme running on Boingboing finally made me get a copy of Lovecraft’s book out of the local library.

By: Antinous

Antinous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

steampunk is old :)

That would, um, sort of be the key component of the steampunk design ethos.