This drive is made of brass, copper, solder, watch parts and glass.
The cap screws on securely and the glass lights up blue when transferring data.
I like to think of this as a USB drive from the 1800s.
4 gig USB drive with Windows ready boost.
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Steamworkshop, these are beautiful! Your attention to detail is fantastic! And I do envy you your "real" torches. :)
The wire on the top is held with plumbers solder fron the hardware store and a 100 watt soldering iron. I don't use that solder anymore. I braze everything now and only use the soldering iron for electrical soldering.
It helps to fill stick a piece of rolled up tissue in the plug to keep epoxy out of it.
It's a car headlight bulb I found at the local salvage yard. I do a lot of work with glass and have a special glass grinder that keeps the work wet while cutting. I'm not sure how you would cut one if you don't have access to a tool like that. The "heat and cool" method won't work and a traditional scoring glass cutter won't work either. A place that does custom glass work should be able to do it very easily.
And FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP HOUNDING HIM ABOUT LACK OF INSTRUCTIONS. That's what a slideshow is...a show of slides. If you want to make it so bad then go FIGURE IT OUT.
The body and cap are made from copper and brass plumbing fixtures/pipes that I found in various flea markets, thrift shops etc... They could also be purchased new at hardware stores.
I use hard solder (1300 degrees) and an oxygen/ acetylene torch for most of the metal connections. The other metal connections are made with soft solder (375) degrees and a soldering iron or propane torch.
To shape the metal I use a bench grinder, belt sander, angle grinder, rotary tool, various files and sandpapers.
The light is from the existing LED on the USB card. There was no electrical work involved in this piece. I just made sure to design the case to show off the light.
There are no secret techniques used here. Grinding, soldering, scavenging and a lot of time.
Hardware & antique store, touche.
What about that antique finish on all of the metal parts? Do you buy the parts like that or do something to it to give it that finish?
As far as this Steam Punk USB stick goes, how did you manipulate the metal cap that surrounds where the USB stick actually comes out of the Steam Punkified casing? Cutting a rectangle in metal isn't easy. Am I wrong in thinking it is metal in the first place? Is is made of painted sculpey or plaster perhaps? I am an artist myself, but I need some hints to get started.
The piece in question is copper that I got from spliting a copper pipe and flattening it out. I cut the hole rough and finished it with small files. Not too hard really. After that I cut it CLOSE to the circle size but a little bigger. I used a drop of fast set eopxy to stick the card to the circle and keep it straight. That just keeps it straight for the next step where I used JB weld to epoxy the stick and copper piece in place. Once it hardena I used a file to shape the copper circle to fit exactly flush.
That's the only metal connection that's not soldered. Obviously you can't use an acetalyne torch near a USB stick.
The parts start out as old plumbing fixtures I salvage, I cut and grind them into shape. The finish is done with a chemical patina that gives it a very heavy tarnish that polishes off. Different polishing techniques give it a different look.
What would the past have been like if everything was powered by steam (and typically has copper and brass parts).
Google it up, it's quite cool.
instructabalize it please!!!
Finding parts:
You have to be creative. I love flea markets, thrift stores, lower end antique shops and auto salvage "U-pull it" yarsds.
Old copper pipes, brass fittings and wire can go a long way. The brass fittings can be ground into cool shapes with a gringder and files.
Here's a link to a forum discussion where I broke down the techniques used on this piece and answered a lot of questions.
http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,22570.0.html
Can you tell me how you worked the glass? How did you cut it off, and how did you grind it? I don't have any glass experience.
The light is the easiest part. You just choose a USB drive with an indicator light and design the case to show off the light.