Steampunk Violin Beetle

(Updated) What do you get if you take one broken violin, a little free time, some steampunk and a gmjhowe?

Well you get the Steampunk Violin Beetle.

It has fully articulate legs and wings, with a carapace that opens and closes.
You can even use the legs to wear the Violin Beetle on your back.

Update: - I decided that this was missing something, I had been playing around with various parts for the head, I suddenly found a piece I had lost and was originally planning to use. Hence we have a updated picture to reflect the new addition. There is also a bonus picture featuring my beautiful wife modelled the beetle when worn on a back.

The main body is made from an old violin whose back was splitting away from the body, I was planning to take the back off so I could glue it back on, however the back then came off in its two halves and in a moment of inspiration I decided to make this.

So read on to see how I went about it, and be sure to vote for me in the Hurricane Laser contest.
_{(you may be thinking, well, he has laser cut bits there? Well, I use a shared laser cutter that does not belong to me, and I have to travel over an hour to get to it while paying $15 for train tickets)}

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials Needed

• Old Violin (Try and find a broken one, its a shame to ruin a working instrument)
• Metal Bearings
• Assorted Nuts/Bolts
• Laserable Plywood
• Stiff Brass hinges or Lego Bionicle Parts
• Sugru
• Varnish/Wood Wax
• Wood Glue

Tools

• Drill
• Hole Cutters
• Sandpaper
• Access to a laser cutter
• Hot glue gun
• Stanley Knife/Boxcutter

Comments

[gmjhowe]

Oh, and if anyone is worried about me destroying an 'expensive' violin by mistake, I actually checked the name on the label(shown) with my friend who is an expert on instruments. He said he never heard of a maker by the name of 'Cremonenfis', I explained it had a '170' followed by a lightening bolt, and he said that didn't ring any bells either.

[Jim Davidson]

Absolutely Awesome!!! I was considering doing a SP Violin as a crossbow...Thanks to you it with definitely be a bit more 'Oganic'!!!

[Spl1nt3rC3ll]

Wow, this is just too cool. I love when relatively ordinary objects are made into something incredibly creative like this, well done!

[gmjhowe]

Hey! Thanks!

Also, where have you been? You have come out of hiding for the past two years to make this comment! Does this mean you are making a come back? Get yourself back in the secret chatroom if you can remember where it is.

[roanmartigan]

Yeah, I am an instrument expert myself, and Cremonienfis does not sound familiar. Probably a cheap Italian knock-off of a nice Yamaha violin.

[PKM]

You're an instrument expert and you've never heard of Stradivarius? I really hope you're joking...

[roanmartigan]

Your sarcasm detector appears to be off :-D

[etopsirhc]

very nice , though i would have turned the neck/head of the violin into the head/horn of the beetle

[cheesegrass]

You should make a transformer violin next. :)

[gmjhowe]

Thats not a bad idea at all, I can use very similar legs, I just cut the violin up so that it unfolds with the legs.

[mommyhen42]

yep no worries about this violin. Here is what I found on the label.
Have you found a violin with the label "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis"? Keep cool. It's almost certainly a fake. Labels such as "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 17", followed or not by circles with crosses,

[Kiteman]

>Bravo<

[gmjhowe]

Thank you sir.

[Kiteman]

_{(But, wait, where are the photos of it being worn?)}

[gmjhowe]

_{(Working on those today, along with another notable improvement!)}

[Kiteman]

_{(Oh? Settles back in anticipation.)}

[Kiteman]

Oh! I like the update!

[gmjhowe]

ZING - Updated with more personality and a back mounted picture.

[ekaran6630]

this reminds me a Russian children's story book character, Great work!

[gmjhowe]

Thanks, which children's story book is that?

[Kiteman]

Possibly something by Kafka?

[Evinfire]

Awesome peace and artwork!

[gmjhowe]

Thanks!

[zomfibame]

very cool piece of art. ... kinda' reminds me of stuff my grandfather used to make.... but none of his had moving parts like that.

[gmjhowe]

Thanks! Do you have any pictures of his things to share?

[cynssc]

Good idea!! Very nice!

[gmjhowe]

Thanks!

[Beekeeper]

I like the book press in the background of one of your photos. Do you repair books as well? I have lots of old ones, some from the 1700s, that need attention.

[gmjhowe]

Thanks, its a lovely bit of equipment to have, I don't restore books, but I do occasionally bind them. Also very useful for a lot of things that need pressure applying. Despite its smaller size, this thing weighs more than my wife! Cast iron from what I can tell.

[hammer9876]

Now, I won't be able to sleep with my old violin in the same room. (shiver)

Great job! And congratulations on being "Featured"!

[themostwonderfulplaceonearth]

I like the piece, I just feel bad destroying any kind of musical instrument.

[gmjhowe]

I agree, this is why I make a point of telling people to repurpose broken cheap instruments instead of ruining one that works. This violin have both a split back, and a broken headstock. While a broken neck can be repaired fairly easily the break was in the headstock and the tension of the strings would have rebroken it too easily. I could have ordered a new neck, but the cost of a new neck would have been more than buying a violin of better quality.

[ARIrish]

Regarding the label, this link has a bit more information about what exactly the 'cremonensis' part means, but why you shouldn't worry anyway: http://www.holeintheweb.com/drp/bhd/StradivariusViolins.htm

[nerd7473]

Well neat

[gmjhowe]

Thanks!

[amandaghassaei]

wow, really nice work! love the surreal gif too!

[gmjhowe]

Thanks! It was originally a video, but I decided it needed to be a gif.

Plus gifs look great in the new picture layout.

[St Jimmy]

With regards to the picture of the label, that says Stradivarius, basically the most famous violin maker of all time. If it was a genuine Stradivarius, it would be extraordinarily rare and expensive. Don't worry though, it's almost certainly fake.

[Winged Fist]

Nice job! Happy to see it was only a 308 year-old Stradivarius you repurposed and not something really valuable -- like a prop from The Red Violin;-) 

[nnygamer]

I'd take the end of the neck, the scroll and tuning pegs area and use them as a head bolted in the already available hole.