The Hearsch Angocoellum Rifle: A functional Steam/Cyber Punk Rifle

Step 2 Design and Drafting

It was thus that his diabolical plans were revealed
far too late for the petty attempts at subverting them

Ok here's where it (hopefully) gets interesting.

Materials:

• scrap paper . .I use old tests and homework for this since the backs are almost always blank
• large wide paper , we've got a roll of butcher paper that's come in handy for a huge number of projects

Tools

• Rulers, a short one and a really long one . . .for me a 15inch art ruler and a 48 inch drafting one were crucial
• Calculator and google (for scaling)
• Pencils
• A good eraser
• drafters brush for sweeping aside eraser bits without smearing pencil
• Black sharpie(or other permanant marker)
• completed barrel and compression chamber assembly
• calipers for measuring pipe thicknesses and the thickness of other round objects

Initially I browsed around brassgoggles and other steampunk sites to look for ideas for this rifle but nothing really make me want to copy it (not to mention I kind of wanted something completely original) so I decided to make my own design for the stock.

I knew that I wanted it to sit on top of the shoulder rather than only in front of it, I wanted the design to be sleek and flowing but not convoluted like that one by weta. So with these ideas in mind I grabbed a sheet of 8.5X11 paper and drew a scale drawing of my inner parts (not intestines but the gun part). With this on paper I placed the trigger(blowgun) so that it would be pressed from above (kind of like the guns in Mononoke Hime) behind the chamber and then began sketching possible stock designs. I think doing a scaled down illustration is crucial to the design phase so don't neglect this part or your final project will look rather disjoint and unplanned unless you're insanely lucky. Once I had a good idea of what I wanted to to look like I took it to the next level and rolled out some butcher paper and drew a full size copy of the inner workings again and then drew the design onto that. Make sure at this point that everything is comfortable and within reach(like the trigger) and erase and redraw until you're completely satisfied with it. Then go over your lines with Sharpie(or other black permanent marker) but only the outside lines of the stock. This full scale draft is going to double as a pattern for when you cut out the blank of the stock so make darn sure its EXACTLY how you want it to look!

Then being careful to follow your lines closely cut out the pattern with sissors or an exacto knife.
Let those creative juices flow! but be safe . . .remember danger makes juices flow too . . .adrenaline, tears, Hydrogen peroxide . . .