3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

The Transmuted Victorian Engineer's Journal

The Transmuted Victorian Engineer\
I keep sketches and notes in a variety of places, and I've been wanting to create something to be left in my workshop that will protect my drawings and notes, be heavy enough to function as a paperweight, and have an Old World look and feel.

Aluminum 1 piece @ $12.29/piece Cut to: 4.5" x 7"
Aluminum 1 piece @ $2.63/piece Cut to: 1.5" x 4.5"
Aluminum 1 piece @ $9.65/piece Cut to: 5.5" x 4.5"

Leather binding: ~ $4.00
Brass screw posts (bag of 6 but using only 3): ~ $2.50
Paint: ~ $3.00
Graph Paper Pad (for qty 2): ~ $2.25
16 brass slot screws ~ $2.00

Total cost: approx $38.75

(Many of the items I use here are left over from my Flipbook projects here and here.)
 
Remove these adsRemove these ads by Signing Up
 

Step 1Components - Aluminum

Components - Aluminum
I originally wanted the shell of the notebook to be made from copper or brass. Price quotes from various metal cutters were within a few dollars of one another, but I quickly learned a lesson: brass sheets are expensive. So I decided to go with Aluminum and paint distressing. The aluminum has a nice weight to it (.25" thickness) - I probably could have gone with .125" thickness but I don't want the covers to bend easily.

Here are price comparisons:

BRASS:

Sheet 1 - 4.5 x 7
Sheet 2 - 1.5 x 4.5 Lot Charge $146.51
Sheet 3 - 5.5 x 4.5

ALUMINUM

Sheet 1 - 4.5 x 7
Sheet 2 - 1.5 x 4.5 Lot Charge $24.57 at onlinemetals.com
Sheet 3 - 5.5 x 4.5

(I bought a smaller set for a smaller version to be made shortly:)

ALUMINUM
1 piece @ $6.83/piece Cut to: 3.5" x 5"
1 piece @ $1.37/piece Cut to: 1" x 3.5" Lot Charge $13.80 at onlinemetals.com
1 piece @ $5.46/piece Cut to: 3.5" x 4"
« Previous StepDownload PDFView All StepsNext Step »
84 comments
1-40 of 84next »
Jan 16, 2011. 10:16 AManbu94 says:
i would have to open mine backwards because im a lefty and the angle the cover stays open at would be a problem haha
Jun 7, 2011. 3:11 PMCamWaite says:
You could always use it at 90 degrees like a note pad?
Jun 7, 2011. 4:41 PManbu94 says:
hahaha touche >_<
Sep 27, 2008. 1:31 PMKiteman says:
Oh, you are so right about eye-protection with the dremel. My rotary tool is the only power tool I have where putting on my goggles is a reflex action.
Sep 27, 2008. 3:59 PMguitarman63mm says:
How's that? What about your angle grinder? Your circular saw? I only use goggles with a dremel if I'm shaping metal.
Oct 1, 2008. 7:37 PMcowscankill says:
I only need eye-protection when I am using my dremel because the cutting blade is very weak and brittle. It tends to break into bits and the pieces fly every where.
Aug 30, 2010. 3:30 PMstatic says:
Here a full face shield is hung on the bottles for the cutting torch. purchase after my prescription eyeglass gave up there useful life in protecting my eyes. A clear full face shield in in the cabinet next to the angle grinders as well.
Oct 2, 2008. 2:37 PMboarder2k7 says:
Definitely get better cutting wheels man.

Its worth ponying up the extra money for the fiber reinforced wheels, as they don't have the tendency to grenade in your face, when they crack they stay together.

And yeah, wear goggles ALWAYS!!
Oct 3, 2008. 10:44 PMArx says:
Or just learn how to use them better. My favourite wheels are the cheapest thinest ones. They cut the fastest, and if you use them right, you'll rarely break them. Mine either wear down to the point where they're too small to be useful, or I accidentally smack something into the dremel and break them when it's not in use (would break expensive fibreglass ones too)
Jan 7, 2011. 12:23 PMbadideasrus says:
i don't know if your refering to cutting wheels for a rotary tool or for somehting alittle bigger, but when i ran out of wheels for a pnumatic cutting tool. the three inch kind (which didn't belong to me, actually. was using tool at parents work...... ) i bought a pack from big lots. basically a dollar store for those of you who don't have one.
all three wheels snapped in half and nailed me in the chest one (one at a time obviously) ...........was not a fun experience.

moral to me, never buy cheap. the wheels that i had before this were very nice ones that didn't break once (besides alittle chipping when i was careless). i wore them down to the metal collars without breaking
Jan 7, 2011. 2:19 PMArx says:
Yes, we were referring to the ones for a rotary tool.

I should have been a little clearer, though, when I said "cheapest".

I don't mean dollar store junk, I just mean that I buy the thin, non-reinforced ones, and they work great if you're using them properly.

Dremel 409 are the ones I usually get. I see a lot of complaints that they don't last, or that they break too easily, but that's just because they're being used improperly.

the heavy duty 420 ones don't give me any more cutting distance per wheel, and they're really slow and cut a much wider kerf.

The fibreglass reinforced ones are a good compromise (still fairly thin, but stronger), but they're too expensive to be worth it IMO. If you're paying 4x as much, and only getting 1.5x the cutting, is it worth it? The odd broken disc when I do something stupid isn't really that big a deal, since I always wear eye protection.

On an angle grinder or large cutoff tool I would agree with you, since the flying bits are more than a minor annoyance.
Oct 3, 2008. 10:53 PMArx says:
Oh, and I don't mean to say learn to use your wheels better as an alternative to glasses. ALWAYS wear your safety glasses with any power tools, and even consider them with hand tools if there's ANY chance of something getting thrown into your eyes.
Oct 14, 2008. 3:22 PMGage987 says:
i have to take a technical education class and my teacher aleays makes us wear safty glasses and he dosn't so i asked him why and his glasses have the safty stuff built in
Oct 14, 2008. 10:31 PMboarder2k7 says:
Yeah well.... Glasses =/= safety glasses

Its better than nothing yes, but they never have as much coverage of your face, leaving your eyes open to side impacts.

And yes, ARX, you shouldn't be cracking wheels, but if you have the problem, or have to cut something in an odd shape where the wheel grabs and pulls, its worth it to use the fiber wheels.
Sep 27, 2008. 4:41 PMPh3nomin0n says:
Thats too bad... you should use safety goggles using any kind of power or electric tool... I was hit in the eye with a rock using my weed eater...
Sep 27, 2008. 5:43 PMterramonkey says:
I must agree-until eye transplants are a 1 hour surgery, I recommend anyone who can't predict the flight path of every molecule of high velocity swarf they produce, should be wearing some kind of eye protection. My rule is: the less 'cool' I look the better.
Sep 30, 2008. 12:25 PMRev. Redmond Farrier says:
Safety is a great concern, but you can look 'cool' while staying safe, that is if you consider steampunk cool. Brass goggles, big leather gloves, and a leather apron can be quite stylish for the mad scientist as well as the tool-shed hobbyist. I have even seen some beautifully steampunked respirators. When I get the chance to make one of these journals for myself, I will certainly look the part of Victorian tinkerer when cutting and drilling on metal. Of course, those of you who think an eyepatch is cool, you may want to forgo the goggles and you may have the opportunity to wear one the rest of your lives. lol ;-)
Oct 2, 2008. 4:53 PMwatsongr says:
I just use a pair of ballistic proof goggles I got while in the military (Wiley X's). The look like regular old sunglasses with clear lenses. And it only took five grueling years in the Marine Corps. to get them. They do work great though...
Sep 27, 2008. 7:44 PMguitarman63mm says:
I agree, except when I'm just shaping a small section of wood at low rpm. Like I said, anything above that, I end up wearing giant goggles, a thick weatherproof jacket, leather gloves, a NIOSH canister-based respirator and enormous ear protecters. When I don't wear goggles, I instinctively close my eyes before I make cuts on things, kind of like shooting an older, black powder-based gun.
Sep 28, 2008. 6:04 AMKiteman says:
I don't mean that I never wear goggles at other times, it's just that goggles are a reflex with the rotary tool.

I don't have so many power tools (no angle grinder, no circular saw), and they're generally large and predictable, and they're generally used at arm's length.

My rotary tool, though, is so small that tiny shifts in angle give rise to huge changes in the direction the parts fly. Plus, it's the only tool I have where the bits regularly disintegrate in use, and I work at much closer quarters.
Sep 27, 2008. 2:28 PMgmjhowe says:
i dont use goggles with my dremel...
Nov 17, 2008. 10:36 PMspecopps117 says:
Can someone explain to me as o wha steampunk is [im kinda new]
Aug 30, 2010. 3:20 PMstatic says:
A quick and dirty definition of "steampunk", steampunk is a fashion genre. Where people modify the appearance of modern devices to resemble or give a reasonable facsimile of the appearance of machines and other items during the Age of Steam, and the early Industrial Revolution.
Mar 14, 2010. 9:06 PMschaie says:
You need to find an industrial metal supply in your area.  they often have cut-offs that they sell for a fraction of the price of a retail supplier. 

I ofen go and sort through the remainder bin at mine, and I get brass and copper for market rate by the pound. (right now about $4.50) you have to do the cutting yourself, but this can be pretty easily accomplished with hack/jeweler saws.
Oct 23, 2009. 3:49 PMjlipimpski says:
I love the idea, and made one for myself. I chose wood instead of aluminum, because i liked the idea of a stained wooden finish better (personal taste). I threw on some nice looking brass hardware, sandwiched it all together with some countersunk machine screws, added a copper band across the top for looks, and i was done. I wasn't too keen on the whole usage of glue so I didn't use any in mine. Here's a picture of it: http://jlipimpski.deviantart.com/art/Engineering-Notebook-141234220

Thanks a lot for putting up this instructable, it was great!
Aug 16, 2009. 12:41 AMcryp7ic says:
Why did you decide to use glue instead of drilling and taping a hole?
Aug 16, 2009. 12:36 AMcryp7ic says:
How did you drill the holes (powerdrill/end mill/...)? I love the book, and would love to make one for myself!
Jul 23, 2009. 7:40 AMWCEastFZX says:
I love the paint you used! I will look for that if I need to make a steampunky thing. And I am amazed by all the goggle comments...I am a bit of a goggle aficionado, and have been known to wear them even when unnecessary...
Jul 11, 2009. 4:24 PMpetrino says:
we made these in high school... only no leather... no aluminiu,... no studs or screws... just paper...
Feb 13, 2009. 2:52 PMSmexy Dead says:
HOT.
Jan 3, 2009. 12:54 AMoldsnake says:
Thank you, very nice one. Just the price of the aluminum is kinda,......mezzo.
Jan 3, 2009. 12:05 AMLunare says:
Thanks that was very helpful. :D Have you made the mini version yet? I think I'm going for that considering budget lol.
Jan 2, 2009. 2:55 AMLunare says:
What type of aluminum exactly did you get from the site? I am a bit overwhelmed with all the choices...
1-40 of 84next »

Pro

Get More Out of Instructables

Already have an Account?

close

All Steps Viewing
View all steps of an Instructable on the same page when you're a Pro Member.

Upgrade to Pro today!
14
Followers
7
Author:jktechwriter