This my first Instructable. I was inspired by the A-35 Doomsday device by ewout. I am really enjoying the Steampunk themed projects that i see here and thought I would create my own Steampunk inspired doomsday device. My starting idea was a weather control device based of the idea of a butterfly wings flapping would result in rain instead of sun on the other side of the world. So I build a imaginary machine around that idea.

Step 1: Steampunk Needs Some Guages

Starting with a wooden box from a local craft store and some electrical fittings from the hardware store, I started with display gauges to measure the etherical forces i would be generating to control the weather. I do not have a picture, but the gauges has a motor mounted on the back of the box to drive an arm with magnets. Each of the gauges also had a small magnet. The movement of the magnets drive the needles.

Step 2: Buttons.. Lots of Buttons and Knobs

The 2nd control box has an arrangement of buttons made from ball point click pens mounted in another wooden box from the craft store. A small hold drilled in the end of the pin allowed me to add a button on the end. Knobs are actually caps off some applesauce squeeze containers, painted and glued to a few extra potentiometers I had. At the bottom is a key hole. A hold is drilled in the back of a box were I mounted turn knob switch that can be reached with a skeleton key. A three position switch will turn on the light in the "power supply" at the bottom of the machine and the motor to run the gauges.

Step 3: Power Supply

thanks to How to make the Sorcerer's Stone by SoccerChic923 I made some "material X" to power my device it is mounted in the reaction chamber were the butterfly lives. This is a purchase from my local garden decoration section. It is a motorized monarch butterfly. I considered using a different jar but was unable to find one the worked or looked any better. I kept the demo switch for the butterfly attached and just glued it out of sight at the top of the jar.

Step 4: Pieces and Parts

Other parts were 3/4" pvc tube, 1/4" threaded rod, The round disks are trivets from the local kitchen suppy store, and a yard light for the top. 6" width of pvc pipe to mount boxes and switch and various odds and ends to decorate.

Step 5: Where to Put the Batteries... in a Battery

The whole thing runs off 2 3v circuits. One to power the light at the bottom and the motor for the gauges and a 2nd to power the leds at the top. I did not want to put the batteries inside as they would be difficult to access and there is not much room. I made a fake battery instead from a cardboard tube and some pictures of antique batteries. The 2 battery packs fit in the cardboard tube for easy access.

Step 6: Putting It All Together

Sorry for the clutter in the background. The switch for the light on the top is a drawer pull that looks like outdoor faucet knob. After a little Rub n Buff and a lot of hot glue, everything when together fairly easy and now i am ready to create some weather related havoc at my local Scifi convention.