My Brass Goggles. The metal parts are made predominantly from solid brass clock and watch parts, cogs, winding barrels, cut down body parts, bits and pieces. No plastic or mouldings. They are heavy, solid pieces that look and feel authentic.
I put lenses in them and try to make them as comfortable to wear as possible so I guess they are the real deal.
Except, of course, the discombobulators, which are "deactivated" to avoid accidents - though they still have the desired effect on bystanders, Steamers and normals alike.
I put lenses in them and try to make them as comfortable to wear as possible so I guess they are the real deal.
Except, of course, the discombobulators, which are "deactivated" to avoid accidents - though they still have the desired effect on bystanders, Steamers and normals alike.
The Steam Maiden's Goggles -
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My first attempt at making some Brass Goggles.
These are made mainly from clock parts. It was Nikki's idea to use the spring barrels from the clocks. I used lenses from an old pair of glasses I had and brought the twin magnifier lenses. The screws are mainly old Maccano brass screws and bolts. I made the leather strapping from bits and pieces I had hanging around. Most of the materials were brought from Ebay. I am particularly proud of the side mounted Discombobulator which I think looks fantastic. (Sold) |
The Discombobulation Goggles -
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I so loved the discombobulator on the first goggles I made that I decided to make a set dedicated to the discombobluator itself.
I found,amongst my clock parts, these two wonderful wing like pieces that i used to flank the nose piece. The discombobulator's reflection disk is the alarm bell and the business end of the emitter is part of a pendulum weight. The strapping here is made from an old hand bag brought from a charity shop for the purpose. Inner lenses made from some cheep sunglasses brought from the Pound shop for a quid and cut to fit. (Sold) |
The Steam Gunner's Blast Goggles -
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I think these are my favourite goggles. I found the two pieces I would use to make the nose guard as I rummaged in my bits collection. I thought that they'd make a marvellous nose shield so I began to assemble a set of goggles around them. But if the nose was to be protected then so should the eyes. I made the blast shields from two small clock frames, large cogs, and the backs from the winding barrels. I had run out of Maccano bolts so used some longer steel screws and bolts, I was going to cut them off but they looked so authentic that I left them long. The hinges were found in my bits boxes. The strapping here is made from an old hand bag brought from a charity shop for the purpose. Inner lenses made from some cheep sunglasses brought from the Pound shop for a quid and cut to fit. I loved the idea of some gruff ol' Gunner on some clanking old Steam Dreadnought wearing these to protect himself from the steam and flying debris as he fires off a few rounds at some Martian Man o' War. (Not for sale) |
The Steam Master's Goggles -
The Steam Master's Hat and Goggles. Winner of the Brunel Award, Lincoln Asylum, 2011.
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This time I went to town on this. I brought a very old Eastman Kodak camera lens patented in 1887 with the intention of building it into a set of goggles, but it was too big for an winding barrel I had so I managed to fined an old brass candle stick in a charity shop. It was exactly the right diameter and cut down nicely into two pieces. Luckily a magnifier lens I brought in The Works was also a perfect fit. The main ring of the camera lens cover is part of a brass door stop cut down. The inner cover of the magnifier lens is made the same was as the shields on the Gunner's goggles. The telescope was brought in Past Times and mounted on to a base plate using some odd brass plumbing fittings I had laying around. The rest of the fittings, the Discombobulator, etc. were made from clock and watch parts I already had. The strapping was made from an old hand bag brought specifically for the project. These goggles are really nice, the look fantastic, you can wear them and see though the lenses but they weigh a ton!!
Winner of the Verne Award. Asylum 2011 (not for sale) |