The Rocketeer is a project I have been working on for over two years. I exhibited the completed pack, helm and gun at Lincoln Asylum 7, 2015.
Where it received the Jules Verne award. |
The Cap and Mask.I always loved the ABC Warriors, my favourite being the deliciously evil Blackblood. So when I decided to make a Steampunk Rocketeer I took inspiration from the design of the character's face plate.
Initially, I built the Mask to wear under the Helm for protection as at the time there was no padding in the Helm but as the design progressed I felt it was worthwhile as a separate project. The Mask is made of 5mm thick leather. I used an aluminium lower face mask from an old dust filter as an under frame. Primarily it is glued together so I could see I built a pair of my old spectacles into it. Inspired by the Mask I decided to have a go at making a Cap based upon the one worn by Blackblood. Firstly I have never made a hat and had no idea where to start so it was a great challenge. I discovered the high pointed style is Russian and I decided would make it out of leather. I cut most of the hat band, peek and top out of an old MOD briefcase and used goat skin for the softer parts. The whole thing had to be hand sown which was quite painful and laborious. The band is adjusted with a strap because I wanted to be able to wear it with and without the Mask. Side buttons are from Hobby Craft. I decided not to use the ABC's badger design partly because I couldn't find anything like it and partly because I wanted something more "Steampunk". The upper badge is made from an old Austin grill badge, from the boys of Steampunk Workshop, with a Steampunk rocket badge mounted on it. I loved the retro look of the wings. The badge on the band is a limited addition promotional badge for the game Darkwatch. The braid is a piece of furniture braid from a fabric shop. Together the two pieces come together rather well. |
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The Helm and Body Armour.I made this helmet a long time ago. It's based on a stylised 13th C. medieval great helm. It's 16 gage steel and weighs a ton!
The breathing system is made from old brass plumbing pieces and shower hose. Originally I mounted a small gage on the right temple but replaced it with another more communicator looking piece - I think it's part of an electric switch. The leather armour is based on the lorica segmentata of the 3rd C. Roman army but I decided to put the straps at the sides. The leather is almost 5mm thick, too thick to sew so it is completely riveted. It's heavy but it's flexible and quite comfortable to wear. The wing epaulettes were made from necklaces bought from River Island. They are drilled and riveted on. The strapping for the rocket pack was made out of an girl's fashion belt and various buckles I had laying about. The upper straps were taken from the old MOD leather case I cannibalised for material to make the leather Cap. (Helm Sold) |
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The Rocketeer's Pack..The lads at Steampunk Workshops offered me the main tank, which I had been looking for for some time, it's copper and I think was used for spraying chemicals, you can see the hand pump on the side. I had to cut off some of the brass piping underneath and remove a steel skirt that was around the base, other than that it was ideal. The real challenge was finding and mounting some form of engine in it. I wanted something that actually looked like it could launch a man into the air. After looking around for several months I spotted an Airfix Jet Engine model. This was ideal but I'm not one for simply painting things, to get the look I wanted meant plating the whole engine with sheet brass. Also, no matter how I tried I could not get the air blast system that powered the model in the video to work once the nacelles were mounted on the tank. Eventually I used two motors I cannibalised from a wrecked toy drone. The power core viewer is part alarm clock body with a heat shield from an oil lamp, inside is a plasma disk. Above with is mounted an oil filter from a motorbike. The original oil can funnel style top was replaced by a crackle glass orb - a garden solar light - and the oil can funnel became the centre thruster and stand. The harness was made from a lady's fashion belt. I put the motor control in a box, attached by a metal segmented hose to the tank. I also ran another hose to what would be the Rocketeer's Plasma Rifle. People at Lincoln Asylum in 2015 were thrilled when they discovered that the motors worked and things lit up. It won the Jules Verne award. It also spent some time of exhibition at the Bristol Steampunk Museum (Sold) |
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The Plasma Energised Repeating Rifle. |
"Old Betsy."
(Sold) |