Wordbiker
01-01-2012, 09:41 PM
Before I get into my PC mod I thought I'd show you my last project made for my daughter's Prom outfit.
After scouring articles on how to modify welding goggles and such, many of them terrible, I realized that the only way to go was a scratch build.
Starting with posterboard patterns helped to get a good shape and size.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0318.jpg
I then drew up a pattern the old-fashioned way...by hand.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/CopyofSteampunkgogglepattern0021.jpg
With the help of some Elmer's spray glue it was then transferred to sheet brass and the long process of cutting them out started.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0320.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0324.jpg
I used a combination of a hand nibbler, Dremel, jeweler's saw and a set of mini files to get the cuts needed without distorting the soft brass.
Before cutting the lens hole out and to prevent further distortion, a jig was made out of a pipe flange, a pipe nipple and a wood disc to hold the frame down before beating it into shape with a soft urethane mallet. Here it is with an early eyecup pattern.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0329.jpg
The eyeholes got a gear pattern to keep with the theme.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0333.jpg
After some polishing.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0342.jpg
My first attempt at sewing leather was disastrous. I took this nice clean look:
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0346.jpg
...and completely ruined it with the horrible stitching job that was my first attempt. Having a deadline pushed me to come up with another plan. The thrift store found purse I salvaged the eyecup leather from had some stitching already...so I faked it. Threaded the existing holes with hemp thread and glued them on with Barge cement.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0351.jpg
The next challenge was the braces, hand-bent from solid brass rod. The bending was actually easy after figuring out that it could be heated then handled with wet leather gloves.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0358.jpg
The hard part was forging the ends flat to accept the post mount.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0363.jpg
I failed and failed again, annealing correctly, but still they'd break. I tried bending tubing instead, but even with a mandrel they'd collapse. Then I had the idea to combine the two.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0368.jpg
A short piece of tubing soldered onto the end of the brass rods was easily smashed flat and cleaned up.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0371.jpg
A test fitting pic that a friend had some chopping fun with.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/dog.jpg
Once sized I attached the straps and buckles permanently with rivets.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0379.jpg
Hmmm...Photobucket seems to be having fits, so I'll continue this in another post.
After scouring articles on how to modify welding goggles and such, many of them terrible, I realized that the only way to go was a scratch build.
Starting with posterboard patterns helped to get a good shape and size.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0318.jpg
I then drew up a pattern the old-fashioned way...by hand.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/CopyofSteampunkgogglepattern0021.jpg
With the help of some Elmer's spray glue it was then transferred to sheet brass and the long process of cutting them out started.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0320.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0324.jpg
I used a combination of a hand nibbler, Dremel, jeweler's saw and a set of mini files to get the cuts needed without distorting the soft brass.
Before cutting the lens hole out and to prevent further distortion, a jig was made out of a pipe flange, a pipe nipple and a wood disc to hold the frame down before beating it into shape with a soft urethane mallet. Here it is with an early eyecup pattern.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0329.jpg
The eyeholes got a gear pattern to keep with the theme.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0333.jpg
After some polishing.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0342.jpg
My first attempt at sewing leather was disastrous. I took this nice clean look:
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0346.jpg
...and completely ruined it with the horrible stitching job that was my first attempt. Having a deadline pushed me to come up with another plan. The thrift store found purse I salvaged the eyecup leather from had some stitching already...so I faked it. Threaded the existing holes with hemp thread and glued them on with Barge cement.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0351.jpg
The next challenge was the braces, hand-bent from solid brass rod. The bending was actually easy after figuring out that it could be heated then handled with wet leather gloves.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0358.jpg
The hard part was forging the ends flat to accept the post mount.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0363.jpg
I failed and failed again, annealing correctly, but still they'd break. I tried bending tubing instead, but even with a mandrel they'd collapse. Then I had the idea to combine the two.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0368.jpg
A short piece of tubing soldered onto the end of the brass rods was easily smashed flat and cleaned up.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0371.jpg
A test fitting pic that a friend had some chopping fun with.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/dog.jpg
Once sized I attached the straps and buckles permanently with rivets.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0379.jpg
Hmmm...Photobucket seems to be having fits, so I'll continue this in another post.