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Thursday, July 28, 2011Thursday, July 28, 2011

A New Steampunk Gas Mask: Hosehead?

I found this rubber gas mask some time ago at a yard sale, and it is my inspiration

and starting point for making a new leather and resin steampunk gas mask.

Tom Banwell

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It is marked USN for United States Navy and I am guessing it is from World War II.

Maybe someone out there can tell me.

It is distinguished from any other gas mask in my collection by the two rubber 

hoses running to a (missing ) tank of breathable gases, and that is a feature Idefinitely want to keep on my mask.

My first challenge is determining how to make the rubber hoses. I looked into simply

buying a comparative hose but wasn't having much luck finding it. Then I consideredbuilding it out of a small latex tubing covered in leather washers. They would have to

alternate large and small to allow for the flexing required.

 At this point I am thinking of molding the original (shown above removed from the

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 A New Steampunk GasMask: Hosehead?

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at 6:48 AM  2 comments  Links to this post

Labels: gas mask, pattern drafting, respirator 

Initially I wasn't going to provide any resin canisters as another cost savings

measure.

Ultimately I decided to add two smaller identical canisters, as functionally it made

little sense to have none.

Once I was happy with the pattern I tested it in green paper, and when that looked

like it was working I cut it out of leather and riveted it all together. I need to addstraps and make a few alterations, but I think it's a good beginning.

Saturday, February 13, 2010Saturday, February 13, 2010

 

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Labels: gas mask, posters, rhino

RHINO Gas Mask: The Poster 

My latest steampunk gas mask is now available as a poster on Zazzle. Many of my

other steampunk creations are available as posters on Zazzle as well.

Sunday, December 27, 2009Sunday, December 27, 2009

New Gas Mask: First Steps

 All of my commmissions are complete, so I have time to make something new.

While at my local army surplus store I found this new German-made gas mask, andthought it would make a good pattern for a leather steampunk version.

The eyepieces, intake and exhaust vents will all be fabricated from scratch to fit the

openings in the leather.

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Labels: gas mask, rivets

 After thinking about where to put the seams I covered half the mask in the curiously 

named masking tape. Then I marked the lines with a red felt marker.

This mask will be mostly riveted together (something new for me), and I've marked everyhalf inch on the seam lines with a black marker to indicate where each rivet will go.

Using an X-acto™ blade I cut the tape off of the rubber mask and laid it down on a

piece of heavy cardboard.

To check my pattern before going any further I've cut it out of card stock, and taped

it together. The edges and rivet holes should all line up at this point, and I have a fewcorrections to make (marked in red ). Next step will be to add a seam allowance.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Cow Gas Mask: Step One

I was commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium to construct a leather steampunk gas mask for a fiberglass cow, as part of an upcoming exhibition on

global warming. Here is how I went about making it.

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This was my initial drawing as submitted to the aquarium.

 And here it is somewhat altered after receiving their comments on the design. This

drawing was approved.

They sent me this foam copy of the cow's head, from which I could make the

pattern. The ears and horns are indicated by the red plastic cups, so I could figureout where to put the straps.

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Labels: cow gas mask, gas mask, monterey bay aquarium

Here I have covered the head in duct tape, and marked the individual pattern pieces

to cut off and transfer to leather. I've also indicated what type of stitching I'll be doingon each piece. More to come.

Friday, October 2, 2009Friday, October 2, 2009

at 6:52 AM  2 comments  Links to this post

Labels: bra, gas mask, ig nobles

Bra to Gas Mask Transformer 

This year's Ig Nobles winners have been announced, and Dr. Elena Bodnar has wonfor her bra that converts into a pair of gas masks — one for the wearer, the other for 

a friend. It sounds silly, but Bodnar, a Ukraine native who now lives in Chicago,started her medical career studying the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant

disaster.

If people had had cheap, readily available gas masks in the first hours after the

disaster, she said, they may have avoided breathing in iodine-131, which causes

radiation sickness.

The bra-turned-gas masks could have also been useful during the 2001 terrorist

attacks, and for women caught outside during the dust storms that recentlyenveloped Sydney, she said.

"You have to be prepared all the time, at any place, at any moment, and practically

every woman wears a bra," she said, noting that a bra cup, no matter what size, isthe perfect shape to fit over the human mouth and nose.

Her patented devices also look pretty, no different from a conventional bra, she

added.

Friday, September 18, 2009Friday, September 18, 2009

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Labels: Brigid Ashwood, gas mask, Mr. Hyde

Brigid Ashwood's Mr. Hyde

Here is Brigid Ashwood's beautiful rendition of one of my gas masks in her drawingof Mr. Hyde.

Saturday, July 18, 2009Saturday, July 18, 2009

Defender: Gas Mask is Done!

 At long last, the Defender gas mask is complete. The helm was finished earlier,leaving only the gorget with a few remaining details to take care of.

Here are the final "sea anemone" respirators in cold cast aluminum. Now thatthey're done they look a bit like cuttlefish (with a nod to the cephalopod lovers out 

there).

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Labels: cuttlefish, gas mask, sea anemone

 And here is the completed mask. The eyepiece on the right has a tinted lens; theone on the left (with the camera-like lens) has only a ½" opening. The two

eyepieces together effectively hide the identity of the wearer, while allowing him or 

her to see out moderately well.

Friday, June 26, 2009Friday, June 26, 2009

Defender: How I Make an Eyepiece

I thought it might be interesting for some of you to see what goes into creating oneof my resin parts. For the Defender mask I decided to make one of the eyepieces

similar to a camera lens, with a stepped conical inside. I built the prototype in layers

of 1/16" (1.5 mm) thick clear acrylic sheeet. The drawing below shows part of the fileI created in CorelDraw.

 As you can see, the outside dimension of each piece stays the same, while the

inside hole decreases in size as we move down the page. Some of the outsides arezig-zag while others are smooth. The red lines are the cut lines, while the blue lines

are just for planning. The tiny red circles are for alignment pins.

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Labels: Banwell, defender , gas mask, leather , mask, resin, urethane resin

The small ½" (12.5 mm) diameter hole at the bottom of the lens sits fairly close to

the wearer's eye, allowing him or her to see out, while keeping others from looking

in.

Monday, June 22, 2009Monday, June 22, 2009

Defender: Starting the Mask

With the helmet nearing completion, I have begun on the mask. These two parts—the helmet and mask—could be worn alone, but they are designed to be worn

together.

This is a variation of the gas mask, with two respirators on the sides of the snoutreplacing the single central one, which gives it an eerie alien look.

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Labels: Banwell, defender , designing, gas mask, helmet, leather , mask, steam punk,

steampunk

Each of the two eyepieces will be different. One of them will resemble a cameralens, and the other a porthole.

Here is a photo of the mask after the major leather pieces have all been stitched

together.

Friday, May 22, 2009Friday, May 22, 2009

Underground Explorer: Oxygen Canister 

I have had a good response to my writing competition. Seems like there are a lot of writers happy for an excuse to create a short steampunk story.

The final piece of the undeground explorer helmet is the oxygen canister which

connects to the leather snout. Pictured below is the antiqued canister with rubber tubing and the connection at the other end.

Still to construct is the leather strapping which will allow the canister to be worn on

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Labels: Banwell, explorer , gas mask, helmet, leather , Maker Faire, mask, oxygen

canister , steampunk

the back or over the shoulder. Brownie points to anyone who can identify the original

item from which the canister was made.

I leave for Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA exactly one week from today, and thefinished helmet will be the centerpiece of my display.

Monday, May 4, 2009Monday, May 4, 2009

at 3:51 PM  0 comments  Links to this post

Labels: Banwell, designing, explorer , gas mask, helmet, leather , mask, pattern

drafting, steampunk

Underground Explorer: Designing the Goggles

These giant sized paper glasses are my beginning attempt to work out the patternfor the goggles. This is going to take a lot of trial and error to get it right.

Saturday, May 2, 2009Saturday, May 2, 2009

Underground Explorer: Lamp Comb is Finished

 After focusing on the whale tooth for awhile I have returned my attentions to the

Underground Explorer's helmet. Yesterday I reworked the comb pattern and remadeit to fit properly, then I cut out the leather and hand-stitched it over the acrylic comb

form. Today I painted it black, and antiqued it brown to give it that old look. After 

drying, I bolted and riveted the comb to the leather helm, and attached the lamp tothe front.

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Labels: Banwell, comb, crest, designing, explorer , gas mask, helmet, leather , mask,

steam punk, steampunk, stitching, underground

I have decided on all of the design elements of the helmet, and have just two more

to complete: The eyecover/goggles, and the oxygen canister which will hook up tothe snout. With this equipment our intrepid explorer will be protected from extremesin pressure and temperature, as well as falling rocks. They will also have a bright

light to see what lies before them, and have a fresh supply of oxygen to weather thepockets of foul air. Hopefully this will protect them from all unforseen dangers that

might lurk ahead.

Monday, April 13, 2009Monday, April 13, 2009

at 1:51 PM  0 comments  Links to this post

Labels: explorer , gas mask, helmet, leather , mask, steampunk, underground

Space Helmet to Underground Explorer 

The poll is over, and Underground Explorer won with exactly 50% of the vote. So Imust prepare our courageous traveler for whatever conditions might await. Darkness

of course, and probably heat, maybe pressure, foul air, unknown creatures, etc.Thanks to everyone who voted.

Saturday, April 4, 2009Saturday, April 4, 2009

Space Helmet: Designing the mouth/nosepiece

When I tried on the plastic child's astronaut helmet, I could barely squeeze my headinto it, and it touched my nose, so I decided early on to make a removable "snout"

to give room for the nose, and to allow the wearer access to the mouth and nosewithout having to remove the helmet. Today I worked on designing that piece,

working with green paper to figure out the patterns.

Once I was satisfied with the pattern I cut it out in leather, wet it and sewed it

together with waxed thread. The snout will have two matching cold cast respirators

on either side (where the two holes are), and one small something on the front. Ihave mostly built the respirator model out of acrylic sheet, and will mold it in rubber 

and cast it in resin.

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Labels: astronaut, Banwell, designing, gas mask, seams, spaceman, steam punk,

steampunk, stitching, tutorial

The snout attaches to the helmet with four snaps on each corner, plus a buckle on

each side (notice the protruding rivet where the buckle will attach on a short strap).

Next up will be making a visor which will completely cover the eye opening, and a

collar to hold the helmet up off of the head, and to help keep its shape.

Monday, March 30, 2009Monday, March 30, 2009

Space Helmet: It Ain't What it Seams

I have now cut and stitched together the four main parts of the helmet, and thenshaped the wet leather over the yard sale plastic original. The toy astronaut helmet

serves not only as a pattern source, but also as a shaping form. It reminds me of the underwater helmets worn by the crew of the Nautilus, with its roundedness.

 At the end of yesterday's blog I decided that the plain exposed seam I had tried (andwas planning for the entire helmet) wasn't the best choice, so I ripped out the one

seam that I had done, and restitched it.

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I replaced the side seams with overlapping seams, and for the center seam I chosea butt seam (since an overlapping seam has to favor one side or the other, and won't

be symmetrical).

There are three different types of handsewn seams that I use in my leatherwork:

Overlap, butt and plain. Below are the three types illustrated.

The plain seam can add structural strength and really emphasize the seam line, ascan be seen on my firemaster's helmet. It is the historically traditional seam for 

firefighter's helmets, but it requires more effort to shape. On my steampunk gasmask you can see examples of the butt seam and the overlap seam.

Once the wet-formed helmet has dried, I will figure out the removable front piece thatwill cover the mouth, and also design a piece with a lense to cover the eyes.

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at 5:35 PM  6 comments  Links to this post

Labels: astronaut, Banwell, firemaster , gas mask, helmet, leather , nautilus, seams,

spaceman, steam punk, steampunk, stitching

Friday, February 20, 2009Friday, February 20, 2009

at 4:30 PM  8 comments  Links to this post

Labels: Banwell, elephant, gas mask, leather , mask, pachyderm, raughnold, ray gun,

raygun, steam punk, steampunk

Pachydermos: The Photos

My lovely and patient wife agreed to model the mask. Above are the results.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Pachydermos is finished

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Labels: Banwell, elephant, gas mask, leather , mask, pachyderm, steam punk,

steampunk

The crazy steampunk gas mask that I've been working on for months is complete.Now I just need to get some good photos. Its official name is Pachydermos, which

is Greek for wrinkled skin.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009Tuesday, February 17, 2009

at 10:15 AM  1 comments  Links to this post

Labels: Banwell, copper , ears, elephant, gas mask, leather , mask, pachyderm,

steam punk, steampunk

Pachyderm Update

We last left our feckless hero, the Pachyderm, waiting for a styrofoam head toarrive, in order to correct his Mickey Mouse ears. Not being able to work on the

elephantine gas mask, I turned to other pursuits, namely creating my first raygun. Iam now pleased to report that the man head has arrived, and much progress has

been made on the mask. The ear straps have been completely redesigned so thatthe ears are not quite so comical.

The acorn nuts holding the bad air transmutators onto the leather mask were abright brass, and needed to be subdued. By searching online I discovered liver of 

sulphur , a chemical used to tarnish brass and bronze, and proceeded to purchase asmall bottle. The results are lovely! I also fabricated the eyepiece out of acrylic

sheet, then molded it in silicone rubber and cast two of them in a faux copper. Theresults are splendid, with its rivets making it look rather like a porthole from Capt.

Nemo's Nautilus.

The only step left is to buy and install some small rivets to hold the trunk in place. I

will photograph the mask and post pictures here in a couple of days.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Life's Latest Lesson

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at 4:23 PM  5 comments  Links to this post

Labels: Banwell, ears, elephant, gas mask, leather , mask, pachyderm, steampunk

Today I learned that if you take an elephant and make his ears round and move

them to the top of his head he turns into a large rodent. A cartoon mouse even. Whoknew! In the illustration the drawing on the left represents the original pachyderm

gas mask concept. The drawing on the right is what the mask currently resembles.Clearly I need a model of a full-sized human head on which to make my patterns.Guessing —the technique I have been using up to this point—doesn't always work.

OK, there is any easy enough workaround for this, and that is to take the strap thatthe ears are attached to and lengthen it so that the ears hang a bit lower. Hopefully,

the elephant will then return!

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