Steampunk DIY: Projects by Skill Level, From an Afternoon to a Season

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The maker of steampunk objects has the pleasant distinction of being forgiven. A seam that wanders, a rivet slightly out of true, a patina laid on with more enthusiasm than skill: all are read as character, and the genre has always prized the hand-built over the bought. This page arranges the projects on our site by the time and skill they ask, with prices where we could read them, and it points to the guide that carries each one through. The reader who wishes to begin with one thing should begin with goggles from welding goggles, which the sources all agree is the customary first project.

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The Outfitters' Catalogue

Everything named in this guide, by budget

AllThriftyMid-rangeHeirloom

Fig. 1Thrifty

Craft gear and cog assortment

Metal or plastic gears for knobs, hats and bracers.

See it

Fig. 2Thrifty

Two-part epoxy

Bonds metal gears to plastic where super glue fails.

See it

Fig. 3Thrifty

Metallic spray paint for plastic

Copper, bronze and gold finishes made for plastic.

See it

Fig. 4Mid-range

Heat gun

Forms thermoplastic and shapes foam.

See it

Fig. 5Mid-range

EVA foam sheets

The usual material for gauntlets and armor.

See it

Fig. 6Mid-range

Contact cement

The adhesive that holds foam seams, as makers advise.

See it

Fig. 7Heirloom

Leather punch and rivet setter

Proper leather tools in place of a starter kit.

See it

Fig. 8Heirloom

Temperature-controlled soldering iron

For LED goggles and other electronics.

See it

I.The Four Habits of a Good Finish

Finish sets the look more than shape does, and four points recur in every maker’s account we read.

1. Choose the finish before the glue. Rub ‘n Buff, a metallic wax, is applied in layers with a gloved finger, swab or cloth, then buffed; the maker advises scuff-sanding the surface first.
2. Spray lightly. Dennard warned that heavy coats of spray paint leave goggles sticky, and her first pair had not dried after five days.
3. Seal with a test. Rub ‘n Buff is wax: it is not for moisture or electricity, tops out at 120 F, and outdoors needs a water-based or acrylic sealer, which should be tested first because it can change the sheen and color.
4. Give it time. The GeekDad author left the buffed parts about a week to cure.

For the finishes themselves we have a guide to faux brass, copper and bronze, one on Rub ‘n Buff, and one on verdigris and patina.

II.Projects for an Afternoon

Goggles from welding goggles. Begin with cheap plastic welding goggles, Rub ‘n Buff, gloves, paper towels, cotton swabs and a two-part epoxy or super glue; the first stage of GeekDad’s method occupies about two hours with drying. Susan Dennard’s version, with silver and gold spray paint, a clip-on double loupe and a thrift-store belt, came in under $20. Details are in how to make steampunk goggles; the history that explains why they read as steampunk is in why goggles mean steampunk.

A repainted toy blaster. Dennard’s steampunk gun began with a used Nerf Maverick, which she bought for about $9 in 2011. Her method, and the finishes we suggest, are in how to paint a steampunk Nerf blaster. Whether such a prop may be carried is a matter for each event, and our props guide says what to ask.

Gears on anything. Gears, cogs and watch parts glued to a hat band, a bracer or a box lid are the oldest trick in the genre, and the most abused. A piece should look as though the gear does something; we take that up in what makes a costume or object actually steampunk. Where to buy them, and which watches to leave alone, is in gears for crafts. Watchmakers on one forum were divided between those who called breaking a watch vandalism and those who thought it fine if the watch was truly scrap; buy parts lots, and leave running watches be.

A decorated hat. A bought top hat gains a good deal from a goggle band, a few gears and a feather; see how to decorate or make a steampunk top hat.

Paper and party work. Printed labels, journals and a tea table need no tools beyond scissors: apothecary and potion labels, junk journals, coloring pages, Christmas printables, pumpkin carving, party food with edible gears, a tea party and tea duel and party and birthday ideas. Free images carry licenses; see below.

III.Projects for a Weekend

Goggles from a plumbing coupler. Jen Yates’s Epbot instructions cut both cups from a single 1.5-inch plumbing coupler, with Plexiglas lenses and leather or vinyl, for about $15 by her reckoning, many of her materials being scraps. That price is an author’s estimate from 2011 and is not current.

A leather belt. Maze Leather’s tutorial is a plain account of cutting and finishing a belt, and a belt is the economical way into leatherwork. Leatherwork for beginners takes the belt, the bracer and the strap in turn.

Foam vambraces. Storm the Castle’s tutorial for craft-foam vambraces names a 20-pack of 12 by 17.5 inch foam sheets, with hot glue and silver or gold paint. The foam guide is EVA foam for gauntlets and armor.

A verdigris finish. The Modern Masters Metal Effects method is primer, a reactive metallic paint in copper, and an aging solution sprayed while the second coat is still wet; one blogger gives about 12 hours after the primer, about 30 minutes between paint coats, and “several minutes” for the effect to develop, and the kit covers about 2 square feet. How to make a verdigris or patina finish compares this with cheaper methods.

A lamp, a kit or a kit-bash. Anything that plugs in belongs to the electrical-safety guide first: the black-iron pipe lamp. For kits at every level, including book nooks, see craft kits by skill level.

IV.Projects for a Season

Armor in Worbla. Kamui Cosplay’s shopping guide describes Worbla as a thermoplastic that needs only a heat gun and scissors. Sources conflict on temperatures: the distributor Sculpture Supply gives 50 to 60 C for Brown, 65 to 80 C for Black and 90 to 120 C for Transparent, while the Crafthub page says to activate at 90 C (195 F). Read the instruction sheet that comes with the sheet. Worbla for beginners says more.

A mechanical arm in foam. A Glowforge forum build of a steampunk mechanical arm used 6 mm anti-fatigue mats for its foam.

Goggles with LEDs. Adafruit’s Learn pages carry the best-documented electronics builds for goggles, with full parts lists but no prices. These are the only projects here that call for a soldering iron.

Clothing from a pattern. Truly Victorian sells period-correct patterns drafted by era, as e-patterns. For the choice among steampunk-labelled envelopes, free patterns and period drafts, see sewing patterns: what is worth buying.

Wings, and the 3D printer. Wings in wood and canvas, or motorised are a season’s work for a determined maker. Print files carry licenses of their own: 3D-print files and their licenses.

Makers to learn from. Jake von Slatt’s Steampunk Workshop, Kamui Cosplay (books and tutorials on EVA foam, Worbla and painting), and Punished Props Academy are the sources working makers return to.

V.How to Choose a First Project

The reader who is unsure should consider three questions in turn. What will the piece be worn or used for? An evening’s costume forgives a great deal; a prop that is to be handled all weekend, or kept outdoors, wants a sealed finish, and the wax maker says outdoor use needs a sealer. What does the maker already own? A pair of welding goggles, a tube of wax and an hour at the kitchen table suffice for the first project, and nothing is gained by buying a heat gun for a task that does not need one. And what is the cost of failure? The sources are candid that things go wrong: Dennard’s first pair of goggles was still tacky after five days, and the Epbot author warns that shallow cups press the nose piece into the bridge of the nose. A cheap first attempt is the surest teacher.

It is well, too, to work in the order the sources work in: finish a small piece, then a larger; foam before thermoplastic; a belt before a bracer. The guides in the list below are arranged so that each follows naturally from the one before.

VI.Tools and Materials at Three Budgets

The groupings below are ours; the prices are those we could read, with dates. Where we found no price we give none.

The gears, adhesives, sprays, foam and tools here have cards in the catalogue above. The cards name product types and not brands, and we state no Amazon prices.

Finishes Compared

Plasti Dip metalizer topcoats in silver, gold, copper, blue, bright aluminum and bright gold go over cured Plasti Dip.

VII.A Short Section on Safety

Let it be said at once that making is not a gentle pursuit, and that each tool has a sheet to read.

• Eye protection. Costume goggles, and a pair made from welding goggles once painted, are not eye protection. OSHA 1910.133 requires eye and face protection at work to meet ANSI Z87.1. Wear proper safety glasses when cutting, sanding, soldering or spraying.
• Spray paint and primers. Spray outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, and read the safety data sheet of each product. Kamui Cosplay calls Plasti Dip “toxic and flammable”. We name no respirator, for none of our sources does.
• Soldering. The Health and Safety Executive notes that rosin flux fume is a common cause of occupational asthma, advises keeping one’s head out of the fume, and recommends good ventilation and a temperature-controlled iron.
• Wax. The Rub ‘n Buff label restricts it from children under 13.
• Hot tools. A heat gun and hot glue are burn hazards; we have no medical source for treatment and give none.
• Props. Check the event’s rules before bringing any prop weapon.

The full treatment is in workshop safety for costume makers.

VIII.Free Images and Their Licenses

Printable projects rely on images, and images carry terms. The Graphics Fairy’s members terms restrict printables to use inside handmade physical products and forbid sharing them as freebies. Pixabay’s license bans selling content as it stands, and bans commercial use of images showing recognizable trademarks. Free steampunk printables and where the images come from lists sources and their terms.

IX.Guides in This Section

Every guide in the Making section:

• How to make steampunk goggles from welding goggles
• How to decorate or make a top hat
• Sewing patterns: what is worth buying, and the free ones
• Faux brass, copper and bronze: plastic made to look like old metal
• Party food: edible gears, cocktails and a tea table
• Craft kits by skill level, book nooks included
• A black-iron pipe lamp, with the electrical safety part
• Painting a steampunk Nerf blaster
• Rub ‘n Buff for props: colors, sealing and mistakes
• A verdigris or patina finish
• EVA foam for gauntlets and armor
• Gears and watch parts for crafts
• Apothecary and potion labels: free sources and their licenses
• A steampunk tea party, and the tea duel
• Pumpkin carving: patterns, stencils and brass-painted pumpkins
• Coloring pages and books: free and paid
• Junk journals: kits, free papers and binding
• Props at conventions: what is allowed
• Worbla for beginners
• Wings: wood and canvas, or motorised
• Leatherwork for beginners: a belt, a bracer, a strap
• Workshop safety for costume makers
• Free steampunk printables
• Christmas printables
• 3D-print files and their licenses
• Party and birthday ideas

X.Frequently Asked Questions

What is an easy steampunk DIY project for a beginner?

Goggles from a pair of cheap plastic welding goggles, finished with metallic wax or spray paint; the best-known instructions come in under $20.

How do you make steampunk goggles?

Paint and ornament plastic welding goggles, or cut the cups from a 1.5-inch plumbing coupler; the first costs under $20 and the second about $15 by the authors’ estimates.

How do I make plastic look like metal?

Use a metallic wax such as Rub ‘n Buff applied in layers and buffed, or a metallic spray made for plastic; both makers publish drying and temperature limits.

What materials do I need for steampunk crafts?

Gears, epoxy or glue, metallic finishes, scrap leather and a heat gun cover most projects here; foam, contact cement and Worbla are added for armor.

Is it safe to use costume goggles as safety glasses?

No. Eye protection at work must meet ANSI Z87.1, and costume goggles do not. Wear proper safety glasses.

Can I use free images from the internet for printables?

Only within each source’s terms. The Graphics Fairy’s members terms and Pixabay’s license both restrict certain uses.

Is it all right to break up an old watch for gears?

Opinion among watchmakers is divided; buying a lot of scrap parts avoids the question.

Sources