This project takes about 2 long weekends to do.
Parts:
Amazon.com or Office Supply Store:
:Local Hardware Store:
Tap Plastics:
Local Antique Shop or Craft Store:
The USB drive just has to be small enough to fit into the copper pipe (1 inch diameter x about 3 inches long).
Cut the copper pipe to desired length (to fit the USB drive) and still allow the USB "plug" to stick out fully from the end of the pipe. I then drilled four equidistant holes in the wood coupling and copper pipe to eventually hold the 4 brass rod pieces (see later). I stained the wood coupling a nice dark color.
To hold the USB drive inside the pipe, I took some of the cooper sheet and cut out two pieces that would fit inside the pipe and also a square hole inside each piece to pass the USB drive thru each of the copper sheet pieces. I then glued the assembly inside the pipe.
Then I cut the 4 brass rod pieces, about 3 inches long each. I cut out a rectangle of the gutter covering to just fit around the copper pipe, about 1 inche in height, maybe 4 inches in length (or just enough length to just completely fit around the pipe). Glue that onto the pipe. Then I bent each of the 4 brass rods at one end only to just fit into the 4 holes of the copper pipe. You want the brass rod to fit snugly into the holes. Then I glued the wood coupling on the copper pipe, fitting each of the 4 brass rod pieces into the 4 wood holes at the same time. I then glued on Steam Punk gears and fake screws as I liked.
To make the "fake gauge": I had to manually make a little round gauge face using Photoshop on my computer and printed it out on white paper and cut it out using scissors or knife. I very carefully used white glue and smeared a thin later onto the flat surface of the half-sphere and then placed the round paper gauge on it. If you go it right, it will dry clear and look good. I then cut out a small edging piece from the copper sheet (about 1/4 inch wide by about 3 inches long) and glued that around the bottom edge of the half-sphere. I then glued that entire assembly onto the copper pipe.
The copper pipe reducing fitting then goes on the end where the USB drive "plug" sticks out to make it look more appealing, but that is optional.
Parts:
Amazon.com or Office Supply Store:
- USB drive
:Local Hardware Store:
- 1 inch diameter copper pipe (which is a little less than 1 inch diameter)
- 1 inch to 3/4 inch copper pipe reducer / coupling
- Some 1/4 inch brass rod
- Some aluminum gutter covering
- 1 round wood coupling (1 inch inner diameter and about 1 inch wide)
- Some 1/16 inch thick copper sheeting
- Wood stain of your liking
- Super or Gorilla glue
- White glue
- Scissors or hobby knife
Tap Plastics:
- 3/4 inch diameter clear acrylic half-sphere
Local Antique Shop or Craft Store:
- Steam Punk stuff like small gears and the aluminum fake screw tops
The USB drive just has to be small enough to fit into the copper pipe (1 inch diameter x about 3 inches long).
Cut the copper pipe to desired length (to fit the USB drive) and still allow the USB "plug" to stick out fully from the end of the pipe. I then drilled four equidistant holes in the wood coupling and copper pipe to eventually hold the 4 brass rod pieces (see later). I stained the wood coupling a nice dark color.
To hold the USB drive inside the pipe, I took some of the cooper sheet and cut out two pieces that would fit inside the pipe and also a square hole inside each piece to pass the USB drive thru each of the copper sheet pieces. I then glued the assembly inside the pipe.
Then I cut the 4 brass rod pieces, about 3 inches long each. I cut out a rectangle of the gutter covering to just fit around the copper pipe, about 1 inche in height, maybe 4 inches in length (or just enough length to just completely fit around the pipe). Glue that onto the pipe. Then I bent each of the 4 brass rods at one end only to just fit into the 4 holes of the copper pipe. You want the brass rod to fit snugly into the holes. Then I glued the wood coupling on the copper pipe, fitting each of the 4 brass rod pieces into the 4 wood holes at the same time. I then glued on Steam Punk gears and fake screws as I liked.
To make the "fake gauge": I had to manually make a little round gauge face using Photoshop on my computer and printed it out on white paper and cut it out using scissors or knife. I very carefully used white glue and smeared a thin later onto the flat surface of the half-sphere and then placed the round paper gauge on it. If you go it right, it will dry clear and look good. I then cut out a small edging piece from the copper sheet (about 1/4 inch wide by about 3 inches long) and glued that around the bottom edge of the half-sphere. I then glued that entire assembly onto the copper pipe.
The copper pipe reducing fitting then goes on the end where the USB drive "plug" sticks out to make it look more appealing, but that is optional.