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Design Project! MechaMinds Thread!

7K views 104 replies 8 participants last post by  MechaMind 
#1 · (Edited)
Text Commemorative plaque Font Nameplate Memorial


Hello Guys!

As time has come, to start with our design project, I just want to leave some introductional words at the beginning of my thread!

When choosing suggestions for possible themes from the pool of ideas
I gathered in the past, the idea to go for that steampunk dress watch design, was influenced by the fact, that I did not already think about this theme at that time.
So all thoughts and actions following on the decision by the group and for that theme had and have to be made newly, are to be documented within this thread and so may create additional inspiration for the others.
… One of the group effects I'm interested to see in mulitple directions within the group.

But as already mentioned several times in the past… the main target of this project for me would be to have fun with others and second to learn about possibilities to deal with proup effects in project situation and management and how to productively use them.

I'll try to organize this thread as a kind of diary to keep the progress in chronologial order.

So here we go ! Lets start !

Hansjoerg
 
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#2 · (Edited)
10/20/2019 (6:10AM)

Initially trying to get my feeling for what steampunk could mean to me, I think I'll refer to the Wikipedia definiton of this as a public source at the beginning.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

So now I have the/ one offical Definition, about what steampunk is ment to be.But I decided to -along this Guideline- develope my own understanding.

So first I tried to take a second timeline of art and style along the timeline of the age of industrialization.
And picked out that periods of artifical evolution I will try to go with, as I always liked the Art Decó and Bauhaus periodes. (As steampunk came upt in the 1980th and the industrial revolution started in the 18th century and lasted over the Victorian Age I see no reason, not to involve the years in between into this ).
This decision probably will come up with the problem to balance out the reduced appearance in e.g. Bauhaus style with the smallish ( ment for use in a watch ) but generous amount of details used on steampunk objects. So it will probably be more Art Decó/ Art Nouveau than going for Bauhaus style.

View attachment 14562125 Text
 
#3 · (Edited)
To get familiar with the look of items / machines or things of daily use over the years of the industrial age,
I try to get closer from the manufacturing side.

- Materials available at that time
- Bronze
- Brass
- Iron
- Gold
- Silver
- Mild Steel
- glass /crystal
- leather
- wood
- porcellain

- manufacturing technologies available at that time
- Pouring/ Casting
- Soldering (Tin and Lead
- Welding / ( no TIG WIG or MAG - Just Firewelding)
- Coating ( No electroplating at the beginning- Just fire coating, Gold, Tin,
Zinc, Copper )
- Cannon Drilling, Turning, Milling developed and improved over time
- Rivetting
- Forming ( Blacksmith)
- All kinds of handcrafting

- objects of daily use or placed in manufactures
Gauge Measuring instrument Technology Tool Meter

Small appliance Home appliance Kitchen appliance

Electronics Technology Electronic device
 
#4 · (Edited)
Digging into this topic, there starts a rain of additional ideas on my head. As steampunk seems not to be limitted in Technology, but just a look alike, I recently try to prevent running ahead and leaving out the systematic work in between… but … I'm just a man … so to say.. But I'll try to keep detailed and systematic, I promise

From my touhgts

Style:
Will go for Art Decó probably a little bit Art Nouveau, but I think will keep this one reduced, as most of the elements will rather become too small for the amount of possible Detail.

Details:
-I will try to do the crystal in a multi-facetted appearance with a brass frame (rivets???)- like the diving helmet or e.g. old industrial architecture
- will use the drop oiler as a gadget perhaps with some additional functionallity.
- the handwheel should be inspiration for the crown ( dont want to get to large here, but will try to find a solution.
- the manometre: I plan to have a small second ( so probably will do this after that look)
- interconnection might be some coil like and/or tubular / pipe structure…

Now I will have to figure out how to include all that into a wrist watch which should come up shlightly decent!! - But in the first thist would mean to to target a too large movement.

Enough for today … have to think … to be continued

10/20/2019 (10:23AM)
 
#6 · (Edited)
Hey Leonardo, I like this one very much, too. (although I have still no clue how to get this one into a wrist watch . Originally thougt about a crown protection or kind of.. but I'm still struggeling with this item . if you or Leon could use it :) feel free to.. BTW .. when do you plan to start?

HJ
 
#7 ·
10/20/2019 ( 3.00 PM)
Originally thought to go for that later, but since I have defined what I want to include into the watch and I would like to have a rectangular case with a great depth effect I found out that I would have to figure out if I rather could realize this and how large the watch would be to ake all this . So I decided to create a mix of 3D and 2D Sketch to rather estimate the needed size .. Its not yet finished, but here is the first sketch of rough estimation. Will be a rather big watch with about 33x 48 mm … for to keep the desired content!
Architecture Sketch Drawing Diagram Room


10/20/2019 ( 8.00 PM)
 
#8 ·
10/20/2019 ( 3.00 PM)
Originally thought to go for that later, but since I have defined what I want to include into the watch and I would like to have a rectangular case with a great depth effect I found out that I would have to figure out if I rather could realize this and how large the watch would be to ake all this . So I decided to create a mix of 3D and 2D Sketch to rather estimate the needed size .. Its not yet finished, but here is the first sketch of rough estimation. Will be a rather big watch with about 33x 48 mm … for to keep the desired content!
View attachment 14563067

10/20/2019 ( 8.00 PM)
Great sketch, but the pipes under the crystal would be a thing to connect. It could be a reliëf on the faceplate but you'll need to lift your pointers...

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#9 ·
Pointers are checked , yet and should be fine, but I erased the orbits out of this pic as without the moving effect to get 3 D in mind, it was far to confusing .. and I'm still in phase A, so no fixed /frozen states and details after the first day. The structure of the dial will be very unconventional.. much work... but should appear as a great 3d world with a transparent /"look trough effect" for maximum visual depth.. I have to detail the fixing structure but this means much trial and error to keep the structure mostly invisible but it should work from what I have seen.. we will see.. will have to check back if the size could really be done.. and have ordered a second movement with another locaton of the small second to be a little more flexible..
 
#11 ·
Will be .. or at least so it is planned..
There will be much ... call it magic or special effects behind the built.. but thats the challenge I take..
For the mockup the glass will be 0.8mm polycarbonate film which will either be half cut to get the edges and faces.. (wich I prefer as it is more defined) or alternatively it will be 0.8mm EPET vacuum formed and the framework will be 0.08mm copper film which I will cut to shape... the rivets will probably be done from wood glue / liquid plastic ... but that is only one idea how it could work..
 
#13 · (Edited)
Of course - should be copperized silicon/ TPE and should be casted after a stl model.If somone made it worthy , it had been made from leather. All possible technologies. But the watch is very small in this case.. and it is fixed with small ring elements instead of your massive part.. I have no doubts that yours could also work but it needs heighg for sure.,

Just a comment by side.. think of ripped off jeans, used leather satchels and worn down shows.. Used Look or imperfection is an appeal which -for me- perfectly fits to the steam punk themes.. so if my brass or copper cage gets some decent dents or looks aged.. its going better and better with this..
 
#15 ·
When you look into modelling there are a lot of different brass profiles available I /T etc.. of course you still have to drill holes for rivets .. or you built the necessary minting tool :) ... things ill have to give a trial when I have to go for the one piece off.. the mockup/ look alike will be done easier as described.. just by thin Copper film and a rubber..
 
#17 ·
I'm at home with a little Sinusitis which I brought from the business trip and just had small progress.. Still working on the wearability and size..
So I tried to compress the interior to achieve dimensions close to the "proportio divina" but found out that I would have to slightly modify this in respect to the "whole picture" and additionally the wearability.

Think from the size and ratio aspect I'm rather where I wanted to get to … but regarding the details I'm still not... but this is the main area where I now will work on... ...as changing the proportions rather killed my fixing structure. But we will see!

Wrist Finger Hand Arm Wristband
 
#19 ·
I'm at home with a little Sinusitis which I brought from the business trip and just had small progress.. Still working on the wearability and size..
So I tried to compress the interior to achieve dimensions close to the "proportio divina" but found out that I would have to slightly modify this in respect to the "whole picture" and additionally the wearability.

Think from the size and ratio aspect I'm rather where I wanted to get to … but regarding the details I'm still not... but this is the main area where I now will work on... ...as changing the proportions rather killed my fixing structure. But we will see!

View attachment 14571175
Hans, the piping idea is that as a relief on the faceplate or 'real' that will create a big case...

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#18 · (Edited)
Little progress on the wearing thingy, but now the "height over wrist" ( without protruding lugs) is between 10.0 and 11 mm ... think its still ok but should not be higher!

Container and movement
Technology Electronic device Electrical supply Electrical wiring


roughly shaped watch case as basement for detailing!
Auto part Beige Door


Btw received my additionally ordered movement!

I changed the chrystal from the circular center to a polyline shaped one to get a more realistic apperance of a 18xx facetted window instead of having complex blow shaped freeformsurfaces, as used in WWII fighter canopies.
I think the blown / or vacuum shaped part would be less effort, but the other way the metal structure between the faces could get more realistic and fitting to that periode of time!
 
#20 ·
I know but I think the 11mm height already includes a (plexi Bottom of 1mm and a polyfacial top of 1.5mm with the metal framework) 11mm is the limit but it seems to be wearable.. thats why I'll go for the polyfacial attempt … Looks smaller!

Will create a 3D from paper so we will see…!

Hj
 
#28 ·
Now here is a little more detailed container block, which is still not final as the parts will have to be reworked once, to get them accurately modeled and arranged to be able to be manufactured as due to the many trials of arrangement the parts decreased in quality a bit... View attachment 14574995
Looks great...Great sketch......

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#25 ·
When your design is complete, maybe my team can help you with mass production.
We have 27 years of watch production experience and are committed to producing and manufacturing perfect watches for our customers.
If you're interested, you can contact me by email.
 
#26 ·
When your design is complete, maybe my team can help you with mass production.
We have 27 years of watch production experience and are committed to producing and manufacturing perfect watches for our customers.
If you're interested, you can contact me.
 
#31 · (Edited)
See through and a rather 4mm thick 3 D dial with the integrated movement..

Thought about to make it from pure PMMA with brass inlays but its too scratch sensitive.. so the top crystal will be PMMA due to the complex shape and the bottom will probably hardened as it would be less sensitive.

But for the mockup both will probably be vac formed or thermally formed to stay cheap and go with little tooling efforts..
 
#34 · (Edited)
Illustration Sketch Line Drawing Font


War on Planet Steampunk: the Old Mechanical Kingdom and its ally

the Eastern Electronic Kingdom are attacked by the Hydraulic Kingdom that

try to stop the Wheel of Time with its tangled pipes...

The metal wheels manage to cut the pipes and stop the

invasion. But in the heroic attempt all the oil is drained, and the

Old Mechanical Kingdom succumbs to corrosion...

The Eastern Electronic Kingdom continues to spin the Wheel of

Time, among the monumental spoils of the former allies and

rivals...
 
#35 ·
Ohh, that one has studied industral poetry! :) great poem.. engrave this one on the dial , try to rust it partially some framework in victorian style and you are done ..perfect..

May be my... somway heritage.. 18 years in motor development and further 5 in automation pneumatics and drives...

Th oiler will -if possible- be equiped with lumed plastic if I could get it.. and so glow in the dark -with some other invisible application of lume it hopefully will bring tha hydraulic gearbox to light and visually to life
 
#36 ·
Had to decide to either fake the angeled pipe pieces using a liquid polymer or cutting them from stock.

but for a single piece off pouring 20 angles + making of the mold is rather same effort as cutting them, so I decided to give it a trial and cut the first half ( at least a batch of 10)... now I filled the grooves with acrylic resin ( CA) and let cure overnight, so I can try to cut the second half up from tomorrow. Technology Electronic device Electronics Fashion accessory Metal
 
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