Posted on September 28, 2016
Steampunk?
In PLP we are currently in the middle of a unit on steampunk. Steampunk is a a genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology. It is a different universe that tries to show what the world would have been like if the industrial revolution happened in the Victorian era. When we started this unit I knew absolutely nothing about steampunk. Now I know so much about it but I still have lot of questions. In my blog post today I will be researching and trying to answer one of my many questions. My question I will be focusing on is
When making something steampunk what are the minimal requirements something needs to be considered steampunk?
I was very curious about this because ever since I learned about steampunk I have been wanting to make something steampunk. To start off with answering my question I thought it would be smart look at what some other people have made and see if I could find a common theme. I looked at a few things and it didn’t take me long to find a theme.
Here is a picture of some cuff links and ring that someone has steampunked. The first thing I noticed about them is that they both have gears. Gears seem to be very popular in the steampunk world. They are a way of showing the mechanical part while still making it look fancy. While looking through pictures one item stood out to me. 
The top hat is one of the most common things I saw while looking through pictures. I found it is one of the most perfect steampunk items. It shows the mechanical part with gears, bands and copper items while still looking like it was from the Victorian era. I decided that I wanted to try and steampunk a top hat but before I could do that I would need more information on how to.
I found lots of great information to help me get started. I learned that most steampunk items have four elements.
Era- the retro element
* post industrial revolution, pre-combustion engine
* retro, or latter-day based
Power- the fuel element
* steampunk is pre-electric, so lighting should come from natural oils like tallow, or the more typical (of the era) carbide, which is more commonly known as lime or arc-light
* the technology should be steam-powered
Technology- the contraption element
* anachronistic inventions and innovations which would be easily recognisable in today’s world, but which wouldn’t have been possible then
* Robots, submarines, airships, holograms. Clockwork toaster with in-built egg-fryer, bacon-griller, sausage rotisserie, and coffee brewer a la Caractacus Potts
Materials- the wood and copper element
* Steampunk has no plastic or fossil-based products.
* Polished wood, brass filigree, leather and stained glass should be there in abundance
* Wild West, or Victorian England, appearance is a key element, harking back to the days of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells.
I thought this information was great but it seems very hard to make one item have all of these elements. I kept reading and I learned that steampunk is a very flexible term. The four elements are more of ‘ideals’. Yes steampunk should be set in the Victorian era but everything else is quite flexible. You can be as creative as you want. As long as the item is based off of the Victorian era all you have to do is add more to it to make it steampunk. After acquiring all of this new knowledge I had answered my question and was ready to start making my own steampunk top hat. To get started I thought it would be a good idea to learn some of the most popular materials people use and use some of them.
Popular Materials
* Wood
* Pipes
* Washers that look like gears
* Flexible metal faucet connectors
* Faucet handles
* Plastic pipe lengths
* Metal flashing
* Resters
* Copper fittings
* PVC fittings
* Car accessories
* Wooden dowels
* Sheet materials
* Metal tubes, wires, and rods
* Flexible copper tubing
* Hose clamps
* Brass fittings
* Thermocouples
* Heating elements
* Thermometers
* Knobs
* Handles
* Plastic tubing
* Wooden doodads
* Hooks
* Sprayers
* Lamp pipes
* Screws
To make my steampunk item I found a top hat that looked like it came from the Victorian era and tried to be as creative as possible. I was very happy with my finished product.
I tried to fit in as many as the elements as possible. I put a gear on the right to show the mechanical part and I put a watch on the write to help show the era. I thought making something steampunk was going to be really east but I was wrong. I didn’t realize how much time and planning it would take and my item was pretty simple. I have a new appreciation for people who steampunk items.
Bibliography:
http://www.steampunk.com/what-is-steampunk/
http://steampunk.wonderhowto.com/news/28-most-popular-steampunk-materials-your-local-hardware-store-0141461/