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Here is a brief overview of the creation of the brass faceplate for
my laptop.
The best way to make sharp corners like this is with a metal brake
(I normally use a 3-in-1 slip roll/shear/box brake machine), but for
the sake of the tutorial and the benefit of the average hobbyist, I
used this down-and-dirty method to show that you don't need expensive
metalworking tools to achieve an impressive result.
Well,
as with most contraptions, it all starts with a plan
and a drawing. After taking detailed measurements
of the wooden frame, I sketched the rough design
onto a large piece of drawing paper. I kept the design
symmetrical by drawing one quarter of each shape
then making a small template with a piece of clear
plastic (old overhead projection transparencies),
flipping and tracing it into each corner. Finally,
my photoshop skill set applied to something tangible!
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After
that, I laid a piece of graphite transfer paper between
the paper and the brass and traced over the lines.
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The design was then cut out
with a pair of aviation tin snips and a steady hand.
If you have the time, patience and equipment, it's
actually more advisable to use a coping saw instead
of snips. As the snips cut through the brass, the
teeth leave tiny twists and ridges which warp and
stretch the metal slightly. It's not too big a deal,
but cutting with snips will require a bit of finish
work later.
Ignore the off-center hole in the wooden face. It's a scrap piece from
when I was experimenting with different placements of the mouse.
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(this was a keyboard border that I eventually left out of the finished
design...BTW that's my Bass Amp in
the background) |
You may have noticed that I drew a small border around the design in
the first pic. If you didn't, go ahead...scroll up and look again. I'll
wait.
.............ok, back? Good. That border is for a small 90-degree bend
that goes around the entire perimeter of the brass border. Putting a
bend in any piece of metal stiffens it greatly and in this case, also
smooths out the warps and wrinkles in the flat display surface of the
border.
To make the bend, I simply clamped the brass tightly between two pieces
of scrap wood (with nice, sharp corners on them), leaving the small margin
sticking out, then tapped it down with a flat-faced auto body hammer.
Apologies for the blurry pic.
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After
that, I bent the front piece of the faceplate that hangs
over the front of the laptop and performed a test fit. |
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Noncommercial
users are welcome to copy my images provided they acknowledge the
source. I am more than happy to help people design or create their
own steampunk contraptions, but if you are a company looking to
steal my work for mass-production, please know that I have design
patents, trademarks, and copyrights pending or in place on most
of my designs, my logo, and my name.
They will be brutally
enforced if necessary.
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This
site uses only 100% Recycled Electrons,
...because I care about our children's tomorrow |
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