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Steampunk Airship Goggles

by aintMichael on October 15, 2007

Table of Contents

intro: Steampunk Airship Goggles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: Lenses and lense holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3: Eye cups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 4: Back pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 5: head band part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 6: Finished . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
intro: Steampunk Airship Goggles
By request: My take on goggles.

Often times after piloting my steam dirigible, I arrive at my destination only to find my eyelashes and eyebrows have collected a mass of gnats, fleas, and small birds.
What to do? My last three windscreens have been stolen by flying glass pirates, so I decided to make two smaller windscreens and an apparatus to hold them securely to
my head. ha HA! Those scoundrels will have to take my head before they they pilfer these!

These are the goggles that I set out to make when I found the Batman character that was the inspiration for my costume.

*note: anytime a say "an inch" or "half an inch" these are really just rough guesses as I didn't actually measure anything

step 1: Ingredients
OK here's what I used, and I spent under $30:

Leather - leather coat purchased at salvation army for $9

Small buckle - from women's shoes at salvation army $3
Waxed sinew - from leather supplier $5
Metal rings - these I had lying around, I think they came from a craft store $?
Plumbing coupler - Home Depot $3
Plastic sheet - also had lying around

Tools:
Dremel with cutting wheel
Curved needle
Sewing machine
Liquid Nails Clear
Leather punch (you could actually use just a small nail or something, a leather punch just makes nicer holes)

Image Notes
1. coupler
2. waxed sinew
3. curved sewing needle
4. small buckle

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
 5. scrap leather
6. someone's going to make an Apple comment, but just so you know I dual boot with XP, and i dislike them both equally :)

step 2: Lenses and lense holders

I started but cutting off the threads on both ends of the coupled, and grinding off the chrome from the insides. I did this just so that they would be brass on the inside,
unfortunately the outside rings were not brass and therefore would always be silver no matter how much I ground them. They could be painted I suppose, but I left them
silver.

I cut two circles out of a clear plastic sheet the same diameter of the inside of the outer ring. I screwed the threads back in to hold the lenses in place.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. cut here, just below the threads 1. threads after cutting them off
2. outer ring 2. plastic sheet lenses
3. outer ring from the top

step 3: Eye cups

I took a piece of leather about about three inched wide and wrapped it around one of the lenses, cutting the length so that there was about a quarter inch overlap. I folded
over the bottom edge around the front of the lens holders, pulled it tight then used the curved needle and sinew to stitch it together where it overlaps. Repeat for each
eye. Hopefully the pictures explain this a little better.

Next I cut what was now a leather tube on an angle downwards toward the overlap. This keeps the slightly bulky overlap in the middle near the nose. I folded over the
edges a wrap stitched them with the sinew and needle to put a better looking edge on them.

I cut a small strip of leather about an inch and a half long by an inch wide for the nose bridge. I actually had to cut this twice, because the first time it was to big for my
face, you may have to adjust this to your own face.

I stitched this piece just above the overlap on the lenses.

Hopefully the pictures will make sense...

Image Notes Image Notes

1. folded edge 1. wrapped around lens holder with overlap

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
 2. cut on an angle towards overplap cup size ;) will depend on size of you head

Image Notes Image Notes

1. stitch here once it is tight enough to hold lens holders 1. about how much it should overlap

Image Notes Image Notes

1. folded over an wrap stitched to give it a better edge 1. stitched together the overlap
2. stitched on the nose piece
3. stitched overlap of the other side
4. nose piece stitched in same place on other side

step 4: Back pad

I took a rough measurement around the back of my head from just over my ears, and cut a inch and a half strip to match the length. I folded the strip over itself twice so
that it became half an inch thick but three layers. I put a thin bead of Liquid Nails between each layer and clamped it all together. I don't think it was entirely necessary,
but it made the next part easier. I ran the whole thing through my sewing machine with a leather needle and denim thread using a stitch that my machine has built in that
looks like a heartbeat pattern. This obviously was just an aesthetic choice.

This is the one part that I don't have many pics, but it's also probably the simplest and easiest to change pieces. You could really make this out a lot of different ways. I
chose to make it thicker than the side strips to give the whole things a little more weight, both actually and visually.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
 Image Notes
1. my sewing machine had a little trouble with three layers of leather

step 5: head band part 2

I used the metal rings to act as a transition between the thinner adjusting and side straps, and the thicker back pad.

I cut strips of leather the the right width for the buckle ,there are five pieces total: 2 short ones that are attach the metal rings to the pad in the back, 1 longer piece to
attach the metal ring on the left side to the eye cup, 1 long piece to connect buckle to right eye cup, and 1 long piece for the adjusting strap through the buckle.

Each one of these pieces is stitched with the sinew to it's appropriate place... it's hard to explain so the pictures are probably easier than words.

I cut the adjusting piece to a point at one end and used a small leather punch to make holes.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. short piece folded in half and stitched to back pad 1. small piece stitched to back pad
2. longer piece attached to left eye cup and metal ring 2. this piece is wrapped around center bar of buckle and then both ends are
stitched to right eye cup
3. this is adjusting strip attached to metal ring and run through buckle... see next
pic

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
 Image Notes
1. run through buckle with hole punched for adjustability

step 6: Finished
Strap on you goggles, shout "Full Steam Ahead" and pilot your skyship to the nearest mad scientist convention!

Image Notes
1. the lenses are pretty easy to take in and out and could be replaced with some colored ones to make "sungoggles"

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Steampunk Steampunk Steampunk Goggles by pipe by goggles by
Airship Goggles Goggles by Defense by macgeek Elseworld WWII Protect your madara009
Batman "The eyes from Ringo11233
by greensteam pleasedontspamme aintMichael
Bat" costume by onions - with
aintMichael goggles by
Rectifier

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 122 comments

snipegoat says: Jan 3, 2009. 11:15 PM REPLY

these are so freaking awesome, also they could probably fetch a pretty penny on etsy

Guy.Fawkes says: Dec 18, 2008. 1:23 PM REPLY

Hmm, time to pull out my plans for a 2-passenger Zeppelin. Would a steam-driven turboprop count as steampunk?

Guy.Fawkes says: Dec 18, 2008. 1:18 PM REPLY

What about brass-plating the rings? Should be fairly cheap if you don't want to set up your own plating tank; check with local metalworking shops.

Future filmaker says: Nov 6, 2008. 6:57 PM REPLY

I love steampunk, it's such a cool idea

where would we be if the computer was made in the 1600's??

necropolian says: Nov 9, 2008. 7:21 AM REPLY

let's see.
we would be able to buy a humanistic robot and load our own brain into it, we had many electronic organs, and we would live over 500 years. (seriously)

Future filmaker says: Nov 11, 2008. 3:16 PM REPLY

probably even farther!

mage says: Oct 22, 2008. 1:33 AM REPLY

reminds me Final Fantasy :D

corbet says: Oct 17, 2008. 12:00 PM REPLY

Thanks for the instructable! Just curious, though -- what did you use to cut off the threads of the coupler?

aintMichael says: Oct 17, 2008. 12:23 PM REPLY

Thanks.
I used a cut-off wheel and a dremmel. I started with a small hack saw, which worked fine, but I don't have a good vise for holding it once I got halfway
through.

Skwee says: Oct 13, 2008. 4:40 PM REPLY

These look great and I want to make some myself, but before I go out and buy the materials for it, I was wondering how difficult it would be for someone who
hasn't really ever made anything with their hands to make? I draw sometimes but I usually just use photoshop to make artworks. I really want to start making
things with my hands and I wanted to know a few things about this project, like how exactly does the coupling stay inside the leather? Did you use any glue
at all or is it all in how tight it is? And how did you sew the inner part where the leather overlaps? Wouldn't the needle run into the coupling?

If you could answer all those questions it would be great..

Thanks.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
 aintMichael says: Oct 14, 2008. 7:23 AM REPLY
They're not the easiest things in the world to make, however they're not super difficult either. I think the directions are written in such a way that just
about anyone could do this. The coupler pieces are just held in by the leather, there's no glue involved just pressure and friction. The leather sticks out
past the coupler just far enough for sewing, also creating a cushion so that the metal isn't right against your face.

Hope that answers all your questions, and happy making!

Skwee says: Oct 14, 2008. 6:43 PM REPLY

Hmm, I think I get it..

Nietsneknarf says: Oct 5, 2008. 2:37 PM REPLY

These look really awesome but the best part is that you threw a how to up here. This is awesome, I anxiously await more from you.

richdoe says: Nov 5, 2007. 5:16 PM REPLY

Thanks for putting this up, but I'm really having trouble securing and sewing the leather around the coupler frames. It's really hard to sew through 4 layers of
leather, or in my case, faux leather.

morphious69 says: Sep 21, 2008. 5:24 PM REPLY

two words:

morticians needle

the things are amazing and they carry them at most tandy leather stores

the needle is three sided on the tip so you twist it in the materal and it spreads it just enough to make it easy to push the needle in further then you just
twist again and continue till you are through the material.

oh and the needle is S shaped so easy to hold press in and all that.

aintMichael says: Nov 6, 2007. 8:16 AM REPLY

Well, make sure you have a nice sharp needle, and when all else fails, using a pair of needle-nose pliers to either push or pull will help. :)

BelZoradon says: Aug 28, 2008. 7:32 AM REPLY

if you find yourself working with leather often try getting yourself a leather workers palm or glove, its a bit of reinforced leather that is warn like a glove
and helps push needles with your whole arm, kinda like a palm sized thimble. unfortunately i cant seem to google up a link for you, which is a sad
state of affairs

aintMichael says: Aug 31, 2008. 10:53 PM REPLY

Couldn't be too tough to make one I'm guessing. Where on your hand would one sit?

BelZoradon says: Sep 1, 2008. 7:27 AM REPLY

if your looking at the inside of the hand the anvil, for lack of a more accurate term, would sit on the fleshy part of the palm with a strap going
down and around the wrist and a strap going between the thumb and fingers and then connecting to the wrist strap in some fashion. Contact
me directly if I have not made myself clear and I will try to fix that.

A good name says: Aug 30, 2008. 8:44 PM REPLY

Does anyone know alternatives to leather? (I'm talking something that doesn't involve the slaughtering of animals here)

Looks like a great project, but until I can find an alternative, I won't be able to do it.

morphious69 says: Sep 21, 2008. 5:16 PM REPLY

if you use fake leather you should be aware of the death and discomfort that is caused by the toxic chemicals produced while making these synthetics
and realize that the only way to avoid this is oak or similiar vegtable tanned leather. the animals killed for this are being killed anyway for food and it is
best not to waste any part of something killed so that another animal will not be killed. just stick to leather from animals used for food only and not
exotics. this helps and in the case of these things utilizing smaller pieces of leather you can opt for a place that sells scrap leathers because this is stuff
that will end up in a land fill else wise.

ncp246 says: Sep 7, 2008. 1:12 PM REPLY

I've had the same problem. :) I took apart an old vinyl baseball by cutting along the seams, then dyed it with shoe polish. I was using a different tutorial,
but I'm sure you could figure something out! you can find faux leather or vinyl leather on the internet, too. Hope this was helpful!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
 Rishnai says: Sep 2, 2008. 8:03 PM REPLY
I've got a couple of old fake leather belts. They don't seem to be of an agreeable material for doing this. Vinyl looks the most promising, possibly
scavenged from your 80s wardrobe...

aintMichael says: Sep 2, 2008. 1:30 PM REPLY

There are plenty of leather alternatives, although I'm of the opinion that by purchasing second hand leather I have not only not added to the demand for
leather, but also not wasted a resource that already existed.

A good name says: Sep 3, 2008. 6:42 PM REPLY

Sorry, but I don't believe in killing animals, so well... yeah. I don't support it at all... I don't use the products, nothing.

morphious69 says: Sep 21, 2008. 5:20 PM REPLY

again I have to point out that plastics kill and maim as well as cause birth defects in both animals and humans so using plastics of anykind is
fueling this death and destruction. if you are whole heartedly going to ban leather then use cloths that do not use synthetics. cotton and such and
please be aware of the stuff used for coloring too as this is pretty toxic in some cases and they throw that stuff right into the rivers and streams.
kills fish and everything that eats them as part of the cycle.

bicherc says: Sep 6, 2008. 4:08 AM REPLY

I cannot find Coupler to make Eye cup, is there anything else to do as well as Coupler... please help me :P

HeruFeanor says: Sep 13, 2008. 12:48 PM REPLY

I found them at OSH as Couplings, and at Home Depot as Compression Coupling.

Funny how much the symantics matter in this case, because when I looked for a CouplER, instead of a CouplING, I found completely different pieces.

bicherc says: Sep 15, 2008. 7:29 AM REPLY

Compression Coupling is also great... thank you Heru. Bcuz it's too hard to find a coupler in the Hardware store in my city

aintMichael says: Sep 8, 2008. 8:52 AM REPLY

There's a lot of options I'm sure, since I had the couplers I didn't have to look for them though. They should have that at just about any hardware store,
they're a pretty common part.

alex-sharetskiy says: Sep 13, 2008. 4:44 PM REPLY

Comfortable?

aintMichael says: Sep 13, 2008. 7:37 PM REPLY

Quite. The leather is well-worn and very soft, and the rings make them super adjustable so you can place the back strap wherever it fits best

alex-sharetskiy says: Sep 13, 2008. 9:50 PM REPLY

now i need is a steam airship...

sawsef says: Sep 13, 2008. 3:28 PM REPLY

nice instuctable:)
p.s.just wondering were do you get the waxed sinew for this project.it would help me greatly for a project im considering.

aintMichael says: Sep 13, 2008. 7:34 PM REPLY

I got it from The Leather Guy although, I bought it in person so I don't know what is available on his site.

epicamazing says: Jun 19, 2008. 7:23 AM REPLY

I'm making a pair right now, and found it easier to use metal rings instead of sinew for small connections. Not the large sort of metal rings that are already
used, but I believe they're called jewelry connector rings or something.

But for me, they're nicer than sinew, because the sinew has an annoying tendency to come undone..

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
 HeruFeanor says: Sep 13, 2008. 2:27 PM REPLY
I'm working on a pair right now myself. I considered using metal rings for the same reason as you: I've had problems with sinew coming undone. I also
do chainmail, so I have metal rings already about in a huge range of colors and styles.

However, something else I realized I had sitting around was some really soft swede leather thong. You can pick up a small spool (wrapped around a
piece of cardboard actually) for just a couple bucks at Michaels. It's like 3/16" wide, and super thin and soft. It looks beautiful when you cross-stitch it
around the edge of the leather, since it's wide enough to cover the entire edge, and it makes a very soft edge when it's sitting against your face (which
was my primary concern with metal rings).

wocket says: Jun 21, 2008. 6:03 PM REPLY

jump rings

:)

epicamazing says: Jun 21, 2008. 8:23 PM REPLY

Thanks :D

All I remember is I have about a hundred lying around my room and i got them from my school... wallet chain, chainmail, etc. The ones I used were
originally silver colored, but the coating wore off after a while..

wocket says: Jun 22, 2008. 12:02 AM REPLY

they are easy to make, you just need wire, something the wrap it around and then a jewelers saw or pliers to snip 'em off.

topmonkey says: Sep 10, 2008. 8:32 PM REPLY

Do the rings cut into your ears when you have the goggles on?

aintMichael says: Sep 11, 2008. 7:35 AM REPLY

no, not at all

uberskurk says: May 24, 2008. 2:58 PM REPLY

Great instructable. Did you adhere the leather to the rim of the coupler with the liquid nails or did you just sew it together a little small and shove the coupler
in?

wocket says: Jun 21, 2008. 6:04 PM REPLY

ouch, liquid nails is a neuro toxin! super glue is ok.

Rishnai says: Sep 2, 2008. 8:05 PM REPLY

Of course superglue is a neurotoxin, too...

aintMichael says: Jun 1, 2008. 7:22 PM REPLY

The couplers are just held in by the leather itself. I did that so that I could easily remove the whole lens holder and change out the lenses.

oh, and thanks!

morphious69 says: Sep 21, 2008. 5:21 PM REPLY

if you wet leather down and blow dry it it will shrink too (doing this on top of the metal will make it tighten up incase it has come lose from being taken
out and put back in. also this works for most natural products like cotton and such.

yoghurtsniffer says: Sep 1, 2008. 3:50 AM REPLY

lol..they look funny

Linux is the best better than Xp and Mac

..lol

bicherc says: Sep 1, 2008. 3:15 AM REPLY

ok, :D let me try

http://www.instructables.com/id/Goggles/
 bicherc says: Aug 31, 2008. 11:25 AM REPLY
this is really cool, will ya help me make an aviator hat???

view all 122 comments

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