Project: Steampunk Vampire Hunter

Hey gang! I got great feed back from members on my Rocketeer and previous Steampunk project threads, so I thought I do another one for my new SD Comic-Con costume this year, a Steampunk Vampire Hunter! There's a TON of designs I've been sketching for the whole costume so hopefully I can get it all done by Con.

I posted my boots and spats on an early thread, but here they are again. I'm using Stacy Adams shoes as a base:



Then designed and made upper spats out of nice thick leather and hand stitched cool hook and eye clasps


Dyed and weathered:


I thought a Neck Guard would be a good idea. Here's the beginning of it, I hand stitched a softer leather as a liner.


Dyed and brass being test fitted.


I hand made a brass hinge for the back




Wood mallets are not easy to find in a store, so I'm gonna just make my own. I ended up buying a wood rolling pin since it was a close diameter of what I wanted. Going to cut it down and add a handle and brass design on the head.



I designed the pattern in CAD and printed it out on sticker paper to attach to brass. The dots will be rivets and the large oval in the top center will be a bezel set red cabochon cut gemstone. I'm going to burn religious symbols into the handle as well.


Some of the brass hand cut out, still needs clean up, forming and drilling.


And of course what kind of Vampire Hunter would I be without stakes! These are just test ones to see how to tip them. I will need to make more "Con Friendly" tips. I'm planning on capping the tops with brass and bezel setting red garnet cabochon cut gem stones around the sides. Also adding wood burned religious symbols and staining.



MORE SOON! Thanks for looking!

- Jeff

WOW that is fabulous work, the attention to detail and your craft is beautiful

That's awesome!

ill be at Con too
i hope i get to see the final product in person ^^

Fantastic work so far....looking forward to seeing the next pics

love the boots and neck guard

You are doing it RIGHT!
I highly approve this built!

I still want to finish my "Victorian" monster hunter sooner or later, the only thing I was able to do so far was assemble a sort of "costume" together using existing stuff, but I have an idea of what it should look like and sooner or later I will make it!
(pic: http://i32.tinypic.com/33dcv3c.jpg )

Keep up the good work!

Wow I think you guys are making like steam punk! Awesome build so far! Really like the spats.

Looks like it's going to be a great build!

You are a true artist!

Thanks guys! And hopefully, if everything comes together, you ain't seen nuffin' yet

- Jeff

Love the build so far!

I'm sure they'll turn out great no matter what direction you decide to go, but I don't think you need to detail all of your stakes so intricately.

All of them should have the burned religious symbols and staining, but maybe only a special few need the rest, IMO.

A little update

A couple people asked me what I cut the brass out with, I use a jeweler's saw:



My wood dowel and rolling pin Mallet, I've since cut down the handle a bit more.


Fire coating one of the mallet caps, green fire is always fun!



Soldering the cap



Test Fitting on the mallet



I made a brass butt cap for the handle and added a fancy style ring


Cap for a stake, the garnet stones are just being test fitted


Folded and soldered, not cleaned up yet



Test fitting on a stake



Wood burned symbols on stakes, I purposely made them a little rough looking so it didn't look too "manufactured". I used runes, Egyptian symbols, Christian and other religious symbols. I beat the wood up and have since stained them a dark cherry brown.



Mallet with wood burned symbols, I've also stained it a cherry brown.



More pix soon!

- Jeff

man i am really digging those boots! I need to find a costume just so i could have an excuse to wear em!
Your attention to detail is most impressive!

I love the attention to detail that you are putting into your brass work. Outstanding!

Thanks guys, I'm cutting it a bit close, but hey then it wouldn't be Comic-Con!!!

Still need to do:
Leather work for harness system for the stakes
Finish hand stitching belt
Make new Belt Buckle
Make a side hanging pouch
stitch small belt pouches on
Finish Mallet
Custom sunglass frames out of brass
new watch strap
leather cuff/bracer
sculpt/mold/cast vampire teeth
Adjust leather collar
And if I have time a custom brass smoking pipe.

Oh and also making Cenobyte's Wedding rings in between

- Jeff

Outstanding work on this

Holy Crap!!! This is jaw-dropping cool!! Your attention to detail is incredible!!!!! I can't find enough adjectives to describe your work. Daaaaaaay-um!! I'm building an Airship Pirate and I have to step it WAAAY up to stand alongside you.

Those leggings...the clasps! The BRASS on everything!! Holy Crap!!!

Hey, before I forget as I gush and drool over your project, where'd you get those Garnet stones? They look just like one that was in a Pirate ring of mine that fell out. Been trying to replace it ever since with no luck.

Thanks! The stones are Garnets, I'm a jeweler so I have access to lots of stones, if you have the size of stone you need let me know, I'll see what I have in my inventory, or I can order it for you. Garnets aren't that expensive.

- Jeff

You got some mad skills!!
Absolutely stunning, all ever bit of it!

Shylaah

Outstanding, sir!

Hope to see you on the floor, and check this out in person!

Fantastic work. Can't wait to see the rest.

I'd like to see some steampunk "nightvision" goggles for this. So many steampunk cosplayers wear goggles that don't fit their character. This would be a good place for them in my opinion.

Tandy leather has some good rawhide mallets that might look good with the brass accents. Good work by the way. I can't wait to see more.

Amazing work!! And seriously inspiring stuff!

I love the latches. Where did you find them?

EDIT: Also, as a professional jeweler, it's nice to see some metalwork. Keep it coming.