Steampunk Terra Base Ray Gun Lamp

[Lunajammer]

I had so much fun doing the Steampunk Tesla Lamp I've been on the lookout for another project. I saw this in the construction second-hand store. Who couldn't see a ray gun in that? So for $15 I bought it.

This is going to be a three part project.
1) Lamp
2) Power Unit
3) Tower
I've been scrounging parts for a couple months. I got a start on it over Thanksgiving so I'll post more pics after work.

 

[Lunajammer]

Lamp taken apart.

Mad fun with spray cans. I used Rustoleum matte black on all of it, but sprayed it lightly enough to leave a little of that great rust color fading through.

I used a metal template to make a flourished graphic on the frame. Laid it down and went over it with a gold Sharpie and was horrified to see it bled out so badly it was just a long gold blotch. I didn't intent to repaint it, so I wrote it off as "gilding" and embellished it with swirls to make it look like I intended it (shhhhh). Then repeated the pattern on the other parts.

I used a gold Sharpie marker for all the line accents. I used various metallic spray paints gingerly with no masking to create a gradated, bronzy, sooty look, then Antique Gold Rub & Buff for the embossed accents.

On the inside of the back bowl, I wanted to ad some reflectivity because I'm going to add a (colored?) candelabra light which I hope will add a colored glow. The textured glass will hide any fine detail so I just loosely brush painted some Testors Silver. Unmasked brass spray paint highlights the edges.

 

[Lunajammer]

I used step bits to drill holes in the back.

Then test fitted a choice of some conduit connectors. Flexible conduit will run from the back of this to a "power unit" which will be underneath. All of it will be supported by a metal bracket tower, hopefully to look industrial in an Eiffel Tower sort of way. It will look serious but not very elegant.

 

[Mad Monkey]

Keep up the good work

 

[Lunajammer]

Thanks MM.

Though the glass is textured, you can still see the socket bases, so I wanted them to be a color that doesn't belong, to add to the mystery of a ray gun. Among the colors I had on hand was this automotive blue, so I figure that'll do.

 

[Lunajammer]

So for the barrel of the gun, I want pieces that will go over the threaded rod (nipple) that will hold the whole front together. I'm using washers and cut copper pipe.

...and will look a little something like this.

I found this tattered box at the thrift store which I will punk up. Conduit will run between the gun and this. But first I wanted to darken it some so I'm using stain to fade in some grunge.

Then I'm using two electrical switch boxes from the hardware store and a vacuum cleaner piece to look, maybe like generators. I'd like to wire a small light in there that will glow through the slits and openings. You'll see, but this is where I'm at now.

 

[PAULH]

A very imaginative project - I'm watching with interest!

 

[Lunajammer]

Kind word Paul, thanks.

I realize it's a little hard to see the grand vision of this project yet, but I think the payoff will be worth the wait.

 

[Lunajammer]

Been a couple weeks but I still work on this a few minutes every couple days and here's where I'm at...

"Power pieces" are going on my "power box" which will be connected by conduits to my ray gun, here they're painted dark metallic.

I used Rub 'n' Buff for the gold and don't like the results but I'm not going back. So I chose to try a rust wash on the other box instead, using thinned Testers rust. Better, but still looks kind of hack.

A candelabra light is going inside each of these boxes to add a colored glow. I used a plastic rack that holds laboratory pipettes (thanks Laurie) as a guide to drill more holes so more light will shine through.

I tested putting a candelabra light inside this piece and didn't like how little light glowed through so I painted the inside silver to add reflectivity.

Holes have been drilled into my "power box" to wire lights through. A clip-in light will go in the left hole and a candelabra socket will screw into the lamp nipple on the right.

...And will be covered by my painted switch boxes so that colored lights will shine through, either Xmas bulbs or LEDs.

 

[Lunajammer]

A friend gave me a bunch of spool ends that I always thought I could make use of. I added a silver wash of thinned Testers paint to give it a metallic sheen. It's being secured to a piece of flooring sample that you can get for free from most big box stores. I just trimmed it to fit and stained the edges.

I'm throwing in some used spark plugs I bummed off a repair shop, but the box split while putting them in. Oh well, patina.

On the side, flex conduit will run from the lamp to the box, so here are the connectors that I darkened with a blackening agent and screwed in.

I wanted to run them in a vertical line but I smacked into an unnecessarily long nail and dulled the snot out of my cheap paddle bit. I can put some sort of greeblie there, but I'm gonna miss that bit.

...And starting to look a little like this. Stay tuned...

 

[Mad Monkey]

Amazing looking!

 

[DesertDan]

I like where this is going!

 

[Lunajammer]

Thanks guys.

I got four undisturbed hours to work tonight and got most of the box done and wired. I tried different colored lights inside the power units. Christmas lights were much too dull, except for orange. But the digital lights were absolutely perfect. More pics as I get to them.

 

[Fuzzual]

This is so freaking cool!!!!!

 

[Lunajammer]

I had yesterday off and it was very productive... I got the lights wired and installed....

and FINISHED the power box

Remember when I hit the nail and put down a big round scar? It's covered by a piece from my junk box that I think is part of an automotive distributer rotor.

Some vintage cloth wire for authenticity.

Drawer pull, but in this context I thought it looked kind of industrial. Holes were drilled into the switch box to help let a little colored light out that will reflect off the brass handle.

A gas can filter fit the hole in this switch box like it was made for it.

 

[DesertDan]

Well done!

 

[Lunajammer]

Thanks Dan.

This ends phase 2, leaving phase 1(the gun) and phase 3 (the tower) left to do. I've got a good start on the tower, but that has the furthest to go. Hope I can wrap up the gun tonight.

 

[Mad Monkey]

Super exciting stuff!

 

[Chrgr440RT]

Very cool. digging it.

 

[Lunajammer]

Appreciate the feedback guys.

Phase 3 of this project is the tower this ray gun will sit atop. The first level will support the power box shown above. I made this using 1-1/4 inch L-bend brackets. This stupid 3-foot high stool used almost 18-feet of bracket...

I didn't have access to a good power mitre saw, so I used my $10 grinder.