HOWTO Make a steampunk mouse

Here's a great in-depth build report from a steampunk mouse project in Custom PC:

I'd decided to use mahogany for the mouse body to give it a satisfyingly rich colour that would go well with the brass I'd be adding later. I bought a 1/4-in sheet of wood (picture 3), measuring 3in wide by 36in from a Hobbies shop. Using what was left of the mouse base and PCB as a template, I cut a hole in the wood with a fretsaw, and then sanded it for a snug fit.
Sorting out the scroll wheel came next. It was constructed from clear plastic and illuminated by a blue LED (picture 4), which wasn't exactly appropriate for a Steampunk-themed design. I desoldered the LED and used 22mm copper heating pipe to fashion a new wheel. I cut a very short length of the pipe (around 7mm) and carefully smoothed the edges using emery cloth on a flat surface. The 'wheel' had to be gradually reduced in diameter until it was a snug fit, before using Araldite to glue the two parts together. I used a Dremel for most of this work, before sandpapering it to finish it off.

Link (Thanks, Alex!)

Discussion

Take a look at this

#1 posted by choorpolice , April 18, 2008 4:46 AM

this is a awesome mouse, a master piece of cutlery

rofl............ truly custom mouse

#2 posted by technogeek , April 18, 2008 6:49 AM

Should have passed you that pointer when I first saw this go by, I guess.... The thing that blows me away about this design is the clever construction of glowing "burner" that puts the steam back in steampunk. (OK, so maybe it's thermoelectric or some other technology not known in our world -- but it's certainly coal-fired, which is good enough for me.)

First project's refinishing the library floor. Then installing appropriate period bookcases (mid-1800's, to match the age of the house). THEN I can think about whether to create a custom computer to match the theme.

#3 posted by seyo , April 18, 2008 6:54 AM

I object to the use of mahogany.

#4 posted by hellhead , April 18, 2008 9:04 AM

This isn't steampunk, it's not operated by steam.

Wonder how long before there's a request for Boing Boing to stop posting about Steampunk.

This is cool though.

#5 posted by spazzm , April 18, 2008 9:06 AM

That looks like some sort of medieval torture device.

I would never put my fingers anywhere near it.

#6 posted by BXRWXR , April 18, 2008 9:17 AM

It looks cool.

But I still don't get the whole steampunk thing.

#7 posted by Dustin Driver , April 18, 2008 9:43 AM

Well, technically—and I've been thinking about this a lot lately—it IS steampunk.

You see, we get a lot of our electricity from good old coal-fired steam turbines. Or nuclear-powered steam turbines. Either way, we're steampunk!

#8 posted by twig , April 18, 2008 10:29 AM

Um, no, I think you got it.

#9 posted by cherishhellfire , April 18, 2008 10:58 AM

When I saw the title to this post in my inbox I thought it was about an actual mouse. You remember the flesh and blood kind? Yeah. That kind. I guess my digital life hasn't ruined me completely just yet.
Steam punk fur. Now that is something I'd like to see.

#10 posted by Tenn , April 18, 2008 12:45 PM

Eh. I like steampunk, but it looks like dread carpal tunnel waiting to happen.

#11 posted by Mitch , April 18, 2008 5:06 PM

Oh, man, this gives me ideas. You could make your
own ergonomic mouse out of wood.

#12 posted by buddy66 , April 19, 2008 10:13 AM

I've slammed into a few walls in my life: math, music, statistics, the Mambo, hitting a curve ball; but this STEAMPUNK mouse is a helluva collision! I'm through. I quit. It's too outrageously wonderful to be topped. At least I'm quitting winners.

#13 posted by minamisan , April 19, 2008 3:43 PM

does the design of that mouse remind anyone else of an eletric chair?
... or am i just having flashbacks from a previous life?