SOUNDWORLDS 4: Steampunk Synth Luminator

STEAMPUNK SYNTH LUMINATOR

After completing my Korg MS-20 Retro Expansion synthesiser, the one thing I still needed was some adjustable front panel illumination for its controls, to aid me during those late-night sound design sessions.

Although for once this synth project hadn't ended up fully steampunked, I placed no such restrictions on the accompanying light fitting!

So, to accompany the Retro Expansion, I embarked upon the design of a 'Synth Luminator' featuring full-on steampunk regalia!

WOOD & BRASS

The most common building materials for steampunk creation tend to be polished wood and brass, so I first measured up the desired height of the lamp component itself to place the illumination where I needed it on the synth front panel.

Having established this height I realised I already had a superfluous wooden container that was ideally suited to the task - a wooden sleeve that I saved after we'd imbibed a gift vintage bottle of port that had arrived within it.

The lamp assembly itself was cannibalised from an existing gooseneck desk lamp that was now far too small for this task, and I also bolted its original weighted base beneath the wooden sleeve for extra ballast and better overall balance.

A BALANCING ACT

Combining the wooden sleeve from a gifted bottle of vintage port and an esoteric assortment of brass accessories, this lamp design soon evolved into a complex balancing act of form and whimsy.

I was also very happy to finally be able to employ three solid brass and now beautifully weathered telescopic worm-geared window winders, originally used to open and close some old conservatory skylights.

The first became the vertical extension to raise/lower the lamp height, while the other two became complex internal components that just looked resplendent in their steampunk context! I now had full adjustment over the lamp's rotational angle, as well as its angle and position via the gooseneck segment.

ELECTRICKERY IN ACTION

I replaced the original mains wiring inside the lamp 'head', and then slid these wires into the braided cloth outer tube taken from an old bootlace - a perfect (and very cheap) way to perfectly achieve the look of vintage wiring.

I found a set of eight brass bushes originally helping to bolt together a modern office desk, and used two of these to feed the mains wire both into and out of the wooden sleeve, and then four more with sprung brass assemblies to support the inner 'worm gears'.

Final touches included side-mounted wooden bosses with extra brass 'clamps', plus lots of brass polish, furniture wax and good old fashioned elbow grease to bring the whole look together. I was well pleased with the final result!

Further Information