Tesla's Walking Stick
23 December 2008 06:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dime_novel_heroThe original concept for my steampunk sword cane was as if Nicola Tesla built a steampunk lightsaber. I started with a cheap Executive Combo sword cane which had three sections.
First, I attempted to remove the smaller blade in the handle because I intended to cut the cane to add the "power plant." Unfortunately, I ended up snapping it off. It's was a $30 sword cane so I wasn't overly concerned with the loss.
I cut the handle and extended it a bit using threaded rod typically used to run electrical wires through lamps and epoxied to the cane with right-angle grease fittings. I cut the bottom off a plastic bottle to act as the containment area. This increased the overall length by about an inch, which also feels more comfortable when being used as a cane. A couple of bolt caps on the top act as the electrodes with some copper grounding wire wrapped and set in some split bolts. A piece of leather acts as a handle. I have yet to find an appropriately Victorian button or switch to go in the grip.
Last year, I received a Star Wars lightsaber keychain in my Christmas stocking. After stripping off all the extraneous pieces, I had a thin light rod that just fit inside the space vacated by the short blade. I would have preferred to have red but I'll take what I can get knowing that, if I really want to, I can drop a few bucks later for a red one.
The cane still has an 18" blade and while I'd like to replace that with some sort of Jacob's Ladder electrode thing like those seen in Phil Foglio's "Girl Genius", I probably won't be able to do so without snapping off the blade. I'd rather not do that so I may have to settle for keeping the blade.
All told, I think construction cost me around $60.
First, I attempted to remove the smaller blade in the handle because I intended to cut the cane to add the "power plant." Unfortunately, I ended up snapping it off. It's was a $30 sword cane so I wasn't overly concerned with the loss.I cut the handle and extended it a bit using threaded rod typically used to run electrical wires through lamps and epoxied to the cane with right-angle grease fittings. I cut the bottom off a plastic bottle to act as the containment area. This increased the overall length by about an inch, which also feels more comfortable when being used as a cane. A couple of bolt caps on the top act as the electrodes with some copper grounding wire wrapped and set in some split bolts. A piece of leather acts as a handle. I have yet to find an appropriately Victorian button or switch to go in the grip.
Last year, I received a Star Wars lightsaber keychain in my Christmas stocking. After stripping off all the extraneous pieces, I had a thin light rod that just fit inside the space vacated by the short blade. I would have preferred to have red but I'll take what I can get knowing that, if I really want to, I can drop a few bucks later for a red one.
The cane still has an 18" blade and while I'd like to replace that with some sort of Jacob's Ladder electrode thing like those seen in Phil Foglio's "Girl Genius", I probably won't be able to do so without snapping off the blade. I'd rather not do that so I may have to settle for keeping the blade.
All told, I think construction cost me around $60.
