Different engines - Steampunk modding

Posted at: Wednesday 2nd April 2008 by Amanda Jeffrey

For some modders, breaking free of the 21st century's fascination with brushed aluminium and factory-issue beige means travelling back in time to be inspired by Victorian science fiction. Amanda Jeffrey takes a look at the old kid on the block, Steampunk, complete with brass mice, typewriter keyboards and cog-filled laptops.

Methods: mice, trackballs and graphics tablets

Steampunk modder Datamancer provided an excellent example when he modified a graphics tablet stylus into a feather quill that harked back to a far earlier time. If using a quill on a tablet isn't for you then perhaps brass mice with cog-based scroll wheels and, of course, furnace-burning LED internals would be more your style. Mice are a good place to start your modding experiments as they're cheap to buy, and involve very little circuitry. Click here to read our guide showing how to build your own steampunk mouse.