Make: Steampunk Derringer

Make: a prop Steampunk Derringer

1. Trimming mounting brackets

Fake, of course!

What is a Derringer?

Historically, a Derringer, or palm pistol, is a small gun, usually used by women as they were easily concealed. Because of their small size, they have limited shots, often just one so could be considered a "last resort".

Why a Derringer?

Because I had a bunch of bits that just happened to fit together to look rather like a small pistol.  And because every well dressed Steampunk character needs to defend herself and why rely on a gentleman? ^_^

2. Sorting screws

How

I took a look through our bits and pieces we've accumulated over many years. I started in the laundry and found a wooden door stop (no longer used) and a bright orange bubble mixture bottle in a similar shape to a test tube.  This gave me the initial idea. The other bits were a shot cutoff of brass tubing, a copper wrapped stator MrIcy salvaged from somewhere, and the cap from a printer cartridge.

1. First step was to ask MrIcy* to kindly cut the mounting brackets in the stator shorter so that it would fit over the end of the plastic tube. The Dremmel made short work. 
    



4. Rasping a slot

2. Next was sorting through "Screws-Misc-Small" to find the 2mm self tapping screws needed to attach the stator to the plastic. Eventually I found some, and they were almost a match for each other!
    
3. Another screw was used to attach the brass "barrel" to the end of the plastic.  MrIcy (again) drilled the hole through the metal for me.
    
4. Then I used a circular rasp (which conveniently was exactly the right diametre) to carve out a channel for the plastic tube to sit in. 
    



5. The trigger

5. The orange plastic twist from the top of a printer cartridge was screwed to the side as a sort of "switch" for my aetheric disrupter derringer.
    
6. Then I used a little 2-part epoxy to glue the plastic to the wood and we're just about done.
    
7. All that's left is to find myself a tiny little pen light, which I'll stick down the barrel and which should make the whole thing glow. A few other brass or copper bits and pieces I'll probably add later, but for the moment, it's fine.

Now I'll need to make a holster for it. That could be hard!

Steampunk Aetheric Disrupter Deringer

Time/Cost

Cost: Nothing - everything was re-purposed from around the house.
Time: About and hour. So fast, by my standards...

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* MrIcy is the best!

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