This is the first actual working prototype we've made of a brass corset, this one we also included some clockwork in (see the end).
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_1.jpg)
Note the notches along the upper left side (they are also like that under the leather). This allowed the brass to bed around the nice curvy bits of Sjaantze's chest, rather than creating a strange boxlike container around her chest.
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_2.jpg)
Sjaantze, lining up leather straps and punching holes.
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_3.jpg)
The notches for the matching piece.
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_5.jpg)
Note the rivets. Those are copper rivets and Sjaantze hand-peen'd all of them. The look great, but were a serious PITA.
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_6.jpg)
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_7.jpg)
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_8.jpg)
The top and bottom are trimmed in a long folded piece of leather, sewn onto the brass through pre-punched holes. This was also a PITA.
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_10.jpg)
OMGZ!
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_11.jpg)
And the back...
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_14.jpg)
Now with working ticking bits!
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_15.jpg)
(http://www.theinvisiblecollege.com/steam/brass_corset_16.jpg)
From the inside.
So we took away a lot of useful information on this sort of thing.
1. Copper rivets look awesome, however they suck and are expensive. Next time we may try the quick rivets.
2. The clockwork came from a vintage Big Bird clock. it is ok for this, but I think we'll look for a skeleton clock for the next time... the moving gears in this design are off to the side and while the ticking is great, you have to be very close to see the gears move.
3. Thicker brass. This stuff was very soft and the slightest error showed. We'll need to go up to the next gauge for future projects.
All in all, a success!
Wow, that is a really impressive project. Nice work!!
Was the clockwork part uncomfortable in Sjaantze's chest?
Quote from: Suu on November 03, 2008, 10:06:30 PM
Was the clockwork part uncomfortable in Sjaantze's chest?
Not at all, the design leaves a gap under her chest where the clockwork fits snugly. :)
Is it comfortable enough to wear for decent periods of time without an underclothing article?
Quote from: TheScarletReaper on November 03, 2008, 10:51:52 PM
Is it comfortable enough to wear for decent periods of time without an underclothing article?
Yes! Sjaantze wore it a few weeks ago with a strapless bra, then we made some modifications and she wore it Saturday on its own... from about 8 PM to 3 AM... She said she could barely feel it at all.
That's awesome, it seemed like it would be a bit cumbersome to me, maybe that's just my head telling me "Metal is stiff dummy" and not considering the shape.
Modified - Also, question: Does that leather binding the pieces together stretch at allto help with the overall shape?
Hooray for steampunk!
any photos showing this in context of full attire?
Quote from: TheScarletReaper on November 03, 2008, 11:18:36 PM
That's awesome, it seemed like it would be a bit cumbersome to me, maybe that's just my head telling me "Metal is stiff dummy" and not considering the shape.
Modified - Also, question: Does that leather binding the pieces together stretch at allto help with the overall shape?
The metal is very soft actually, for metal and it flexes quite easily. Of course, we custom fit this for her, so we ended up with probably an inch or two of alterations to the waist... since the first try led to her turning into a turtle everytime she sat down. With the modified cut, it moves almost exactly as much as a corset, that is to say not much. The leather binding don't offer any stretch, but they're very soft to the touch. All of the give in the size is from the back lacing.
Our next design will likely include some cutouts for the arms... it will probably fix a couple issues with the fit.
Very cool! :D
I really wanna make one
Quote from: Darth Cupcake on November 04, 2008, 05:20:57 PM
I really wanna make one
agreed. although I wouldn't look to good in a corset, so perhaps i will make a steampunk brass codpiece.
I'm in the process of begging Rat and Sjaantze to make one for meeeeee. I am teh suck at corsetry and really want to win a lot of awards at Arisia and CostumeCon this year.
Quote from: Suu on November 04, 2008, 06:04:52 PM
I'm in the process of begging Rat and Sjaantze to make one for meeeeee. I am teh suck at corsetry and really want to win a lot of awards at Arisia and CostumeCon this year.
I am pretty decent with sewn corsets, but I dunno about metal worked corsets.
I'd say that this was a bit more time consuming than a cloth corset, but mostly due to us flying by the seat of our pants on the design. It required some 3d thinking to redesign the pattern based on fitting them side-by-side, rather than right sides facing and stitching.
Otherwise it's just cutting, punching holes and hammering rivets... quick rivets would have made it much easier.
I would wear a corset.
I'd wear two!
It kind of looks more like armor than a corset, you might want to work on that for mk. III. :wink:
NO! WE MUST CRUSADE! SQUIRES, MY ARMOR AND SWORD!
Quote from: BADGE OF HONOR on November 05, 2008, 12:12:47 AM
It kind of looks more like armor than a corset, you might want to work on that for mk. III. :wink:
We intended it to look more armor-ish, a ray gun goes with the full outfit ;-)
In that case don't call it a corset! Any victorian would be appalled at the shapelessness of that garment! :argh!:
Quote from: BADGE OF HONOR on November 05, 2008, 09:32:55 AM
In that case don't call it a corset! Any victorian would be appalled at the shapelessness of that garment! :argh!:
hahaha i was coming in here to post that it needed to give her a womanly-er shape
its nifty, but kinda looks like an iron barrel around her!
Quote from: Frederieke Noodle on November 05, 2008, 09:36:45 AM
Quote from: BADGE OF HONOR on November 05, 2008, 09:32:55 AM
In that case don't call it a corset! Any victorian would be appalled at the shapelessness of that garment! :argh!:
hahaha i was coming in here to post that it needed to give her a womanly-er shape
its nifty, but kinda looks like an iron barrel around her!
Yes, yes... the next version will have a better curve, but we might have to make every other panel out of leather to get it to work that way. I have a couple ideas that we're looking at, which would require that the pieces be cut somewhat differently than before.
The problem is that ya got to bend the metal in three ways and it doesn't like it much ;-)
I think you just got to cut it more...shapelier. The brass panels aren't shaped very much like corset panels. Corsets get their shapes from stays, sewn in specific positions, but you have to go the other way around and make the shape with the panels. How thick is it? Can you form a shape by rolling a heavy thing over it? Or are you hammering it?
The trick is, after talking with Rat and Sjaantze, is that the brass CAN'T take the shape of the corset pieces that easily.
1: Mostly because it was thin brass and it was buckling when they were trying to give it more shape
2: The element of boning in cloth corsets it was does the trick
So, by doing every other panel in brass and leather, they'll be able to shape the smaller pieces of brass more to be more supportive to the woman's figure.
At least that's what I figured. :?
Quote from: Suu on November 07, 2008, 04:10:23 PM
The trick is, after talking with Rat and Sjaantze, is that the brass CAN'T take the shape of the corset pieces that easily.
1: Mostly because it was thin brass and it was buckling when they were trying to give it more shape
2: The element of boning in cloth corsets it was does the trick
So, by doing every other panel in brass and leather, they'll be able to shape the smaller pieces of brass more to be more supportive to the woman's figure.
At least that's what I figured. :?
Yep, the brass pieces will probably be half or a third of what they are in the pictures, with same width leather to hold them together... I think then we can reshape the pieces in a more hourglass fashion. Probably we should call this a brass bodice ;-)
Try copper roofing nails instead of rivets. Much easier to peen!
Quote from: Richter on November 16, 2008, 05:28:16 PM
Try copper roofing nails instead of rivets. Much easier to peen!
Thanks :)
Quote from: Ratatosk on November 07, 2008, 04:18:39 PM
Quote from: Suu on November 07, 2008, 04:10:23 PM
The trick is, after talking with Rat and Sjaantze, is that the brass CAN'T take the shape of the corset pieces that easily.
1: Mostly because it was thin brass and it was buckling when they were trying to give it more shape
2: The element of boning in cloth corsets it was does the trick
So, by doing every other panel in brass and leather, they'll be able to shape the smaller pieces of brass more to be more supportive to the woman's figure.
At least that's what I figured. :?
Yep, the brass pieces will probably be half or a third of what they are in the pictures, with same width leather to hold them together... I think then we can reshape the pieces in a more hourglass fashion. Probably we should call this a brass bodice ;-)
Naturally.
Bodice is a modern term for supportive outerwear
Bodys/Stays/Corset = Supportive underwear