TOY INVENTOR’S NOTEBOOK
Steamy Honeymoon Goggles
When I received a last-minute invitation to a friend’s bachelor party, I needed to come up with a gift idea, and fast. He was planning a steampunkthemed wedding, and I wanted to give him something to fit the occasion. You know the old design adage: speed, price, and quality — pick any two. Well, for once, this project came out fast, cheap, and great!
The gag gifts at the adult store were pretty lame, but the novelty glow-in-the-dark latex “balloons” had the right “wacky science” vibe. Aha! In a flash, I had my concept: Balloon-Dispensing Steampunk Honeymoon Night-Vision Goggles!
A pair of plastic safety goggles provided a sturdy and ready-made base on which to hot-glue various parts. A pair of eight-sided, threaded, plastic plumbing connectors along with some green-tinted cellophane became “night-vision” scope tubes. I glued on a handful of plastic gears, along with a number dial from a disposable camera, to add some interesting mechanical details. The rest I found in my broken-toy-parts bin.
To dispense the glow-in-the-dark balloons, I made an open-ended cylinder from a piece of clear mylar rolled and taped around two acrylic rings. A bulb and reflector scrounged from a penlight, with coiled wires and bogus connections, completed the night-vision look.
For a more Victorian feel I added some scrolled chrome buckles for the strap and Photoshopped a few labels to make dials and gauges as well as an appropriate nameplate.
To finish it off, I added touches of flat-black and metallic-brass spray paint — done, just in time for the party.
Bob Knetzger is an inventor/designer with 30 years’ experience making all kinds of toys and other fun stuff.