Offline Mechanical Steampunkers' Blog

You are familiar with the online chatrooms, email lists, ezines, weblogs and so on, well this instructable will show you how to make and use an OFFLINE Blog.

You will be amazed at how fascinated people are with an old mechanical typewriter. Most under 30 year olds may never have seen one, let alone used one.

As with all blogs, the purpose is to be sociable and communicate, plus have a wee bit fun.

Step 1: What You Need

A typewriter. Any functioning typewriter will do. I got this lovely old classic for pennies on Ebay.

Long roll of paper approximately the width of an A4 or Foolscap sheet. I used a roll of plain lining wallpaper, cut in half and stuck together to give a longer piece on the roll. The paper should be on a cardboard tube so it rolls easily in use.

For the framework: 6 poles, bamboo or any other sticks. I used old umbrella handles

Zip ties

For the sign: some card and some umbrella spines.

Step 2: Assembling the Framework and Paper

The framework consists of two A-frames at the sides, with a top and bottom cross bar. You will probably need a diagonal brace to keep it all rigid.

Everything is held together with zipties.

The bottom cross bar is at the back and carries the roll of paper, ready to feed into the typewriter.

The top cross bar carries the paper up and over, once it has been typed on. the paper then falls away over the back out of the way.

I found it ihelpful to have a piece of string connecting the t wo front feet of the framework, passing under the typewriter, to help prevent the framework moveing around too much.

Step 3: Making the Sign

You want people to come and use it, so you need to have a sign.
This sign is made of words printed on my laser printer and then stuck on ordinary corrugated carton cardboard.

Then cut out the words or letters and lay them out on a table as you want them to look in the finished sign.

Now push umbrella spines vertically through all the pieces of corrugated card, so they are all connected on at least 4 or 5 spines. Umbrella spines have a pivoted arm about half way up and that can be used to give some crossways rigidity, but pushing it horizontally through a suitably located card (in this case the word Blog)

The two outer vertical spines can be taped to the top of the framework

Step 4: Using the Offline Blog

Encourage passersby to come and type whatever they like, leave messages for friends, be creative or whatever.

This event - the January Reshuffle in Glasgow - attracts a lot of families, cos of being free, so there were loads of preliterate kids who just typed randomly. I had to urge people to hit the keys much harder as they were not used to the sheer effort involved. The next outing of the offline blog will be at the Scottish maker fair: http://mcmadsat.blogspot.com/

Some of it was totally random, some selfconsciously posing and other bits were serendipitously fun. I particularly like the very end

Afterwards, I took digital images (1 example given here) of the whole lot of blogging and uploaded them to my own online blog http://greensteampunk.blogspot.com/. I also transcribed the blog's text, which now follows:

THE OFFLINE MECHANICAL BLOG

or ooooo6orcan f KHUff

n ina

oran lorana
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VV h lli aa liam h gggoooddddd uuuosandra and cath
ahhi
bhiAn 7
meli a j y hhhhmm

jemm kkkkkkkkkkkkk jem jem

jemjem jem jem
yokjh gfd
as spring ss spri
jem jem memory jemjem
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je jem jemjem jemjemI MMMMM

jemjem jemjem jemjem jemjem

je mjem jemjem
xxxxx

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meli sa uiu uyghjvbn ytou t yhjhtlgkytiehic rt er lkjg jhgt

fhnb oiukjfgt iuym g yuj kkjh tev jhgbn v uuynfhgfr vfgh jj

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r r rr

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nela

orn oran ih halow

fleago polober

awsk a for the morning in the bowl of night has flung the stone that puts
stars to flight

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=)glasgow

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jugling ball hiiona welcom to the reshuffle
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OWHAT JOY TO USE AN OLD YIN
owhat joy to use an old yin

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thank you ge the lamp. iyit eill look slovely in th e living r om.

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m ybe we will h g it in the i ig room r perh ps in he hll

typr e q

De r anybody,
this is a wonderful devive
Why must we meet,
Why must we part? 2/3
Why must we bear this yoke of Must?
Without our leave, or askt or given,
By tyrant fate on victim thrust!

copy
cut
paste
delete

my name is emm a 2= 22==========k

OMG! kittehs!

mllamo help i cannot delete them.

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hi I like this thing it is so cool wwwwWWo
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hello my name is unknown

ok thidt It hard to type one!?! ! jaleu th is iswo so h rd o type on

Hi
How are you ment to preve mist kes on this thing

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nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

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bummmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!