A list of needs, the first of many

We are knee-deep in the midst of programming preparations. We have a general lesson plan that plunges into the mystery and madness of Doctor Nostrum and His Amazing Confounding Machine. Let’s just say that his machine likes to produce literary tidbits, and only chaos could produce works of art so thoroughly fun.

In order to do this right, though, we are trying to build this little machine so that we can start taking the program into the schools. We have an aesthetic vision, a steampunk dream, and that needs a lot of random stuff. So we are begging those who know and love us to keep your eyes peeled for the following:

industrial scrap of all sorts, specifically metal
metal fittings of all kinds (we like copper or brass, but we aren’t picky)
hardboard
gears of all shapes and sizes
belts – rubber or leather, vacuum or industrial
small pipes – 1-2” diameter
sheet metal
wheels (metallic if possible, but we aren’t picky)
dials, meters, tachometers, etc.
toggle switches, whether they work or not

and, most importantly,

a steam whistle
a hand crank or a steering wheel

If you have or see any of these things, please bring them to us! If you spend money, save your receipt and we will pay you back after our first fund-raiser.

Speaking of that, save the date for November 10, 11, or 12 – we are going to have some literary fun that weekend. More info to come, soon.