Naming Contest for Plague Doctor Mask

I've had many people want my classic plague doctor mask but wished it didn't cost so much ($285). Much of the cost comes from the hours and hours of handstitching that goes into each one, so I have designed a variation that is faster to make. I have replaced most of the stitching with metal rivets, which not only lowers the price ( to $195) but gives the mask an edgy steampunk look.


I've kept the shape of the mask as close to the original as I could, so it still has a look of historical accuracy. Here is the original classic plague doctor mask on the right, and the new riveted mask on the left.

I took some photos while making it, shown here. Once the holes are cut the two-part rivets are set by hand.

Then hammered together with the ball peen hammer on a steel shoemaker's anvil.

Here is the mask all riveted together, ready for the eyepieces to be stitched in place and then painted.

And here is the completed mask all painted black and with gray acrylic lenses.

I'm holding a contest to come up with a name for the new mask. It will run until midnight PST, November 15, 2011. The winner will receive the mask pictured, which is the first one I've made. Winner will have to pay for shipping from Penn Valley, California, US. I will be sole judge to determine the winning entry.

To give you an idea of what I'm looking for, here is how I named my other steampunk plague doctor masks. Beulenpest is the German word for bubonic plague. And Ichabod is named after Ichabod Crane from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, because the long beak reminded me of a crane's. So send in your creative names for the new riveted mask (by commenting on the blog post), and maybe you will win. You may submit as many entries as you like. In the event of duplicate entries of the winning name the first posted in this blog will be the winner.

Raygun: We have a winner!

We have a winner! Congratulations to Lauren who guessed (http://tombanwell.blogspot.com/2009/02/rayguns-raughnold-model-81.html):

Hey Tom, here's my guess:Particle Accelerator- air nozzel

Pulse Detineator- body of a lamp

Leather Grip/Handle- sink faucet

Exahst Port- trophy base and a chess piece/rook

The object that no one had guessed was the trophy part. My clue "The one found object that no one has yet identified will be recognized by winners." referred to winners of competitions would recognize a trophy part.

Thank you to all who entered. It's been fun for me, and I hope for you. Congratulations to Lauren for the correct guess!

Above are the found objects in context. Faucet, trophy part, rook, lamp part, and air nozzle.

Raygun Contest: One more clue

Fourth Clue

The one found object that no one has yet identified will be recognized by winners. Above is a photo of the original parts after molding. Careful study could yield a lightbulb moment. Earlier clues (and guesses by readers) and the original contest listing with rules should be read by anyone venturing a guess. Good luck! I expect a winner soon.

Win a Raygun: More Clues

There have been some good guesses, but no one has nailed all five found objects yet. Today I will post three clues, which should make it considerably easier. My first contest was won almost immediately, so I wanted this one to be a little more difficult.

First Clue

When I first announced the raygun contest (refer to it for more photos), I wrote "In the model 81 there are five objects that I can identify." As many of you have noticed, there are actually six found objects, but one of them I cannot identify, so it is not included as something to name. It is the silver colored power generator shown above. It has been guessed as a part of a flashlight, a television knob, a dial from a stove, etc. Please ignore it in your guesses. It is a collar of some sort as it had a large bolt sticking out of it, but exactly what it is I do not know.

So the parts you are guessing are the particle accelerator, pulse delineator, grip, and two pieces making up the exhaust port.

Second Clue

None of the objects is made of wood.

Third Clue

Many of the objects have been guessed correctly, but there is one item that no one has guessed. Think of something other than any of the previous guesses. Good luck!

Rayguns: Holster for Model 81

After the raygun was finished, I started designing the leather holster. I began by studying existing holsters online. I knew that a traditional technique was to wet form vegetable tanned leather around the gun, which has the effect of stretching the leather a bit and creating a custom fit. After sketching out the basic idea I wrapped a paper towel around the gun and marked out the rough shape.

I then made a pattern using heavy cardstock. By stapling the pattern together I was able to carefully fit the gun into the paper holster and make corrections as I saw them. This picture shows the four different patterns I made, starting at the left and working to the right. I decided to make some decorative cut-outs in the leather. I chose diamonds as a larger version of the pattern on the grip, and the zig zags, which reflect the shape of the dorsal fin on the gun.

The final pattern fit to my liking, so I then cut it out of the 5-6 oz leather. Designing the pattern in cardstock is a whole lot cheaper than experimenting directly with the leather. Cardstock is stiffer than leather, so it doesn’t behave exactly the same, but it worked out well enough.

The previous photo shows the raw leather pieces cut out, with holes punched for rivets and snaps. Next I dyed the leather black, and began attaching the pieces together, both by sewing and riveting.

Once that was all finished, I soaked the leather holster in warm water. I dried it off as much as possible, then inserted the raygun into it, stretching the leather just a bit to create a snug fit. I left it overnight in a warm place to dry out. Next day I sprayed the holster with an acrylic sealer to maintain its shape.

Raygun Contest!

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Every boy dreams of owning a raygun, and as a soon-to-be grandfather, I have tapped back into my boyhood fantasies. I decided I had to build my own rayguns after being inspired by the works of Tinkerbots and Greg Broadmore of WETA Workshop. The Raughnold Model 81 is my first gun.


Following Tinkerbots example, I have created the raygun by assembling found objects, along with some parts I’ve fabricated. It is a marvelously challenging art form: Bringing together disparate objects into something new—a process through which the individual parts disappear into the whole. Part of making it all work together for me is adding bits and pieces to help disguise the original parts so that there is no distraction.

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The Contest



I have intentionally not shown the gun in progress as I wanted to hold a contest in which you, the viewers, attempt to guess which found objects I used. In the model 81 there are five objects that I can identify. All were acquired at either a yard sale or a thrift shop. The first person who can correctly identify all five objects will win one of the rayguns, which I am selling on Etsy for $95.



Anyone can participate. Submit the list of your five objects as a comment. If after one week no one has correctly identified all five objects, then I will give out a clue. Each week that passes without a winner will lead to another clue. Please submit only one guess per week. After I have given a clue you are welcome to guess again. The contest will continue until someone correctly guesses the five objects.

Clue #1: None of the objects are gears, nuts, bolts etc.

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The Story

We have here an extremely rare raygun manufactured in the late 19th century by the Swedish manufacturer Raughnold. This is their model 81, famous for its sleek lines and fine balance, coupled with its extremely effective vaporizing ray. The functioning of the raygun is not well understood, but we do know that the power generator in the center of the gun sends a ray through the pulse delineator which is amplified by the particle accelerator.

Measuring over 14” long, this beauty is solidly built, yet light enough to be handled even by those of the feminine persuasion. From the particle accelerator nozzle all the way to the rear exhaust port, this raygun exudes quality. The gun is cast in resin, with a hand-stitched leather grip. A custom wet-formed leather holster will be available soon.