Brassworks

(Steampunk, A future that never was)

This amazing Steampunk Rainmaker was allegedly discovered in a doorway after the great flood of 2011 had subsided. It has been refurbished by Steampunk Brassworks and has been displayed a various venues in Australia. It now resides in Mount Eliza Vic.

Most of the following details were published shortly after the "Steampunk Precipitator" was repaired and restored.

The Precipitator

This lovingly restored piece of Mallee history is said to have been built by the “Agricultural Wizard”, Godfrey Etooc, during the great Victorian drought of 1876. Whether it actually produced rain or not is still a matter of conjecture but the Wizard apparently claimed it to be as successful as any previous rain making invention.

The machine disappeared in mysterious circumstances after the great flood of 1902. Apparently the Wizard, Godfrey, had been employed to produce rain by a desperate group of wheat farmers about mid year but once the rain started it didn’t stop. The downpours continued for many, many days and washed away crops, fences, stock and over 100 buildings.

Angry flood victims turned on the farming group blaming them for instigating the catastrophe. The farmers in turn, threatened to sue the Wizard for building and using such a dangerous apparatus.

I can only assume that Godfrey, fearful of the consequences, then hid the rain maker somewhere in the township of Charlton Vic. because amazingly, once the waters of the record flood of 2011 subsided, the badly damaged remains of the machine were found wedged in the doorway of the old Steampunk Brassworks studio.

Since then I have searched for any plans or details of the Wizard’s invention but to no avail. I did however acquire a badly damaged set of instructions from a collector of farm memorabilia and I have recorded them on page 2 of this document.

Accordingly I have reconstructed the machine using as much of the original as possible and carefully replacing parts where I thought they would have originally been.

Steampunk Precipitator:

A patented device to bring rain to parched areas.

This celebrated apparatus will combine a carefully guarded secret recipe of chemicals with a liquid explosive and automatically charge the sturdy accumulator located at the base of the discharge barrel. Then when the charge is lighted by the latest electro technology,  itwill fire the mixture into a suitable cloud to promote the precipitation of life-giving rain.

Proudly designed and built at the Brassworks, Bendigo

Features:

• Grinder/feeder to break down and inject solid ingredients.

• Insulated boiler with burner, safety valve and gauge.

• Horizontal mixing tank with hand operated paddles.

• Steam injection system on mixer.

• Solid accumulator and barrel assembly.

• New and improved Electroliser charging system.

• Compact Galvanic Storage battery box with gauge.

• No-Fail igniter system with knife switch.

• Easy to use cloud sighting apparatus with mirror.

• Steam operated warning whistle.

• Wind speed and direction indicators.

• Large capacity rainfall indicator.

• Mounted on wheels for ease of relocation and aiming

The Steampunk Precipitator:

Page 2

Instructions for use.

1. This patented machine is designed to fire a special mixture of rain making chemicals into a suitable cloud.

2. Use the Aiming Device to set up under a selected rain-bearing cloud

3. Attach a 100-yard cord to the open Knife Switch and place the other end in a safe place away from the machine

4. Open Storage Tank cock and fill the Boiler

5. Fill the boiler’s Burner with White Spirit

6. Light and place under Boiler

7. Pour 3 ounces of crystals from Bag No. 1 into the Grinder

8. Turn the Grinder’s handle until the crystals are not visible

9. Inject steam when available into the Secondary Mixer

10. Turn the belt driven Mixer/Electriser until a current registers on the meter of the black storage box.

11. Carefully drop one only large pellet from Bag No. 2 down the Barrel of the apparatus. (This will be dissolved by the steam mixture and become extremely volatile.)

12. Operate the Steam Whistle lever to give two short warning blasts

13. Move quickly to the free end of the cord and pull to engage the Knife Switch

If the apparatus does not fire, leave the area for at least 24 hours and on your return, preferably have an assistant fill the barrel with water and rinse it thoroughly.