A Steampunk Raspberry Pi Laptop

Hacker “phrazelle” decided he wanted to make something unique for his girlfriend’s birthday, and what could be more unique than a steampunk laptop? As his significant other needed a computer mostly for Internet use and word processing, he decided to craft a wooden laptop for her with a Raspberry Pi at its heart.

According to phrazelle’s write-up, though the finished product looks quite nice, the project wasn’t without its challenges. Mechanically, the keyboard was initially too weak, and had to be remade after breaking. But that’s not all. A gust of wind blew the case over, causing it to shatter and be reassembled with the help of some Gorilla Glue. Perseverance paid off though — the Pi and a host of accessories were finally insertered into the base, and it now “runs like a champ!”

As for the other components, phrazelle was able to recycle an old computer’s LCD screen, which he connected to an LCD driver board found on eBay. He also included a modified Talentcell battery pack along with a plugable USB 2.0 four-port powered hub for the Pi and any additional USB devices. The rest consists of a couple 40mm fans, a 20W amplifier, a sound card, as well as a bit of wiring.

Meanwhile, the laptop’s elaborate exterior features a number of decorations — brass gears, a front battery gauge, LED indicator housings, a back switch plate, and even hand-blown marbles as power indicators. You can see more of this beautifully-constructed project over on Instructables!