Kinetic Steam Works

Upcoming Events & Projects for 2013

Leah Daniels — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:46:17 +0000

Maker Faire is May 18-19 at the San Mateo Fairgrounds. We will be in the South lot this year, near a lot of other Oakland Makers, like our friend and neighbor Justin Gray.

Come by to see our Case traction engine ‘Hortense’, watch coasters being printed on a 100 year old Chandler & Price letterpress powered by steam of course (take home a souvenir!), and check out our member Will Francis’ beautiful steam powered Orrery. Finally, come see the solar heated boiler set-up – based on the display by Auguste Mouchot and Abel Pifre at the 1878 World’s Faire in Paris, our member Troye Welch has built a small heliostat array that will heat a boiler to make steam to power an engine. Solar powered steam, y’all.

After Maker Faire, we are continuing work on Wilhelmina, our 40″ sternwheeler that we are planning to take on a trip up the Petaluma river this summer.

We are also working on restorations to Hortense and the double simple engine.

Keep up with the latest by following us on Facebook! Come by to check out the shop on one of our workdays, every Wednesday and Saturday.

Preparing for the Edwardian Ball 2013

Leah Daniels — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:17:31 +0000

Here we are again, preparing for the Edwardian Ball, one of our favorite events of the year. It’s really fun dressing up and enjoying all the wonderful, crazy sights and sounds that the Ball has to offer.

This year, we acquired a letterpress and will be handing out some fun take aways at the event. Of course, the letterpress will be run off of steam… here’s a short video of us testing the setup.

Roll Out Success! Thank you!

Leah Daniels — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:38:17 +0000

The Roll Out was a huge success! Thanks to all of you wonderful supporters who came out. Here are a few photos and a video from the event.

Kinetic Steam Works Rollout 2012 KRON 4 TV

Rolling out Hortense

The pumpkin guillotine

The line shaft at night

Testing derusting techniques

William Francis — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:36:14 +0000

Keep an eye out for our newsletter where we test several derusting techniques. So much more in the newsletter, too!

Roll Out success!

William Francis — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:27:08 +0000

Stephen punching the flues on Little Toot before the Roll Out.

KSW’s Roll Out 2012

Leah Daniels — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:35:07 +0000

The annual celebration of steam, art, and community at Kinetic Steam Works is coming up Saturday, November 10th, from Noon to 10PM! Celebrate this autumnal steamy spectacular with us at our new shop location on Campbell St. in Oakland.

We are ROLLING OUT:

‘Hortense’, 1920 40HP Case Traction Engine

‘Wilhelmina’, 46′ Stern-wheel Steamboat

‘Little Toot’, 1/2 Scale 1913 65HP Case Traction Engine

‘S.L. San Joaquin’, 28′ Steam Launch

…plus an assortment of ENGINES, BOILERS, and MECHANISMS like:

Little Baby Steamy Pants, The Double Simple, The Line Shaft, The Pumpkin Guillotine, Pecos Fred, and more.

And FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT:

Special performances from Kinetic Arts Center’s Circus Spire Youth Troupe featuring: Contortion, Hand Balancing, Acrobatics. Performers include: Lea Serrar, Emma Close, Lindsey Barrows, Althea Young, Ashley Kim

The Fire Blasting Blowtar

Justin Gray’s Robot Show

LIVE MUSIC on Front Porch!
Featuring:
2pm – Bison Bison Bison
3:30pm – Cate Plainperson
5pm – Fucking Buckaroos
5pm – Special performances from Kinetic Arts Center’s Circus Spire Youth Troupe featuring: Contortion, Hand Balancing, Acrobatics.
7pm – Grace in the Woods

FOOD & DRINKS:
We will be serving up food from the grill with sodas, lemonade, and beer. The bar will be stocked with excellent mixed drinks, wine and beer.

Sadly, there will be no Yard Sale.

If you’re on Facebook, like our page and RSVP to the event here.

DIRECTIONS:
Campbell Street at 26th Street, Oakland, CA, 94607 http://goo.gl/maps/ta51h
There will be signs on Mandela Parkway. Look for the billows of steam…

The event is located out doors on Campbell St. between 26th and 28th Streets.

Click for a larger map view.

KSW’s 4th Annual Roll Out! Save the Date…

Leah Daniels — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:50:53 +0000

The annual celebration of steam, art, and community at Kinetic Steam Works is coming up! Saturday, November 10th, from Noon to 10PM, come celebrate this autumnal steamy spectacular with us. In 2012, we aced it at the Edwardian Ball with clockwork and line shafts, awed the many curious folk at Maker Faire with the steam boat Wilhelmina, and spent a lot of effort setting up at our new location! We invite you to come on down and celebrate as we open up our grand new shop. You’ll be supporting a unique nonprofit organization.

Save the date and spread the word! KSW is completely volunteer based! If you are interested in volunteering, come on down for a work night Thursday’s starting at 7:30pm, or Saturdays starting around noon. Email jen[at]kineticsteamworks[dot]org for more info on how to get involved!

KSW moves into new shop space

Troye Welch — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 09:04:29 +0000

While it may look like an episode of ‘Hoarders’ gone bad or a rerun of ‘Sanford and Sons’, it’s actually KSW’s new shop space. Rummaging through the clutter, one can find priceless artifacts, massive one-of-a-kind machines with gears that go clank in the night… and maybe a barbeque for an impromptu wiener roast. Will snapped this, and the next day it was totally different. Well, somewhat different anyway.

A view of KSW’s new shop space

KSW wins prestigious Editor’s Choice Award(s!) at 2012 Bay Area Maker Faire

Troye Welch — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:20:11 +0000

KSW’s crew busted their butts and got Wilhelmina ready for the 2012 Bay Area Maker Faire. Just completed was the canopy support structure. Next up- re-skinning the hull and getting her in the water! Congratulations for a job well done! Make Magazine even did a little article on her.

KSW took home two prestigious Editor’s Choice Awards for the kinetic display of Wilhelmina

Board Wilhelmina at the Maker Faire

Jen Garber — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:20:57 +0000

That’s right folks, we’re launching Wilhelmina, our 40′ stern-wheel paddleboat in the calm seas of the northwest lot at the Maker Faire on May 19 – 20 so be sure to climb aboard and get up close to all the steamy action. We’ve been working hard on the restoration efforts and promise she’ll be ship shape for the weekend. This boat was originally built by Robert P. Scripps of The Scripps Foundry & Machine in Fredericksburg, TX. According to John Woodson, a Stanley Steamer aficionado, it is believed to be the first of two built. He made the patterns for the engines, which were cast in San Antonio, and his shop fabricated the hull, wheel, rudders, and more. On July 29, 2008 she was named the Wilhelmina in honor of Dick Vennerbeck’s Great Grandmother, Wilhelmina Bernadina Nystrom Fhalquist.