I’m sure quite a few of us have kicked off projects that started with modest expectations, yet ended up as something radically different than originally intended.
Yes, these are usually the type of projects that start off with a tiny budget and eventually end up costing tons of money and consuming weeks or months of your life. So I think it is definitely safe to say Deviant Art designer Batman-n-Bananas spend quite a bit of time building this steampunk Aperture handheld portal device.
And yes, I think we can all agree the time was definitely time well spent, because the finished product looks like the portal gun we all know and love from Half-Life – even if it is done up Jules Verne style.
According to the designer, the gun project kicked off around Halloween with the initial goal of creating a Chell costume. However, the project scope crept quickly, and Batman-n-Bananas ended up with the two or three month-long build and the product you see here.
Apparently, there are no build instructions, photos, or video of what it took to make this. But we do know components include a pair of antique clock movements, hangers, metal teapot stand, something called plastic mechano, various plumbing bits, a plant pot, and a wealth of nuts and bolts.
There are also some other parts in the device, including light bulbs, cardboard, some sort of metal covering, and lots of paint. The works is attached using hot glue and “about 6 gallons of superglue.” Frankly, the attention to detail is very impressive, as it’s quite difficult to discern any of the individual components in the final product build.
The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device – a fictional weapon from the videogame Half-Life – is typically referred to as a portal gun. In the game, it is used to create portals that allow players and other objects to move from one point directly to another.
