Two-Gear Steampunk Pumpkin with Vent Slot Cutouts

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Hollow and prepare

   Cut a back lid and scoop out all pulp to a consistent one-inch wall. Because this design has two full gear structures on the same face, keeping the wall uniform is even more important than on a single-gear design.

2. 2

   Transfer the two-gear template

   Tape the template and poke through all crossbar edges, gear aperture sections, vent slot positions, rivet dots, and tooth outlines. Remove the template and use tape along all crossbar edges as cut guards before touching a blade.

3. 3

   Cut both gears section by section

   Cut the four aperture sections of the first gear, keeping each section fully isolated with the crossbar arms intact. Repeat for the second gear. Do not start on vent slots or rivets until both gear structures are fully cut.

4. 4

   Cut vent slots and rivet dots

   Cut each vent slot as a narrow independent rectangular opening. Follow with the rivet dot holes using a small punch. Both element types are independent of the gear structures, so they can be added in any order.

5. 5

   Score gear teeth and spoke lines

   Using a detail knife, score the gear tooth outline on the outer edge of each gear as a shallow backed groove. Score any visible spoke lines from the hub outward at the same shallow depth. These scoring lines must not cut through the rind.

6. 6

   Light with an amber LED

   An amber LED inside gives the whole composition the warm brass-and-copper quality of a steampunk workshop. Display where both gears are clearly visible and at eye level so the tooth scoring detail reads from viewing distance.

Written with AI to match this design