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Bioshock Belt Buckle in Bronze

by bofthem on July 29, 2009

Table of Contents

intro: Bioshock Belt Buckle in Bronze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: Photoshop! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: Solidworks! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3: DeskProto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 4: Machining! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 5: Casting! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

step 6: Finished! (and FAQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
intro: Bioshock Belt Buckle in Bronze
You can make anything and you can make anything AWESOME with CNC machining. In this ible I'm going to demonstrate how I created these steampunk bronze
Bioshock belt buckles from start to finish using Photoshop, Solidworks, DeskProto, and the Tormach 4-axis milling machine at TechShop. There's also good info here
about silicone casting, getting custom metal work done, and how to give metal an antique "dredged from the bottom of the sea" look.

*I just heard back from 2K Boston and I won't be able to sell any buckles under pain of death. Thank y'all for all your interest and support but it looks like it wasn't in the
cards. I'm still working on getting official licensing but the outlook is dim.*

There are some more pictures on my flickr. Be sure to visit my blog and listen for new art on twitter.

step 1: Photoshop!
This step is pretty simple. I needed to create a nice, clear reference image to trace in 3d. All I had to do here is increase the contrast and clean up an image of the
Bioshock logo I found online. I started by resizing the image so the logo filled the canvas. Then I pulled up the image>adjustments>levels menu and slid the two tabs in
towards the center of the histogram (the little graph in the middle.) This is to increase the contrast so I can isolate the areas of the image that I'll pull out into 3d.
Ctrl+shift+u will turn the image monochrome and a little bit of magic with the wand, bucket, and brush tools will get you an image that's ready to trace in SolidWorks.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
step 2: Solidworks!
Solidworks is an incredibly complex and incredibly powerful program for designing parts for anything from cars, to rockets, to blow driers, to buildings. I can't get into
nearly enough detail to show the entire process of playing and tweaking to get it just right but I can give a pretty clear outline. If you want to learn the program in more
detail there are a bunch of good video tutorials on youtube.

I've been using the program for a while so I find it pretty intuitive but it's really hard for a first timer. If you've never heard of it you might consider trying simpler programs
like VectorWorks, Blender, or Google Sketchup before hunting around for SolidWorks. That being said SolidWorks is what I've got and what I know so it's what I used.

I started by importing my drawing on the top plane with insert>dxf/dwg. Then I created a new sketch on that drawing and traced over the shapes with the sketch tools.
From there it was just a few simple cuts and extrusions to create the logo in 3d. Now all I had to do was scale it down to the right size and save it out as an STL (a
common 3d format to deliver to the CAM program.)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
step 3: DeskProto
DeskProto is a nice, simple, inexpensive program for turning 3d geometry into a path a CNC machine can follow. You can even get a free 30 day demo on their site. It
takes a lot of practice and experience to get CNC machines exactly as you want them to but they are well worth the effort.

The cool thing about DeskProto is that you can have a wizard take care of most of the work. As long as you're not doing anything super complex you can create just
about any simple part in a few steps. When you open a new document the wizard (pic1) will start up automatically. I picked the "Basic 3D Milling" option and then
selected "Load Part" (pic2.) After finding the STL I loaded up from Solidworks I rotated it to lie flat along the XY plane (pic3). The next menu I cared about was the
"Cutter" menu. I use a special tool for cutting out wax called a profile mill. You can find these at jewelry supply websites and specialty machining tool sites like Bits and
Bits. The one I used was called a 15deg conic engraving tool. After selecting that tool I hit "Next" and then "Calculate Toolpaths." That's it. It will calculate how the CNC
machine will run to cut out this part with the tool you specified and then you save the NC file it creates to a thumb drive and put it on the machine.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
step 4: Machining!
Ok, so this is it, almost done.

Using the Tormach, or any CNC machine is a matter of trial, error and experience. The part I made was pretty simple so setting up the machine was fairly easy. I started
with a piece of purple machinist's wax. I stuck it down to a wooden plank using some contact cement. This means I don't have to worry about the profile tool messing up
the table if I accidentally cut through the wax. The machine needs a coordinate on the corner of my wax to set up the path, so I just maneuver the too there, call it the
origin and load up the file I just made in DeskProto. The cutting took about an hour and afterward I had to brush all the little wax chips and dust out of the cracks in the
finished wax. From here I made a box around the wax and poured in some RTV Silicone. This gave me a mold I could make some copies with. I used red wax (a
medium-soft easy to cast wax that's super common and super cheap) to make some duplicates. After cleaning these up a bit it was off to the metal caster.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
step 5: Casting!
I think it's easier to pay to get a part cast in metal than to try and do it yourself. I teach a class on aluminum sand casting, but the devil's in the details. If you want a high
quality part it's usually better (and sometimes cheaper) to go to the professionals. I use a small metal casting studio called JR Casting. They're in the bay area, so it was
really easy for me to visit their shop to talk about how they did what they did. Check for a lost wax or investment casting house near you. You'd be surprised at how many
there are in the world.

I drove the waxes down to JR, they cast them in metal and I got them back a few weeks later. The metal took a little cleaning up and sanding down but it was soon
looking pretty sharp. I brazed a pin and some rings on the back to attach the whole thing to a belt. After that I made the metal look old and worn to match the Bioshock
aesthetic with gun blue. You'll need some kitchen gloves, a disposable container and some sand paper to do this process. You put your part in the container and let it
soak in a little of the solution. After the metal has darkened you rinse it off and can restore some of the shine with the sandpaper to help bring out the detail. If you can't
find gun blue around you, you can use a bunch of other solutions. Mine just took some polishing and sanding and...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
step 6: Finished! (and FAQ)
There you have it. All done, and quite nice looking too.

I know you have questions. There are always questions. I'll try and answer as many as I can and provide as many resources for you to explore if you're still curious about
all the parts:

Q: Where did you get the silicone? How did you cast it?
A: I got mine at Douglas and Sturgess in SF, but you can order it online at smooth-on, freeman, and even Amazon. It tends to be rather expensive but has a long
shelf life and is a great mold making material. You can even cut up old silicone molds to use as a filler when you cast new ones. The casting process was super
simple. I just built a box around the wax part with some paint stirrers and poured the silicon on. I've got some more detailed tutorials about casting silicone here
and here.
Q: What kinds of wax did you use?
A: What I cut out was a hard, easily machinable, fine grained wax called machinist's wax. It's pretty cheap and is an awesome material for CNC especially if you
want to test out something super fast before doing the final version in metal. I get mine from Progress Tool. To do the duplicates, I heated up red casting wax from
Douglas and Sturgess in a coffee cup in a toaster oven and poured it into the silicone mold.
Q: How do you get metal parts cast?
A: Feel free to build your own home forge to cast metal parts. I don't really have the time or inclination to do all that just for some buckles, but it's still on my list of
life goals. You can mail wax parts to almost any small investment casting studio and they'll duplicate them in metal. You lose the wax (that's why it's called lost
wax) but you get back a really high resolution metal part. Be sure to call and ask what kind of metal they cast, if there are any limitations on the dimensions of your
part, how they cast it (if you have to make special allowances for sprues) and try to supply them with as much information as you can so they can give you an
estimate on cost. I have used JR Casting for several of my projects and have been really impressed. They cast silver, gold, brass and bronze there. The cost of
your part will vary on how big it is (how much space it takes up in their casting container or flask), how much labor it takes to get it set up, and how massive it is
(how much metal they have to pump in.)
Q: What is Techshop? How do I get access to a CNC?
A: Techshop is a kind of gym for nerds. You sign up for a monthly membership and they give you open access to a huge selection of industrial machines, hand
tools, workshop space, and cool people. For the more complex machines like the Tormach you have to take a class. Getting time on CNC machines is kind of
hard. Although the technology's becoming cheaper and more ubiquitous every day it's still not common to find a CNC machine available to use at the rec center or
your local library. Chances are you won't be able to get time on one unless you buy one, build one, have a TechShop near you or know how to get in touch with
machine shops and beg your way inside.
Q: What is CNC? What is the Tormach?
A: CNC is short for Computer Numerical Control. This means a computer handling something by numbers, coordinates, or vectors. Often this is used to talk about
machines that are driven by this architecture. Wikipedia has some pretty good articles. If you really want to learn more there are really good videos on youtube

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
 and forums all over the place. Instructables even has several CNC projects as well as Thingiverse and RepRap. The Tormach is a fairly powerful CNC machine,
especially at its low price tag of $7000. It lives at TechShop, but was previously employed on Prototype This.
Q: Steampunk? Bioshock?
A: Steampunk is an ethos and fashion trend that has really caught on with geeks and makers from across the globe. It's essentially an interpretation of an
imagined past where steam technology was never replaced by electronics, therefore you get mad ideas like steam powered helicopters and spaceships. Bioshock
is a videogame made in this style. It's a bunch of fun to play.
Q: What is brazing?
A: I used a torch and some bronze filler rod to weld on the rings and pin that make this a belt buckle. The process is called brazing. It happens at a lower
temperature than steel or aluminum welding but is still very strong.
Q: Why did you cast it in bronze? I thought brass was the quintessential steampunk metal.
A: I originally wanted it cast in brass. I like the green verdigris brass gets with age. Unfortunately a lot of metal casters won't get many brass orders so will wait
until they can fill a whole flask with parts before casting. I decided I didn't want to wait the month or so it would take to get it cast in brass so I just opted for
bronze, which is apparently more in demand.
Q: How do I get my own?
A: You can't. At least, you can't now. You'll just have to suffer in envy.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 55 comments

watermelonhead says: Jul 30, 2009. 10:41 AM REPLY

ZOMG TIS IS SO FRICKIN AWESOME!!! i want to make a companion cube to replace my old one... rip best friend :(

bofthem says: Jul 30, 2009. 11:26 AM REPLY

It is common to form inappropriate attachments to the companion cube.

watermelonhead says: Aug 16, 2009. 9:21 AM REPLY

It willnot threaten to stab you, and in fact cannot speak.

Unless you use gary's mod ;D

madwilliamflint says: Sep 1, 2009. 4:50 PM REPLY

What I wouldn't give for a weighted companion cube :)

watermelonhead says: Sep 2, 2009. 12:50 PM REPLY

Sigh... I doodle companion cubes all over my agenda :(

bofthem says: Sep 2, 2009. 1:28 PM REPLY

you can play around with this model of a companion cube in blender or any other 3d program that can import stl's:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:915

Nautilus34 says: Aug 17, 2009. 1:57 PM REPLY

wonderful. unfortunately, i'd get half way through this and stop working on it all together.

lordofthedonuts says: Aug 2, 2009. 10:48 AM REPLY

If you wan't to cast the bronze yourself (the most interesting part imho) and live in the bay area you can go to The Crucible.

A-through-Z says: Aug 6, 2009. 2:13 PM REPLY

Seconded.
I haven't been to the Crucible myself, but I have a number of friends who work/play there and love it.

Gamer917 says: Aug 8, 2009. 5:36 PM REPLY

now i am beginning to hate te fact that i live i NYC

bofthem says: Aug 8, 2009. 7:17 PM REPLY

If you really want to make and do and play with tech folks there's always NYC Resistor.

A-through-Z says: Aug 8, 2009. 6:24 PM REPLY

Ha! I'm reading notes from conferences in NYC right now that make me wish I lived *there*!
I don't know much about workshops in your area but I'd really think there must be *something*. Some help, instructables people?

LaSouris says: Aug 7, 2009. 8:14 PM REPLY

I hate dejavu, i just got dejavu and did not like it at all. =/
anyway, nice instructable

Rishnai says: Aug 6, 2009. 11:39 PM REPLY

Remarkably well documented, bofthem! Any time I had a question or wanted to learn more, one of your links took me straight to the information I needed. I
learned way more than I expected reading this 'ible!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
 SuperCoPilot says: Aug 6, 2009. 1:02 PM REPLY
I'm pointing out you could probabaly give them away for free and accept "donations" of a specified amount

S1L3N7 SWAT says: Jul 30, 2009. 2:10 PM REPLY

Very cool!!

But, I have one question. Is that Bioshock image copyrighted? If yes, then would this be considered illegal since you are using that image to make money
without a licence from the owners?

I'm guessing the makers of the game probably could care less and also think it's awesome. But their big legal department might see fault with it.

Does anyone know if this is infringment or something? I hope it's not because I would buy it!

OfficerKarl says: Aug 6, 2009. 11:33 AM REPLY

This would only be illegal if he tried to sell any. That's why he says in the intro:

"*I just heard back from 2K Boston and I won't be able to sell any buckles under pain of death. Thank y'all for all your interest and support but it looks like
it wasn't in the cards. I'm still working on getting official licensing but the outlook is dim.*"

Spokehedz says: Aug 6, 2009. 11:26 AM REPLY

How is he making money off of it?

S1L3N7 SWAT says: Aug 6, 2009. 3:13 PM REPLY

He's selling them for $60. Did you click the link to his site?

Spokehedz says: Aug 6, 2009. 7:21 PM REPLY

Nope. But he checked, and they said no he can't. So this is all a moot point anyway.

And as a personal note... I think that if someone makes something based off of something but the company who owns the trademark isn't making
anything like that... They shouldn't get in trouble for doing so.

S1L3N7 SWAT says: Aug 7, 2009. 2:07 PM REPLY

Yeah, when he originally posted this it didn't say anything about checking with 2K.

Anyway, I agree with you. He should be able to make these things all he wants, and even sell them, but I know there is a possibility he could
get in big trouble for it.

jaybo2099 says: Aug 6, 2009. 7:33 AM REPLY

He's advocating warez software and "technically legal copies from cheap software resellers". I don't think he's worried about copyrights.

S1L3N7 SWAT says: Aug 6, 2009. 3:13 PM REPLY

True. I was just wondering.

ARVash says: Jul 30, 2009. 5:39 PM REPLY

It's a very low level of illegal if any. He could always ask for licensing.

conadia says: Aug 3, 2009. 10:08 AM REPLY

You should sell some mold for the people who want one but don't want to pay $60 for one ore don't have a CNC machine.

bofthem says: Aug 3, 2009. 3:14 PM REPLY

It's a nice idea but the economics don't work out so well. To make any profit at all on the mold I'd have to charge about $20. Wax costs about $10/lb.
Someone who has never dealt with wax casting is probably going to have trouble getting a good model made without bubbles but it can be done.
Depending on the metal caster you use and how their equipment is set up you'll spend from $20-$50 per casting. Then it would be up to you to finish it
and braze on the hardware. It's just not feasible.

cryophile says: Jul 30, 2009. 8:43 AM REPLY

Isn't Solidworks really expensive? I know 3ds Max is, and that's a similar program.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
 cornfedbeast says: Aug 3, 2009. 11:41 AM REPLY
I won my student edition in a CADD competition so i got it for free!

bofthem says: Jul 30, 2009. 8:52 AM REPLY

That all depends on how willing you are to beg for the student version, go in with your friends and share a licence, or use the incredible but illicit powers
of warez. But yeah, the full suite is like $9000. I think you can get technically legal copies from cheap software resellers like sofster, but I've never used
it. I used to work for a design company so got a copy and license from them.

Txkink says: Aug 2, 2009. 6:24 PM REPLY

Wow! That's fantastic and very detailed with great links. The CNC process reminds me of the Compucarve and/or Carvewright machines. These were
designed originally for wood but some have been using them to carve wax, Lucite (lithophane?) and other materials for molds.

A great buckle idea from a great game!

bounty1012 says: Jul 30, 2009. 9:12 PM REPLY

Freaking awesome, You sir deserve a medal! 5*

INSTRUCTUBAL says: Aug 1, 2009. 1:08 AM REPLY

oh but he already has one..

bounty1012 says: Aug 1, 2009. 2:28 PM REPLY

ah, you're clever...

INSTRUCTUBAL says: Aug 1, 2009. 8:45 PM REPLY

oh yes.

DustmasterD says: Jul 31, 2009. 8:23 PM REPLY

You say you made this at a tech shop however their only on the west coast. Does anyone know anything similar to a tech shop in southeastern
Massachusetts?

ALISTAIRELLIOTT says: Jul 31, 2009. 3:35 PM REPLY

THAT IS AWESOME

sc0ped91 says: Jul 30, 2009. 9:35 PM REPLY

SO JEALOUS!

SinAmos says: Jul 30, 2009. 8:45 PM REPLY

I can't wait to bust out my pocket CNC device. Not!!!!!!!!!!!!! Such a tease.

cryophile says: Jul 30, 2009. 8:53 AM REPLY

Very nice! I had the idea to make my own belt buckles a while ago, so I'll be using this Instructable as insperation. Also, Bioshock is more dieselpunk than
steampunk, as it is set in the 1960's. Rapture, the city that the game takes place in, was built in the 1940's, so it still qualifies as a mid-century setting. If you
really, REALLY want to nit-pick, you could say that Bioshock is actually a biopunk story with a mid-century setting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

bofthem says: Jul 30, 2009. 9:26 AM REPLY

Most countercultural (punk) trends seem to come from substantive artistic movements and branch by differentiating the way in which they apply that art. I
would argue that garage rock gave birth to the punk ethos, within which different groups defined themselves by the way in which they interpreted garage
rock, into christian punk, irish punk, crustcore and soforth. Literature had cyberpunk which had its branching trends, but those other movements were still
thrall to the overarching ancestral theme. Steampunk and derivatives thereof I consider mostly a fashion movement. Subecategories of this are still, to
me, under the main heading of the aesthetic ideology. I don't think there have been enough substantially divergent works in spacepunk, desilpunk, and
oilpunk to distinguish these from the overarching meme. It's sort of like how Sclub7 may be more britpop than europop, but they're still pop no matter
how you slice 'em.

So, I usually find it simpler to call it steampunk and be done. Besides, everything in rapture's powered by steam anyway... somehow. Though how you
can fit a steam powered circuit into something that works as a helicopter is beyond me.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/
 Osmann says: Jul 30, 2009. 8:56 AM REPLY
Can i buy it on ebay?
PLEASE!

geniusfire says: Jul 30, 2009. 7:29 AM REPLY

Nice next make one that says 'WOULD YOU KINDLY' that would be sure to enforce mind controlled sales

eddypoe says: Jul 30, 2009. 8:30 AM REPLY

You so stole my comment :) heck yes...would you kindly send me a free buckle.

bofthem says: Jul 30, 2009. 8:12 AM REPLY

Walk, would you kindly? Run, would you kindly? Hit me in the head with a golf club while I deliver a monologue, would you kindly?

I always liked how your character did it with such gusto. Sure, he was under mind control, but it didn't stop him from having a good time.

Ninzerbean says: Jul 30, 2009. 5:48 AM REPLY

Your 'ible looks very well documented but I am confused - am I to understand that you have taken someone's logo and are copying it (and selling it?)? Does
the designer get a cut? I don't know what "Bioshock" is so maybe it's from a made up place and I am out of line with my question.

bofthem says: Jul 30, 2009. 7:01 AM REPLY

Not out of line at all. That is essentially what I'm doing. So far I've not heard back from the game studio on whether or not they're alright with me doing
this. One of the designers did send me a nice thank you when I sent him a buckle, though.

Maybe it'll make sense when you hear the whole story. Bioshock is a popular video game. After playing this game I got the idea to make this belt buckle.
When I first started showing it to friends they were pretty impressed and wanted ones of their own, but it's kind of expensive to produce them. I didn't
want to charge my friends that much for a little buckle but couldn't afford the cost to just give them ones. So, I figured if I could distribute the cost across
ten or so more people I could give everyone a copy for a reasonable price and maybe (if I'm lucky) even make a little for the time spent designing,
organizing, and finishing.

I'm only making a few on request for really die hard fans. This isn't going to turn into a black market belt buckle forgery ring or anything.

Ninzerbean says: Jul 30, 2009. 7:42 AM REPLY

Being an artist this sort of thing - copying, rubs me the wrong way for the simple reason that it is wrong. Why not contact the company to see if you
can get licensed to make these? I don't care about the money at all, it's the principle, if you like this game why not make your own design? I think you
have done a beautiful job on the belt buckle but do you really feel good about doing all that work on someone else's design rather than your own?

bofthem says: Jul 30, 2009. 8:08 AM REPLY

Thank you for the compliments. It's really all for my friends, the few enthusiasts who have given me nice messages asking for copies, and to get
some practice doing my own little production line. If it were a different design that people ended up wanting so badly, I'd be doing it, but it
happened to be a project that was derivative but originally only intended for my personal amusement. Heck, it might not even work out and no
copies will ever be made.

I have contacted the company. I do make my own designs. You should check my site, flickr, and other instructables.

Ninzerbean says: Jul 30, 2009. 7:48 AM REPLY

I will add more - I have noticed that this is a cultural thing. Some cultures learn by memorizing all that has gone on before. What they learn in
school is no different than what their parents learned and their grandparents etc and on and on. They think nothing of copying because in their
culture that is what is done and original thoughts and ideas get no praise nor are they even considered merit worthy. I have noticed that those
cultures have not added much to the world in many 100's of years.

hackerfriendly says: Jul 30, 2009. 10:06 AM REPLY

Many find copying to be an essential part of the creative process. Look around your living room and see if you can find a single object that
was not based on someone else's uncredited idea.

I see this project more as an homage to the original designers, not as a "copy". The Bioshock developers built a compelling world in pixels.
bofthem wanted to remind folks of this world in bronze. BRONZE!

You might enjoy this documentary about "copying" and creation in the digital age.

http://www.goodcopybadcopy.net/

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Bioshock-Belt-Buckle-in-Bronze/