Melting

[skunko]

hi im doing a project oin the death of typography and was wondering what materials would melt well to give a good effect

[Vikia]

I humbly suggest "Typography isn't dead", or even dying.

There is good typography and bad typography. But as long as words are creatively displayed to communicate or deliver a visual message... whether the attempt has been done well with the perfect font, complete with kerning etc., or without much thought and set in comic sans, it is still typography.

But for info on typography visit: U&lc Magazine (http://www.itcfonts.com/ulc/default.asp?nCo=AFMT) (bookmark this)
They have long been known as THE typographers magazine. I have copies of their FREE magazine since the 1980's. In fact I still have them stacked in a corner as I refuse to let them go to the dump. In the late 1990's U&lc switched to a completely online format, but still are a great resource for all things "type" related.

Also check out their archives. (http://www.itcfonts.com/ulc/default.asp?nCo=AFMT&sec=ulc&issue=archive)

[Neuro]

Oh...that's a new one for my bookmark collection! Thanks Viki!!

[PrintDriver]

Go buy some of those birthday candle numbers. Not only bad typography but they melt to boot. Or get some prefab plastic sign letters ($$$) and take a torch to em.

Typography is like the GD industry. In the wrong hands it's murder.

[cjoe]

cheese melts.

[skunko]

i think im going to go for wax, i cant find any pictures of wax malting anywhere on the internet

[PrintDriver]

Get a digital camera and take some.
Think outside the box.

[PersonasBinar]

Box?..... where is this damned box?

[cjoe]

what else melts: Bubble wrap, cd's (put a cd in your microwave and see what happens) circuit boards.

[PrintDriver]

<runs to put CD in microwave>

[John G]

Put a record over a large bowl, put it in the microwave. Instant cool chip bowl.

[colonel5]

Box?..... where is this damned box?


it's a clear box, you are stuck inside... it's sad really, I didn't want to be the one to break it to you, but here's some figgy pudding to settle you down.

[Satchel]

make sure they are commercial cd's - they give the best "melting" effect!
S.

[cjoe]

<runs to put CD in microwave>

lol. what happened?

[vtwin_gary]

lol. what happened?

a very cool light show resulting in a cascade of emitted radiation.

[cjoe]

huzzah!

[angerisagift]

heres a site someone made with waaaay too much time on their hands and a lot of stuff to put in the microwave. some of it looks pretty coooool.

http://margo.student.utwente.nl/el/microwave/

[skirklan]

I think this is a creative lettering assignment; using graphics to show the death of typography, no?

When something dies, it fades, it decays, it disintegrates, it breaks. Use wax letters and burn their wicks, place the word typography in a coffin, write the word typography in crumbled charcoal on the sidewalk and let the wind blow away parts, you can carve letters out of apples (or anything) and take photographs as it decays, you can create the word typography in photoshop smoke and make it fade in the wind, cut letters out of chocolate and set them on a stove top, letting them melt through the burners--flat or standing (just don't use your own stove!) write it on a mirror in lipstick and break the mirror. Of course, that's committing yourself to bad luck for 7 years, so think twice before you pick the easy solution.:D

Good luck.
SDK

[cjoe]

I think this is a creative lettering assignment; using graphics to show the death of typography, no?

When something dies, it fades, it decays, it disintegrates, it breaks. Use wax letters and burn their wicks, place the word typography in a coffin, write the word typography in crumbled charcoal on the sidewalk and let the wind blow away parts, you can carve letters out of apples (or anything) and take photographs as it decays, you can create the word typography in photoshop smoke and make it fade in the wind, cut letters out of chocolate and set them on a stove top, letting them melt through the burners--flat or standing (just don't use your own stove!) write it on a mirror in lipstick and break the mirror. Of course, that's committing yourself to bad luck for 7 years, so think twice before you pick the easy solution.:D

Good luck.
SDK

at least someones being creative :), much better than ruining a microwave.

[Seapony]

Hahaha...how did this thread evolve into "101 ways to microwave?"

And I agree. Typography is far from dead. F.

;)

Edit: Then again..."good typography" has spent a stint in intensive care every now and again...

:p

[morea]

ooh... marshmallow peeps in the microwave. All the way.

[LeftBrain Artist]

ooh... marshmallow peeps in the microwave. All the way.

Put toothpicks in them and watch them joust! Place bets on the winner.

Leads gots a muchly low point melt - and is use to safe,

[cjoe]

Leads gots a muchly low point melt - and is use to safe,

lol.

[skunko]

okay so ive decided to melt the wax and have in the background a large sheet of ice, my friend is shooting a keyboard, i'll make sure to post a pic of the finish product on here in the not too distant future, one more question, i am making the letter P, i am dripping hot wax in thge mould, what would you make the mold from

[LeftBrain Artist]

Plaster of Paris, boyeeee.

OK, here's what you do, I'll refer to your "P" from now on as the "pattern"

Start by making your base tray out of plywood as shown, it should be the size of your finished pattern, PLUS a 4 inch border. Paint the inside of this tray with shellac or something similar to seal it.

Then, using a water based clay (the most common kind) create your pattern on the board. Make sure the base of the pattern is slightly larger than the top of the P - this is known as creating draft to the pattern. This is important as without proper draft, the pattern may become locked within the mold. Once the pattern is complete, grease up any exposed wood inside the tray, bottom and sidewalls, with vaseline - if you dont the plaster will bond to the wood and you'll have a hard time removing it. Mix up the plaster according to the directions (I've got tips for mixing plaster if your interested) and pour it into the tray, covering the pattern plus two inches. After the plaster has hardened completely, (you should be able to scratch it with your fingernail without leaving a mark) remove the sidewalls and pull off the bottom board, turn over and clean out the clay.

You now have a mold into which you can pour hot wax. Cheap slow cookers work great for heating up the wax to a liquid state. Be careful, its hot. Before you pour wax into the mold, soak it in water for half an hour - this will keep the wax from bonding to the mold - blot is dry and pour the wax, preferrably without burning yourself. A soup ladel should do the trick.

This is the ideal way to do it, if you're not sure you want to do this, let me know how big the P is, and I'll see if there isn't an easier way to do this.