Solar Pyrography
April 27, 2008 12:18 AM Subscribe
Traditional pyrographic, or “woodburning” tools use electricity to heat a stylus or wire. Solar pyrography uses sunlight focused through a magnifying glass to burn an image on wood. Artists who have mastered this technique include Bud Hnetka and Jonathan Beartusk. Videos demonstrating the process include the creation of an Art Blakey image, and the unusual “Durfsun”.
Forget the image, I wanna know what the music is for the Art Blakey video.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 1:18 AM on April 27, 2008
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 1:18 AM on April 27, 2008
Solar pyromania uses sunlight focused through a magnifying glass to burn ants to death. Artists who have mastered this technique include Bart Simpson.
posted by three blind mice at 1:20 AM on April 27, 2008
posted by three blind mice at 1:20 AM on April 27, 2008
It took all of my strength to resist the urge to close my youtube tab and vomit after watching two seconds of the irritating hippie guy pretending to swim in that "Durfsun" video.
posted by PM at 1:31 AM on April 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by PM at 1:31 AM on April 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
All hail the cognitive surplus!
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:39 AM on April 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by PeterMcDermott at 2:39 AM on April 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
When I gave a kid an eye loupe the other day for lookin' at small things, I pointed out to the parents that it should be perfectly safe, since the loupe was too small to be any use for starting fires in the back yard.
It had not even occurred to them that such a thing might be possible.
Now I feel like posting that kid one of my A4-sized plastic Fresnel lenses. This sort of parental ignorance deserves the harshest enlightenment.
posted by dansdata at 2:53 AM on April 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
It had not even occurred to them that such a thing might be possible.
Now I feel like posting that kid one of my A4-sized plastic Fresnel lenses. This sort of parental ignorance deserves the harshest enlightenment.
posted by dansdata at 2:53 AM on April 27, 2008 [1 favorite]
Now I feel like posting that kid one of my A4-sized plastic Fresnel lenses. This sort of parental ignorance deserves the harshest enlightenment.
Why couldn't I have had such scientific ignoramoooses for parents? They totally would have let me buy and rebuild that C02 or excimer laser I wanted so bad when I was in grade school.
That, and that honking big poster sized Fresnel lens that Edmund Scientific sells. WARNING: MELTS ASPHALT IN SECONDS! NOT A TOY!
Its like they had a pyromaniac 7th grader writing the copy for them. Sold!
Wait, what? It's 300 bucks? *counts change in piggy bank* Maybe next summer. Wait, though, how much for a laser? 1000!!? For some piece of crap 1 mw helium-neon? I don't think that'll cut anything. Got any YAGs? No? Why did you have to taunt me all of my life, Edmund Scientific?
posted by loquacious at 3:10 AM on April 27, 2008 [2 favorites]
Why couldn't I have had such scientific ignoramoooses for parents? They totally would have let me buy and rebuild that C02 or excimer laser I wanted so bad when I was in grade school.
That, and that honking big poster sized Fresnel lens that Edmund Scientific sells. WARNING: MELTS ASPHALT IN SECONDS! NOT A TOY!
Its like they had a pyromaniac 7th grader writing the copy for them. Sold!
Wait, what? It's 300 bucks? *counts change in piggy bank* Maybe next summer. Wait, though, how much for a laser? 1000!!? For some piece of crap 1 mw helium-neon? I don't think that'll cut anything. Got any YAGs? No? Why did you have to taunt me all of my life, Edmund Scientific?
posted by loquacious at 3:10 AM on April 27, 2008 [2 favorites]
thanks for posting this, Tube - it's an interesting & creative technique i had never heard of - and i enjoyed both Hnetka's and Beartusk's sites - their patience & attention to detail is pretty amazing
posted by jammy at 5:50 AM on April 27, 2008
posted by jammy at 5:50 AM on April 27, 2008
I'm waiting for solar powered wallet stitching and lanyard braiding.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:01 PM on April 27, 2008
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:01 PM on April 27, 2008
I wanna know what the music is for the Art Blakey video.
I'm almost certain it's Philip Glass. Possibly this album, though I don't have access to my collection right now to check for sure -- I only own a couple of his discs, and that track sounds very familiar, so this seems like a safe bet.
posted by ook at 1:08 PM on April 27, 2008
I'm almost certain it's Philip Glass. Possibly this album, though I don't have access to my collection right now to check for sure -- I only own a couple of his discs, and that track sounds very familiar, so this seems like a safe bet.
posted by ook at 1:08 PM on April 27, 2008
I wanna know what the music is for the Art Blakey video.
It's Steve Reich's "Eight Lines [Octet]," remixed by Howie B on Reich Remixed.
posted by sonascope at 5:16 PM on April 27, 2008
It's Steve Reich's "Eight Lines [Octet]," remixed by Howie B on Reich Remixed.
posted by sonascope at 5:16 PM on April 27, 2008
Wow. Thanks for the post, and to think I only used the sun's rays to light cigarettes when I'd forgotten to take my lighter on a field trip...
posted by dhruva at 8:47 PM on April 27, 2008
posted by dhruva at 8:47 PM on April 27, 2008
Had two magnifying glasses when I was a kid. A small metal and glass number, for doing fine engraving, and a big plastic-over glass monster, that I would also use to engrave things (dad's initials on his garden tools, as requested, etc) but would just as often set things on fire.
Lots of fun.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:54 PM on April 27, 2008
Lots of fun.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:54 PM on April 27, 2008
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posted by Schlimmbesserung at 12:21 AM on April 27, 2008