David Airey

The craft of neon sign-making

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by

David Airey
in

10 SECONDS is a short film by The Pressure about work, happiness, and Mike’s insight into the amazing process of handmade neon signage.

I caught this explanation in the Vimeo comment thread:

“That part in the end is Mike adding a drop of mercury. The electricity heats the mercury, which turns it into a vapor form (what Mike calls the equivalent of a ‘million tiny mirrors’), and that is what makes white neon so bright. Thus, in the summer when it is hot, white neon is much brighter, and in the winter when it’s cold it congeals and is dimmer.”

Comments

2 responses to “The craft of neon sign-making”

  1. Robert Achmann Avatar
    Robert Achmann

    All true craftsmen are artists who can distil beautiful ideas and capture them in the objects they create. Neon signs have become the beacons of ‘civilized’ areas and the darker segments of our modern cities. It’s almost synonymous to see a neon sign and some seedy club together in the various media we enjoy; almost redundant, if it were to be written in a book or novel. I liked the video because it was nice to get back in touch with the love put in to creating this work – this artwork.

    Reply
  2. pogo Avatar
    pogo

    Isn’t that dangerous blowing mercury into tubes all day? Seems like he would eventually get mercury poisoning.

    Reply

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