Sunday, July 29, 2012

Linotype

If you think typewriting is anachronistic, what happens if I go all Linotype on you?



Yup, I've even investigated this. I have no place to put it, but a machine may run me $5,000. And it's no good without a building in the back yard ($50,000) and a press ($5,000) plus the accoutrement (another $5,000) and that doesn't even account for the fact I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING!

If you watch that whole documentary you might notice that it parallels the book Linotype Instruction Book. All that is done with a motor and a resistance element to melt the lead/tin/antimony.

Why, T-Bolt, why, WHY?!! Well, my father's mother's father was a linotype machinist... That's a big reason.

I wasn't much into printing or typography or fonts or what have you, when younger. It's a sin I've adopted late in life...

1 comment:

  1. Being another old fossil.... I have actually SEEN a linotype machine in action.... what a real Rube Goldburg contraption ... but damn.. it worked !!! HOWEVER... even if you did own one today.... I'm sure the leadworks that you would need would violate so many EPA reg's they'd have you in jail for YEARS. Oh... and I don't know about the "type" being mightier than the sword... but I used tons (OK.. maybe pounds) of linotype lead to cast muzzle-loader balls (was the perfect hardness)...

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