Anyone ever make a metal book?

hydin

hydin

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Had this thought pop in my head the other day, and I thought it would be kinda nifty to have a metal book. Metal pages, metal covers, etc.

I was thinking of making a necronomicon with laser engraved pages, but while it works (in my head anyway) as a fun idea, the actual logistics are throwing me a little off.

If you have made one how did you make the cover or attach the pages?

Idle thoughts before I head out and get my shopping done, so if you have any ideas please post em up.

Hell, if you know of a place to get a kick ass necronomicon to print out feel free to share.

Chris
 
Wow that is one expensive process.

Hmm.. might have to do some more thinking about this :)


Chris
 
Just use hinges and sheet metal. I knew a guy while in college who made a metal book in this manner for an art project.
Now, making the inner pages out of metal and making it so they can be turned, that might be tricky. And I wouldn't think the look would lend itself to a necronomicon...more like "How to serve man".
 
Yeah, I saw this and immediately thought "glorified 3-ring binder with a hinged cover". Except, that, you know, the binder rings are unable to be opened, they're rings welded onto the binding.
 
It has an "At the Mountains of Madness" or "Martian Chronicles" sound to it. You could use a photo resistant/etching process for the print.
 
A Metal Binding with solid hinged covers that looks good and then some kinda nifty laminated foil pages might look like what you are after without costing quite as much. The inner binding part where the pages attach might be tricky.
 
Yea, that's what is causing me the headache right now.

It might be put on hold for a while, cause the guy who does my laser engraving locally apparently retired, and closed down shop.

Still, gonna give some thoughts to it. Hell, if I can find a 3d modeler who is as insane as I am, we can always go the shapeways route for the covers :lol

Chris
 
Didn't the book of the dead from "The Mummy" have solid pages?
norm-46adffbf7391f-Mummy+Returns,+The+%282001%29.jpeg

They were all connected via that cylinder on the side right?
 
A metal book is a cool idea. I can imagine it being some kind of apocalypse manual, like something you'd find in a government facility near the high-speed elevator to the underground complex. Made to survive various incendiary weapons, etc...

Aside from the ones mentioned above, I can't think of many memorable metal books in fiction.

Unless you consider the Golden Plates allegedly found by Joseph Smith buried on Mormon Hill.... I think some film prop books made of metal might be based in part on this odd idea.

From wikipedia: "witnesses described the plates as weighing from 30 to 60 pounds, being golden or brassy in color, and being composed of thin metallic pages engraved on both sides and bound with one or more rings."

I remember seeing a metal book in an art gallery that was laser-cut so that when it was closed the cutouts formed an interesting 3D in the stacked layers.

For something large and heavy, maybe the metal pages could be "bound" by welding or riveting some hinges known as um... flatt butt hinges to each of the pages - or "piano" hinges. Maybe adding a raised lip around the edges of the pages to match the thickness of the hinge to keep the pages lying flat when the book is closed.

Or - what if you riveted one half of a piano hinge to each page - then bolted or riveted all the "loose" sides of the hinges together?

405f3y
 
I was a little surprised to wake up this morning with a decent answer to the binding problem. It occurred to me that a simple, and somewhat elegant answer would be a gold or pewter chain.

Since I am going the "old relic" route, and the books made of metal with metal pages, why not a metal chain holding it together?

Makes sense before my coffee anyway :lol

I had a great idea for a cover, but lack the skills to make it. I was picturing something like the Shadow ships in Babylon 5, where it's a dark color but 3d, and hollow. I think that would look terrific and have that "otherworldly" feel to it. Only hitch is finding someone to do that, much less figuring out what I want the book to say :lol

All great ideas so far though. Glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking a metal book would be kinda cool.

Chris
 
If you put the pages on hinges, you'd have to off-set each page from the other...stagger them. Otherwise you won't be able to turn all the pages after the first one.
Unless you do some sort of ringed binder. Or if you use chain like you mentioned.
 
Has anyone ever made a wooden book? I think it would be really fun to have the pages laser etched or something with the words, and the pages made from wood, not just the cover.
 
Hi there, I thought this one was worth me piping in. I make various books from everything you can imagine and for this type wood or plastic or metal, I would suggest that you look to Keith Smiths books.

Specifically Volume IV Non-Adhesive Binding: Smith's Sewing Single Sheets which I own and am actually putting up on ebay this week. I would be happy to help if you have any questions. It covers sewing single sheets, which means you would only need holes and then to figure out the best material to sew the pages.

Personally I would recommend the standard waxed linen thread or some sort of leather thong obviously you could also use plastic scoobedoo threads or wire. It all depends on the use and effect you are after.


I hope that helps. Also try this link.. Let me google that for you

Cheers.

EDIT - very old example of one of the bindings from the book..
singlesheetbindingovercords by anasazinyx, on Flickr
 
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What about using thinner metal for the pages, one that is springy and flexible enough like a higher quality shim stainless or brass? I have used shim metal as a flexible hinge for various small projects, no reason it wouldn't work in a larger scale. Then you could use letter punches to stamp the text in, but obviously single sided only. Your pages would be very thin but should still be strong enough to be read like a book.

Alternatively if you want thicker pages, some thin leather (very thin) or similar material sandwiched in between 2 sheets of metal would give enough flex to turn like a page, you could then bind in any normal fashion.

I made a wooden book years ago for a restaurant to use as a guestbook. I articulated the spine and covers using leather, although I was going for a rustic old world journal, not a futuristic sort of book.
 
My main worry about the pages being thin and metal is basically I don't want a box of razor blades to eat my fingers when I work on the project, or even try to show it off later :lol

Still, it's an interesting idea...

Chris
 
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