Watching a neon sign of the Apple logo being made is hypnotic

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A neon Apple sign being created! Screenshot: Cult of Mac
A neon Apple sign being created! Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Making neon signs is a sadly dying craft, but there’s no better way to learn about the beauty of the art than this video, showing a master neon craftsman create a replica of our favorite shape on Earth: the Apple logo!

The sign was made for Matt Fuller, a die-hard Apple fan who lives in Chicago, by Neon Shop Fishtail, a well-known neon shop in Chicago. After contacting Neon Shop Fishtail and hearing back from the owner, Tom Brickler, Fuller asked if it was possible to film the creation of the sign. And lucky for us, it was!

Here’s the story he told The Loop:

The experience was fascinating to watch and I soon realized that the three men running the shop were extremely skilled craftsmen. Before I arrived, neon artist John Noga had already shaped three main parts of the logo, but had not yet fused them together. I was able to watch him create the leaf part of the logo from a straight white glass tube. He then trimmed and joined the larger pieces to form the lower apple part of the logo.

The next step was to bring the project to the basement where the two pieces were electrified with 15,000 volts of electricity, heating them to 550˚F to burn out the impurities inside the glass. The white tubes were then filled with argon gas to produce the white glow I had requested.

The last two steps, completed by Chevo Carreño, included “burning in” the tubes with electricity so they would glow evenly and then painting the non-glowing parts of the tubes. With the logo complete, I took it home that day.

Man. This is incredible. I know what I’m asking for for Christmas. How about you?

Source: The Loop

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