Burning Cards

wZEnigma

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Jun 17, 2009
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Hey everyone.

We're currently doing Fahrenheit 451 projects in my English class, and I'm helping out a friend. I was hoping to take some old, unused cards and partially burn them, to then be arranged in a sort of collage/display on a poster. If anyone has any tips on this, for whatever reason, feel free to share. I need to know how quickly cards burn., and any other properties when they undergoing fire I'll probably use old Bikes.

Thanks in advance,

Ian
 

wZEnigma

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Jun 17, 2009
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NE Ohio.
ianchandlerwriting.com
Yeah, I'm familiar with Burn, though I don't own it.

However, I'm just looking for general tips for burning cards, e.g., how quickly they burn, which cards/finishes will go up faster, etc. Thanks for the reference though.

Ian
 

RickEverhart

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Sep 14, 2008
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I encourage you to burn the cards from different sources of fire / heat as well as from different distances away. You can get different burn patterns, markings, etc.
 

WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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.... I'm trying to come up with a nicer way of saying this, but really .. just burn some friggin' cards and stop expecting the internet to do your work for you.
 

wZEnigma

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Jun 17, 2009
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.... I'm trying to come up with a nicer way of saying this, but really .. just burn some friggin' cards and stop expecting the internet to do your work for you.

In no way am I trying to do this. I'm trying to figure out what exactly I should try so I don't burn myself. Sorry if I came across as such. And last time I checked, advice was good.

I will try different methods. Thanks, guys.

Ian
 

WitchDocIsIn

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Sep 13, 2008
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In no way am I trying to do this. I'm trying to figure out what exactly I should try so I don't burn myself. Sorry if I came across as such. And last time I checked, advice was good.

I will try different methods. Thanks, guys.

Ian

Don't let the fire touch you, and you won't get burned. Being safe with fire is simply a matter of common sense, and respect for the fact that fire is hot. Go somewhere non-flammable, like a cement porch or the driveway. If you can get a metal bowl, that will be good, too. Have a fairly wet towel nearby and maybe a bucket of water as well.

Don't light a bunch of stuff at once, unless you're sure you can keep on top of it. Start small, build up. Hold the card at one end, light the other end. Hold it over the bowl, when it gets near your fingers, drop it in the bowl. If anything goes remotely wrong, douse the fire with the water, or put the towel over it and wait a few moments.

Also, be careful of wind.

See? Common sense stuff.
 

Ashrei

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2007
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Yeah... well... let's see.
So if you are trying to just "char the card" you shouldn't let the flame touch the card, or at least not for very long. Once it catches on fire, it is paper, though coated, so it will burn rather rapidly. However, it doesn't burn as fast as normal letter papers.

With those being said, when I burn my cards, I try to make a template out of another playing card to have only certain parts charred.

Aside from those, as others said, it comes with experiments and experience.
 
Use lemon juice and a candle.

step 1. Get a bowl of lemon juice and cotton ball.

step 2. Dip the cotton ball in the lemon juice and splot it on the cards.

step 3. to create a browned aged looking burn hold the card over the flame by a few inches, and move around until the right shade of yellow/brown is achieved.

step 4. to create dark brown black singes, place the card down into the flame and move it around until the right shade of burnt is achieved.

BE CAREFUL! you are using fire, and you could get burnt. Or burn other things. Do the burning over a metal pan. IF the cards catch, drop into the metal pan, and douse with water.
 

Justin.Morris

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Aug 31, 2007
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Just a tip for the collage:Use every single space and try to make it 3 dimensional a bit. Perhaps make a card house come off the page. You could use mini cards if your page was smaller. You could also try splitting a card and having it come off the page like that (you could burn it that way too).

just some thoughts.
 

RickEverhart

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Lemon Juice gives it that nice puckery...sweet aftertaste when you go to eat them. Sometimes I put mine on graham crackers with a marshmallow and chocolate. Yum.......ha ha.
 
Jul 13, 2009
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If you go with the burning, you could use the technique I use for burning paper.

First thing you need is water. In a bowl, in a cup, whatever. Second thing you will need is paper toweling or anything else that you can use to dampen with water. Second thing you will need is a candle, having both hands free makes things a bit safer since you no longer have to burn the card/paper set down the lighter then go for the damp cloth to put it out. Eep got a little ahead of myself.

Light the candle dampen your cloth no saturate your absorbent material with water, (don't use lighter fluid) and begin to burn the edges of the cards. The put out the flame with the damp cloth. Repeat this until you achieve the desired effect. I also out of complete curiosity went and tried the lemon juice idea, it works very well. *slides that into his journal of arts and crafts*

On an unrelated note, Enigma I hope playing cards are not the only thing you put on this poster. Farenheight 451 is my favorite book from HS. Go out and purchase some cheap wrap around ear phones, these are basically the "Shells around the ears" That Bradbury was talking about. Then go to a second hand book store, by a few novels tear out the pages and burn the edges. If you want to make things a little more morbid, find or make some photographs, like old polaroids and burn them as well. Not sure if I am spoiling part of the book, but this could be symbolic to the women who refused to leave her house when the "Firefighters" Arrive.

Just some extra food for your thought, hope you have fun. ^^ Just make sure parentals know what you are doing. When you play with fire you get burned sometimes.
 

wZEnigma

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Jun 17, 2009
1,511
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NE Ohio.
ianchandlerwriting.com
Draven and Keo: Thanks. You two have had the most helpful comments. And Keo, I'm actually helping out a friend with her project. The cards are going to be just one part of them. For mine, I did a Lego diorama that turned out well. And I agree, great book. So great.

Ian
 
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