Box Vox

packaging as content

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December 10, 2007

Magnetic Core Memory Door

MagcorememcloseupBefore there were hard drives—before there were RAM chips—there was magnetic core memory: An arrangement of donut-shaped magnets, the polarity of each could be switched by the current of 2 wires passing through the hole. In this way each magnet could be set to an “on” or “off” (binary) position. Needless to say, they don’t make memory like that anymore. I got this one on eBay a long time ago.

I always liked the geometry of the arrangement and entertained ideas of monumental sculptures with steel cables and car tires. Never did that, but in 1999 when our dog broke the glass in our front door (for the second time) in his zeal to get to the mailman, I found an application for this cool pattern.

Clearly, we needed some method of preventing said dog from putting his head through the glass. I didn’t cotton to the idea of Plexiglas or those perforated screens, so I made this door screen out of brass rods and brass compression fittings (that plumbers use) following the core memory arrangement.

Brasscloseup

I won’t go into the arcane details of how it was done, but I’ve never been what you’d call a great craftsman and it took a very long time.

(more photos after the jump)

I love the idea of making this idea into a product. After making this one, however, I have serious doubts about it ever being produced quickly or efficiently enough to be truly marketable. (I recall reading somewhere that the making of “magnetic core memory” was similarly inefficient and difficult to automate.)

Window_2

Living in an old house I’ve acquired an extreme fetish for tarnished
brass. I really hate the way any new brass fixture you buy today is
invariably coated with a plastic lacquer to prevent it from ever
acquiring a nice patina. (I may be featuring other brass fetish objects
on “box vox” in the months to come…)

Mcm

Obliquesceen_2


Wholedoor

No Responses to “Magnetic Core Memory Door”

  1. J. D. King says:
    February 9, 2008 at 7:50 am

    Outside of food and fuel, I buy almost nothing these days. I’ve got plenty. Maybe too much?
    I only bought one CD last year. None, so far, this year. I’ve got enough recordings, enough guitars.
    Enough, already!