Quick easy way to get the red filtered look, and blue backlight look with taillight repair film.

[Thomas Kummer]

Maybe you prefer the red filtered look, but your tubes didn’t come with it. Or, maybe you prefer the red filtered look of Nixie tubes, but also want the controversial blue back lighted look of tubes. Well, you can get both. Just buy some High-Strength Red Lens Repair Film (taillight repair kit from Auto Zone), and put just enough to cover the digit, but not the edges of the tube. Then carefully take a heat gun or lighter to the red filter and smooth it out onto the surface with your finger while the plastic is still hot/warm, and voila red and blue Nixies. Personally, I did this because I will be (when I get some free time) working on IN-17 gauges for my 2001 VW Jetta. Which, has a red and blue dash. This was kinda a proof of concept project.

If, you’re wondering why I didn’t just use taillight repair tape, I tried the first one wasn’t translucent at all the second one I bought was kinda translucent, but didn’t look nearly as good as the red thicker plastic film I used in the photos.

[Mike]

Something like Tamiya X-26 (clear orange model paint) might also work, and be easier to deal with.

[Thomas Kummer]

I was considering clear red spray paint, and just covering with tape the areas of the tube that I didn’t want coated with red filter too, but that seemed a bit more of permanent modification. I was mostly doing this as a proof of concept project. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 24, 2019, at 20:50, Mike <msau...@gmail.com> wrote:

Something like Tamiya X-26 (clear orange model paint) might also work, and be easier to deal with.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/ac57d3c4-6f37-416f-b4ab-b286404a32e4%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Nicholas Stock]

This has been discussed a couple of times before. A good solution is to use a glass paint like Vitrail glass paint and dip the tubes in and let dry...I’ve colored IN18 tubes this way in both red and orange filters and they came out really really well. Avoid the blue....didn’t come out well at all...:-)

Cheers,

Nick

Sent from my iPhone

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/907D2BEC-A1BC-4B58-AAB8-83B2CB1097A5%40gmail.com.

[Nick]

Yep. Glass paint or "French Enamel Varnish" (aka "FEV", another glass paint) works perfectly and is easy to apply.

Good range of colours available too. The blue is perfect for VFDs and the red is identical to the original coating for red nixies. Only thing is tubes have to be perfectly clean and grease-free before dipping - use methylated spirits (mineralised spirits) or acetone to clean them first.

Cheers

Nick

[Erick Anderson]

Pebeo Vitrail paint works really well. Wrapping the lower part of the tube with painter's tape will keep that part of the tube clear if desired.