Non nixie clock (warning: some may find offensive!)

[Terry S]

Just acquired a nice LED clock, yes I know that's a dirty word here. But I really like this timepiece. 4" tall digits, 12 or 24 hour time, and dimmable display. Came out of a local manufacturing floor, a facility the company is shuttering. Could have taken a dozen.

And to be fair, I squeezed some neon into the picture. :-)

[Instrument Resources of America]

Terry do you make the neon signs, or are they acquisitions? I was fortunate enough as a young kid the be able to watch the highly skilled craftsman, and glass blower ARTISTS, making neon signs from start to finish. NEVER got tired of watcing them do their magic. Seems to be almost a lost art form today, except perhaps in Vegas.

Ira.

On 6/6/2025 6:21 PM, Terry S wrote:

Just acquired a nice LED clock, yes I know that's a dirty word here. But I really like this timepiece. 4" tall digits, 12 or 24 hour time, and dimmable display. Came out of a local manufacturing floor, a facility the company is shuttering. Could have taken a dozen.

And to be fair, I squeezed some neon into the picture. :-)

--
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 view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/ece9e8d6-08b3-4aac-9a51-e1f5f8664d90n%40googlegroups.com.

[Terry S]

I don't bend glass if that's what you're asking. I do buy basket cases and fix them.... 

In my nearby metro area (Twin CIties), there are still at least 4 tube benders. I don't think it's a lost art quite yet. 

I can usually find the tubes I need without paying to have one made. Have about 30 signs right now.

[Nick Andrews]

Haha,  I have potentially crazy aspirations to someday complete a high vacuum station at which is could make laser tubes,  neon,  discharge tubes,  etc.   Maybe.  Have an old Beckmann Ultracentrifuge that I've mostly disassembled.   It had a Welch roughing pump and a large diff pump for the incredibly heavy vacuum chamber.  I still have the pumps and the controller,  etc.   Ditched the old centrifuge motor assembly as the bearing had failed and leaked the oil out which is why NMSU auctioned it off.  Need to seal that bottom opening off if I want to use the chamber for anything,  so will have to see about that. 

My plan was to use one of my Welch pumps with a turbo pump to make high vacuum.  But that's down the road a ways...

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/31d33193-d50e-4c9d-9aab-1910890ff202n%40googlegroups.com.

[gregebert]

I researched neon art about 20 years ago and decided against it because of the dangers of bombarding (one wrong move and you are dead), and the likelihood I would get exposed to mercury vapors. So, nixie tubes were a safe, though highly addictive, substitute.