Glass, Metal, Argon or Why Do They Made Still The Nix-1 Indicators
After the related Nixie Clock Topic, we would like to enrich your knowledge about the theme with another NIXIE Indicator’s story.
Firstly, It was introduced as an experimental numerical indicator with the name NIX-1. Behind this abbreviature stays its full name: Numeric Indicator Experimental-1.
If you are looking inside the Nixie Glass Indicator, can see a metallic numerical lot with digits, located one behind the other, separated by a dielectric washer.
We have been preparing a video, where you can see point by point, all activities, necessary for a manufacturing process of such a glass High-Voltage Indicator.
The whole metallic system and glass pipe are undergoing а metamorphosis and become a perfect indicator device. The “heat” of the emitted light is capable of warming the heart of any passionate hobby or just a respectable vintage-style user.
The Hermetically closed glass bulb is filled with a kind of mixture of invisible gasses (e.g.: Neon, Mercury, and Argon).
The Bulb has no heating, like other Glass Vacuum tubes, and uses only one High-Voltage, usually, over 60 Volts to start the smoldering discharge and see the connected Digit “flaming”.
If you are interested in and want to know, how they have produced the Nixie Indicators, see the next, over the half hour’s viral video.
Almost everything, without the metallic parts cutting, is handmade – see this impressive and talented enthusiast.
VIDEO 1. The Art Of Making a NIXIE Tube
Duration 37:49
VIDEO – Content:
- Making the Metalic Components,
- Cleaning,
- Handmade Activities
- Preparing the Stems
- Vacuum Leakage Test,
- UV Glass Test,
- Curving the Net
- Ordering the Individual Numbers over the rods
- The hot junction between the net and cap
- Insert the Silica Top And Bottom Insulators
- The hot junction between the Stem’s leads and Individual Number’s tails
- Glass Pipe for Gas filling and Glass Tube Preparing
- Forming the Glass Using the Brenner melting tool,
- The Heat is applied to the rotating glass pipe
- The Pipe rotation and movement are made by the Lathe Rotating Tool
- All controls are manual
- Insert the Indicator Metallic Structure into the Pipe
- Inductive Pre-Heating
- Filling The Tube with Gass Mixture
- Hermetically closing the structure
- Test
- Final Glass Preparing
- Create a Hot junction between Stem’s Leads and the insulated wires, necessary to connect with the PCB.
- Use Thermо shrinking pipe for insulation of individual leads.
- Prepare: Gluing the PCB to the Bottom Cap
- Gluing the Bottom Cap with PCB to the Indicator’s Glass part
- Soldering
- Final Tests
- Insert into the Package
PIC. 1 Stem’s UV Control Test
PIC. 2 Part of Test Routine
The Operator makes all activities very precise with highly-attention to every detail. We think the presented video is a Good Example of a “rich set” of impressive human Hardware skills.
PIC. 3 Example of Usage of These the really impressive handmaiden NIXIE Indicators
If you want to listen to gentle relaxing music, until seeing the main video, masking the machinery’s noise, you can start both videos and mix, adjusting volume sliders to reach the best watching experience.
