Full mega nixie-lamp build with custom PCB.
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2024
- My recent re-housing of an old neon nixie-flower project got me thinking about how I could re-purpose a Chinese LED lamp kit to make a self contained nixie flower that screwed into an ordinary lamp holder.
I started by designing a PCB to fit into the existing lamp housing and then crammed as many neon indicator lamps onto it as I could, in a three dimensional array shaped like a flower. Although I originally intended to have the simple drive circuitry mounted separately, there was room to mount it on the back of the PCB.
I made a transparency using a dedicated film for making inkjet transparencies for silkscreens that absorbs a deep and accurate layer of ink into a special coating on its surface.
I exposed some standard photosensitive PCB laminate with a UV nail varnish curer. I do have a proper UV exposure unit, but it was just an extra twist to use a cheap ebay item to do it. The exposure time was just one minute. The PCB laminate is a sandwich of fibreglass and the cheaper resin bonded laminate inside, with a layer of copper and then a UV-sensitive layer.
I then developed the PCB in a developer made up with 12g of sodium metasilicate in 250ml of water. When the exposed PCB is submerged and moved in the developer the areas exposed to the UV will dissolve leaving an etch resistant layer in the shape of your desired tracks. the developer solution can be stored for further use, but be aware that it can cause skin irritation so gloves should be worn and it should be stored in a sealed and marked container.
Then I etched the PCB in a Seno GS style ferric chloride etching bag. I say Seno GS "style" because I foolishly attempted to heat my original Seno bag in the microwave and melted the plastic where small amounts of the etchant were trapped in the bag clips and got too hot. So I made a new bag out of heavy duty lay-flat polythene sleeving heat-sealed in a suitable manner. Note that it took a lot of experimentation to get the sealing temperature just right to seal the bag fully without damaging it. I double sealed it, as ferric chloride leaves permanent stains on just about everything. I could have used the original clips, but I decided to get some ebay bag sealing clips just to see how well they worked.
Once etched the PCB was drilled using a hand held drill with good robust bearings, and a tungsten carbide drill bit. These drill bits are used in CNC machines but discarded when they become too worn or when they have been reground to the point they are too short for machine use. They are available at a much lower price than new bits and are ideal for home use. Note that tungsten carbide drill bits are very hard and brittle, which makes them ideal for drilling fibreglass laminate, but also makes them very prone to snapping. Use extreme care to avoid putting any sideways pressure on the drills or letting them snatch when widening pre-drilled holes with a larger drill.
I painted the PCB black, but slightly regretted doing so, since the native light colour of the PCB material may have made the lighting effect a bit brighter. The 21 neon lamps were all mounted in the desired flower shape, the circuitry added, and the PCB mounted into the lamp base. And it looks very good indeed, with virtually no running costs due to the extremely low current used.
If you like my videos and wish to support the channel you can toss me a dollar for coffee and cookies at / bigclive
I came for the light, but now i got to "know" a soft spoken gentleman from Isle of Man, telling stories about Disneyland Paris. This is quickly becoming one of my favourite channels.
You're dexterity to be able to hold the solder iron, solder, component, component board, scratch your head, swat a fly, and drink a beer all the same time is absurd. I joke, but that is an amazing talent I have yet to master.
your videos can be very relaxing sometimes
I actually didn't even notice, but now that you mentioned... Relaxing indeed!
+hannes hebben I've noticed myself nodding off to them a couple of times (in a good way)
+Old Machines & Such me too
+hannes hebben I go to sleep with them at night. Weird but true.
+hannes hebben i have to agree i listen to this videos to chill as i work XD
you are the bob ross of electronics. I thouroughly enjoy your channel. no idea why I haven't subscribed sooner, you're awesome!
Bob Ross is the Big Clive of Painting.
Thanks for showing and describing the PCB process involved, and all of the tools used.
Agreed! I think I've learned more in this one video than anything else on the topic.
+LakeNipissing True. I like the etching part with the bag! Very clever! (yeah the "synergy S system"... maybe a big name for a bag :-p )
One of the best part of this channel is seeing Clive's interactions with the commenters. He's a thoughtful gentleman, and obviously most of his watchers are, too.
Did.. Did I just spend 40 minutes watching a guy build a flickering light? Is this what I was meant to do? Watch people make various projects while discussing theme parks at 3AM? Is this my life now?
+mygetrichslowplan we are all in this together. Stop wasting your energy on typing, and get to another video.
+mygetrichslowplan am doing the same....................its relaxing though
+mygetrichslowplan sounds like a good like tbh
its the anithesis of the cage match MMA stuff, constructive vs. destructive, many find it therapeutic
Ya didn't realize it was 40 mins long until it actually finished...
Aside from the utter beauty of the design, you have the most prehensile soldering technique ever seen by mankind :-) Thanks for your videos...
I know nothing about circuit boards or electricity, yet I'm enthralled by this video although I understand very little
I can relate
As an ophthalmologist, I love to see people doing delicate work with their hands. Good work.
You should consider a career in dentistry. Interesting one-way conversation throughout.
Love it! I have never made my own PCB boards, other then using ready made boards and using wire to jump from point to point, you know the green ones with solder points on each side. At any rate, for heating things up when a microwave just will not do, they have these old things called a hot water bottle, and a tea kettle. We used them for years before we moved off the farm and got power in the house. Perhaps that could help heat your ferric chloride compound, or even an old heating pad from the days of back pain and such would do as well. Microwaves are great for making coffee, but most other things are better from the stove. We have even found an old whistling teakettle and use that to heat water for coffee, some how it just tastes better off the stove. Mom would not allow one of those damn things in her house till about ten years back (she is 93 now) because she was told you could get tongue cancer from drinking microwaved water. Old beliefs die hard.
Since damaging the last etchant bag I've switched to submerging it in hot water to heat it up.
40:32 I never knew that noise actually came from the ceramic capacitors. Learn something every day :)
Thank you so much for doing this in a different way. It makes this hobby a lot more approachable to know different ways of doing little projects.
As a kid I asked my father for an electric drill for circuit boards. He came home with a big hulking hammer drill, thinking he'd be thrifty and get one that can do every other task around the house too. Can't complain, though, it did do the job. Especially after I got one of those poor man's drill press stands for it.
Thank you for that somewhat graphic description of what you could accidentally do to yourself with that drill. I needed that mental image.
I've not made it past 2:18 yet, but needed to thumbs up for "SHIT LOAD OF INK"
+simontay1984 I use a brother laser printer for everything anymore. Ink jet printers are an abomination that never should existed :P In this day and age, color printings are rarely needed for anything, and if i need one, i just pay my library a few cents to print from a flash drive for me.
And if you like ozone smell, you will LOVE how fresh laser printings smell :)
+Richard Smith Indeed; my old Hewlett-Packard LaserJet 6MP is still running strong. The toner cartridges don't clog or whatever - and costs a lot less per page than inkjet. I've got a FedEx Office nearby with self-serve color copier/printer units that produce much better quality color laser prints than any inkjet I've seen, should I need color.
+simontay1984 Seen the new Ink Tank models?
It's very soothing to listen to you after a long night of watching football and drinking beer. You're almost like the Bob Ross of electronics :-)
This video was magic. I had the feeling you were talking with me as a friend about Disney Land Paris while you were working on your lamp. That was so relaxing. I suscribe.
Clive thanks haven't touched any of this since school fourty years ago, rekindled a passion. cheers.
"You want that shaft to be rock-solid. I've drilled tens of thousands of holes, i can't even imagine how many holes i've drilled with this." -Big Clive, 2016
What a wonderful idea. It was great to see a technical, mechanical device progress into such a beautiful result. I also thoroughly enjoyed the stories during the build. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
we now know the weapon of choice when the machines rise, tungsten carbide bits, for their appetite for human flesh
Well Tungsten Carbide is the pinnacle of materials it pretty much has a veracious appetite for everything. It is harder than Cubic Zirconium; superseded only by Diamond.
Seeing these longer and slower-paced vids pop up every now and then always puts a smile on my face.
It's like a relaxing podcast combined with a lesson on circuit design. A true value package.
Get a drill stand - no more broken drills.
+mikeselectricstuff Tried that, but I find drilling by hand much faster, typically clocking up around 100 holes per minute or more when I get in the swing on big PCBs. (Yes, I timed it.)
+bigclivedotcom 3d printer with a milling attachment? ... but then all that time setting it up probably isn't worth it for a one-off.
+mikeselectricstuff Drill press*
+bigclivedotcom it's a bit random but have you heard of photonicinduction???
+super awsome minecrafter. I am a avid viewer of photonic induction however he ain't had any new vids for a few months :(
There are loads of things I want to say about you and your video's but I just don't have the time so I think I can boil it down to this, I love them all, you teach me something new and interesting every time I watch your latest upload, you have an interesting voice that keeps me interested too, thankyou for all your hard work, keep it up I can't wait for your next product pulldown :)
yes! more Clive videos, now I'm not board on a Sunday afternoon
Heavens, Clive! You make it sound as if Disney never had a park in California! Lucky you got to ride Space Mountain continuously. My Mom's company rented Disneyland for an evening (8000 people dispersed in Disneyland i.e. ghost town!), and at one point there wasn't another "guest" visible anywhere on the ride or in queue. They absolutely refused to let us go for another spin without going around through the turnstile again. Totally pissed us off! Despite spending $110K, apparently this WAS too much to ask for! We soon figured out where the 'chicken exit' was and used that as our shortcut 'entrance' for the next dozen spins. We had the time off the ride to under 2 minutes. . . . Love your vids! Thank you!
Clive do you script what you're going to talk about while you're doing the time consuming stuff or is it just a stream of consciousness type thing? Because quite frankly, I watch most of your videos, not for the actual thing you're doing but just to listen to you talking about stuff.
I love that frosted dome effect. Reminds me a bit of a plasma globe, very soothing to watch :)
ungh the drill in the finger story made me cringe so hard.
The thigh as well for me...been there done that!
Take away the cringe and this is a whole different story ..
I love the fact that throughout this you were just casually talking while performing more and more complex holding challenges in order to solder it together. Props for that, man.
I thought that nixie tube is a term for neon numerical indicators?
yes, those are Ne-2 bulbs.
Yeah, this isn't actually a nixie tube. I'm a little disappointed.
EllAntares lots of electrical engineers use nixie as a term for neon tubes.
yes some of your videos are relaxing for sure .that bulb is really pretty looks like fire to me what a wild build great work !
Big fan here :) Can I buy this bulb from you?
+Gadget Addict It's more something I'd encourage people to make themselves. It means more when you make it yourself.
bigclivedotcom Fair enough :) I do plan to make one, I just also wanted something from your channel haha. Keep up the great work!
Dammit clive! You make rest of us look like down right amateurish! Love the chaotic effect!
I've got one of the turn handle component lead cutters and use it for doing entire chains of resistors at once. It is an absolute necessity if I am assembling alot of board. The disadvantage is that it takes a long time to set it up for different sized components so I really need to get one of those adjustable hand ones for the odd sized components.
+arcadeuk I've got one of those now. I just wishfully searched for one on ebay and got it for a fraction of the new price. It does take a long time to fine tune it, and you do waste a modest number of resistors in the process, but it is very fast once set up.
+bigclivedotcom Paid about £200 for mine (used) on ebay. I bet you are going to say yours was cheaper ;)
Welcome to the club :)
+arcadeuk It was dramatically cheaper. Just one of those random spontaneous desires to have a bit of equipment I lusted over when I was at the peak of fairground lighting controller manufacture. I'd have to sit and literally pull the trigger of my £100 hand component former for hours at a time.
Sounds like you were lucky then :) Couldn't live without mine now
+arcadeuk It was well-used and scruffy when I got it, which probably helped keep the price down.
The diffused dome looked like a time lapse of Mars or the sun!
And it just takes sh@t loads of ink hahaha
+bigclivedotcom fuck off you fake fucktard
+Error989 he is not fake
+tolo compa this one is... he has 4subs
+bigclivedotcom THIS IS A FAKE ACCOUNT
M8 WHY U NO UPLOAD VIDEO?
wow its so chill to listen to you talking and explaining what youre doing. nice
41:30 Warp ten.
GOLD!!!!
I work as a lithography engineer myself and seeing someone able to make printed patterns at home reminds of the roots of what I do everyday. cool project!
Sir, could you give me the purchase link for the crimping and bending tool if you have? I really need it.
uk.farnell.com/pre-forming
Thanks man!
I love using a jeweler's coping saw on circuit boards. The sound of the fine teeth cutting through the board is so satisfying
6:48 Words to live by.
freaking love sprint layout!! Glad someone else agrees! I have done everything from a simple flasher all the way to a custom motherboard inside sprint layout!
why this guy printed a screenshot even in color
chouaib hat to save time by not editing the video
You will never understand a genious.
Beautiful result Clive! Love it! Also, I think the noisy capacitor is pretty cool, the zapping sound really goes along with the mad-science look of the piece! Maybe give us an update video once the neons have "settled in" as you say.
Be cool and switch to Linux.
glad to watch this. I have little time to make printed circut boards myself, and I miss it. But watching someone else do it is the next best thing
_"let's see how many times I can say 'Seno GS system' in the space of 41 mins, because they're not sponsoring me at all... honest!"_
😜
Not sponsored but a bit uncomfortable that I was showing a way to copy their system.
bigclivedotcom Haha. Their "system" is merely some ferric chloride trapped in a plastic tube - it's not like they designed the space shuttle or anything :)
Not everyone who uses/mentions a manufacturers product is a shill for that manufacturer. Damn, how jaded we've become.
First of all, just to say I LOVE your videos.
I used to work for Epson as their Technical Trainer for EMEA. I can probably help with any questions you have regarding printing. For the best results you should be printing at 360/720/1440ppi as there are 60 physical nozzles per inch on the printhead.
Re: Refilling cartridges - obviously the cartridges are where they make the money, hence their irritation *but* there are real and valid reasons to not use refilled carts if you are a photographer, one being accurate colour reproduction and longevity of print. It's a dull subject to be honest, and without sounding like a shill (I was made redundant) they do make decent machines and ink.
Keep up the good work mate!
Sprint layout is AWSOME. I use it for all my projects.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster in Paris is really an amazing ride. It's unbelievably smooth.
+SteelSkin667 It is. I had the surreal experience of riding with one of the Dutch guys that put the lighting in that ride and we were just talking about the lights as we blasted through them in multiple loops. Totally distracted from the ride itself.
Fantastic Video Clive. Awesome Project As Well. Keep up the great work. Nick.
I WANT THIS SOLDERING RIG!
Seriously, this thing looks soooooo useful! Way better than these "Helping hand" things.
+Maanuueel42 \m/(^_^) Ignore the rude reply from the fake bigclivedotcom channel that has been opened. The assembly frame was made by Velleman, but I'm not sure if they are still making them.
bigclivedotcom Hehe, well that's allright, it takes a bit more than that to offend me. ^^
I think building something similar myself would be the best alternative, now that I know how it should look like. :)
EDIT: PS: I just searched their website and didn't find anything like it. Oh well, more tinkering fun for me! :D
Hi Clive, I thought I'd watched all your video's but I found this superb one I'd missed.
With the defused cap on it looks like a planet, a great video.
I love the longer build videos it's nice to watch a build and chill out.
Thanks, Clive, stay safe.
At the end it made me think of the Busard collectors on the original Enterprise. Pretty awesome, well done!
So... I don't know much about electronics, yet I have watched a ton of your videos by now.It's really interesting stuff you do and your narrative is relaxing somehow :) Keep it up!
The frosted glass gives it the effect of some alien planet - I like it!
Very nice project! I didn't know such small neon tubes were even a thing!
Its very relaxing to have you building along and telling stories. Nice Project as well, you should really do more stuff like this.
As a child (5 years) I was fascinated with electrical outlets in our house (2304 Dennywood Dr. Donelson, Tennessee, US 1968). I kept wondering how this magic "electricity" worked. I knew that it flowed through wires but what miracle took place in that little magic box in the wall that enabled this electricity to jump from the box into whatever I happened to plug into it. I developed a theory but soon dismissed it as being too simple and chided myself. My theory was that all that needed to happen in that little magic box was for everything I plugged in had to just simply touch the end of the wires in the box. I had already learned what happened if you used a piece of metal to bridge the two wires. But there had to be more to plugging something it than just the two prongs touching (there were no 3rd grnd. prongs then). So one day, using one of dad's screwdrivers I took apart a live electrical outlet in my room. I had to make an occasional loud noise or mom knew I was up to something and would "Quickly " investigate. I can still remember the thrill when I discovered that my theory was indeed correct. I put the box back together and no one ever knew, until years later in my 30's) when I confessed.
Genius. I'll be getting some neon indicator bulbs off ebay real soon I think!
Thanks Clive!
this guy is smart as hell and I'm hypnotised by it all even though I don't understand it 👍
Reminds me of a flashing neon display I made as a kid, a circuit from either ETI (the best Electronics mag ever) or Everyday Electronics. It used more capacitors and the random pattern was slower. I placed it in an artificial pot plant, with the flowers flashing away to their heart's content, 10 PP3s hidden in the pot provided the necessary 90 Volts and lasted for month's until my then wife's grannie mistook it for a real potplant and watered it.
Bare feet are, by far, the most efficient way of finding small sharp objects lost on the floor, causing the owner of the said feet to make a loud detection sound.
I have to admit I know bugger all about electronics, but that was a mesmerising 40 minutes.
Keep these up Clive - very educational and inspiring.
I hope you do more videos like this. Watching you create something like a circuit-board was incredible interesting to me as someone getting into electronics and robotics.
This Christmas just gone I went to Disneyland Paris(on my own, as one does) and it was amazing to me how much of the stuff they use is just standard stage/production lights and things, even in heavily themed areas with beautiful ornate lights they still had a standard safety line just like you find on lighting trusses. It also amazed me how many of the rides simply would not pass a uk adips test simply because of the way that they are designed, and with the millions of people who go each year without getting arms ripped off and things I think it shows how much H&S when it comes to rides a lot of it is utter shit. Keep up the good work clive! really enjoy your channel
Clive,
I have wanted to make a sort of Starship Enterprise consul for my young nephew but I don't know enough about electricity to feel safe doing it. The idea was to build a fancy box for Xbox and games to be stored in and have a pull down front panel that would have lots of blinking lights and some random patterns on it with false buttons and stuff. I looked into it and the thought of having to make circuit boards and wire up chips and LEDS scares the crap out of me. I wish I had learned this stuff in school.
I can solder okay and I can replace components that fail if I can track them down but no more than that. I really admire you guys for you do.
Ooooh... that diffused dome would be swell for staring into after a good toke ‼️
Of all your videos, this one feels the most "therapeutic."
Clive, excellent video, love the result of the neon's. Regards Bob
I've always been astounded by circuitry, but you've sold me. I need to get into circuit boards. Now, as to how...
I remember Alien Encounter. Good ol' XS Tech. My parents insisted it wasn't going to be that scary and refused to listen to me. It was scary for an eight-year-old. To this day it's still the butt of many jokes in our family.
out of the dozens and dozens of your videos I've watch this is one of my favorite project you have made, it turned out stunning! awesome store too!
Like an EE version of Bob Ross. I would love to see more art projects from you.
For that last set of neon lamps, after inserting them get them to the correct height, bend the leads sightly so when you flipped it upside down they would stay in place to solder . Anyway, really enjoyed the video and hope you'll make more.
Yay. Circuit boatd build. I've been fascinated with your soldering technique by holding the item while aiming tin and iron at the same time :)
Sharp nail makes a good center punch when developer craps out 👍
I love the neon tubes they just look so cool
great to see a whole project getting made, and as always you kept it entertaining
my dads a screen printer in Australia, nice seeing someone else outside the industry knowing how it works
hmm maybe i could try making my own boards with his equipment...
a perfect big Clive video. bostin creativity and an engaging bit of BigC history. I have had a good experience for a few years with canon mg6250 and OCP ink refills from a guy on eBay. also one of the rare times where I have found the bundled software useful. 'easy photo print pro' has been good for me especially when I want to print on more obscure paper/media. just my experience.
For some reason I found the drilling very relaxing.
You might consider using argon lamps mixed in with the neon to add a splash of that wonderful blue/green color too. I'd love to try this myself. Loads of fun. Thanks for the video.
This is so fun to watch, probably since I know nothing about it. I just think circuit boards are very fascinating. :o
Clive I absolutely love love love watching your videos. You have shown me so much great information in the world of circuitry and electronics. Happy holidays!
also that frosted effect was amazing. :) very scintillating. unpredictable and kinda alien
I've been through 2 rolls of solder in the last week because of these videos.
Long time lurker of your vids, finally decided to sub. Your videos are really informative, I love learning about dodgy Chinese products and circuitry. You definitely deserve far more subs
I think I would describe you as "the Scottish Bob Ross of PCB-making." Yeah... that feels right.
No day is complete without your video :D
That was a very relaxing watch for a Sunday evening. Lovely!
I have no idea why but I actually found this vid entertaining
RME was my weekly pocket-money destination for many years when I was a kid. Long time ago!
+SpiderElectron I went in every weekend. It was like a candy shop for engineers.
+bigclivedotcom Whenever I'm down at St Enoch I always gaze longingly along Howard street as though somehow it could magically re-appear. I suppose we have eBay now, but you can't have a good rummage on eBay! I remember as a kid being too scared to go to the upstairs bit because it seemed to be full of scary big people! That was 30+ years ago now! Wow.
+SpiderElectron UPSTAIRS? There was an UPSTAIRS? I didn't know about that. :( Another scary place I wish I had gone into more was Krazy House. It was actually really incredible.
That's Looks fantastic Clive, You will have to do an update in a few days time when burnt in. You will have to put plasters on Before you go to the gym.
name dropping my old favourite shop... RME. I miss that place.