I don't get the digest, I go to the internets with my browser and go to https://groups.google.com/g/neonixie-l to view the messages. Then it's pretty easy to reply to a single message.
On Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 2:13:26 AM UTC-7 [email protected] wrote: > > I’m about to pull a newb-ish move: > How do I reply in a single topic? I am unable to find a reply button using > two different browsers and oddly Google didn’t help. I wanted to chime in > on the bubble lights conversation with a really cool video I just saw > yesterday about it. > > On Dec 7, 2022, at 11:43 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > > [email protected] > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/neonixie-l/topics> > Google > Groups > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email/#!overview> > > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email/#!overview> > > Topic digest > View all topics > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/neonixie-l/topics> > > > - Bubble Lights and other Christmas Lights of interest > <#m_1757355711363384107_group_thread_0> - 2 Updates > - Looking for Beam-X tubes <#m_1757355711363384107_group_thread_1> - 1 > Update > > Bubble Lights and other Christmas Lights of interest > <http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l/t/8faada33edde5fff?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email> > > Terry Kennedy <[email protected]>: Dec 07 03:42PM -0800 > > I posted about these some 8 years ago. Here's what I said: > > *I worked in the factory (in a different division) that made those in the > 70’s - Masden Industries on 23rd St. in North Bergen, NJ. They made the > glass enclosure and the contents, and then sold the sealed units to a > customer (Beacon Electric, somewhere in New England, IIRC) who provided > the > bases and lamps and did the packaging and sale.* > > *I have some that are 3’ (yep, FEET) tall.* > > *The chemistry was quite simple* - the ball of material in the bottom was > a > mixture of sugar and sodium metaborate. The liquid was methylene chloride. > The solid would outgas at low temperatures (even from the heat of a hand) > and release bubbles which would float upward and eventually be reabsorbed > in the liquid. The trick with the giant ones was to wind a spiral of thin > heating wire around them to keep the bubbles from disappearing partway up.* > > *The most annoying thing about this factory was that it tended to explode > a > lot - the machines that did the glass sealing were all 1-offs and old, and > the flame would back up into the main gas line, and kaboom.* > > - *If these are made today, I’m sure the formula is different - the one > I posted would run afoul of safety regulations these days.* > > Anyway, that factory produced several tractor trailers full per week > during > the busy season. There were various dyes to color the liquid. > Mac Doktor <[email protected]>: Dec 07 08:15PM -0500 > > > On Dec 7, 2022, at 6:42 PM, Terry Kennedy <[email protected] <mailto: > [email protected]>> wrote: > > > I posted about these some 8 years ago. > > Long before I joined this group. I missed out on a lot but Im trying to > make up for it. > > > I worked in the factory (in a different division) that made those in the > 70’s - Masden Industries on 23rd St. in North Bergen, NJ. They made the > glass enclosure and the contents, and then sold the sealed units to a > customer (Beacon Electric, somewhere in New England, IIRC) who provided the > bases and lamps and did the packaging and sale. > > > I have some that are 3’ (yep, FEET) tall. > > "Mr. Bubble", as Rich likes to call himself, has made some very long > custom tubes but I doubt that he's made any quite that long. > > > The chemistry was quite simple* - the ball of material in the bottom was > a mixture of sugar and sodium metaborate. The liquid was methylene > chloride. The solid would outgas at low temperatures (even from the heat of > a hand) and release bubbles which would float upward and eventually be > reabsorbed in the liquid. The trick with the giant ones was to wind a > spiral of thin heating wire around them to keep the bubbles from > disappearing partway up. > > Yeah. I wonder how they did it with those Wurlitzer jukeboxes? Those tubes > are pretty long. > > > The most annoying thing about this factory was that it tended to explode > a lot - the machines that did the glass sealing were all 1-offs and old, > and the flame would back up into the main gas line, and kaboom. > > Oops. > > > If these are made today, I’m sure the formula is different - the one I > posted would run afoul of safety regulations these days. > I have no clue as to what else can be used for a fast bubbling action. > Rich's oil tubes have rapeseed oil in them, among other secret ingredients. > The nucleator is tiny pieces of pumice. > > Telsen Electric Company in Britain made tubes that were like Lava Lamps, > in that the bubbles were colored and the rest of the fluid was clear. > Shooting Stars are like Lava Lamps in reverse, clear bubbles in a colored > liquid. They use freon as one of the liquids. That's hard to get these > days. The nucleator looks like flakes of mica. > > The problem with the Telsen tubes is the same as a real Lava Lamp. They > get too hot at the top and bubbles just collect there. They have to be > shaken periodically to make some of the fluid drop down again. Rich > experimented with this but it was just too unreliable. He gifted me one in > return for a very large order. > > > > Anyway, that factory produced several tractor trailers full per week > during the busy season. There were various dyes to color the liquid. > > Getting dyes that remain stable when heated or in direct sunlight is > another problem. I've had some that did that and they were replaced under > lifetime warranty. > > Also, you will often see vintage tubes that are only half full or even > empty of liquid even though they're still sealed. This is due to > microscopic cracks in the glass, probably from thermal cycling. Rich uses > borosilicate. > > > BTW, if anyone is considering purchasing some bubble lights this season > avoid Christopher Radko like the plague. His bubble likes are SO colorful > when they're tuned off. When they're turned on, not so much. The blackbody > radiation curve limits the colors possible with incandescent lamps. White, > yellow and pink bases look yellowish-white. Red looks orange. Green is a > bit dark and blue is almost a ghost. And the blue tube is so dark you can't > even see the bubbles. > > Also, if you see a set with NOMA artwork on it for twice the price of a > no-name Chinese set, buy the Chinese set. Unless you really love that NOMA > looking box. And always buy two sets for when a bulb blows. If you have a > variac handy dial them down 10%. That will help. It's just not Christmas > around here without variacs and 12V transformers all around the stairwell. > > > Terry Bowman, KA4HJH > "The Mac Doctor" > > https://www.astarcloseup.com > > Edward R. Murrow: “Who owns the patent on this vaccine?” > Dr. Jonas Salk: “Well, the people, I would say. There is no patent. Could > you patent the sun?”—See It Now, 12 April 1955 > Back to top <#m_1757355711363384107_digest_top> > Looking for Beam-X tubes > <http://groups.google.com/group/neonixie-l/t/c13dd41ee17c97fe?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email> > > Nick <[email protected]>: Dec 07 02:38AM -0800 > > I have some extras available - I'm in the UK... > BD-301 x 6 > BX-1000 x 1 > BX-2005 x 2 > 6700 (BD-301) x 1 > 6700 x 1 > > Contact me off list if interested... > > Nick > > On Tuesday, 6 December 2022 at 02:13:16 UTC LB wrote: > > Back to top <#m_1757355711363384107_digest_top> > You have received this digest because you're subscribed to updates for > this group. You can change your settings on the group membership page > <https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email#!forum/neonixie-l/join> > . > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it send an > email to [email protected]. > > -- 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 [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/2b46d61f-1895-4ba9-a081-65423ce74423n%40googlegroups.com.
