I did a lot of research about 15 years ago when I was thinking about doing neon art. There are 3 really good books (The Neon Engineer's Notebook, Neon Techniques, and The Neon Superguide) and I recommend you read all 3 cover-to-cover. Though not particularly for nixies, there is a lot of good info about the overall process. I have yet to read the Weston text (Cold Cathode Glow Discharge Tubes).
You will need to pump down to the micron range, and that generally requires a diffusion pump ( a fascinating device, and another topic on it's own...) in addition to a traditional vane pump that will get you well-below the millibar range. I decided against doing neon art because the bombarding process is very dangerous; far more dangerous than experimenting with microwave oven transformers.
The manifolds I saw were made of glass, even the valves, and require a special lubricant/sealant. I think you can use induction heating, rather than bombarding, for removing impurities. The other thing that discouraged me was the need to use mercury; it's rather toxic and I was concerned about inhaling vapors. I'm not afraid of mercury in liquid form.
Keep me posted if you start experimenting. I have a vacuum pump and intend to do some basic tinkering with gas discharges, but I have no intention of taking it to the point of making something durable.
On Monday, August 28, 2023 at 10:23:32 AM UTC-7 Miles Thatch wrote:
I'm looking to experiment with making a cold cathode character display. I have plenty of experience experimenting with manufactured IN-12 tubes and the power supplies that drive these, but I want to step further to experiment in making my own.
What grade of materials / tubing / valves should I be looking at to try and build my own jig for evacuating air from a tube and populating a gas?
I don't suppose just about any valve with do (like liquid control valve) and looking at my hobbyist grade vacuum chamber, the tubing contains a spooled wire on the inside to provide rigidity to counter the vacuum forces.
Would brass / copper tubing sealed with aluminum weld be suitable?
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