Introducing the Vacuum Tube Manufacturing Series

[@ericlotze7724]

14:20 I absolutely LOVE the concept of developing “obsolete” technologies to their limit, so many unexplored opportunities! And all the ideas you suggested seem really neat *especially with the protocols/hardware being open source!!!* i am hyped beyond words right now aaaaaaa

[@jamesrobertson9597]

You should create a KZbin channel dedicated to making your own vacuum tubes. You could call it "KZbin".

[@ericlotze7724]

Making Vacuum Tube Stuff **AND OPEN SOURCING THE PROCESSES?!?** absolute LEGEND. I am S o H y p e d

[@bluetrepidation]

Shout out to Glasslinger. Been watching his videos for years. Absolutely amazing skill and knowledge.

[@DanielMoss-i7c]

Respect bro. Near cracked my screen hitting thumbs up. Love tubes. Love your work.

[@mikegLXIVMM]

We think along the same lines. I have thought of vacuum tube IC's and putting the "All American fiver" in one tube.

[@yanuarraharjaspd123]

I love Tube....😍🥰

[@tatianatub]

Im happy to contribute to the wide spread availability of borosilicate glass tubing

[@SignalDitch]

@tatianatub thank you for your service 🍃

[@jdflyback]

Thanks for the shoutout! I am glad more people are getting into tube making.

[@andcrafter4790]

others have said it but the idea of making new types of vacuum tubes is amazing, i look forward to such things existing

[@maddnotez]

This is amazing tbh, tubes are a niche demand these days but I hope one day you make a very large and profitable factory.

[@edhansen3387]

Cool vid, thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@stormlord55]

Oh man! I'm a Fallout fan ( 1 and 2) and your speculative thermionic devices are right in line with my thinking! I love tube electronics and love what you are doing. Hope the best for your endeavors!

[@goodun2974]

According to some of the reading I've done, another step that was used as part of the industrial process for manufacturing some tube types was baking the individual elements in hydrogen so as to drive out impurities and even water vapor. This helps prevent the tube from becoming gassy in operation later on. I'm not so sure I'd wanna live next door to somebody baking things in hydrogen in their garage workshop! 💥🔥

[@blueberry1c2]

When I heard you talking about that parallel universe in the video I freaking beamed. I've just cracked into writing a story set in a similar vein. I definitely agree that integrating more diode and triode structures into a single package would be a major theme. If this ever becomes a proper genre, I bid on naming it thermionpunk

[@stefanhuebner5358]

Great video, thank you for your work! 10^-5 mbar is quite good, I take care and optimize melting ovens for specialized incandescent bulbs and remember very well the troubles we had to stabilize the vacuum. The setup is a oil diffusion pre-pump and an Alcatel turbo-molecular pump, but we only need around 10^-3 mbar - which can still cause lots of headache, the last time with the seals between the stainless steel enclosure and the copper electrodes for the melting current

[@ceesfaber]

Brilliant - great initiative!

[@Romoro86]

Hi, man! About that miniaturized vacuum tubes, USSR has already done it in 60s, these are eather superminiature tubes like 6c16b or 6p30b, or even more, rod tubes as 1j30b working with anod voltage as low as 12v and 1v fillament.

[@llspragulus]

I love the Tachikoma shirt! SAC was such a good anime!

[@ericlotze7724]

It would be *very* complex (largely due to phosphor sourcing/blending), but (once i have the funds…) i would PAY to have a brand new VFD Display (for a C y b e r d e c k like that Zach Freedman made), or even better (yet WAY more complex) a brand new TRINITRON level CRT Display! Heck you could even do crazy aspect ratios like 16x9 (which they made a few of) or even 21x9 !!! Also potentially multiple electron guns for faster scanning / more than one beam at once for more power? Also if i *really* had money to burn, Open Source X-Ray Tubes, and guns powerful enough for Electron Microscopes, Welding/Powder Bed Fusion 3D Printing, or heck even Open Source Electron Beam Furnaces would be AMAZING, but again one step at a time lol Either way i am so damn excited to the extent i am making so many damn comments KZbin may think i am a spam bot lol. But yeah thanks for reading this far and keep up the AMAZING work, i look forward to seeing more! (Edit: Added Zach’s Name In)

[@willemidaho]

underrated video.

[@PhatPeatTube]

Awesome work

[@edgeeffect]

I thought Usagi Electric "had a problem" when it comes to vacuum tube collecting but you "really need to get help" ;) Woah! That's one of THE most comprehensive shout-outs I've ever seen on a KZbin video. Nerd-thunder's got nothing on you.

[@StanielP]

I make quartz to gs-10 to tungsten seals for xenon flash lamps Ive also srunk quartz to molybdenum ribbon seal assemblies and much more. If you have any questions about these feel free to ask. I’ve never seen such an in-depth video about the work I do lol thanks 🙏 i also used to blow quarts bulbs for metal halide lamps.

[@tobiasgertz7800]

You got my like and subscribe for sure. I'm excited.

[@GTS00000]

good content, please continue.

[@FullModernAlchemist]

Holy cow this is incredible!

[@SpinStar1956]

Just ran across your channel and SUBSCRIBED!!!😊 What you’re doing is really cool and honorable endeavor; I hope you stay with it! Grew up in that era and wish I still had all my old vacuum tube parts. Still run vacuum tube Amateur and test equipment. 73…

[@jordanch68]

I know of a tube that might make for a good project, a couple ideas actually. 11. Recreate the 7199 tube. 2) Build the proposed tube that unified the 5 tubes in an AA5 radio. into one.

[@Codyjrt]

Super cool.

[@kimarbella]

You are so cool dude! Wish I could design a tube

[@RGD2k]

Suggestion: A *minimal* microcontroller. Something like the swapforth J1a core. This is a hardware forth machine so only four bits of the instruction word are needed in alu operations to encode how the data and return stacks are shuffling, in place of the usual RISC ISA having multiple sets of bits to select destination and source(s) amongst a bank of registers. Using stacks means the lower parts need only connect laterally, and be able to hold, push and pop on demand only. This means more of the instruction is available for risc-style mux decoding of what the tos and nos are to be next. J1a uses a 16 bit instruction word, addresses 8KiB sram, and has enough to include an entire self-hosting almost-complete ans-forth system. This is just enough to be useful for driving hardware control in a lab - or controlling manufacturing equipment in a factory line.... which might be able to turn out all the parts needed to expand itself. Conversely, a similar but minimized architecture might have only a 4-bit datapath, and take multiple cycles per instruction (rather than be optimized as one-per like j1 is), but might be simple enough to be the first integrated System-in-a-bottle! And you could take advantage of thermionics too: I'm imagining a mostly planar circuit, but with a wide-beam triode overlooking: Which is used to 'beam' the system clock down as pulses of electrons, passing through gates/mask to fall on electrode in order to clock register synchronously, due to constant time-of-flight. That would dispense with having to include a clock distribution network. Better, you might also use it to actually directly power chains of logic. This should also be wired not single-ended, but using complementory signalling everywhere: Essentially, two conductors per bit, spatially close by. A pulse of current down the pair is a clock-wave, but which of the two it is on is the logic state, so there is no bulk field changes due to logic state, and therefore no interference due to logic state. Even if you don't organise it that way, complementory logic signalled such that the sum of the currents through both complements of a bit is always constant, eliminates electrostatic and magnetic emission, and thus interference. This is the breakthrough which enabled PCIe, and which is now ubiquitous everywhere. They lacked it in the early days of cpu designs, and it meant wasteful use of interconnects. It also meant a lot of logic chips had performance far higher than could actually be used, especially since they were not only still using EMI-happy single-ended logic, but on double-sided boards without ground-planes, for a double-whammy of ground-bounce *and* loop-cross talk! No wonder they struggled to get above a couple single-digit MHz. I've always wondered what starting out with a logic circuitry system optimised not to leak AC, and applied to integrated circuitry, could achieve using integrated thermionics. The goal should be not to miniturize directly, but rather to make systems *just barely* complex enough to be useful in building assembly-line equipment. Low bit depth, low ram, but enough to do G-code like planned motion control programs to run CNC, for instance, or run process control for a chemical plant.

[@l_shaun_bunds_l]

If any group buys are planned, I’m in. I really think we need to develop new tooling and accessible practices to the retail or small run market, about equal to the pro audio runs of company like Manley or as few as tree and coil audio. I am going to potentially be getting 7500 and 15000 square feet of manufacturing space soon, an upgrade from 1500. So yeah!!!

[@ibrahimkaragoz9596]

my friend i want to help you

[@boriskourt]

Welcome back :)

[@TechTed1]

Good explanation

[@edwardneuman6061]

Remember when we thought vinyl records were dead? Same with tubes. As old tubes and NOS dries up, demand for new tubes will increase, making it profitable to make them again

[@davidholmes2157]

This is nuts! I love it!!!❤

[@stok3si3]

Awesome stuff. Subscribed and looking forward to following the journey!

[@WalterWittMakes]

Jesus christ dude, you're like the coolest nerd Ive ever heard of. and your a proper Nerd too. I can tell you actually know your shit about everything you're talking about.

[@toxicgraphix]

Have you ever heard about a Nuvistor tube, like the 6CW4? These are actual triodes the size of a large transistor and look like a transistor too. I never knew they existed until I tore down an old tube receiver and found a couple of them. I thought they were just large transistors, until I googled the part number. I think this is the way tubes would have gone, if they were still made in some alternate universe. Maybe they would even be able to manufacture tiny tubes into an IC chip, lol. I heard, but I'm not sure if it's true, some tubes are still used by the military because they aren't effected by an EMP. I wonder what they look like.

[@PhatPeatTube]

Could you make an old fashioned Helium-Neon Laser, what with gas discharge tube and brewster windows and so on?

[@MrMarsMink]

Good on you Mate, Valves are immune to EMP, as the US/Russian cold war (maybe,) found out...... Cant fit as many valves on a chip as one can with semiconductors, but with a bit of creative logic who knows, Russian MIGs were touted as not falling out of the sky?? for that reason.back in the 60/s ish. I've been trying self taught glassblowing (semi-successfully,) more or less for years, your vids have given a few good tips.

[@samykamkar]

Great video, looking forward to your builds!

[@prodjincmusicproductions6587]

Amazing!!!

[@MichaelScottPerkins]

HOLY... FUCKING... SHIT!!! I'm going to Patreon right now. Please make these videos. If you actually make a functioning DIY vacuum tube, I will travel to wherever you live, and personally open a bottle of champagne (or whatever you're into) as a celebration!!!

[@hpfctif7tx7t]

Not enough tubes, MOAR!!!

[@adamslarren2100]

Very interesting, I myself am a glassblower and have an interest in electronics /ham radio. I also make graphite tools for glass blowing and have a small machine shop that I am growing. Hit me up if you ever need custom graphite tools

[@l_shaun_bunds_l]

I had done all this research several years ago and even had gotten the majority of the stock from Curtis technology in San Diego who made contracted scientific glass and emphasized their particular expertise in the electrical aspect of this, differentiating them from other companies in electrical glass. I have more kovar and aluminum 42 than I know what to do with, and had more glass and various elements than I knew what to do with, and then some obnoxious couple came in while I was moving my stuff and ultimately they were making me so upset and being so rude and obstructive while going through lots that were not theirs that I grew irrational and the next day was my last day to remove everything. I lost cabinets of chemicals, tungsten, molybdenum, and oxide coatings. I lost thousands and thousands of those bases you were looking for. I cried for months. I finally have a forklift and a 24k trailer to avoid ever having something like this happen again… it had happened more than ten times due to my girlfriend and I being weak and having to usually go back and forth over and over. I still have a lot of raw materials and I am working on restoring ten sprague winding machines from the sbe factory that closed, what they didn’t sell to cde. What state are you in?

[@PixelBrushArt]

I'd honestly love to see how developing IC-style, low-voltage tubes would turn out. Maybe I can finally make my 4-Bit Processor into an IC xD

[@321CatboxWA]

I'm in.Edit wow this is over 1 yrs old . I get to time travel!

[@dezertraider]

WOW,AS A HAM RADIO OP, YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE HOW DISGUSTED HAM ARE WITH CHINES POWER TUBES AND RUSSIANS ARE NOT MUCH BETTER. I NEVER KNEW FOLKS WHERE DIY VACUUM TUBE. I WILL TAKE 4/ 572B PLEASE..LOL,,GREAT CHANNEL..

[@alexanderross2786]

My two cents: I love the sound of tubes, but even I have to admit that IRs & similar tech are really Good! As they say .. if it sounds good, it is good. In most general use, the audience can not tell the difference. But musicians, audio Engineers, and audiophiles can!! Really, it is the difference between a good meal & a great meal.. The ingredients may be prepared in similar ways, but the final results are distinctly different.

[@SignalDitch]

I actually don't care much either way about tube sound. I understand why people think it sounds better, and if they think it sounds better then they're right! And, yeah, the emulation for tube sound is really good now. It's probably not perfect, but it's damn close. Now, if someone tries to tell me tubes are higher-fidelity, like for music reproduction (as opposed to in guitar amplification where it's kind of part of the instrument) that's just obviously incorrect. I don't think fidelity matters that much past a certain point, though. At the end of the day, I'm gonna bass boost and scoop the mids because I'm a gremlin. My interest in vacuum tubes is much more on the logic side than the amp side. I might play with some simple tube amp circuits on the channel, but I'm much more interested in computing. Cheers,

[@ChriFux]

Awesome video! I have some feedback as a newcomer to your channel: the intro to your channel, where only your channel name shows is insanely long to me

[@SignalDitch]

I appreciate the feedback. By stretching it out, I was able to sync a later transition to the music and still start the song at the beginning of the video. I agree it's long. This video is a year old, the title card style has changed since then.

[@ChriFux]

@@SignalDitch Ahh, makes sense! Haha, I noticed. I'm already binging through your videos :) The work you do is very inspiring - thanks for that ❤️

[@l_shaun_bunds_l]

Ps. Not sure if you are familiar but check out vinylsavors channel if you haven’t as his production videos don’t seem to come up as often for Elrog.

[@yakacm]

For me, as someone who plays guitar (badly I might add), the problem has been solved just because solid state and digital stuff is so good now. I don't need volume, in fact the last thing I need is volume as I live in a flat, so I'm good playing either thru my Boss battery amp or the computer. I have 6 or 7 valve amps, but I just don't use them anymore, TBH they are just sitting there waiting for the time I'm short of cash so they can be sold.

[@SignalDitch]

I agree, I actually don't particularly care for tube audio, especially with solid state amps being as good as they are now. Even if you like tube distortion, DSP is so good that I think most musicians are happy with modeling amps. I play a solid state Marshall 50W, and it's got plenty of volume for me.

[@arjovenzia]

As I did all my electronics education In the era of the internet and Microcontrollers, I was always very sceptical of the concept of 'Tube Sound'. a few years ago my dad got an old mantle radio and restored all the woodwork and knobs and that, and got the electronics professionally restored. I was absolutely floored by its performance compared to my modern Ham radio stuff. SDR is neat n all, and has heaps of handy features, but in side-by-side testing, same antenna etc, signals that were * just * readable above the noise floor on the SDR could be dialed in to almost local commercial radio station readability. Thinking 'there might be something to this', I set out designing (well, heavily modifying multiple designs) and building the best tube headphone amp I could. Luckily the company I worked for at the time got ~3-4 orders from RS, Digikey, Mouser etc a week, and with the boss's approval was easy to slip a few extra parts onto the order whenever I needed them, the only cost being a running report of how the project was going (working for a fellow nerd is great, find a job with fringe benefits kids). New, high quality, high voltage caps of weird values were not something in anyones junk bin. V.01 sounded abysmal. I kept tinkering, by about the 5th version I had something that could stand up to modern expectations. I think im up to about the 7th version? and not to blow my own trumpet to hard, It sounds AMAZING. Like any sane and rational person of this era, 95% of my media is consumed via my phone and bluetooth. but if its saturday afternoon, im done with whatever it is im doing in the shed, and Ive just found a banger of an album, getting a FLAC, CD or new LP version, donning the Sennheiser's, opening a bottle of Red, and LISTENING to the music through a vacuum is a pretty powerful experience. Ive built a number of other headphone amps (which I highly recommend as a beginners electronics project, usually simple enough, and if you have spent money on high end cans, will really improve the performance for not much money. your dirty buds will still sound like dirtybuds. Use those for testing). as an analogy, a 1.5L Daihatsu hatchback, a Toyota sedan, and an old V8 Mercedes loungeroom on wheels, all essentially get the same job done. one is better for commuting to work in, one is better for a sunday drive up into the hills. bluetooth headphones will run for days and sound just fine. the tubes eat about 40-50w just to drive cans, are fragile and need alot of cables n fiddling to make work (my PSU is separate to the amp, is 3x the size, practically a separate machine in its own right.) but your not using it for efficiency or ease of use, but because its a pleasant experience. and it really is. My takeaway is that Tube stuff Is Not modern silicon. things like Op-Amps generally just work, a 20c 741 or a $20 Burr-Brown, are essentially going to work the same way. with the tubes, even changing out the same part number required a bit of tweaking each time. dont be discouraged if it does not work right out of the box. Persevere. PS. an Ali-Express "valve amp" is... just, no, not a proper one, even if it has glowing glass things on it with signals going thru it. as anyone who has shopped ali express could reasonably estimate. I should probably stop ranting. Its a viable rabbit hole that can be very rewarding.

[@sparkstarter]

Can't get my Dumet Wire to seal to the glass,any ideas?

[@SignalDitch]

@sparkstarter I'm afraid I don't have any experience with dumet because I only work with hard glass. Dumet is made to seal into soft glass. I've been told it's easier to make a working dumet-glass seal than a working tungsten-Boro seal, but I don't know what the tips and tricks are for dumet.

[@sparkstarter]

@@SignalDitch trying to do some glow discharge tubes... pump down, Dument/glass seal seems good, tube glows, but over time (hours) I lost the pressure in the tube, and glow stops...

[@sparkstarter]

@@SignalDitch thanks... what is soft glass vs. Boro-silicate glass? I thought Boro was soft glass?

[@georgelenz7594]

Props for Toshi at P&C Electronics

[@SignalDitch]

100%

[@TechTed1]

I will suggest you to build some vacuum tube resistors

[@mikegLXIVMM]

2:15 Also Svetlana and Sovtek tubes.

[@milesfozznick]

Bro omg.... You're into the exact same thing I'm into and even have the same basic vision xD we have to hook up somehow and collaborate, I run a business here in Florida where I make all sorts of custom things but mostly at the moment what pulls the money is custom furniture but I do many other things, I want to help contribute but more than just what patreon allows for a simple $10 a month I want to contribute more than that and I would also like to in the future meet up somehow and kick around some ideas if possible

[@SignalDitch]

That's awesome to hear, I'd be interested in finding out what you're getting up to.

[@THEtechknight]

256x256 VFD. thats whats up.

[@Ind421]

I am from India. There was a government facility running in collaboration with Mullard UK catering to both military and civilian market up to the 70s. It is shut down due to the vanishing demand and I am thinking of requesting our government to allow me revive the plant. Please share your opinion.

[@josepheccles9341]

Western Electric is working again. But they are BIG money.

[@rmdatv]

UR Awesome

[@clytle374]

If I win the lottery, I'll have a tube manufacturing facility. I have done a lot of research and have experience in manufacturing and automation. Have you found a source of getters? I never have.

[@dreamshooter90]

New CRT monitors when?

[@alecboyyes]

I believe Shuguang closed in 2019. Who knows what's going on in Russia right now. Seems JJ and Psvane are the only real players at the moment for common audio tubes.

[@Shinkajo]

GITS ftw!

[@sonicase]

neat

[@wdavem]

The "desk job" transistor just doesn't cut it in important ways. I'm surprised people are waking up.

[@yadisuharyadi3866]

Dear sir I know someone have some old stok

[@ussefcaptcha-rd6tm]

FREE PALASTINE