Building a 1920s Tube Amplifier (And Tubes!)

[@V109FM]

This is fantastic!!! I've been in electronics for 60 years and have never seen someone attempt to build vacuum tubes. The skill set you have to do this is amazing. Thank you for sharing. I really loved watching your work come to life.

[@jdflyback]

Thank you!

[@CA.papaBear]

I agree. Granted while I'm a former truck driver that studies a bit of computer electronics and other stuff on the side, imo if the world is doomed, there will be a group of people who can help get civilization back on it's feet, especially with creature comforts, and this guy will be one of those people who'll help save the world imo. :)

[@amarissimus29]

There are plenty of technical glass workers demonstrating their trade around here, but not many of them would be able to do so on a desert island. Some wonderful ingenuity here. It's hard to criticize technique when the result clearly works.

[@MUN.A1988]

60years in the field..bless you..that is amazing ..may be you're in80s ..

[@lisakingscott7729]

This is great work making early style valves. Claude Paillard has probably the ultimate in relaxing videos for techies on KZbin, showing him making a triode to Teddy Wilson background music kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6vciYB7pdZnp9k&ab_channel=FilmesJP

[@jeffallen3382]

My grandfather owned a radio repair store during WW2. I remember him telling me a story of him having to build his own tubes during the war as they were rationed and only allowed 1 replacement tube a month. None of the other repair stores were able to fix as many radios as he was cause he was making his own. As a kid growing up I always thought his workshop would of looked like Einstein's laboratory. Thanks for making this video showing how you did this. It brings back a lot of old memories!

[@lesjones5684]

God bless you 😂😂❤❤

[@paradiselost9946]

einstein never had a "lab"? he was a mathematician? theory and complex equations noone can comprehend rather than practical hands on skills? other than the brief foray into attempting to make a fridge (unsuccessfully).

[@jeffallen3382]

@@paradiselost9946 I was 5 years old dude! Chill

[@paradiselost9946]

@@jeffallen3382 you aint five now! so find a better comparison! lol. just saying... einstein never had a lab... not as the typical "mad scientist" movie set we think of, anyway. and im sorta jealous of your gramps shop ;)

[@jjs3863]

@@paradiselost9946wow dude. Way to invalidate this dudes memory. Twice.

[@alfredomosquera5832]

Holy Valhalla. In my 70 years in electronics I have seen the possible and impossible, but never contemplated how to create ( not build ) a vacuum tube. You are not a technician, you are a wizard. You are a top creator. My respects, chapeau. Greets from Venezuela.

[@zaxmaxlax]

If you search more on youtube, there are people making their own transistors and integrated circuits

[@keithking1985]

Awesome I must look those videos up too. 😊🇮🇪👍

[@keithking1985]

​@@zaxmaxlax👍🇮🇪🙏

[@MickHealey]

The KZbin algorithm has been suggesting this video to me for 2 or 3 days now. I thought it would be boring, but eventually I relented and watched it. Boy, was I wrong. This has to be one of the best YT videos I have ever seen. For someone to create vacuum tubes (we call them valves here in the UK) from scratch is mind blowing. You have incredible talent, and I enjoyed watching your amplifier unfold.

[@programmer1356]

I'm still smiling - what a great video. My first 'Hi-Fi' was a valve amp and a STEREO turntable.

[@michaelz6870]

Valves???! I'm wracking my brain trying to a fathom why?! Look, it's one thing for the British to butcher the pronunciations of words like aluminum or vitamin, and as much as many of us loathe the use of all those superfluous letters ya'll insist on (think shoppe - may God bless and hold the eternal soul of Noah Webster!!!), crazy little British isms should at least make sense! Maybe I just don't know enough about how vacuum TUBES work. 🤔

[@theclearsounds3911]

Never, in my wildest imagination, did I ever dream I could see someone build a vacuum tube from scratch in front of my eyes! Not exactly a 6L6, but amazing for a homemade tube! Extremely well done!

[@kretieg]

Three 12AX7's, 1 12AT7 and 2 EL84's in mine. 0.5, 1, 7 OR 15 WATTS (SWITCHABLE)

[@MUN.A1988]

He deserves Master degree for that as a project for the university...

[@Qwerty8]

@@MUN.A1988 Master degree? I hope not 😂

[@Qwerty8]

@Jeff Desert Mountains yes, absolutely.

[@rickdeckard1075]

@@Qwerty8 a lot more involved than most masters 'theses'

[@Xenro66]

Possibly the most fascinating video I've watched on YT for a long time. Never have I ever heard of someone DIYing their own tubes, let alone building an amplifier with them. Hats off, truly.

[@thetruthexperiment]

If you can make your own tubes you automatically know how to make your own radio. But it’s funny, your feed must be mucked up by yt because the last three videos I saw had a top comment starting with “this is the most fascinating video… yt..etc”

[@pulpo439]

​@@thetruthexperiment ¿ ... ! ... ?

[@musicalday2693]

I don't recall ever seeing somebody with the both the fundamental electronic skills AND sophisticated glass crafting skills! Absolutely awesome!!!

[@Dazzwidd]

there's another channel on KZbin where you can witness it. I think they're called glassslinger. They restore old radios and build tubes as well at times

[@keithking1985]

​@@DazzwiddI must check them out 👍🇮🇪🙏

[@DJAndresViana]

What the hell is this madness? This could be the best video I've ever seen in electronics till now.. The tubes, the tools the atmosphere and the final result. Amazing!

[@unsearchablethings8167]

I’m an EE, and this was really cool. Takes a lot of skill to do what you did by hand.

[@jdflyback]

Thanks! I graduated just last year.

[@unsearchablethings8167]

@@jdflyback congrats! It’s not easy.

[@kennethday9747]

Did you use to work in a tube factory?

[@jakep8484]

@@jdflyback I still have a couple years left 😁 where did you buy the metals from?

[@jdflyback]

@@jakep8484 The tungsten wire is from prommark on ebay: www(dot)ebay(dot)com/str/prommark?_trksid=p2334524.m570.l113337 The nickel sheet is from china: www(dot)ebay(dot)com/itm/183921244401?hash=item2ad28f78f1:g:gJUAAOSwqztZYMln&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAABAHLHnXs4E2dcjAgtBaJnDztnYoR46dQo8fDZIn79sY98QBBtPXODXfOZVxE7jLZyMan0vQh0xAe52SiGKJahUJiXrd3WoIUwvQYq%2FcE6%2Bh89EnXtPllu5H8EQqjAQtrZOd4FPMsTjY%2FJalu%2BE80azygDh%2FVmMvW0KazobjQhh5uoGlpI4n93WZ9Fui%2FGGCTYEtUA2iau5CYDfD%2FxN%2BJxMMO%2BR%2FFpA6%2FbDlCynKYO8XeXF31zixvSPxXhmVBsdqSTjN84IC6CDuCoeff1SDPs%2B4DVF4CNZwJjgkIk6HCnRrj0xPpWRM0056Bw4%2FYDjTRbbZvYJ9GytiCcLGFjeQ76dto%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMnrn8xIRh The steel wire is from china: www(dot)ebay(dot)com/itm/403445194950?var=673450978944&hash=item5def3520c6:g:xFEAAOSw-jJh9NX4&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA0DPaw09tnX%2FFd9b1pPP%2BEAliIshegmV2z9qYz2l6wa%2BckiA6yR%2F0q1rSsrWMp2Ao8dlG%2BcCsTaSuoPu%2BfyqM0gZAMRq0b%2FZsNfwjBcn7OowNeRbQjM2esBx84KhCGMllC9kjTHC%2F%2BqKiFTYmWHK8jI3Z5Lrcc5m%2BSgtrtL3p6mR0MoiZLZ3vHO6QY08Qa2IXFShsTK6vZcnB6qleSo7qKEjnnBI09kDwLHwls0FZiuCzgGi%2BCXmDWtbF2w0AYKa%2FrTxlx32fDd2DqW6tmhGk5vE%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR87kksWEYQ

[@BokBarber]

This is inspirational. Not only did you make working vacuum tubes and an amplifier from scratch, but it looks like it was done 99% with reclaimed parts and tools you made yourself.

[@robinsutcliffe-video_art]

including spot welder indeed!

[@notbuyingit8047]

Incredible

[@user-cc4xz3ib7w]

Сделать в домашних условиях электронные лампы и собрать на них рабочую схему усилителя это просто отпад башки! Респект мастеру!

[@user-ib6wk1xp9s]

I was a tech at Fender, worked on thousands of tube amps, read the RCA Receiving Tube Manual for fun...this is a whole new dimension of fun! Bravo and thank you. I nominate you for King of Engineers

[@georgestyer2153]

How exciting.....65 years ago I made a valve in a lab at tech school...it failed...but it set me on a career that enabled a reasonable life. I just love the fact that these wonderful people take the time and patience to show this on the "Tube". Makes me feel like going out into the workshop and making one !!!!.. Also just seeing contributers mentioning numbers like 6L6 tells me that ther is still life out there..I doubt if today the generation would understand the talk of oldies having built amplifiers with numbers like EF86..ECC83, and a pair of EL84's in push pull (mullard 5-10) or even EF50 from the war years driving 807's........Sorry for the ramble but its so nice to read all the comments...BIG thanks for the video and the thought of sharing. I'm going to show this to the gran kids and see if there is a spark ☺

[@asteroidmrecords]

Hey George, just wanted to chime in to let you know that although it's not the biggest subsection of the youth, we work with tons of kids who love tube amps and all the great music that was made with them. The good thing about this internet era is for those who want to find out about music from years past, it's all documented! Here's an example of some of our local lads who choose to keep everything vintage. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaO6pXmba9N3mdk&ab_channel=JohnnyRuiz%26theEscapers-Topic

[@georgestyer2153]

@@asteroidmrecords Thanks for your reply.....Great work I simply loe to see kids with an iterest in things outside of the peice of glass...Great work I wish I was with you

[@sonicspring6448]

I recognised all those vacuum tube numbers, having used them in audio and TV experiments! Then there was the 6AC7, a high gm tube from radar front ends, with lower noise than most input tubes. Ah the nostalgia, lol.

[@georgestyer2153]

@@sonicspring6448 Yes..I remember the 6AC7 and Matt Mathewes from Wigan in Lancashire UK explained the low noise was acheived by reducing the distace between the screen grid and the signal grid, also he said and I quote "Get the screen grid resistor right on the edge of the base pin, don't give it the chance to pick up noise !!!!".. All happy memories

[@sonicspring6448]

@@georgestyer2153 What an interesting take on it. What I recall is that the grid was very close to the cathode and had a fine pitch with tight tolerances. The high gm translated into a low equivalent noise resistance, but that's a model rather than an explanation. Matt Mathewes must have learnt that from experience. Nice to meet someone else who remembers this stuff and actually played with it!

[@rolandburisch9489]

I'm an old-time valve (sorry, 'toob') man and much of my early training was on valves. I'm not sure if this was a dumb project or if you're really brave, but I strongly suspect the latter, braver than I. Full marks for effort and I can honestly say that I've never seen anyone actually making a valve from scratch. Good for you! Keep it up and greetings from Johannesburg, South Africa.

[@absalomdraconis]

There's someone else on KZbin that's using old purpose-built equipment to do the same. Prettier results than this, but this could be reproduced in a moderately equiped home garage.

[@simov8chevy]

As Jared has already stated, here you go - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6vciYB7pdZnp9k

[@TinkeringNerd]

Try to search the channel Glasslinger. They are making different types of valves and toobs lol.

[@bobboscarato1313]

Terrific work; I spent quite a few years in electronic servicing but never knew that a vacuum tube or valve could be constructed manually. From Houston TX.

[@user-nn4xg8xw7j]

Этот человек очень хороший мастер, сделать вакуумный триод в таких условиях это круто, мало кто может повторить его достижения.

[@sasaandjelic1596]

This is INCREDIBLE to say the least.. I was always amazed by vacuum tubes ever since I was a kid, but seeing this video blew me away. Thank you very much for sharing the knowledge expertise with the rest of the world.

[@cliffords2315]

The Warm sound of the old amplifiers takes me way back to my childhood we had two Large Radio/Record players form the late 1930s. The sound is ver comforting. I worked on those old radios, it got me interested in Electronics and have been working with electronics for the past 60 years, i was 10 when i worked on those old radio/record players

[@papazstuff4u]

You are such a do-it-yourselfer! I noticed the home made spot welder and induction heater too. I am a retired engineer from the GE vacuum tube plant in Owensboro KY. GE purchased the original Ken-Rad plant just before WWII and was a major manufacturer of vacuum tubes in the 50s and 60s, with 6,000 employees. Ken-Rad was an acronym for Kentucky Radio which was founded in the 20s. Thank you for sharing your video!

[@xuemingzeng2094]

Nice to know you！I worked in GE C-ARM ENG，for 20years。now，vacuum tube technology are used to make x-ray tube。but in west country，vacuum workers are retiring，no young man study vacuum，since 2018，both the tube quality whitch from US and Germany became worse and worse

[@4thenecronomicon]

@@xuemingzeng2094That's unfortunate. The computer age has meant a lot of the old know how around electronics is being lost. People forget they used to have to make these things in a workshop, not solid state components fabricated in a Taiwanese clean room by robots. I wanted to study EE but could afford to transfer to uni and study full time (not enough time to work full time and commit to a rigorous study, I'm not clever enough for that), got into ham and amateur electronic instead. It's an inspiring craft, like Merlin's workshop.

[@snarfusmaximus]

As someone that has built regenerative radios using old 1920's directly heated triodes, I dream of one day being able to make the triodes myself like you did. Awesome work!

[@piccalillipit9211]

300B's? 2A3's? 45's? I often wondered why we can not heat these with Li ion batteries, even run the HT rail on a lithium battery pack

[@Dazzwidd]

You can, get the tools together and practice. You might end up making pentodes even 😅

[@josesardinas7660]

I'm out of words... This is Science, Engineering, and ART in a single piece. In a single masterpiece, I'd say.

[@youtube.youtube.01]

I was totally enthralled to see you building the vaccuum tubes and really admired your skills and craftwork. You satisfied one of my greatest curiosities to comprehend how this was done 100 years ago and mostly considered a lost art. Also, your patience to do this in front of a camera will be highly appreciated by many for years to come!! Congratulations on your achievement!

[@AureliusR]

What blows me away is it seems almost all your instruments are ALSO home-made, which is just... astounding. I could maybe pull this off with professional equipment, but I don't know how you do it with your own tools. I'd spend half the time trying to figure out if I was doing something wrong or if my own equipment was malfunctioning.

[@jdflyback]

I do exactly that! Induction heaters and vacuum pumps have given me the most trouble. I went through a dozen different mosfets before I found one that would work reliably. Same for the tank capacitors. For a while I had to replace the tank capacitors every two weeks before I found the correct type. I also have to deal with vacuum leaks and pumps leaking oil everywhere. Never a dull moment!

[@AureliusR]

@@jdflyback What part of the world are you located in? I'd love to buy one of your tubes to try playing around with :)

[@adamoeduardo]

Hello, I'm Brazilian and a lover of analog electronics, born and raised under the bench since I was a child. I want to praise; Never in my life have I seen so much genius in one person, his ability to make valves and triodes led me to make this comment. Congratulations my friend, it's people like you who still don't believe that there are no limits to the human brain. You managed to fascinate me. With each video of yours that I watch, the more I realize that I know nothing.

[@hrshrs7049]

Кустарное производство электронной лампы - это фантастика! Уважение автору!

[@pvc988]

Surface mount homemade 1920s style tubes. Nice.

[@marknesselhaus4376]

That is some mighty fine work. You have shown more detail in making a vacuum tube from scratch than any other video I have seen to date. I used to collect 1920's radios and that amp would be a great piece to have and use in any collection.🙂

[@williamhoward7121]

I assisted my father back in the '70s in radio and TV repairs. I had always been interested in how the tubes were built, now I know. Thanks so much this is a great video!

[@jdflyback]

Thank you!

[@general5104]

When I was in the 10th grade, I talked my Dad into letting me take electronics, at a technical high school, night school, twice a week, for 3 hours per class-time. There wasn't but 5 of us in the class and the Dean cancelled the class. He gave us the option of getting our tuition back or choosing another class. I took Machine Shop, my first love. Sadly, I didn't take electronics again. I don't understand how stuff like that works. I know how to build test equipment to test things and how to break down a schematic into a wiring harness from/to/info stats sheet/book, to rewire locomotives, but the electronics part escapes me! How you know how to work GLASS, and fabricate a workable amplifier on a piece of wood with home made tubes is genius! Amazing! I watched you do it, and STILL don't know how it works! I know and understand what each item is, but don't understand how they work TOGETHER !!! I've wrestled with that all my life, because that Dean canceled my young dreams! I'll be 70 in less than a month! THANK YOU !!!

[@Professor_Sex]

i mean, mate, you have the whole internet at your disposal, learn what your dean made it impossible to.

[@Phoenix-kj4iq]

Wow! I think, it sounds very not bad for full homemade triode tube amplifier, and with more high quality output transformers it can be better a lot. Also, your wiring looks so cool!

[@jdflyback]

Thank you!

[@gameyord7182]

Yea the wiring is beautiful!

[@dannixon247]

Totes. Even before trying better Traffo'$ I'd try an efficient spker. That's made for Tranny amps. I was shocked to find Fostex making really high efficiency drivers for peanuts that sound KILLER good with Triodes. Super epic build

[@Ozymandiuus]

It's been quite a while since I've had my hat blown off by a KZbin channel. I only wish I'd discovered you a long time ago. Like so many here, I've been doing electronics and engineering for years, decades even, and never in all that time imagined that I could even begin to make an electron tube out of pyrex tubing and various metal elements. The only way you could make this more "from scratch" is if you went out and mined and smelted the metals and glass yourself. You are a true and rare mad scientist! I can't wait for your next presentation.

[@jdflyback]

Thank you! I have a project planned using 10 tubes coming up. Work has been busy though so time has been limited. The tubes themselves have been made though.

[@edwhite7475]

I was gonna make some smartass joke about 'if you wanna impress ME , mine your own tungsten and smelt your own glass'- but you said it so much better. What an amazing video. I consider myself very DIY, but i cant touch this. Wow!!

[@keithking1985]

​@@edwhite7475😊

[@Really658]

As a kid in 60s the tube radio was warm in the winter and had an old electronics smell. The glow was very cool.

[@CraftAero]

Lee de Forest himself would be proud. So glad you included the getter.

[@williamlyerly3114]

Getter was a great touch.

[@rndmlogin]

WOW! That was completely insane! I really enjoyed it. I had not idea that DIY homebrew tubes were even possible, let alone accessible. Look like a lot or work an talent went into the design and execution but you still made it look approachable. I really like that you showed in detail all of the steps when fashioning all of the glass parts. Look like a little finesse is needed but nothing crazy needed to do it!

[@chriskwakernaat2328]

look up a youtuber named glasslinger , marvelous work there!

[@audryhaynes3277]

If you think about it, the first vacuum tubes were, of necessity, DIY.

[@chriskwakernaat2328]

@@audryhaynes3277 that goes for everything , first lightbulb , first transistor etc

[@SteveWhiteDallas]

I agree about the detail. Some people can figure out the details from those non-speaking videos, but it's a poor excuse for a "how to" video that doesn't include enough detail for the viewer to learn exactly how to do it himself. This guy is great.

[@HGS5601]

From Chile South America , 50 years ago I remember my grand father asked me to repair his radio , when I was beginning in the electronics but only I had to replace a rectifier tube. Thank you to show us how to do a tube. I am 66 year old , and I am impressed by your work !

[@SuperFredAZ]

I worked with tubes in the 50s and 60s but always took them for granted. I bought them or they were given to me . I never considered all the effort that went into them. Thanks for the demonstration.

[@Wingnut353]

To be fair... tube production was automated, just like light bulbs.

[@jeffreymaugenest]

My father built a radio with homemade tubes using old light bulbs. That was before WW2. Thank you for showing how it's done.

[@sharedknowledge6640]

It’s interesting to contrast your workbench with those of today’s young “makers” that 3D print a lot of their DIY stuff and even use CNC tools in some cases. It’s a fun project and thanks for sharing it.

[@fss1704]

Heck i bet he would certainly print a valve if he could

[@Gabriel-pd8sv]

@@fss1704 It should be possible, the resin printers can do ceramics and enven some conductive material i think, but wouldn't look as cool as with glass. The wirings would be probably better done by hand, and would still need a vacumm pump or some inert gas so the fillament doesnt ignite.

[@eriton6806]

@@Gabriel-pd8sv ... inert gas is used in incandescent light bulbs, not in VACUUM TUBES. The purpose of vacuum is to let electrons move freely, not only to prevent metals from burning.

[@Gabriel-pd8sv]

@@eriton6806 well, maybe someone wants a colored vacuum-ish tube :p

[@user-nn4xg8xw7j]

Ты действительно крутой мастер. Триод с нуля в примитивных условиях это безумно интересно, ты приоткрыл занавес истории как создавались вакуумные электронные приборы видными деятелями науки.

[@bryangrossman]

You are correct ... this totally is a piece of art... home made tubes... amazing!!!

[@arjaysmithjr9083]

Thomas Edison would have hired him in a New York Minute.

[@mariusbogdan9036]

Congratulations! Fantastic job! I felt like making a ripper. I have an Edwards vacuum pump with a final vacuum of 0.2 microbar (2 x 10-7) at home. Although I practiced glasswork a long time ago. (I'm a 68-year-old electrical engineer) I love the sound of electron tubes, we were probably the last to learn them in technical school and university. I wish you more success and good health from Hungary!

[@luisbarreiros8628]

I'm Brazilian and I've been working with electronics in Brazil for 30 years, but I've never seen someone manually assemble an electronic valve with such precision, congratulations, you've gained another subscriber

[@Bristoll170]

I'm an electronics tech, did my time with valves and now knocking on retirement. I've watched Glasslinger doing vacuum tube magic, but he has gear that I don't. Found this video somehow, and an AC compressor for the suck, and a map? gas torch I have. Another project for the retirement list 🙂. Cathode resistors will help with the sound quality, but an amazing watch with your creation. An hour of enjoyment just blew past. P.S, I'll shout you a hot glue gun if that would help Cheers Pete' New Zealand

[@jdflyback]

Thank you! Life is too short to wait for the glue gun to warm up!

[@topspeed250k5]

Pete, if you can get hold of some Mercury, for good vacuum you can make a Sprengel Pump. It uses falling drops of Mercury (I wonder if Gallium would work?) to trap air in a very narrow funnel & remove it. Slow, but apparently high vacuum is possible. Cody's Lab channel has constructed one. Just when you get around to it finally & the AC suck doesn't cut it lol

[@davekimball3610]

If I had told myself such things could be done by one person in their shop, I'd have called myself a fool. Thanks for proving me wrong. Great work.

[@jdflyback]

Thank you!

[@alpcns]

This is amazing! What a talent and skill. Very, VERY few people are capable of making their own tubes and make them work as well with a handful of ancient parts. Chapeau! My hat off to you.

[@andrzejdrazkiewicz1497]

Jestem pod wrażeniem,bo nigdy nie widziałem aby ktoś samodzielnie robił lampy.Wspaniała praca.Widać pasję i serce włożone w ten projekt.Brawo....

[@deathbychicken]

The tube build by hand is just a whole new level of amazing! Nail boards and scrap components took me back to childhood cobbling things together in old cigar boxes.

[@general5104]

I remember that. If something broke and couldn't be repaired, you took it apart and cleaned it up to re-use to fix something else, or construct something totally different. In today's world, its ALL solid state and throw-away! I CAN'T work on solid state. I was raised by Parents and Grand-Parent's, who had made it thru the second world war! You didn't throw ANYTHING away! The generation, now, throws EVERYTHING away! I pick up beautiful antiques off the side of the road and just a little TLC and they're just fine! Their stupidity, my gain!.

[@alabamatechwriter6959]

Wow! Astounding! ... My first thought : "This guy can make a killing making new "vintage" electronics for Hollywood, Steampunk fans, and anyone who appreciates an older look and sound." Well done!

[@jdflyback]

Thank you! I would like to try to do that someday.

[@neovxr]

practically such skill is mandatory for survival, given a certain form of "reset" that sure will come, because some people are really full with a pandemonium of madness to make it happen.

[@Fight2Survive559]

The youtube DIY community does more for science and education then the public education system ever could. Thank you!

[@crispincoleman]

You for sure got that right!

[@keithdekok8603]

Great project, amazing to see it completely built up from basic parts. I am 77 and here in Australia used to build and service amps and other valve electronics. Eespect !!

[@bolshebrik3660]

I'm blown away by the making of the tubes themselves. I had no idea you could just do that by hand!

[@DerekRonin]

This is an amazing lost art! Was not expecting tube making in the process, this is next level stuff!

[@Radiotechlb]

It is the best project ever, in which someone can use his vintage spare parts, and make them useful, operational again and immortalized!! that vaccum valve step-by-step manufacturing process!! astonishing! In all, it is a work of art.

[@alexislancaster2691]

in all my life i have never seen someone make vacuum tubes Truly amazing the level of detail and dedication that you put in to your work,

[@chitlitlah]

I wasn't planning on watching this whole video, but this was captivating. The amp is beautiful. I wish I had one myself. I also like the homemade lathe, induction heater, and spot welder.

[@ericrawson2909]

An excellent job using very basic equipment. I thought only Glasslinger made tubes by hand.

[@user-hw9ui8pu9s]

Оказывается шуруповёрт это станок для стекла!!!! Турбо Горелка может сделать чудеса со стеклом в руках мастера и без помощи кислорода, которого всегда не хватает и не так доступен и дорог в получении. Интересно ознакомится со всем инструментом необходимым для данной восхитительной работы. Поразил примененный геттер. Благодарю за информацию. Много для себя открыл нового.

[@Spikejwh1]

I absolutely love your Fallout 4 Pipe weapons style of cobbled together tools like your spot welder. Everyone can spot weld with a state of the art spot welder from a shop but this is amazing ! The parts of this welder are straight out of a dustbin or found in the gutter... perhaps even the cat might have dragged some parts in ! Absolutely Impressive !

[@KeritechElectronics]

Fascinating! Few have the gear and skill to do it. I love your experiments. I like how the amp is built, very '20s retro style, reminding me of @glasslinger a lot. Nice vintage rheostat there! It'd be so beautifully complicated by today's standards :)

[@absalomdraconis]

Part of the genius of it is that the only equipment that's _that_ rare is the vacuum tube and modified power drill.

[@zahariburgess3660]

@@absalomdraconis i love the simplicity of the macheinary in the video.

[@thomasjackson1213]

I am very impressed with your creativity and skill . As an amateur radio hobbyist for 59 years I really can appreciate the significance of your efforts and I still use a vacuum tube amp for my power amp on HF radio . great effort!!

[@1hahman]

This is one of the most fascinating things I've ever watched! I can't imagine how long it took to build up the skills to make all that from scratch!

[@fenech97]

Everyone who collects vintage radios is lucky because they all teach you something, especiallywhen you open them up and see their insides.

[@billhall8745]

More than 60 years ago I built things like this but not the valves, (tubes). The old Body Tip Spot colour code for the resistors. Many of the components especially capacitor, chokes etc had screw terminals so most of it could be done without soldering. I must have a dig out in my garage to see what old components I can find. I am really impressed that you managed to make the valves. 🙂

[@Benoit-Pierre]

there are other videos of people building lamps. a very old one ends with a certification of the lamp for a famous brand.

[@billhall8745]

@@Benoit-Pierre Thanks, I will have a look. 🙂

[@Benoit-Pierre]

@@billhall8745 the oldest I know kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHzEpKdnd7-Sl6c This a reup. I saw it way before 2010

[@billhall8745]

@@Benoit-Pierre I watched it. What a lot of skill and patience required 🙂

[@Benoit-Pierre]

@@billhall8745 i have checked. He is manufacturing for Bose. Each lamp has a characteristic curve, folded in the box. When client ( Bose ) wants to do a stereo amp they need to check caracteristics for all lamps in stock and try to pair them to avoid stereo distortion. So if the present video is done for entertainment, my link points to an active industry. The guy speaks French but I think he may be Swiss of Belgium.

[@speedbuggy16v]

very cool, I never in my life would have considered making my own vacuum tubes, great ingenuity with all the home built equipment as well!

[@sparkyy0007]

A little trick for your lampwork to prevent stress cracking on feedthroughs,..and any lampwork. When you're done the work, build up a good layer of insulating soot on the glass during the carbon flame and completely wrap it in cotton batting while still hot. It will smoke a bit, but cool down much slower and reduce stress and cracking in the metal/glass interface. The carbon layer just wipes off easily when cool. Really awesome work, reminds me of my young days of if you can build it, you can have it. Keep em coming.

[@OldGrayCzechWolf]

Ah the soft glow of thermionic components. I remember my dad working on our old radios and tvs. He used to fix up stuff other people threw in the trash. Later he did his own digital exposure timers and such for his dark room. He had many talents, electronics, car mechanic, wine making. His profession was chemical engineering and physical chemistry.

[@K.D.Fischer_HEPHY]

Love your improvised tool set (specially the induction heater in the knife box). Just shows how important is the skill to use any tool properly really.

[@TheTonylegrone]

Wow that was freaking amazing to see! Watching you go from loose wires and glass pipes to pulling music out of the air was like witnessing actual sorcery. Awesome build!

[@1nePercentJuice]

You're one of those people that were born to understand and do things effortlessly. Your methods are a bit crude, but that's actually part of the appeal to me. Such a neat project.

[@georged9615]

The breadth and depth of knowledge, skills and experience shown here is mind boggling! And let's not forget the inventiveness and motivation. I was blown away to see vacuum tubes being built in a home workshop. Amazing, impressive and inspiring. Thanks for this video!

[@michaelalberson126]

I understand some of the principles here however not all. The manufacturing of the tubes was absolutely awesome. The building of the filament and grid and the glass work and solder or welding of the grid and filaments which is obviously very tedious. Your many skills and knowledge of electronics and especially analog electronics Is absolutely amazing. This is the best demonstration of amplification I have ever seen. And to do it from scratch and with very basic tools. Your skill set and knowledge are absolutely stellar.

[@utubengh1]

I started out with tube circuits 50 years ago, but never considered the idea of making a tube myself, absolutely amazing to watch, blew my mind, so inspiring to hear it actually working.

[@PosthumanKindergarten]

if i could only upvote this video three times... one for genius, two for explanations, and three for frugality

[@MrSlehofer]

Awesome, proper homebrew, all it needs for perfection are homebrew resistors, caps and transformers.

[@absalomdraconis]

Resistors (at least for the low values) _would_ be interesting. It's possible to make them from pencil leads (for old fashioned "lead holders", not from actual pencils- you can find both leads and holders in artist supply stores, as that's the only field that still uses them), a bit of wire coiled around the far ends of the lead (separate pieces, to form the electrical contacts), and a bit of solder to hold the wires still. You'd want to paint something insulative on for safety, and maybe some colored nail polish on top of that to color-code the resistor value, but fairly simple. Might be possible to do the same with mechanical pencil leads for higher resistances, but that would be fiddly work, and some might not be conductive at all.

[@kendoty2463]

@@absalomdraconis I saw tons of leads at Dollar Tree! 😀

[@MrHilariousPanda]

This is incredible! The level of your DIY ingenuity is extraordinary! I love all your home made tools and devices. So cool.

[@Hr.0ldenberg]

Ein wunderbares Radio. Entwicklung und Herstellung in Deutschland, Germany. Max Grundig war ein genialer Techniker in Sachen Radio!!! Leider war ich 1978 noch zu jung, um mir nur ansatzweise dieses Radio leisten zu können. Das Datenblatt habe ich damals aber bekommen♥️♥️

[@alexanderlit5743]

Вау! Как же это невероятно круто сделать лампы самому и собрать аутентичную схему ! Мое почтение Вам, выше всяких похвал!

[@generessler6282]

Just ran across this, and it's so excellent. I'm loving the repurposed X-acto knife box as induction heater enclosure. Total mad scientist. Reminds me of me in my misspent youth. Awesome and super enjoyable. Thanks. nb: I'm kind of surprised the KZbin copyright algorithm didn't nail this. Maybe the mains transformer core sat distortion is a good thing!

[@jdflyback]

Thank you!

[@wa4aos]

As an electrical engineer for many years and a Ham op for 50 years, this has been one of the most interesting and well done videos I have ever seen on KZbin. You took very simple, mostly home-brew tools and built, not only a tube amp but a tube amp where you built your own tubes. Absolutely Brilliant !! Just curious if either of your parents, grandparents uncle or aunt may have been an engineer or technician and encouraged you earlier in life. WELL DONE !!!

[@jdflyback]

Thank you! My grandfather was a radio ham and experimenter but I never met him. I have mostly discovered things through the internet and KZbin in particular.

[@BradLehmannArt]

Kind of in awe of this. I love the old look of tube stuff from the 20s-50s, especially all the huge chunky components, there's a certain beautiful appeal to them.

[@patverum9051]

Absolutely spellbinding...I am76 yrs old and witnessed the change from valves to transistors, and mechanical calculators to electronic ones.

[@TheGiselaSchumacher]

Amazing yet again!! Your tubes are looking prettier every time you make one! And they work well to boot! As someone who also dabbles in handmade glass tubes, I have to say I am very impressed with how far you've come and what you're able to do. It takes perseverance and skill to manipulate glass and make these tubes, and not a lot of people can say they are able. Keep up the great work! I look forward to seeing more projects!

[@jakep8484]

Any good books on the subject? Ive built some tube amps and would like to learn the art of making tubes.

[@danashay]

That. Was. Fascinating! You have a very singular skill set. Big fun to watch, thank you for sharing! Neat! You work that glass like you've done that for a long time. Magic. Bravo!

[@NorthernKitty]

This is truly amazing!! Talk about "old school!" 😋 This is something I worry about, that the more that we become technologically advanced we are losing the skillsets and history that brought us to this "advanced age". Showing us this is like preserving an ancient dialect of our language. 😁😁😁

[@pepsitwsit]

Incredible metallurgy skills (snip cut weld Tungsten wire ) , awesome glassworks , great understanding of electronics and the thing that I liked is that you don't need no branded tools to complete your task , just use imagination , creativity and an amazing set of skills !

[@patrickfitzmichael5940]

I'm glad there's people like you in this world that appreciate old tube electronics enough to put in the work that you have. I wish I had the understanding of tubes you have displayed. I'm working on it. Most of the books I have bought (a lot from the 1940s) are full of formulas I can't wrap my head around.

[@alexander3554]

The essence is like this: electrons will flow from a hot wire that is negatively charged (cathode), to a plate that is positively charged (anode), but not the other way around. Such a device is called a diode. If you add a third electrode in between (called the grid), you get a triode. If the grid is positive or neutral relative to the cathode, the electrons move along just as before. But if you apply a *negative* charge, the flow is blocked because the electrons are repelled back to the cathode. The interesting thing is that you only need a tiny variation of more-or-less negative voltage on the grid to cause a large variation in electron flow (current) overall from cathode to anode. So a triode can amplify a small change in voltage into a large change in current. Here two such stages are used in series: the input goes to the grid of the first tube and its anode feeds into the second grid.

[@popadozenluudsoldude]

To meet you and watch you work in your lab would be the highlight of my 75 years on earth. It would be tantamount to meeting Nicoli Tesla!!

[@BillKibby1]

Very masterful build! I remember years ago when the TV would act up, dad pulling all the tubes and going to the local Safeway grocery store to test them. Closest I've seen to this was going to a repair shop in the late 60s to have a new electron gun welded onto our television CRT, to a young boy it seemed almost magical.

[@FFGG22E]

One of the greatest things ever uploaded to youtube. I'm shocked at how great this is. The songs at the end and the dual use as a light source...that's great.

[@jdflyback]

Thank you!

[@GereBear85]

This is by far the most fascinating video I've seen on tubes. Thank you for taking the time.

[@jdflyback]

Thank you!

[@zarzum]

You absolutely deserve the raving comments below. This is by far one of the coolest YT videos of all time. I just hope that some of the younger people will keep their focus for more than 5 seconds to realize what you achieved here with your knowledge, a couple of very basic tools and incredible skill. Thank you!

[@robbehr8806]

Outstanding! Back in the 1960's, I built things out of salvaged TV parts and did such things as wind inductors around toilet paper tubes, but I didn't know anyone who made their own tubes.

[@GaryrietM]

Did not know that you can build tubes at home! AWESOME

[@renaissanceman5847]

Awesome job dude... very rare to see such skill today. in a world of tinkerers that simply buy an Arduino or PIC and plug it in then claim to be nerds... THIS is what tinkering is. raw and true. get yourself a Patreon set up so that other tinkerers can support your content and enable you to help fund future projects. Good luck and keep it going!

[@tomvarley4344]

I hope the generation behind me are watching this and learning, fantastic work. You are an inspiration.

[@tomaspavelka4091]

I'm speechless. I saw some videos of making homemade vacuum tubes, but this one... For me it's unbelievable what people can produce at home. Really nice job, nice sound (for homemade tubes) and great video. Keep on going.👍 Greetings from Czech Republic 😀

[@brianbaird6528]

This guy is amazing to watch. He's an old-time craftsman who really knows his craft. He takes pride in his work. When it's done it's a show piece decoration that actually works. Great job. Making those tubes gives me a new appreciation for the little transistors that I buy for a dime or a quarter each. They do the same job as tubes, but for audio, tubes still sound better.

[@TuringMachine-xc3gf]

I've met him, and this only touches on his many skills. He's a craftsman but anything but old.

[@nsikakfridayakpan5510]

Even I feel so sad when I see people throw away or crush electronic components. I wonder if they know how precious there are and what time and energy had been put into making them. They don't even know what they crush because they don't even plan using it in other ways round.

[@jayamneel3403]

Having such precious olden tools and making tube amplifiers beyond imagination. Really you have shown me the real magic of science/Electronic . With love, From, INDIA.

[@lainaanial]

Excellent, takes me back years to prototyping circuits as a kid with little equipment. The valves are something else though.

[@nsikakfridayakpan5510]

I love ❤ this. I actually watch it from the beginning to the end without getting bored 🥱. Every steps and part are so interesting. Thank for sharing this with us. Respect from Nigeria 🇳🇬

[@AdamKouse]

This is next level. It's one thing to get old stock, but to make your own tubes from scratch is awesome.

[@BrianBoniMakes]

Home made tubes! I'm blown away.

[@dirtdart81]

The amount you accomplished in this video on the most shoestring of budgets was amazing. Well done