TechTube to Start Manufacture of Tubes at Old Mullard Plant! PART 2

[myles111]

Originally Posted by Timbre Wolf

I'd say they had a decent staff of technical folks. That just leaves lots of money Anyone got that? Mine seems to have evaporated.

- T

I think their tech folks and staff were top notch. I think if they had the money they have odds in their favor to pull it off. The stuff they were doing was really quite nice.

[profdsb]

All the staff were paid off a week or so ago, I think it would now be very difficult to get them back, they only had a couple of really technical guys, most of them left before the end, some of us saw it coming and were lucky enough to get out and into another job. The lab services business has been re-launched as an MBO, not sure if valves has much of a chance , they would need at least half a million pounds in the bank to keep the place running, in the current economic climate that's a lot to risk on a one product company

[kingsxman]

Originally Posted by profdsb

All the staff were paid off a week or so ago, I think it would now be very difficult to get them back, they only had a couple of really technical guys, most of them left before the end, some of us saw it coming and were lucky enough to get out and into another job. The lab services business has been re-launched as an MBO, not sure if valves has much of a chance , they would need at least half a million pounds in the bank to keep the place running, in the current economic climate that's a lot to risk on a one product company

Thanks for the update!

[Jeff West]

Appreciate the update.

[SuperReverb2]

Originally Posted by profdsb

All the staff were paid off a week or so ago, I think it would now be very difficult to get them back, they only had a couple of really technical guys, most of them left before the end, some of us saw it coming and were lucky enough to get out and into another job. The lab services business has been re-launched as an MBO, not sure if valves has much of a chance , they would need at least half a million pounds in the bank to keep the place running, in the current economic climate that's a lot to risk on a one product company

Thanks for the update. GREATLY appreciated. I wish everybody associated with Blackburn Microtech - Tech Tubes all the best. I hope everything works out for them down the road. They sure treated all of us here at The Grear Page well. REALLY sad it's all over.

[Rockhound1984]

I read threads like this and all I can think is boy somebody is effing up BAD. I mean what the hell?! it's almost 2010, we're making microchips on what 40 nm dies or some such with 5 million transistors on them, and somebody cant build a friggin' vacuum tube?!!!! It's not like there's any big secrets here. All the manufacturing processes as well as materials and dimensions I'm sure are welll documented and reasonably accessible if you know where to look.

Come on people, it just can't be all that difficult.

-Jeffrow

[myles111]

Originally Posted by Rockhound1984

I read threads like this and all I can think is boy somebody is effing up BAD. I mean what the hell?! it's almost 2010, we're making microchips on what 40 nm dies or some such with 5 million transistors on them, and somebody cant build a friggin' vacuum tube?!!!! It's not like there's any big secrets here. All the manufacturing processes as well as materials and dimensions I'm sure are welll documented and reasonably accessible if you know where to look.

Come on people, it just can't be all that difficult.

-Jeffrow

Actually, it is quite difficult. Tubes are still assembled by hand and that is one reason that a dual triode like a 12AX7 can be more costly than an EL84 or even 6V6 or 6L6 at times. Consistency is very difficult, there are many factors that come into play.

[The_Whale]

Originally Posted by Rockhound1984

Come on people, it just can't be all that difficult.

-Jeffrow

It isn't that difficult to make tubes.

It is very difficult to make a profit doing it though...

[Timbre Wolf]

Originally Posted by Rockhound1984

Come on people, it just can't be all that difficult.

I blame-a myself

Sorry to let you (especially you!) down, Jeffrow.

- T

[Rockhound1984]

Originally Posted by myles111

Actually, it is quite difficult. Tubes are still assembled by hand and that is one reason that a dual triode like a 12AX7 can be more costly than an EL84 or even 6V6 or 6L6 at times. Consistency is very difficult, there are many factors that come into play.

See, thats one of my problems with it. Why do they HAVE to be mfg'd by hand? I've seen and worked in some factories in my life that have had automated manufacturing doing some of the smallest most intricate things you can possibly imagine. Just program a bunch of robots to do 90 percent of the grunt work and you're off to the races!

And as far as profitablilty goes, I'm pretty sure people would be willing to pay a premium for something that wasn't some offshore manufactred piece of unreliable inconsistent pile of crap. I've hardly bought a power tube in 10 years that hasn't rattled like a bitch!

-Jeffrow

[myles111]

Originally Posted by The_Whale

It isn't that difficult to make tubes.

It is very difficult to make a profit doing it though...

No .... it is actually diffucult to make these things using the technology of the past.

[myles111]

Originally Posted by Rockhound1984

See, thats one of my problems with it. Why do they HAVE to be mfg'd by hand? I've seen and worked in some factories in my life that have had automated manufacturing doing some of the smallest most intricate things you can possibly imagine. Just program a bunch of robots to do 90 percent of the grunt work and you're off to the races!

And as far as profitablilty goes, I'm pretty sure people would be willing to pay a premium for something that wasn't some offshore manufactred piece of unreliable inconsistent pile of crap. I've hardly bought a power tube in 10 years that hasn't rattled like a bitch!

-Jeffrow

I think you are correct here but it would take a bit of development and cash to create a new manufacturing methodology and process that would be more modern and automated.

[Rockhound1984]

Then call up the Prez and get some of that stimulus money for the development of new technologies.

-Jeffrow

[myles111]

Originally Posted by Rockhound1984

See, thats one of my problems with it. Why do they HAVE to be mfg'd by hand? I've seen and worked in some factories in my life that have had automated manufacturing doing some of the smallest most intricate things you can possibly imagine. Just program a bunch of robots to do 90 percent of the grunt work and you're off to the races!

And as far as profitablilty goes, I'm pretty sure people would be willing to pay a premium for something that wasn't some offshore manufactred piece of unreliable inconsistent pile of crap. I've hardly bought a power tube in 10 years that hasn't rattled like a bitch!

-Jeffrow

Your point is very valid. I am also sure that folks would be happy to pay $50 for a preamp tube if it sounded good and lasted decades. I cannot begin to count how many amps I have worked on where the amp was from the fifties or early sixties with the original tubes. I pull them and test them and they may be down from spec perhaps 10%. Who knows ... perhaps that was where they were when they were NEW? I have no way of knowing. But ... even 10% down is far better than many new production tubes that are down 20% to 50% and more, totally inconsistent, a crap shoot when purchased and how many will last a few years on the road let alone decades? Not many from my personal experience.

So ... a $50 to $100 tube could be a bargain if it lasted decades. I also think the technology should be available to automate vacuum tube production. After all, we sent a man to the moon when I was in Vietnam and that was a lifetime ago! I got a lot older but technology advanced as I declined in so many ways

[rhp52]

Who will do it if we don't? Who better to do it?