Home Brew Tubes

[Trout]

Saw this in another forum, Its just to good not to pass along.

DIY Tube Video

 

[Blue Strat]

Great stuff! Thanks for posting.

 

[Trout]

Great stuff! Thanks for posting.

YVW,

BTW, his website has a lot of interesting info, though my French is very rusty.

Trout

 

[Rosewood]

That may be the smartest guy I've ever seen, great tools too.

 

[uberpict]

DIY!!!???? Well if you're a full fledged EE, ME, glassblower and machinist you might do it yourself, LOL.

This is, however, a great lesson on how to start up a tube manufacturing shop without the expensive machinery used by the current tube manufacturers. Still takes lots of equipment but not out of reach for someone with the gumption and cash flow to do it.

+1 This guy has some mad skills and great tools, very impressive!

Thanks for the link!

 

[Trout]

Based on the past 2 years of farm and estate auctions I have been at, I but you could be as well equipped at this guy for about 4-$5000.
Saw a cherry bridgeport go last summer with at least $20,000 worth of tooling for under a grand at a farm auction.

Seems like a heck of a lot of old school machinist had some pretty fine equipment and I see a lot of it lately going cheaper than cheap.

Credit to the guy in the video though, Guys got skill for sure.

Trout

 

[Tallhorses]

That was awesome...

 

[phsyconoodler]

That's what rich French guy's do for relaxation.That and dig for truffles with their pet pigs.

 

[mr.blacksummer]

pretty amazing. never have seen that process before. thanks for posting that!

 

[fyrwyr]

Very cool, I wonder if he is selling these? If so probably around $300 or so maybe more

 

[TheAmpNerd]

That was very kewl, thanks.

 

[teleamp]

That was awesome...

My thoughts exactly!!!

MikeY

 

[conundrum]

Four days in and we already have the Post of The Year:BEER

 

[The Pup]

Wow.

 

[Trout]

Now that I have watched the vid a few more times, I just keep seeing more and more genuis. Guy even made his own tube bases.

I suspect he even made the evacuation pump from the looks of it. Now My wheels are turning haha, Start buying up all the old high output sweep tubes for parts(plate material) and whatever else that can be salvaged and then head over to American Science & Surplus for some Glass!

Like I need another project, my women would kill me!

Trout

 

[Rosewood]

What would be a fair price for making a tube, $5000 each? Man that's a lot of work, I'll never again complain about the prices we have to pay for tubes.

 

[GenoBluzGtr]

My next thought is.. how would it sound?

Amazing. If he hadn't cleaned the glass, he could sell them for extra $ as "smoked glass" versions...

 

[Trout]

...what we need is a Boy Scouts Merit Badge in 'Building Vacuum Tubes' to ensure the knowledge-base doesn't disappear!

Got That Right,

It is an art that is dying faster every year.

Richardson has been running an help wanted ad for several years at the plant up the street from me.

Glass Blower

Previous vacuum tube experience is strongly desired

How do you get previous experience at vacuum tube manufacturing here in the USA and still be under or well past retirement age?

 

[LZ_69]

Got That Right,

It is an art that is dying faster every year.

Richardson has been running an help wanted ad for several years at the plant up the street from me.

Glass Blower



How do you get previous experience at vacuum tube manufacturing here in the USA and still be under or well past retirement age?

I bet someone who used to do light bulbs would be there only hope.

 

[John Phillips]

Notice how the very first tool he uses is mankind's greatest invention, too .


Quite amazing, really! It's the way he does most of the fine work with apparently quite crude tools (not only the Swiss Army knife) that's most impressive in some ways...