Building a Nixie Clock is easier and cheaper then you might think
The Nixie Tube Clock is an example of geek luxury. It's rare, it looks cool, and there are only a limited number of tubes left in the world, adding to the elitism. And it gives your lab that evil genius vibe. But with the right knowledge and skills it is easily obtainable.
A set of 6 new tubes will cost you around $60, the closer you live to Eastern Europe - the cheaper. Just search for
nixie IN-12B
on Ebay. Used tubes are even cheaper, but bear in mind that they have a limited lifespan (5-10 years). And by "new" I mean made in the 1980s, because around that time mass production stopped.
Then you will need a cheap Control Board from Aliexpress and some DB Terminal Connector 1.0mm Sockets . The control board has all the necessary functions for timekeeping, as well as an anti-cathode poisoning routine to prolong the life of the tubes. Time separator LEDs and all necessary wires are included with the board. Board will also work with only 4 tubes connected if you don't care about seconds and want a smaller design.
Additionally you need a 12V power supply, or USB 5V-to-12V converter (in case of USB, make sure that source have at least 3A).
You need to solder the board wires to DB sockets or to tubes directly. Start from anode
A
which is identifiable by arrow or by white isolation:
To make tube set easily mountable, I've made a 3D printable STL . Then you need to find a nice looking wooden or metal case to mount it in.
Then you print a decorative panel for the front and paint it with bronze spray paint.
In the end you get a nice fusion of modern and vintage technology that looks great.
