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LED glass clock with ESP8266 and LED SK6812 mini-E

efi222 8700 47
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  • DIY clock with LED tube-style displays on a wooden base .

    Hello :) .
    I present another watch from my collection.
    I got a bit bored with the blocky shapes and came up with something like this. :)
    We all have a fascination with tube displays from a bygone era, unfortunately their prices are a bit prohibitive and basically nothing can replace them. The aim of the project was to get at least a minimal approximation to the atmosphere of tube displays. All in all, what came out was quite an unusual creation :D . Everyone asks: What are these tubes?
    The SK6812 mini-E LEDs (2.8x 3 mm) were used in the design, due to the small size of the display. These LEDs can be addressed similarly to the WS2812. This of course limited the number of wires connecting a single display to 4.
    Most of the components were printed. I obtained the glass bulbs from tubes with a diameter of 25 mm. I also looked for a larger diameter, but further down the line it's all bottles and jars.
    I cut the test tubes to a length of 80 mm. Cutting with a mini grinder with a diamond disc. First a scratch all round and then 2-3 rounds are enough.

    The electronics are a handful of components. At its heart is the ESP8266. The displayed time is taken from NTP servers.
    PCB board with electronic components, including ESP8266 WiFi module. .

    Prototype displays. Digit height 30 mm. I tried to simulate a getter, but without success.
    Prototype LED display in a glass enclosure .


    Description of the build.
    Prints from FDM printers do not look sensational. To make a printed solid look nice, further processing is needed.

    Base:

    I start machining the base by applying adhesive film to the top of the panel.
    Black watch casing with holes and black adhesive foil. .

    The surface area is not too large, so there were no problems.
    Black panel with four round shapes on the surface. .

    After gluing, I trimmed the foil roughly along the contour of the base. I start sanding from the folded edge - front-top and sides-top, until the excess foil is rubbed off.
    When sanding the front and sides, you need to pay attention to the edge of the adhesive film and break down the edge every so often.
    After sanding the front, I cut out the holes with a knife.
    Black front panel with five round holes. .

    The front is grey after sanding. To restore the colour, it is wiped with a cloth moistened with liquid silicone. In my opinion, the final looks better than the filament thread.
    Black plastic housing with an opening on the front panel. .

    You can now paste the plinths as shown, paying attention to the cut-outs inside the plinth and its seam so that it is at the back.
    Black cylindrical plastic housing. .
    You can direct the seam towards adjacent plinths. But this is a choice of slicer settings.
    3D model of a display base with four cylindrical openings. .

    Black base with four tubes for mounting watch displays. .

    Mounting displays:

    I bent the LED leads down before mounting.
    Two white SK6812 mini-E LEDs on a light background. I have bent the LED leads down before mounting.

    The fenders of the digits are covered with white veneer for better light diffusion. They can also be painted.
    Four LED number displays on a wooden surface. .

    The components of the digit housing.
    Components of an LED watch display .

    Order of assembly. All elements are assembled with a snap (no glue).
    The back cover can be printed in white or transparent plastic. This results in a slight glow on the back of the watch.
    Diagram of an LED display with layers and components. .

    Assembled numerals.
    Two prototype LED displays on a table. .

    The cover mesh needs to be pre-matched with the display switched on before it is cut to size in order to select the optimum position of the holes in relation to the display segments.
    LED display with red digits behind a perforated mask. .

    Mounting .
    Test before final assembly. Colour rendering poor unfortunately as it is on film....




    Soldered to the PCB, the displays are mounted from the bottom of the panel. Simply slide them in.
    Compact clock design with LED displays against a black casing .
    There is no fixing here.
    View of the back of the clock with visible PCB board. .

    Finally, a mother board is attached to press down the display PCBs.
    View of the interior part of a watch case exposing the PCB.

    Close-up of the watch interior showing a PCB and soldered connections. .

    The plinths of the 'tubes' have a slight play due to the spread in diameter of the tubes. In order to make the slides "sit" tightly I used insulating tape.
    Clear glass test tube with red elements at the ends. .

    Scheme:
    Electrical schematic of an NTP clock with SK6812 mini-E and ESP8266 module. .

    Cutting the tube: The cut section is not even 10mm. To make it more difficult :) . Playback speed x3.


    .

    Other comments: .
    PCB of digits and colon - 0.6mm thick. Other 1mm.
    A description of the woodgrain sides is a few posts below.
    All elements printed with PLA on glass with 0.4mm head.
    I used two slicers. Cura 4.13.0 and Prusa 2.8.1

    ArduinoIDE source code, STL and pdf files of the PCB for thermal transfer are attached.

    Well, and I think that's all there is to it. Greetings :) .
    Attachments:

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    About Author
    efi222
    Level 19  
    Offline 
    efi222 wrote 532 posts with rating 967, helped 7 times. Live in city Toruń. Been with us since 2019 year.
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  • #2 21357685
    TechEkspert
    Editor  
    Very aesthetically pleasing workmanship!
    For simulation of the geter mirror on the tube wall ask @AlekZ :) .
    Bottom is wood sanded and painted with stain?
  • #3 21357743
    efi222
    Level 19  
    The black part of the base is a PLA print. What prints from FDM printers look like, everyone rather knows. To make it look nice, further processing is needed. The front is sanded on sandpaper. After sanding, the PLA turns grey. To restore the black, simply wipe the surface with liquid silicone. A scratchy black then comes out. The top of the print is covered with matte black self-adhesive veneer.
    The sides are also a printout, except that a furniture border is ironed onto it. This is glued to the black panel at the end.
    You could probably make everything out of wood, but that's probably the advanced carpentry background you need.

    Two rectangular pieces made of 3D printed PLA, one with a black matte adhesive veneer on top. .
    PLA print base with attached brown element. .
    Close-up of a black PLA base with tubes and edges. .
    .
    3D printed PLA enclosure with a mounted circuit board.     .
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  • #4 21357744
    LA72
    Level 41  
    Execution very nice.
    Unfortunately no specific information about the construction.
  • #5 21357771
    efi222
    Level 19  
    I will ask for some patience. This is the only copy at the moment. Some elements are glued together. I will be putting another one together in a while and then I will explain the construction step by step with all the elements.

    abbec93bb Added after 2 [minutes]: .

    TechEkspert wrote:
    For simulation of geter mirror on tube wall ask @AlekZ :)
    .
    Maybe the triggered AlekZ will speak up, because I'm getting a bit tired of this geter. :D
  • #6 21357825
    gulson
    System Administrator  
    An idea from tradition, with a modern twist.
    Thank you for another wonderful design, pleasing to the eye.
    The parcel machine I know. ;) .

    BTW
    You mean to say that these "lamps" cannot be bought, and you made them yourself using mini LED strips?
    Did you know that you just stumbled into a good business?

    Animated character holding money with text Shut up and take my money! .
  • #7 21357931
    efi222
    Level 19  
    gulson wrote:
    An idea from tradition, with a modern twist.
    Thank you for another wonderful design, pleasing to the eye.

    BTW
    Did you know that you have just stumbled into a good business?
    .
    Thank you for your words of appreciation. These "lights" came out by accident when building another device. The fact that I had been thinking about tube displays for quite some time. :) .
    Regarding business, friends from Asia are looking into Elektroda. Perhaps they will use something from this project. They are fast. :D .
    And amateur builders will print themselves such "lights" at home. :)

    Added after 7 [minutes]:

    And maybe there will be a new term "LED lamp" by the way....
  • #8 21358008
    TechEkspert
    Editor  
    About those prohibitive prices are you writing about Nix? The VFDs weren't that expensive, and the effect is nice too.
    As for Alka, it can spray a real geter mirror, so on that subject it's worth reading what it can suggest.
  • #9 21358018
    gulson
    System Administrator  
    You can use a Nixie, a VFD, but a lot of the hassle goes away as it will just be a strip LED. :) .
  • #10 21358061
    efi222
    Level 19  
    TechEkspert wrote:
    About these prohibitive prices are you writing about Nixa?
    .
    Yes. On Aliexpress, the price of a 4-digit watch hits 1000 pln. A bit pricey for me...
    VFD I still have a few pieces from old stock. But small displays of 12mm I think.
    And regarding my "lamp" you can improvise further. Here an example of 7 segments from this watch. But even a small matrix of such LEDs would fit.

    Close-up of a two-digit LED display with segments. .

    And I will write to Alka after Christmas. Maybe it is possible to make this mirror....

    Added after 7 [minutes]:

    But a real geter mirror will turn white when in contact with air.... It should rather be an imitation though....
  • #12 21358092
    efi222
    Level 19  
    Noooo...
    The potential is there. It even looks similar.
    Just the chemistry...
    Thanks for the guidance. :) .
  • #13 21358132
    Karaczan
    Level 42  
    Very interesting idea with these pseudo Nixies.
    I've got a bit of such mesh, I'll poke around with the LCD screens to see if they at least come a bit closer to VFDs.

    Simple 2x20 VFDs can be sourced cheaply from cash registers, right away with a nice controller.
    But with graphic VFDs there is a problem. OLEDs on the whole resemble them a bit, but getting a big one isn't easy either, and prices are discouraging.
  • #14 21358251
    ArturAVS
    Moderator  
    efi222 wrote:
    I tried to simulate a getter, but without success..
    .
    How about a drop of silver nitrate and heat it up? This would give a silver dot inside the bubble.
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  • #15 21358286
    cirrostrato
    Level 38  
    TechEkspert wrote:
    Very aesthetically pleasing workmanship!
    For simulated geter mirror on tube wall ask @AlekZ. :) .
    Alek does not simulate, he applies the getter, and how to do it not in a vacuum? Merry Christmas.
  • #16 21358329
    efi222
    Level 19  
    After thinking about it, I wrote earlier that a getter without a vacuum will turn white.
    This leaves an imitation. Maybe this silver nitrate will actually work.
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  • #17 21358346
    Citizen75
    Level 28  
    efi222 wrote:
    In terms of business, friends from Asia are looking into Elektroda. Perhaps they will use something from this project. They're fast.

    Similar pseudo nixie displays, or indeed whole clocks, are available on domestic and overseas sales portals. They are constructed of transparent plates (Plexiglas) on which the numbers 0 to 9 are engraved. These plates are illuminated by LEDs, also RGB, which gives an imitation of nixie lamps. Other such nixie displays are based on graphic displays and can display more than just numbers.
  • #18 21358401
    efi222
    Level 19  
    Karaczan wrote:
    Very interesting idea with these pseudo Nixie.
    I've got a bit of such mesh, I'll poke around with the LCD screens to see if they come at least a little closer to VFDs.

    The mesh, at least the one I used (fan filter) has asymmetrical holes (you can see it in the picture) and "left" and "right" side (probably the effect of extruding the holes). When combining, it is worth paying attention to this and trying to rotate it 90 degrees horizontally.
  • #19 21359007
    szeryf3
    Level 29  
    I thought it was a clock with Nixie type lights, which I like, but this one surprised me with this one.
    Beautiful thought and workmanship.
  • #20 21359677
    bsw
    Level 21  
    Bravo for the original idea!

    At first I thought you had put an ordinary led seven-segment display in the tube. I once committed such a clock myself, in which each segment was displayed using a different technology (incandescent, nixie (neon), vfd (luminophore - fluorescent) and finally LED). Such a short history of electric light:

    Various types of numeric displays on a base. .

    After reading this, I noticed the details of the construction of the single display and immediately had a thought and a question at the same time. You wrote about wanting to simulate a NIXIE display. So why did you use a clichéd template from a typical 7-seg display? After all, you can go wild with non-trivial digit patterns e.g:

    Varied segment designs of numbers on a colorful background. .

    I recommend changing the typeface in your next watch :-) .
    More examples of 'segmented typography' in interesting videos:



    .


  • #21 21359730
    efi222
    Level 19  
    Congratulations on your experiments. :) .
    And where is it that I wrote that the watch is supposed to simulate NIXIE?
    On the contrary, I wrote that quote: "All in all, it came out as quite an unusual creation".
    I was already about to write where the comparison of some commentators to NIXIE displays came from.
    Overall an experimental design and there is a lot to change here. Once you remove the grids and set the right colour, it will look like a VFD sooner. :) .
    Combinations with the getter have nothing to do with NIXIE either.
  • #23 21359746
    bsw
    Level 21  
    efi222 wrote:
    why the comparison of some commentators to NIXIE displays.

    Ok - the design of the 'lamps', the mesh on the front and the mention of the getter evoke an association with NIXIE. Although the shape of the digits brings to mind more of a VFD.... But that was just such a preface.

    In the main part of my post, I suggested changing the typeface to something less typical - which is asking for it with such a display design!
  • #24 21359890
    efi222
    Level 19  
    hetm4n wrote:
    I used Edison bulbs instead of test tubes, I just had to cut them down
    .
    Is it possible to cut these slides off with a mini diamond cutter?
    And the design is very cool. Only in my opinion, with this type of display, the insignificant zero should light up. So always 4 digits. Well, but that's a matter of taste. :) .
    bsw wrote:
    In the main part of my post, I suggested changing the typeface to something less typical - which is called for with this display design!
    .
    Videos with examples of display fonts inspiring. The SK6812 mini-E are very small, so the scope for design is there. :)

    Thank you both for the hints. :)
  • #25 21359930
    ArturAVS
    Moderator  
    efi222 wrote:
    It is possible to cut these slides with a diamond minitool?
    .
    I haven't tried, but I doubt it. Take a look:



    .

    Once upon a time, I used to cut tubes from fluorescent tubes by wrapping them at the point of cutting with resistance wire and heating it up. I then poured water over them. One in several cracked.
    In order to round off the edges, I put the glass in the oven for a while and treated the heated edges with a blowtorch. The glass gained some "fluidity" and the edges rounded slightly. Then tempering in the oven for a few dozen hours until the chamber cools down. Much depends on the thickness of the walls. Boro-silicon glass is best (unless there are newer alloys). In general, I guess the typical laboratory glass is resistant to heat treatment and shrinkage.
  • #26 21359968
    efi222
    Level 19  
    The tubes used in the project are boro-silicon. I just cut them off with a small grinder. So much so, you can't drive "sharply" into the glass just contour to deepen the scratch. After three - four such rounds, the glass is cut (2 - 3 minutes). Then the cut edge is sanded on the outside with an angle grinder. Inside with a small abrasive stone. But you can also over-melt the edges as you write. The guest in the video is clearly a skilled magician. :) .
  • #28 21359985
    efi222
    Level 19  
    @ArturAVS . Well that's just it dry... At first I tried to soak the disc a bit, but this water was splashing out to the sides anyway. Another test tube cutting and dry sanding. When cutting, the slide should lie on something soft so that it "doesn't ring". For the next cuts I will make a small film.

    35x0.6 mm disc.

    Diamond cutting disc with a diameter of 35 mm and thickness of 0.6 mm on a wooden surface. .
  • #29 21359994
    ArturAVS
    Moderator  
    Glass is only wet sandable, it is too brittle a material for dry sanding. Instead of using a sander, you can use 1000-2000 "water-based" paper, especially as the glass will break if you put a little pressure on it. To roughen the edges, such paper is just the right thing. If you have already cut the edges, use a tray of water+paper and go.
  • #30 21359998
    Zloty60
    Level 21  
    Oh boy. Almost like Dalibor Farny.



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Topic summary

A user presented a unique LED clock design utilizing SK6812 mini-E LEDs and glass tubes, aiming to replicate the aesthetic of vintage tube displays. The project involved 3D printing components and using glass bulbs sourced from test tubes. The design sparked discussions about construction techniques, alternative display technologies like Nixie and VFDs, and the potential for creating similar devices at home. Participants shared insights on materials, cutting techniques for glass, and the possibility of using OLED displays. The conversation highlighted the challenges of sourcing affordable components and the creativity involved in DIY electronics projects.
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