Category: making things

Nixie Tube Clock

January 8, 2003

Well, I just pretty much let the auction evaporate at $125 for the clock. I think what I’m going to end up doing is building this clock right here. There’s a couple of reasons for this… A) I’d really like to actually build my own clock, I just hope I do a good job soldering and such. I’ll probably have to practice beforehand on some old motherboards or kits or something. B) I’d like a clock where you can see at least some of the circuitry. C) This clock listed here is built to sync off of the WWVB transmissions, much like a few of the other clocks in my house. This is a GREAT feature. D) This clock uses huge Z5680M 100mm high tubes (50mm numbers) which will be nice from reading across the bedroom. I’d also be able to finish the base in a color which would better match my bedroom, where the clock will live.

So… Yeah. No clock for me tonight. It’s probably better for my pocketbook, anyway. Oh, I just checked and the auction jumped to $154.25 at the last minute. So, it’s good that I didn’t bid. Oh well, I’ll build one eventually. Maybe after this current computer job that I’m working on for my dentist. That job is paying about $500 and is for upgrading three computers. That extra $500 should pay off my CC. Maybe with whatever is left over I’ll get the necessary stuff for the nixie clock. While I want to work on the bed, I need to wait for it to get a little warmer out. This would be a good winter project.

Nixie

January 8, 2003

So I want a Nixie tube clock… Here’s the problem. There are some really nice clocks up on eBay, likely to go for the same price as it would cost me to build a clock. The question is, how soon would I be able to build a clock? I’d love the warmth of a nixie clock in my bedroom, but should I wait and build one and hope I do it right, or spend the same amount for a nice looking, finished, functional clock?

electronics making things moved from livejournal

Homey Stuff II

October 15, 2002

Well, today I went and got the moulding for putting around the ceiling of my bedroom. I also got a router. A router is the one thing I’ve been needing in order to finish working on building my new bed. The best part of getting the router, though… I’ll start from the beginning. When I was at Home Depot earlier today getting the moulding, I saw this $59.99 Ryobi router that seemed to be just about everything I needed. It locks so bit changes are easy, pistol grip handles with a locking on/off switch on the handle, 1 1/2 HP, easily adjustable, and cheap. So, that all works out. I go home, get the $25 Home Depot Gift Certificate that I got from my sister and brother-in-law for my birthday, then head over there. Well, when I was grabbing the gift certificate, I found another one gift cert that I thought had maybe $1 or $2 left on it. I took it along, figuring I’d use it up. When I got to the cash register it turns out that this gift card somehow had $50 on it. So there we go. Free router! Woo!

I’m going to borrow my dad’s Black And Decker Workmate and his chop saw. Then I’ll be able to cut the moulding, route out the mortises on the bed, and generally keep progressing towards a nice looking, comfortable bedroom, complete with a big, soft, comfy bed. Yay!

But now, it’s time for bed. I’m Mr. Sleepyhead and tomorrow night is the Underworld show. Woo! I took Wednesday off, that will be a good day of rest. Maybe I’ll get started on the bedroom then. I need to pull everything away from the walls, wash the walls, patch the little nail holes, clean up calk overflow from when the place was build, then start tacking up the moulding. After that comes the hardest part. Picking out colors. Then painting, then I’ll move all the furnature out, clean the carpet with my parents steam cleaner, then it’ll be all good to go.

Somewhere in there needs to be time to clean the bathrooms, eat, do laundry, and just generally live. Gah! heh.

acquired things around the house making things moved from livejournal

June 26, 2002

What a wonderful storm we had today. I arrived home from work just in time to see the deep purple, grey, and blue clouds boiling up above my house. I wandered around outside a little, came in, then the downpour started.

It was just so wonderful… The lightning, the rain, the wind, everything just right.

Tonight I started work on two projects. Well, one of them is actually a continuation of something I was doing about a year ago. Tonight I put the first coat of paint on the door leading from my laundry room into the garage. It was half painted the original builder’s tan, and the other half was the aweful flat gray my uncle painted most of this place when my grandparents lived here. Now both sides have an initial coat of the green smokish color that my kitchen and laundry room both are.

The other thing I started back on was building a bed. About a year ago I decided that I wanted a nice solid wood bed. Since nice solid wood beds are prohibitively expensive, I decided to build one. It’s a solid oak mission style bed. I think it will be finished in a fairly standard darker oak color to match the furnature that is already in my bedroom. Some new hardware on the furnature, a new ceiling fan, lamps, and some other accessories and the bedroom should look good. It’ll also be nice to have a queen sized bed instead of the twin that I’ve had my whole life. If you’re interested in seeing pictures, they are in the newest catagory at the standard place.

around the house making things moved from livejournal weather