BulbCollector Forums
BULB BANTER => General Discussion => Topic started by: marcin on December 01, 2011, 03:19:28 pm
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Hi All
This is my first post. I am an electronics hobbyist and a vacuum tube collector. During the day I am a computational biologist currently living and working in Norway.
My current Id?e fixe is recreation of the original Fleming diode. One looking just like this (http://handley.org.uk/images/fleming/hires/P1010281.jpg). The problem with this tube is that it uses a carbon filament.
I am asking The Wisdom of This Forum for help on how to get such a filament. The filament is horseshoe shaped, approx. 25mm tall, 8-10mm wide and runs on approx. 12V (neither of these values are very critical).
I looked the Internet up and down and found that basically I have two options: Either I scavenge filament from those new-made carbon filament lamps and trim it down, or I make my own from scratch. Scavenging of course seems simpler. But if I learned anything in my life is that the simple way seldom works. ;)
Creating one from scratch would require a lot of effort: creating cellulose filament, likely by squirting, carbonizing it, and then flushing. Especially flushing seems tricky as it looks that it should be done in atmosphere of hydrocarbons and hydrogen. Still I believe it is doable. And of course there remains a small task of gluing a carbon filament to the metal lead wires.
Could anybody offer any opinion, suggestion or know-how?
Thanks,
Marcin