“I wanted to replicate the design of those cool looking “Nixie Tube” clocks but with a freeform circuit style that I enjoy making, so I decided to make this. Overall I think this idea can be taken further and a lot of others things could be built with this style of 7 segment led display (I have a lot of ideas in my mind, just need some time to make them).
This design does require a fair bit of soldering work and does take some time and patiences to complete, but the end result is definitely worth it.
Supplies
Now the supplies are very important to ensure that you get the correct results when producing the freeform circuits. The specific supplies used in the projects are provided below, with relevant links:
Materials
- Brass Wire (0.8mm)
- SMD LEDs (1206)
- SMD Resistor (1206)
- TPIC6C596 (SOIC 16)
- Arduino Nano
- DS3231 Mini
- 5 Pin Female Header
- M2 Inserts
- M2 Bolts
- 2.1mm Power Connector
- Glass Tubes
- Electrical Wires
- 5V Power Supply
- Wood or Filament (For CNC or 3D printing)
- Freeform 7Seg PCB
- Paper / 3D Printed Templates
Tools
- Wire Cutters
- Pliers
- Tweezers
- Soldering Iron
- Solder Wire
- Flux Pen
- Double Sided Tape
- Soldering Silicone Mat
- 3D printer
- CNC machine - (only required if you want to machine the wooden base)”