We all like the appearance of neon signs, but between glass blowing equipment, gas cylinders, high pressure and related skill combinations, it is not for everyone. Fortunately, there is now a good choice: "neon" flexible LED strips. This is the method [Benni] recently used when creating large-scale logo displays, and the results speak for themselves.

[Benni] Purchase the article from AliExpress. They are 8 mm wide and can be cut into multiples of 4.2 cm. There are RGB LED strips inside, making the display more versatile than actual neon lights. Covering the LED is a silicone diffuser, which completes the illusion of a neon tube. The flexibility of the strips makes them easy to bend into different shapes, but it also means that some kind of solid substrate is required to keep them in shape. In [Benni]'s case, he used a metal frame to which he glued the strips with cyanoacrylate adhesive. When the glue solidified, he used the cable tie to hold the strip in place, and the fact that he clamped the end of the cable tie proved his instinct to pay attention to details; we might leave them behind. However, all the attention paid off because the final product looks great. Some 3D printed bezels with acrylic diffusers and traditional LED strips provide finishing touches, as well as a DMX LED controller.

We have seen [Benni]'s work before, such as this beautiful USB rotary encoder peripheral, just like that time, there is a video that really shows this project. Take a look after the jump.

What Ted completely lacks is that neon light is not only a kind of art, but also the mastery of many kinds of art. A well-structured neon display can have a continuous service life of several decades. There is no doubt that this display is neat and tidy, and if all you are after is flashing colors, he did it. However, if you are looking for technical art that requires multiple skills, this is not a problem. It's like comparing this LED display with neon lights, like comparing a handmade Rolex watch with a digital Casio. Casio is flashy and can even maintain better time, but it will never have the artistry of Rolex.

The problem with neon lights is that they have heavy cultural associations. To me, this is almost a symbol that we have nothing to say, at least when you do it with a classic neon look.

This is nightlife, bars and motels, it's a place on the fringe of Broadway musicals, and it's also a place where people can drink and relax. It is a big city in its purest form, not a place where people start technology companies, march on the streets, work on corporate ladders, or even fall into poverty.

It is about the city and staying overnight for its own sake. I know these things mean different things to different people, but for me, it takes *a lot* to make the neon lights look like they don’t belong to the old-fashioned city center.

Or a lonely motel along Route 66.

Then stop calling this plastic fake "neon light" it is not. It never will. Interestingly, cheap fakes are often sold to ignorant people with "neon" and neon price tags. Examples or stereotypes that are not entirely suitable for your clean and tidy life.

Rather than strictly implementing clean living or similar things, it is better to use aesthetics to convey information. If you are building something that is modern in every way, or something designed to remind historical times, you may want to avoid elements that seem inappropriate.

Neon lights are a very cool art form and have some very good uses not far from where I live.

But yes, there is no reason to call it a neon light, unless it is something like "LED neon light", just like we have a "solar generator".

I think it is a better choice than neon sign for his logo, but it may not be the correct medium for neon sign.

Even LED light bulb users who like numbers better than movies have to admit that something like this is still relevant today and has not been completely replaced, which is really cool.

If you haven't watched it yet, PBS has released a wonderful documentary about restoring some of the large Las Vegas neon signs that I highly recommend, called "Restaurant Neon." They are repairing them to be placed in the Neon Museum in Las Vegas.

But then again, maybe living in Vegas has changed my view of neon lights, because most of our neon lights are custom-made instead of the typical high-volume beer-produced beer signs you buy elsewhere. In fact, there is a law in Las Vegas that every company needs to add at least some neon elements to the external signs, which also adds some "customization" factors. I know where you are from, but I really can’t agree with seeing so many places that can only be described as handmade art between painting, making and glass.

There is nothing more like the neon flickering, flashing and buzzing of its way out. Or the funny spelling mistake you got with a dead letter.

When people buy neon lights for their homes, businesses, or anywhere, I think most of them are not looking for technical art. I agree that it may be an art, no different from custom suits and handmade shoes. In other words, 99.9% of people in the world have no ability to create their own neon signs. Even if you have a cool idea, you will spend money to do it for you elsewhere. With this, you can at least design and create it yourself.

Add a few more after the decimal point 9

This is a good comparison, because even if Rolex is "handmade", it is still a mass-produced, not so unique, flashy accessory for those who care more about the brand than the artistry. The real, hand-made, meticulously crafted and designed watches with real artistry and exquisite craftsmanship come from brands and watchmakers. I don't know or know them. Compared with Rolex, they are cheap. The same goes for neon signs: anyone with enough money can get a customized specification. It is handmade, just like Rolex, but still mass produced like Rolex. It looks good, just like Rolex. But this is not as special or unique as Rolex...

Logo making is a craft or industry, different from art. Neon lights can be an art form, because almost anything can be a medium. The huge difference between creativity and craftsmanship. A few years ago, a friend of mine went to New York on vacation and came back with a beautiful watch, Bolex. It looks as good as anything the executives wear, and it's only $100...handmade is a loosely used phrase, mainly for marketing. It's a bit like made in the United States, but inside the housing, the circuit board is made in China, and the liquid crystal display is also made in China. But in most cases, custom neon signs are very expensive. Fragile glass and high pressure are no longer so attractive, and cheaper, more durable, and safer illuminated signs have been around for some time. Neon lights will always have a place, but you have to pay for it, just like your Rolex. Finally, this buddy did it himself! He didn't spend a lot of money to buy a bandit magnet on his wrist. His logo is likely to dispose of an empty beer bottle, or at least cheap and easy to repair or replace. Not everyone has millions of money to buy everything that is readily available, or to hire a job, and some people still feel a little proud and satisfied with what they do.

This is correct to some extent, but I still prefer my Casio (ProTrek). Features, sensors, no moving parts, no (ticking) noise on the bedside table, no entanglement (solar charging). If I had extra money to buy a real Rolex, I would not want to make it so obvious, and I would not spend it on a watch. I have a similar one, but I rarely use it-see above.

Here you can see what I used to build the logo. This is for a friend who is organizing a party. Not suitable for bars or shops. It is installed behind the DJ and is the logo of the organizer.

https://youtu.be/9jJ581TquI0

Wow, sorry, I didn't convey the main point of the project, it was interpreted as anti-neon. This is certainly not the entire content of the original project.

As a neon bender, I know the ins and outs of neon lights. If you have no problem with cheap imitations of neon lights, knock yourself down. But what is it. A cheap leader. Don't even mention neon lights at all.

Hit the LED on the head! I am also a neon artist, and the absurd advertisement of the LED strip is offensive. My neon lights have been lit for almost 30 years. Neon is an art form, and the other is playskool.

In the 80s, I learned how to bend and produce neon tubes. Three years later, I was mediocre in this regard. Making neon tubes is indeed an art form that requires a lot of practice and incredible skills. Now I mainly use addressable LED strips. I like them and have made many cool projects that neon benders dream of. But they are not neon lights, and neon lights have a unique and special light that cannot be replicated by LEDs. Neon tubes are very hard and can be formed in all 3-dimensional spaces, viewed from almost any angle, while still maintaining perfect and uniform illumination. I also have some old neon signs, one of which predates World War II. 70 years from now, will my LED strip still work? I doubt it. I have been seriously considering buying equipment from a closed old neon shop and relearning skills.

In that case, nail it!

I am glad to see the ferrule crimper used at 6:08.

Big Clive recently disassembled this flexible LED tube on his channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEXQ9e9vKcA

Indeed, it is a good alternative to expensive and dangerous/fragile neon lights.

Thanks for the link

Of course it is not a neon light, of course, but it is within the scope of home hackers, it can do things that neon lights can't do, change the color! (And all neon lovers, please don't hit me with a hollow glass tube!)

How does EL wire compare to neon lights? Will it be closer to the original version than the LED strip?

Its advantage is its thin and flexible nature. But in terms of longevity, this is terrible. I think some of the rated brightness is only 3000 hours to 50% under the nominal drive, which is not very bright. If it runs at night, 3000 hours is less than a year. The person above mentioned that LEDs and real neon lights have a poor lifespan. But EL is an order of magnitude worse than EL.

Thank you for the update... It seems that EL is actually much worse!

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