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 Neon started with clear glass filled
with neon gas which glows red when processed in a neon plant.
Argon with added mercury which glows blue when processed came next.
Then phosphorus powder was added to the tube walls to give more color
options.
Back to kindergarten: blue powder + red gas = pink neon
blue powder + blue gas = blue
neon
purple powder + red gas = hot
pink neon
green powder + red gas =
orange neon, etc.
Next came along colored glass and then colored glass with phosphorus
powder added.
Generally, neon tubing comes in four foot straight lengths.
A neon glass blower will heat the straight tubes in fire to get the
glass pliable. Then he shapes the tube to the fullsize,
reverse paper pattern of the neon project that is covered with a screen
so the pattern does not get burned.
Each unit of neon has two electrodes that are then sealed onto a
manifold system and the tubing is sterilized & processed using
a vacuum pump & a bombarder.
The neon or argon (need to add mercury for argon) is then added to the
tube. The tubes are sealed off and then the unit is ready for
the project.
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