IV18 steampunk VFD nixie clock : Open design challenge !

thingiverse

Here's My Latest Creation, a Clock Based on an IV18 VFD Tube! This clock is powered by a simple USB charger or any laptop USB plug. A boost converter increases the 5V to 30V, and an ESP32 takes care of multiplexing all the digits via an HV5812 driver. To pilot the ESP32, I've developed an Android App using Bluetooth Low Energy. The app offers several features: * Self-connection to the device without pairing * NTP synchronization of time if Wi-Fi is available * Synchronization of time with your smartphone if no Wi-Fi is present * Dimming of the tube based on ambient light * Various time formats * Automatic tube switch-off using a radar detector (motion detection) The design is relatively compact, and the schematics are minimalistic. Now, Here's the Challenge! My clock consists of a copper pipe (18mm in diameter) inserted into the CNCed bottom. The electronics are hidden inside the bottom. The tube is glued into the copper pipe, and 20 wires are soldered to a connector that connects to the main board. The design may not be ugly, but it's not exactly awesome either! I've published two bases: one elliptical and one more rectangular. The challenge is to redesign a more organic plate that still accommodates the copper pipe. I can imagine something like a wave going from the pipe to the floor while hiding the electronics (basically, the "main board hole," the USB plug, and the pipe hole should remain in place). The 18 to 22 pipe fitting could be removed. This new plate could then be copper-plated using this technique: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1661301 If you have any design ideas, I'd love to share at least the binary codes of the ESP32 and the Android App! The challenge is ongoing!