Piece base case

[Tony]

Really all that's needed is sand the top flat (wet sanding is best). Round off the edges and engrave the top if you want or leave it as is - then colour the piece with gold/silver paint/coloured wax/whatever you want to use. Drop the piece PCB assembly in and use a little glue (from the top) to hold it in place. Push in the nixie.
I used hot melt engravers wax for the ready built board pieces - despite the burned fingers it does work well.

[jmmcg]

I note that the NIXIE holders have an internal shoulder onto which the PCB sits so the pins of the NIXIE show. Yet when I try to sit PCB (with a NIXIE with clean pins) in it, the NIXIE will not strike. With the top board & as a test with the base board on top (for a double thickness) the NIXIE strikes, but at the height of the internal shoulder (in the holder) this raises the pick-up coil (on the NIXIE PCB) too high and it simply will not strike. Can you advise me please?

[jmmcg]

I note that the NIXIE holders ... XXXsnipXXX .... Can you advise me please?

Ooops. *shame* I had them upside down. They are fine. Apologies.