Red plastic opto filter for 7 seg LEDs?

[Yorkie]

Over the years I've made several projects using nixie tubes and 7 segment displays. Red plastic opto filter sheet was widely available in small pieces for use as a 'window' in front of the displays. I need a piece for a cap tester project that I'm on with and assumed it would still be widely available, but can I heck as like find a supplier.

Maybe because these days, almost every display tends to be alphanumeric ridiculously cheap displays, and PICs.

Anyone know of a source of this red filter sheet stuff please please?

[Tedzed1]

What about a front panel from a scrap video player?
I may have one in the loft it that is any good, but cannot remember what colour the display is.

[Yorkie]

What about a front panel from a scrap video player?
I may have one in the loft it that is any good, but cannot remember what colour the display is.

Thanks for reading and for your helpful reply Paul.

That's a possibility.

I'd just assumed that since 7 seg LED displays are widely stocked by component supplier, that they'd also still stock the little strips. Thin translucent plastic sheet (1,2,3 mm etc) is widely available, but the stuff used for displays is polarised filter material - not just normal plastic.

They used to sell it in strips about 1" wide and 4" long, for digital readouts, clocks etc. Some outfit or another probably still does!
Murphy's law is such that I've proably got some stuck in a drawer in a 'safe place' for when it might come in handy. Like now!

[Andrewausfa]

Hi David,

Two suggestions

http://www.theplasticshop.co.uk/

http://www.instrumentplastics.co.uk/

Regards _Andrew

[Yorkie]

Thanks for reading my post Andrew, and for your helpful suggestions. In fact for the particular purpose for which I thought I needed it, I don't! It's for the cheapo capacitance meter that Alan Beckett built, and having now built my own kit and examined the display, it isn't separate 7 segments but four in a single unit with the segments all surrounded by black resin so the display doesn't really need a 'window' of any kind - just a hole in the front panel.

I guess therefore that this thread can be closed!