{"id":66894,"date":"2019-12-12T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ponoko.com\/blog\/?p=66894"},"modified":"2019-12-16T12:34:18","modified_gmt":"2019-12-16T20:34:18","slug":"led-nixie-clock-lixie-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ponoko.com\/blog\/maker-success-stories\/led-nixie-clock-lixie-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Lighting Up Sales With The Lixie II"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Side Hustle Success\u2014Using Laser Cutting To Build A Viable Business <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are dreamers, and there are doers. Then there are people, such as Connor Nishijima, who are both. What began as a DIY project to find an alternative to making an expensive Nixie clock for himself has turned this hardware engineer\u2019s life in a completely new direction\u2014one that has him calling all the shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we last talked to Connor in April 2018<\/a>, his Lixie (an LED Nixie clock) was selling so well that he was able to turn it into a full-time business. While he was experiencing great success, this didn\u2019t stop Connor from continuing to refine his design. Fast forward to the end of 2019, and Connor has introduced the Lixie II, a significant upgrade to the original. Here\u2019s a look behind the scenes into this maker\u2019s success story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning Dream Into Side Hustle Into Full-Time Job<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To really get an understanding of how the Lixie II came to be, you must roll the clock back to the year 2012 when Connor first learned about single-board computers from a college buddy. \u201cHe told me that he had one of the new \u2018credit-card-sized computers\u2019 and I had to see it!\u201d Connor explains. \u201cTurns out it was called a Raspberry Pi<\/a>, and it was less than $40 to purchase. I borrowed his unit while I waited for mine to arrive and immediately looked into how to use it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor learned that when you hooked up an LED between two of the Pi\u2019s pins and wrote some very specific text into the console, that LED would turn on and off at your command. \u201cI was instantly hooked,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019d had prior experience programming for websites, but all of that code stayed behind a computer screen when it ran. This was different. I just used code to take control of an object at the atomic level and there was no going back!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adjust your clock again to early 2016. Connor has become fascinated with Nixie tube clocks<\/a>, which use vintage glass tubes filled with a mix of neon and argon gasses that can show a numeral when powered with high voltage. Unlike their seven-segment counterparts that can be found on stovetops or microwaves, these clocks were warm in hue and typographically beautiful. However, because they were no longer being manufactured, they have become quite expensive, especially for larger tubes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s the rub. While Connor loved the style and\nfunctionality of the Nixie tube clock and wanted to build one of his own, the price\npoint was a deal-breaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So he began researching how to make a Nixie-tube-inspired clock, looking for digital projects that he could customize and make his own. Almost a year later in April 2017, Connor had completed prototyping and testing, and he was ready to debut his new product to the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This LED Nixie clock\u2014the Lixie\u2014incorporates edge lighting\nacrylic with a wooden base for a fresh take on modern time telling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lixie<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Lixie displays simulate the look of a Nixie tube by stacking\n10 panes of clear acrylic (each etched with a numeral 0-9) and lighting them\nindividually from below using LEDs. They’re 4″ tall and can be tied to any\nelectronics project with a microcontroller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat you get with a Lixie is a transparent block with a floating number inside, in whatever color you’d like,\u201d Connor explains. \u201cThe Lixie digits can be used for clocks, live visitor counters for websites, readouts for things such as CPU temperature, or (if you have 15+ Lixies) a live U.S. National Debt display.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The original Lixie<\/a> was such a hit that within just a few short months, Connor was able to quit his day job and begin focusing on building his Lixie business full time. \u201cI had been working a dead-end job at a hardware store, but striking success with a product made with Ponoko materials has allowed me to work full-time on my own since 2017,\u201d Connor says. \u201cI am constantly reminded of how amazing it is to build and sell my own products instead of breaking my back sorting incoming pallets of freight. Without the killer customer service at Ponoko, this neat life might not have happened for me and I might have still been horribly, dangerously depressed. By working with Ponoko, I\u2019ve escaped that other timeline and formed a viable business with my now wife Katie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparing Nixies To Lixies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consider the Nixie tubes that Connor originally fell in love with. They require around 170 Volts to operate (dangerous for children and pets), have sat unused in warehouses for up to six decades (unknown lifespan), require 12 wires for each tube (72 wires for a full clock) and only show numbers in a single color (limited showcasing options).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lixie<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLixies, on the other hand, while admittedly not *quite* as cool as a dangerous, glowing 1950s tube, are much more approachable in comparison,\u201d Connor explains. \u201cThey only require 5V to operate (less than your smoke detector), they\u2019re controlled using only three wires no matter how many you have (5V, GND, DATA), can glow in any conceivable color combination, and are actively supported and replaced by my wife and me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retiring The Original Lixie; Debuting Lixie II<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After 1,000+ original, hand-assembled Lixie displays were sold (1,047 to be exact!), Connor officially retired the original model and released a sequel, the Lixie II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n