Lightship Neon
@lightshipneon.bsky.social
Raleigh's neon design studio, creating custom neon signs, repairing & restoring older neon, and teaching hands-on workshops in glass tube bending. Visit us at https://lightshipneon.com
We're so excited to share pictures of the restoration we completed on The Carolina Theatre's 32 year old neon sign for their cinemas wing. In preparation for the theatre's 100th anniversary in 2026, they hired us to do a full overhaul and restore the sign to its 1994 glory.
November 14, 2025 at 1:01 PM
We're so excited to share pictures of the restoration we completed on The Carolina Theatre's 32 year old neon sign for their cinemas wing. In preparation for the theatre's 100th anniversary in 2026, they hired us to do a full overhaul and restore the sign to its 1994 glory.
In our last post, we mentioned how neon can be repaired - today's post showcases a letter "T" from a laundromat sign. This was a tube with neon gas, so the repair could be done just by splicing on new electrodes and reprocessing it. This step flushes the tube with helium prior to filling with neon.
November 13, 2025 at 1:02 PM
In our last post, we mentioned how neon can be repaired - today's post showcases a letter "T" from a laundromat sign. This was a tube with neon gas, so the repair could be done just by splicing on new electrodes and reprocessing it. This step flushes the tube with helium prior to filling with neon.
Have you been by the Krispy Kreme in Raleigh lately? We worked with McCorkle Signs to provide a bunch of new neon tubing to help bring this iconic sign back to life.
One of neon's best features is that it's just glass tubing with inert gas inside, and if it gets broken, a replacement can be made.
One of neon's best features is that it's just glass tubing with inert gas inside, and if it gets broken, a replacement can be made.
November 11, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Have you been by the Krispy Kreme in Raleigh lately? We worked with McCorkle Signs to provide a bunch of new neon tubing to help bring this iconic sign back to life.
One of neon's best features is that it's just glass tubing with inert gas inside, and if it gets broken, a replacement can be made.
One of neon's best features is that it's just glass tubing with inert gas inside, and if it gets broken, a replacement can be made.
Today we're showing off some of the recent creations in our Neon Workshop. This is a four-hour event where you'll learn the history, art, and science of how neon signs are made, and then get hands-on time in the fires to work on a design of your very own!
November 8, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Today we're showing off some of the recent creations in our Neon Workshop. This is a four-hour event where you'll learn the history, art, and science of how neon signs are made, and then get hands-on time in the fires to work on a design of your very own!
After spending years as one of the tenants at Transfer Co Food Hall in Raleigh, Benchwarmers Bagels has grown to the point where they're opening their first standalone location at the Rockway development on S. Saunders Street, and we were thrilled to add some neon to their new space!
November 6, 2025 at 1:02 PM
After spending years as one of the tenants at Transfer Co Food Hall in Raleigh, Benchwarmers Bagels has grown to the point where they're opening their first standalone location at the Rockway development on S. Saunders Street, and we were thrilled to add some neon to their new space!
"It's German for 'The Cinemas, The.'" Do we have any classic Simpsons fans following us? Who can name the reference?
All kidding aside, we're going full steam ahead on the restoration for the Carolina Theatre blade sign in Durham. We can't wait to show you the final, finished product.
All kidding aside, we're going full steam ahead on the restoration for the Carolina Theatre blade sign in Durham. We can't wait to show you the final, finished product.
November 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM
"It's German for 'The Cinemas, The.'" Do we have any classic Simpsons fans following us? Who can name the reference?
All kidding aside, we're going full steam ahead on the restoration for the Carolina Theatre blade sign in Durham. We can't wait to show you the final, finished product.
All kidding aside, we're going full steam ahead on the restoration for the Carolina Theatre blade sign in Durham. We can't wait to show you the final, finished product.
We promised there would be more to come from Moon Room: this week we finished up the exterior install on their awning at Smoky Hollow in Raleigh. Bryan came to us with a bunch of inspiration photos of clubs in Europe featuring outdoor, angular neon border tubes, and we worked to match his vision.
November 3, 2025 at 1:01 PM
We promised there would be more to come from Moon Room: this week we finished up the exterior install on their awning at Smoky Hollow in Raleigh. Bryan came to us with a bunch of inspiration photos of clubs in Europe featuring outdoor, angular neon border tubes, and we worked to match his vision.
Showcasing some halloween neon designs today! The pumpkin was created in one of our neon workshops, and the candy corn has been hanging in our front window all month!
October 31, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Showcasing some halloween neon designs today! The pumpkin was created in one of our neon workshops, and the candy corn has been hanging in our front window all month!
It's almost the weekend and we wanted to share this picture of some neon we recently installed at Moon Room in Raleigh - more to come in this space, too, so keep an eye on our social channels!
October 30, 2025 at 12:04 PM
It's almost the weekend and we wanted to share this picture of some neon we recently installed at Moon Room in Raleigh - more to come in this space, too, so keep an eye on our social channels!
Earlier this year, we created some small window signs for Mala Pata in Raleigh; neon doesn't have to be big to make an impact, we love getting to create accent pieces just as much as making spectaculars!
October 28, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Earlier this year, we created some small window signs for Mala Pata in Raleigh; neon doesn't have to be big to make an impact, we love getting to create accent pieces just as much as making spectaculars!
We finally had a chance to stop by Elliott's Barbecue Lounge in Florence, South Carolina, and check out the sign we made earlier this year - looks great!
October 25, 2025 at 12:03 PM
We finally had a chance to stop by Elliott's Barbecue Lounge in Florence, South Carolina, and check out the sign we made earlier this year - looks great!
Continuing our State Fair-themed posts; last year, at the conclusion of the fair, we were given the opportunity to overhaul the neon on one of the the traveling concession trailers. This New York Style Pizza wagon had broken glass, missing tube supports, and some sketchy wiring connections.
October 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Continuing our State Fair-themed posts; last year, at the conclusion of the fair, we were given the opportunity to overhaul the neon on one of the the traveling concession trailers. This New York Style Pizza wagon had broken glass, missing tube supports, and some sketchy wiring connections.
Reposted by Lightship Neon
“I learned the rules before I broke the rules,” he says. “I learned by messing up, just like in skateboarding, where to hop off a set of stairs, you have to fall 10 times before you make it. When I started painting, I said, ‘My God, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.’ But you figure it out.”
Traditional Sign Painter Joseph Giampino's Elements of Style
Joseph Giampino's brush seems to have touched every business sign in Raleigh, from parking garages to city parks.
indyweek.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:54 PM
“I learned the rules before I broke the rules,” he says. “I learned by messing up, just like in skateboarding, where to hop off a set of stairs, you have to fall 10 times before you make it. When I started painting, I said, ‘My God, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.’ But you figure it out.”
It's NC State Fair season, and we did some rush repairs last week for a few of the concessionaires that came to town to set up.
October 21, 2025 at 12:02 PM
It's NC State Fair season, and we did some rush repairs last week for a few of the concessionaires that came to town to set up.
Staff from the Episcopal Diocese of NC came by to take one of our team-building classes last month, and we're so excited to show off their creation! Made of green, blue and white neon tubing, this depiction of a Trinity knot will hang in their offices, with glass sections made by each of them.
July 2, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Staff from the Episcopal Diocese of NC came by to take one of our team-building classes last month, and we're so excited to show off their creation! Made of green, blue and white neon tubing, this depiction of a Trinity knot will hang in their offices, with glass sections made by each of them.
Just a smaller-format custom sign to showcase today, made for a personal music studio. This sign combines clear tubing with red neon gas, and rich blue tubing for the music notes, and provided with a metal bracket suitable for wall hanging.
June 30, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Just a smaller-format custom sign to showcase today, made for a personal music studio. This sign combines clear tubing with red neon gas, and rich blue tubing for the music notes, and provided with a metal bracket suitable for wall hanging.
Part of our business involves repairing neon signs, such as this one from Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, which needed a few neon units repumped to bring it back to life.
June 28, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Part of our business involves repairing neon signs, such as this one from Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, which needed a few neon units repumped to bring it back to life.
We're continuing our experiments with lower light output gases; in our storage area, we now have a large hammerhead shark, filled with Argon gas (no mercury) to create a more muted, underwater appearance. We can create luminous tubes in a variety of colors suited for darker areas, ask us how!
June 25, 2025 at 12:03 PM
We're continuing our experiments with lower light output gases; in our storage area, we now have a large hammerhead shark, filled with Argon gas (no mercury) to create a more muted, underwater appearance. We can create luminous tubes in a variety of colors suited for darker areas, ask us how!
On April 23, 2025, the CURRENT ArtSpace theatre was renamed in honor of Joan H. Gillings, and as part of that renaming, we were asked to create a new sign honoring the sponsor, to hang in the queueing area just outside the theatre itself.
June 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM
On April 23, 2025, the CURRENT ArtSpace theatre was renamed in honor of Joan H. Gillings, and as part of that renaming, we were asked to create a new sign honoring the sponsor, to hang in the queueing area just outside the theatre itself.
We presented Chad with an option to outline the car hood, fenders, windshield and bumpers with red, white and yellow tubing. We also replaced the burned-out headlights and added a cutoff switch so that the sign can run with or without the extra 200 watts of illumination.
June 21, 2025 at 12:02 PM
We presented Chad with an option to outline the car hood, fenders, windshield and bumpers with red, white and yellow tubing. We also replaced the burned-out headlights and added a cutoff switch so that the sign can run with or without the extra 200 watts of illumination.
One of our favorite venues has a new neon sign! Missy Lane's Assembly Room in Durham reached out to us to create a window sign for their bar, cafe and music space, and we had the pleasure of installing it this week. Drop by and check it out in person - we can't wait to see it at night!
June 20, 2025 at 12:02 PM
One of our favorite venues has a new neon sign! Missy Lane's Assembly Room in Durham reached out to us to create a window sign for their bar, cafe and music space, and we had the pleasure of installing it this week. Drop by and check it out in person - we can't wait to see it at night!
Repeat customers are our favorites! Dash Carolina had ordered some neon signs in the past from Glas, and came to us at Lightship Neon to create them a new copy of their logo in neon. Thanks for trusting us to light up your business!
June 18, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Repeat customers are our favorites! Dash Carolina had ordered some neon signs in the past from Glas, and came to us at Lightship Neon to create them a new copy of their logo in neon. Thanks for trusting us to light up your business!
One City Plaza added a new pickleball court this spring as an amenity for building tenants, and they came to us to add a splash of light to the lobby. We used color-matched paint on a PVC background, along with white, red and pink neon to catch the eyes of everyone walking past.
June 16, 2025 at 12:03 PM
One City Plaza added a new pickleball court this spring as an amenity for building tenants, and they came to us to add a splash of light to the lobby. We used color-matched paint on a PVC background, along with white, red and pink neon to catch the eyes of everyone walking past.
We're always looking for new approaches, different construction techniques, or cool ways to present neon lighting. We recently made this infinity box, playing on "Love, forever and ever" in the form of a neon heart sandwiched between two mirrors. For sale in our shop, or contact us to make yours!
June 14, 2025 at 12:01 PM
We're always looking for new approaches, different construction techniques, or cool ways to present neon lighting. We recently made this infinity box, playing on "Love, forever and ever" in the form of a neon heart sandwiched between two mirrors. For sale in our shop, or contact us to make yours!
We recently had the chance to work with Aaktun Restaurant on their new Clayton location, adding some neon glow to East Main Street in the form of this 19 foot long rendering of their logo.
June 11, 2025 at 12:03 PM
We recently had the chance to work with Aaktun Restaurant on their new Clayton location, adding some neon glow to East Main Street in the form of this 19 foot long rendering of their logo.