In the world of modding, Limelight stands out, and for a long time already. In any case, we have noticed it, and we are not the only ones. His latest BF box, the Freehand S, is a huge deserved success. By starting by offering wooden pipes, Limelight was already announcing the color: the taste for fine craftsmanship and a well done job. That's good, we like that too. So, at least, it makes a pleasant topic of conversation. When we know that in addition, this young talented Serbian modder is inexhaustible on his job, we say to ourselves that this is undoubtedly the opportunity to know a little more behind the scenes of Limelight.
What did you do before Limelight’s adventure?
Before founding Limelight I was in college getting my master degree in Civil Engineering, then founded an e-cig distribution company which I ran for some 3 years
When and why did you decide to make it your own activity?
At one point in life, I decided to do what I really like and that’s to develop and make stuff. I had different ideas and paths at the time but after meeting some people from within the industry and being supported in a way like never before, I decided that is where I see myself.
Are you working alone?
I started alone, but soon found a partner mostly as a financial backup, at the beginning it was hard. I was left with no money after the whole ordeal with my partners and my former company, back then in 2013 I invested all I had to open a chain of e cig shops on my own and the little that was left went to Limelight. I used to work in a small room in my friend’s apartment in Belgrade and rely on my father’s friends to make parts for me as he was a milling machinist. After that I slowly found one by one helper and one by one machine and started doing everything in my own workshop. In tough times when I could barely make ends meet, I was never unhappy as I had my girlfriend and close friends with me and extraordinary customers who gave me all the positive energy I needed to carry on. Today I work with my father and 12 other guys who are dedicated to different stages of production, I do the final stuff on all the products.
Why did you choose this name: Limelight ?
Limelight means to be in the center of attention, the main man if you will… Before, in old theaters, they used to burn phosphorus in a can and direct the light to the main performer on the stage, the light had a lime color, so this became a synonym.
Could you please describe us the creation process of a new product?
Well, it all starts with me doodling and sketching all the time, I find inspiration in literally everything around me, I like to sort the technical stuff first being I am an engineer. When I come up with the concept and the shape, I make a clay model and carry it around for a while constantly improving it, then it’s off to making a real model which usually has a lot of issues which I solve one by one. There are a lot of trials and errors before you can get a final product which has to be possible to produce. As I have learnt making one off is not a hard task the hard part is getting a concept which can be produced and assembled.
What is the manufacturing time of a Freehand S?
You can’t really put a timeframe on production for pieces like these. The machining times are somewhere between 3 and 4 hours for all positions on the wooden piece plus the metal pieces. But each piece has to be hand finished, metal pieces get brushed or polished, some blasted… The wood needs to be sanded down and the edges rounded off which starts from 220 grit all the way up to 12000 then there is polishing on the wheel or in case of the clear coating there are many coats with sanding in between as well as the final polishing. All these steps vary from piece to piece.
For how long are you a vaper?
I have never smoked a cigarette; I usually use a mechanical mod or pipe with 0mg just because I like vaping and the taste and enjoy using good products (bought a BB recently) Been doing so from when I first encountered e cigs back in 2010.
What is your set-up right now?
Freehand and a Split atty.
What are the Limelight’s next plans?
Company wise, we got a new space with enough room, and I am constantly getting new machines, when I started, I had to design and make most of the machines, some of them are still in use as they were made for specific operations. As for the products, Freehand is the way things will head, the Gloom and the new Polymer material is the pinnacle of my creativity so far… The regulated Freehand is next in queue.