The Complete Beginners Guide to Squiggles

SquiggleWe have recently recorded a series of podcasts about Makersmith, our clients and our design and manufacturing processes. During one interview the interviewer said “So actually, you start with a squiggle and turn it into a real product?” – and of course the answer is “Yes, that’s exactly what we do…” but, like most things it isn’t quite as straightforward as that.  First you have to have to ask what is a squiggle?, where does a squiggle come from? and lots more besides:

What is a squiggle?

The Oxford Dictionary definition is “A short line that curls and loops in an irregular way.” That’s sort of it, but not quite, our squiggle is much more than this…

Our squiggle can be:

  • A very rough sketch of an idea on paper – or a paper napkin – or the back of your hand
  • A thought that you can just about describe – in your mind – or in the mind of your client
  • A shape that you have seen and that you can describe in space with your hands
  • Something drawn in the sand on a beach
  • A pattern that you have seen – the pine needles lying on a path, the waves on a beach, the texture of a fabric
  • A set of words that describe what you want

And once seen, squigglers can say “I want it like this”; it’s a starting point on a path of design…

Where does a squiggle come from?   

Yoga shapesIn your dreams… . Ideas do come from dreams, perhaps one of the most fundamental was Niels Bohr when he was inspired to describe the structure of the atom by a dream. You may dream of products, structures, shapes, landscapes, machines…

The world around us: the natural world contains so many complex shapes, so many simple shapes and they can all inspire new products, new forms for products, new structures and inspiring buildings.

Our man-made world: often one idea, one shape or form or function will inspire others as contrast or reaction.

Necessity: sometimes only one shape will work or will fit in a space – only one squiggle will do…

leaf pattern2Competition: “I want one like that” or “ I don’t want one like that” are both powerful drivers for creators of things

Clients: your clients have their own squiggles that they pass on to you. You end up with a whole pile of the things – it would be great if someone could take those from you and resolve the squiggles into something concrete…

Where does a squiggle go?

For us, squiggles always go somewhere; we are presented with a squiggle of thought, words or drawing and take it through a sometimes huge process to come out at the other end with a product – a thing – that the was the intention of the original squiggler.   And the say “ah yes, that is just what my squiggle meant…”

Sometimes along the way one squiggle gives rise to others as we generate and select ideas, but always the squiggles become more fully formed as tangible shapes, components and processes develop.

That’s where our expertise lies – in taking the squiggle and delivering the living product.

Do you have a squiggle?

There’s always something that you can put into a squiggle. Our clients rely on us to take their ideas forward from that squiggle to the end product, we also generate squiggles, idea, concepts of our own for clients.

If you have a squiggle or your business has a squiggle, get in touch -we can make your squiggle live!lightbulb water

https://www.makersmith.works/

Modular Design

Modularity is a great concept – in buildings – in products – in transport systems; anywhere there’s a need for flexibility combined with cost effective production.

But what is modular design? Put very simply it’s LEGO®; lots of pieces produced in quantity but capable of assembly into a number – or in the case of Lego, an unimaginable number – of design combinations.

We also ought to distinguish between modular product and pre-fabricated product as there’s often confusion between the two.

Pre-fabricated products are those which are made and assembled in one place – usually the factory -and then shipped complete or mostly complete to their point of end use. As opposed to assembling the product at the point of end use.  This most often applies to building structures which traditionally were built from individual components – bricks and mortar for example – on site. Pre-fabricated buildings are built in a factory and moved whole to the site, this eliminates a lot of risk, cost and effort on site in favour of a more streamlined factory process.

Pre-fabricated products are also often modular as well, but they don’t have to be.

The key issue in modular design is the interaction of the various elements when they are assembled in their various configurations. The ease of assembly and the correct interfacing between the modular elements requires considerable design thought.

This is one of the huge benefits of using computer aided design systems (CAD) as most mainstream packages have features that facilitate modularity.

Here at Makersmith we use SolidWorks as our core 3D CAD system and this allows us to completely visualise and test designs before they are manufactured or constructed. In particular, SolidWorks has a “configuration” feature that allows you to easily create variations of a basic part design as well as easily assemble multiple parts into a range of different assemblies.  This process works equally well for large structures such as buildings as it does for simple individual parts.

The short video shows how a simple model of a piece of pipe can easily be configured with length and diameter variations – all with the same basic geometry. It’s really a very powerful tool indeed.

Modular Structure

We use the same process to construct modular structures that are assembled from many hundreds of parts:

The great thing about doing this is that it’s easy to check all the interfaces and connections to ensure that design detail is fully resolved and that there are no unanswered questions.

Designing and developing modular systems is really satisfying and it’s great when they go together and simply work; it’s probably because we still enjoy playing with LEGO®!

If you want to see more about an early modular building system then this is a great article:

http://www.metropolismag.com/cities/the-enduring-lives-of-sasa-machtigs-modular-creations/

Boot Stumps!

Oak logs ready for making into boot and coat racks
Oak logs ready for making into boot and coat racks

We are just starting a great pro-bono project with a local playgroup; they were looking for bespoke wellington boot and coat racks with an outdoor/natural flavour and really fancied something woody… They also had a large quantity of old broom handles inherited from a local Guide group…

The solution – we acquired some oak logs – complete with moss and bark, and are starting to cut down the broom handles and plug them into the logs to make the custom boot racks.

We’re enjoying recycling and working with natural wood all in one project. It’s also fun not to be working to a rigid design and instead being able to make up the design as we go along.  There will be some more pictures to share once we have finished but in the meantime it just goes to show that whether it’s a simple improvised design made from logs or a complex detailed bespoke project made on our CNC router – we can do it!

See what else we can do here

Stump with boot supports
A boot stump underway!

 

 

Supporting Safe Working (Literally..!)

Pulsar Instruments Plc, founded nearly 50 years ago, is an established and well-respected manufacturer of noise measurement instruments. The devices are used exclusively by health and safety professionals to monitor industrial noise levels and to ensure that they remain legal.

Safeer Sign
The finished SafeEar Max sign

Makersmith were asked to manufacture structural framing to support Pulsar’s innovative SafeEar Max signs which can be wall or pole mounted in factories or worksites.

 

The front panel can be changed to provide hearing protection warnings or simply messages to encourage people to reduce noise.

We manufactured and assembled the frames from CNC cut plywood sections so that they would be both cost-effective and stable.

Using plywood in this way allowed us to make the frame elements self-aligning so improving accuracy and simplifying assembly.

Framing Components
Plywood framing components

 

The client was really pleased and gave us the following feedback:

“Thanks for the wooden frames, they’ve been a great success for this project, providing suitable stiffness for the environments they’ll be used in plus the flexibility for the customer to mount them in various locations.”

It pay to think “outside the box” for structural products; see what we can do then talk to us and we can help with solutions in timber, steel and a wide range of other materials.

 

Assembled frames in a stack
Assembled plywood structural frames

It’s been great to work with Pulsar Instruments who have a strong presence in the UK and sell products to over 40 countries around the world via an extensive distribution network. All Pulsar Instruments’ products are manufactured in the UK and are above all affordable, robust, easy to use, yet accurate.

 

You can find out more about Pulsar at www.pulsarinstruments.com or you can email the team at sales@pulsarinstruments.com or ring 01723 518011…

New Kitchen? Make it your way…

Kitchen doors get a lot use and wear and the most common melamine or foil faced doors are hard to repair once they are damaged and the surface layer is broken.  Using birch plywood is a simple and cost effective way to construct doors that both look good and are easily repairable & refinishable – and, as in this case, have integral handles too…

We were approached by a client in London who was looking for a range of plywood doors for their new kitchen. Starting with their initial list we prepared a door schedule and  provided 3D visuals of typical doors, prepared using our SolidWorks 3D design software.

Handle Drawing Detail
Detail of the integral handle to be positioned in the centre of one edge of each door
Close up of Handle
Integral handle machined into the plywood

 

We also supplied a detail of the integral handle that our clients particularly required:

Once these details were approved we manufactured a single door as a sample and sent it off to our client for approval before manufacturing the whole batch.

Our whole communication process was aimed at ensuring that our client was happy at every stage, both with design and materials.

Door handle cose-up
Door handle machined into the edge of the plywood door panel
Completed door panels
An array of completed door panels in a range of sizes

After sample approval we then manufactured the full batch of panels, coated them with satin finished wood wax and shipped them off to our client for them to install.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s great when we get spontaneous feedback from our clients; in this case we were really pleased when our clients emailed to say:

“Just a quick note to say we are delighted with the door panels, thank you so much for such a wonderful product and exemplary customer service. … they look smashing. We’ve passed your details to our architect who is very impressed.”

All sort of door shapes and profiles are possible so get in touch to see how we can make just what you need…

 

 

Retro Cool

Do you remember the very first video games? The tennis game? The “ball” that bounced from one side of the screen to the other and you had to catch it by sliding paddles up and down at the sides of the screen? Well, if you do you are probably really very old and the games industry has changed just a little since then.

Picture of the console enclosure
The SolidWorks 3D model of the enclosure assembly

 

Jack Barber was inspired to replicate this tennis game using a Raspberry PI as a training exercise. He was looking for an enclosure to house the game that would reflect the retro feel of the original.  Having talked to us we designed a sloping plywood enclosure with a white Perspex faceplate that was suitable simple, retro and durable.

We used SolidWorks to prepare the 3D design which then allowed us to export all the part details for machining on our in-house CNC Router and Laser cutter.

The faceplate was laser cut from white Perspex and the casing parts from birch plywood.

Perspex faceplate
The laser cut Perspex faceplate

 

We then assembled the unit, adding threaded inserts to enable the back panel to be easily removed. The whole case was given a clear wood wax finish and the Perspex panel bonded in place.

All of which goes to show that for one-off or small batch quantities you don’t need to get a plastic enclosure, it’s possible to make something much more tactile and creative.

Result – a housing that met the brief perfectly and has enabled Jack to build the tennis game; now to make some more…

Finished product
The finished enclosure

 

And don’t forget – if you need something making – however retro or unusual, just get in touch with us!

 

 

 

 

 

You can find out more about Jack Barber here.

Boxing Clever…

It’s great when we can solve problems for our clients! This week’s story is about a client who was looking for a small initial batch of re-usable shipping boxes that were to be in two sizes (one up to 1m long) and relatively low cost.

Our solution was to design the boxes to be made from 4mm thick black Correx (fluted plastic sheet).

Correx Box with open lid
The SolidWorks model

Using SolidWorks 3D software we were able to model the boxes to include all the connection and alignment details and then easily produce the unfolded box details.  These were then cut and engraved on our CNC router to produce all the parts needed – in this case the main body and left and right-hand ends.

 

CNC Router Layout
CNC Router tool path layout for main box body

We then assembled the boxes by folding along marked lines and bonding the components in place with specialist adhesive.

 

The boxes worked first time and our client was really pleased; a great example of how we can creatively solve design problems and give you the products that you need.

Get in touch to see how we can make what you need – whatever it is!

Completed Box
One of the finished boxes – it looks as intended – identical to the 3D design model