Raf, great post!

I’d love to see your notes. With the EE contest ending, its time some of us decide what we’re going to do with those ideas. Some may license, some may patent, some may manufacture it themselves. Its time we all work together to make our dreams come true.

Great then! Over this weekend, I will dig out my old notes and take some pictures. I’m thinking about technical how to information. How to build the rough prototype. How to refine it. How to make a silicon rubber mold and make multiple copies. How to use those copies to further refine your prototype. Etc. Should be good instructions for anyone interested in trying to do it alone.

Raf, I just don’t think that alot of my inventions could be prototyped that way. One of my inventions requires a mold of the product to be made. It’s a redesign of an already existing product but the mold for the product would just be designed differently. Because of the change in design – it not only changes the look but also the functionality of the product. I don’t know that I could make something like that at home. I think it requires a steel molding machine.

Patrice, That’s the very best situation you can have for shoestring prototyping. Imagine with me, if you will, being able to go out and buy the existing product at the store. It may be a multi part product or a single part product. If it is single, its easier. But multi is good too. Now, if you need to add to the product (For example adding handlebars to a toothbrush.), you could make the handlebars out of clay and stick them onto a toothbrush you’ve purchased. Then pour a block of silicon rubber around the new toothbrush with handlebars added. When it cures, you remove the toothbrush and clay handlebars. Now you have a mold with a cavity shaped like your modified toothbrush. Next step, pour some two-part self curing plastic into the mold and allow that to harden. When finished you will have a single prototype of the toothbrush with handlebars; strong and sturdy because it is made of a single piece of plastic. You can make 50 copies of that if you like; for testing, modifying, etc.

Lets say you want to modify the shape of the neck. you can cut a toothbrush you’ve purchased, or cut one of the copy prototypes and glue the pieces back together in the desired bent neck configuration. Make another mold of that and you can pour more two part plastic to get copies of the bent-neck prototype.

The possibilities are endless. I’ve made variations of cell phone cases (skins) with this technique. I didn’t have to reinvent the cell phone, or the casing. I just added clay to the case I had carved some arwork into it and made a mold, then a plastic part. In the end it fit perfectly onto my phone because the underlying structure (clips, tabs, dimensions, etc.) was exactly the same as the original. What’s more, the clay was easy to remove, so I didn’t have to destroy the original! I don’t know what your design is. But I bet there’s a way for you to build it yourself!

You might be surprised Patrice. The silicon mold stuff Raf is talking about can do some amazing things. If you can make the shape to start with, you can make multiple copies of it. I also picked up a small computer controlled milling machine on Ebay. You can do a lot at home.
Of course people here have already talked about wandering store shelves. If you look hard enough you can often find something that works, as part, with little or no modification.
Raf, I’ve done some of that molding with limited success. Any advice or tips you can share will be much appreciated.

Mark, have you made all you own prototypes? I’m only wondering because I don’t know exactly where I should go to have a prototype made, which I have decided I defiantly want to do. I have a homemade one but it doesn’t fully function due to the complexcity of the end product. I’m not that savvy when it comes to mechanical and technological stuff if you know what I mean. Do you know of any companys that are reasonable in the $$$ dept. but trustworthy as well?

Raf, that is really good advice, but there is one factor about my invention that might not work with that. I can’t say because I might give it away. I did go to the craft store and bought styrofoam, spray paint, glue, etc to make it look like the product.

What is the exact purpose of a prototype? Is it just so that you can present it to a company for a better idea than a sheet of paper?

No Amber, I usually make a proof-of-concept myself because that’s by far the cheapest way. The milling machine is too slow for many parts. I use a company called quickparts for SLS samples based on computer models I make. They have been good so far. I like Raf.’s way to make multiple stronger samples, but am still a rookie at silicon molds.

This weekend I’ll post a How To Topic with some nice pictures. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not as difficult as it first seems. Ane when you start working with the stuff, your mind comes up with ever more inventive ways of creating the parts you need. Sure, you may have to resort to stereolithography/rapid prototyping for some parts. But let’s say you can go and buy something similar with 10 parts, but you only have to modify two of them to make your invention. You can save a lot of money by making at least one of them yourself. Other ways of doing it might involve having a prototype company make the whole thing, all 10 parts for tens of thousands of dollars.

Patrice,
Prototypes serve many purposes. The most important is to prove that your idea will actually work in the real world. This weekend, I will reveal my paper pleater invention. In concept, the invention should work like a charm. But prototypes have shown me that the design is way too complicated (even though it looks simple). In the end it should still work, but the prototype shows that I would need very tight tollerances. Too tight and costly to produce for a children’s toy.

Prototyping can also give you other valuable information. Can tell you where to improve upon your design. Can tell you approximate weight, shipping $, packaging considerations, etc. Can inspire you to trash the old design and come up with something that’s simpler and less costly to manufacture.

I don’t know if my really good entry in this EN casting call will go all the way. But if it were not for prototyping, I would still be stuck on my original design, which would probably have electrocuted someone, and certaily would have been ruled out early on as way too dangerous.

I can understand how actually making the product would help you realize errors you wouldn’t catch in your head or in a drawing.

I designed a fishing lure 3 years ago. It was designed to move in the water vertically in a stationary position. The prototypes particular shape proved to provide movement, not only vertically, but also from side to side in a serpentine motion when force was applied to the fishing line. One could also make the lure jump out and dive into the water, move in a serpentine motion side to side, up and down, and in a circular motion when reeled it. All of these movements were controlled by the relative force and speed one used when reeling in the lure. There is one example as to how a prototype can yield different results not conceived within the thought process.

I am always interested in how people make their prototypes; my inventions always seem to be so different, and prototyping them always presents (to me) new challenges! Whether, they be mechanical,textile,electrical, etc…I will always look for the most economical way to produce my prototype…

I know ways to make the real product…. Not prototypes, usually right on your kitchen table, with no special tools or work space.

I’m not so sure that I want to share my hard earned skills and blood, sweat, and tears wisdom just yet though.

But I’ll give this (though there should be a fee for this information): If a manufacturer can make it economically, you should be able to at least make it for up to ten times the cost that a manufacturer could make it. The primary reason that a manufaturer can make it cheaper, is because of buying materials in bulk supply. Also, when they have an assembly line going, they save massive amounts of time by producing in bulk. But when making a “prototype” as you may call it, manufacturers must also make a prototype in most cases, to understand the feasability, operation, and practicality of a product, before they decide to mass produce it. Computer generated graphics can only go so far, and is quite different when actually holding a product in your hand.

This is all important information that I’m telling you because it is leading up to an important point/s….

They train architects and CAD drafters a surprising rule: That the drawings are simply supposed to be guides!!! And there is most always going to be unforseeen obstacles and situations that you have to work around the drawings. What all this means is that the way you first envision a product in your head or on paper is not going to be the way or the best way to make it in the end. And if you have the proper flexibility in your mind, your product will most likely change.

So, in home manufacturing, you will have the same problems that manufacturers and professional facilities have. After beginning to build, and even after you build your first model and test it, there is going to have to be some refinement. And it’s back to the drawing board.
So, the key point in either “prototyping” or actual manufacturing is flexibility of the mind and acceptance that product will have to be re-drawn, and re-made.

Patrice, As you will see this weekend when I post the methods of creating my paper pleater, I was initially working with the physical properties of the paper-holding materials (friction, flexibility, grip, etc.). Alone, the pleating material worked very well in my hands. But when I attempted to put the pleating material into a frame and have the pleating action function automatically, I discoverd that it couldn’t hold the paper to be pleated tightly enough to actually pleat it. The paper would just slip out of the device. In 3d models, and in my head, it looked very simple. It should have worked. I realized it actually would work if I could acheive a greater degree of precision in the guidance slots of the frame. But then you couldn’t make it out of cheap plastic. It would have to be brass or steel. No good for a cheap children’s toy. I would not have been able to discover any of that if I didn’t try to get it to work as a prototype. I would have simply had a nice CAD design that works in VR and in my imagination. Had I submitted it to EN casting call and gotten rejected, I wouldn’t have understood why. Now I can see its not even worth entering. And since then, I’ve come up with a much better, totally different way of achieving the same goal. But thats a prototyping story I haven’t written yet.

Patrice,

Less technical answer- there are “looks like” prototypes and “works like” prototypes. They don’t necessarily need to do both well. Your working one can look terrible as long as it demonstrates your idea really works. Your “looks like” obviously wants to be more polished and SHOW what it will theoretically look like on the store shelf, but it doesn’t have to work.

Depending on the complexity- for example a simple, funny idea for Spencer’s- you could license the concept with only a “looks like” prototype. If you can show it and describe the problem it solves, you can find out if a company is interested and go from there.

Jefferson, could you turn that fishing lure into a pool toy? It sounds like fun! Maybe with two people tugging on lines that have to work together to make stunts.

Raf., did you consider giving the slots a small sine wave shape? you can get fair holding friction when the paper is forced slightly away from flat without tight tolerances.

Not sine. but more of a parabolic curve. This weekend you’ll see what I’m talking about. BTW – It’s moot. I found a much easier, simpler way of doing it.

I currently have a working prototype. Not only was it a great learning curvefor me,I was able to fix most flaws. Also after testing myself I had a friend field test one for me as well family a few family members. I got honest answers and more ideas on how to improve or next gen gizmo. Then I put my focus on my patent searches as well as trademark .I am currently on a provisional patent. I would like to license it soon.
I have used this invention in public and have sold 12. So I know they will go like mad.
Oh yeah soon as I had a name that fit,I bought the .com just to be safe Go Daddy $10.
My prototype parts was mostlty things from other things.I found all the parts I needed everywhere.One problem fixed that I had came from a job I had many years ago.
That my 2 cents.

OK, I’ve begun the thread, “Shoestring Budget – Raffy’s Flower Machine”.

If you are interested in how I handled a few hurdles and learned from my prototyping efforts, view the other thread.

The reason I’m writing this is because I’m near to getting a commercial prototype with engineering plans and health and safety certification.

This has added something to my enterprise.

On the basis of having the commercial prototype etc.,I can now have them manufactured,and go into the market with the product idea.

I can have batches made,which control costs,and try for sales in a contolled and limited way.

By doing this,I’m making a start,identifying if and what the demand is,compiling sales figures.

And if the product is successful,since I have gone into the market myself,as opposed to a licensee taking it into the market,I am less subject to terms conditioned by the cost and risks of marketing by a possible licensee.

It also means that I am actually doing something that has an immediate result,and where what I do is the limiting factor.

So your protyping goes from proof of concept,proof of function,proof of health and safety,proof of production costs,proof of sales.

The latter being the commercial protoype which yields proof of sales,where even though it is a retail unit,initially,it is a proof of sales prototype-the final stage of prototyping.

Nice summary of the prototyping steps, Adam! I skipped the “proof of health and safety” step in the invention I’m currently working on, because it’s a small small small addition to an existing product.

Hi everyone,
This is a good topic and topic where I need advise. I have heard so many inventors say that you can sometimes make your product in your own backyard(kitchen) and this may be true for some inventors but as Patrice stated what about the different functions and designs that your invention carries how can you get by with making your prototype then. What do you do when the shoestring budget has left you with just the shoe..and No strings..lol lol lol

Lisa, I like that. The shoe with no strings. LOL
Unfortunately, that gives you a prototype with
no bells and whistles. That’s why I am looking
for shared equity/product developers. If you come
across one bring him to EN. :D

Thanks Brett.

I have to apologise to you for my sarcasm a few days ago.I’m sorry.

I had posted earlier,but it got lost in the update.

I think we owe it to ourselves to make sure that any idea we’re going to go forward with has a pay-back market potential,and can be protected.

Getting drunk on an idea,becoming defensive and losing objectivity and having no idea of the need for assessment,or criteria on which to base that assessment.

Shifting mountains,and blowing resources,time and effort to little or no effect.

Absence of any informed perspective.No plan

Shouting at the moon,and injurious bloodi-mindedness

These were my qualifications for inventing.

Nothin’ wrong with old-fashioned virtues.

WHAT WAS THAT??? LMAO

Toni,surely you mean WWT???LMAO?

DEFINITELY!!!

wondering if anyone could help me out. I’m trying to find out what those pop up hampers and pop up sweater dryers (the kind that fold flat) are made of. I know its some sort of wire or flat metal…but not sure what kind.

Thanks.

Jason

MMost of my prototypes are made in the garage and from scrap material . It may not be pretty but does it work? If yes I protect it then use professionals to help to create the product. The last product i have developed and launched was made from plastic parts reshaped from another one of my products to form the new gadget. My ideas are functional and very simple like me.

Lots to learn on this site and wish i had found this years ago

Jason,

Search the forum for pop up hamper. You’ll find your question and one that I asked last year in a thread. I was given some good suggestions. I ended up using wire coat hangers for my prototype. (Sorry, I’d post the link but I’m on the iPhone and was having trouble copying the whole thing). Hope that helps!

3D printers can be had for as little as $500. There are a few “Build it yourself” kits.

Makerbot Cupcake
Raprep
Rapman

these are all built it yourself kits that come with all the parts needed to make the machine.
Note: these machines are not very large, Makerbot for example will only make a 4×4×6 plastic part. Realistically you’ll be spending $1000 for a good machine that you build yourself. BUT keep in mind the cheapest professional 3D printer is $4000 and beyond!

I used to make my prototypes out of vinyl eavestroughing because it can be easily heat molded on the stove and is easy to glue with pool vinyl glue. I’ve since found a better substance that can also be glued with pool vinyl glue. It’s the clear material they use for protecting basement windows.

Ralf, nothing sticks to the roof of your mouth more than peanut butter…..Does that help?

Maybe if polident became a search sponsor.