To take this project to the next level I met with a professional mechanical engineer. Being able to pin point every curve with the knowledge of how forces travel through a structure really improved the design. I included a couple screen shots from our meeting.



He took the 3D image and broke it down on a molecular level based on the material. In this case 6061 T-6 aluminum. It then went through finite elemental analysis. Basically it means this. After runnign it through a super zoomy program it shows a heat map of where the stress is greatest while in use. It also determines the failure point in the structure and at how much force. How cool is modern technology! According to the results the design will strain at 75LBS and fail at 135LBS. I think that’s respectable given this little guy is smaller than 2 quarters placed side by side. Next step is production.



Conclusion: We are in a truly revolutionary time for makers. I began to doodle this idea on December 29th 2012 and posted this instructable three days later. One week after I began the crowdfunding campaign. Since then I’ve received an amazing amount of support and crossed paths with some amazing people. I have this site to thank. Being a member of Instructables has really had an impact on how I design and create. I call it my degree from Instructables University. It’s been a whirlwind. Thanks for reading. Brent



