Beta testing lessons (oh also it’s for sale)
The beta testing campaign is finished! We’ve had a BUNCH of great feedback from our fantastic beta testers, ranging from little cosmetic issues to one truly critical problem. Overall, the beta testers were very happy with what they recieved, and we were able to validate the design and manufacturing with some light tweaks.
Photo from Phoebe N, posted with permission
My favorite part of the beta testing program came from Phoebe N, who noticed a substantial alignment issue on the unit she received. I got an email with a very detailed report, including everything she did to try to resolve it, pictures, and suggestions. We had been banking on having very tight tolerances to avoid manual alignment, but in actual production those tolerances interacted more than expected. After playing with a temporary hack involving tape shim, we made a design and assembly process change that fixes the alignment problem.
As a bonus, we discovered some fit and finish inconsistency with manufacturing those same acetal parts. Acetal is dead easy to machine, but can be a bit finicky hitting tolerances and getting a good surface finish. Simple solution: stick to good old aluminum wherever possible.
One last issue our testers noted was that it can be more difficult to hold thinner tools (e.g. 1/4” chisels). It turned out that it was difficult to press a thumb into the corner created by the tool shelf. Another simple solution: make the tool shelf a bit shallower, allowing more thumb contact with the tool.
So here we are. Our design is validated. We have a solid manufacturing process. We have a product we’re genuinely stoked about (albeit slightly terrified to take the next step). So here goes:
