Got the light blue prototype today and applied rubber to the bottom edges - I’ll let the images speak for themselves. Suffice it to say I’m ecstatic.
So now what are the next steps, you ask? Well, we’re working on finding a bulk supplier for the stainless steel bowls (anyone know of one!?). We’re also finding a way to make the seam where the wrap-around rubber meets look “seamless.” And lastly, Tim is scaling up this prototype by a few inches to accommodate larger bowls and larger, taller dogs. On the first run, we’d like to have two sizes available. We have the second color combination chosen; more pictures will be posted by the end of the week. Stay tuned…
We took our metal bowl holder prototype to the painter/powdercoater today. We are having two samples painted - one in a navy blue, and one in a light blue textured paint. Turns out the light blue is also antimicrobial paint… SCORE! Another potential selling point!
We are looking at ways to cut manufacturing cost of this product. Those of you who like materials and processes may find the following interesting: turns out spot welding will be cheaper and easier to perform than the bead welding we used on the original part. Additionally, you may notice in this picture that the bowl holder is missing the “shelf” piece that runs beneath the bowls. Taking this piece away is one potential solution for decreasing weight and manufacturing cost (read: welding cost).
We also found a potential new metal former today who uses primarily CNC cutting machinery (as opposed to the waterjet cutters we used previously). He suggested various ways to decrease weight without compromising structural integrity, and is making us another less expensive prototype. Another thing that makes him awesome: he is right next door to the painter! Bottom line, if we use these guys to produce our product line, all they have to do is walk across the hall for painting and finishing. No shipping between facilities! Fantastic. They were also happy to help us and give us a tour of their facility - not bad. And finally, when we carried our dog bowl prototype into the facility through the office, the secretary barked at us. It was awesome.
So as you can see, things are progressing! Stay tuned… I hope to be able to post pictures of the painted prototype soon enough.
Last week we received the prototypes of the metal bowl stand we’ve been developing, and I’d like to share photos of our progress with you. This is one of the items we will be developing with help from our generous backers.
And here are some other views (sans bowls!) for your enjoyment:
Front View
Side/Top View
Obviously this prototype is still unfinished raw metal. Also, it is in 2 pieces which need to be welded together. The two pieces are for stability and visual interest. It also increases the weight of the product to keep it from sliding on the floor when the dog eats from it.
We are looking into painting and powder coating options for the final finish. Earlier posts show computer renderings of some colors we are considering - I’ll post my favorite color combo again so you can use your imagination with the photos of our current prototype!
Also, the gray wrapped around the bottom edge will likely be a waterproof treated felt material, or some kind of silicone/neoprene. This will create a soft, non-scratch barrier for contact with the floor, as well as provide visual interest with textural contrast.
Will keep you all updated as progress develops! Cheers!
We are officially over the top with $8,255! Watch out world, here come some awesome new pet products!!!!! Cannot thank everyone enough. Great work!
Thank you everyone for the outpouring of support in the past few days! I notice many friends, friends’ parents, and even some people I don’t know who are recent supporters - here’s to you, and thanks!
We have 3 days left to raise a little under $500! There are 61 of us backers. Three have increased their pledges by $25 or more. That means, of the remaining 58 of us, if we can all find one friend to give $10, we will make it (and go even a little bit over!)
It’s the final stretch! Let’s make this happen.
Oh… and ps: If we meet our goal, I am looking into having little BHF dog tags made (which can also be used as key chains!) No matter how much you pledge, if we reach our goal, everyone gets 2.Cheers!
Today and tomorrow we are passing out postcards to local establishments (coffee shops, pet boutiques, veterinary clinics) in an attempt to spread the word about the Kickstarter project.
We are 12 days away, and we need $2,360 to reach our goal. Thanks to all of you who have pledged so far! Please, continue to encourage your friends to pledge. We can’t do this without you!
If you would like to pass out postcards in your area or give some to friends, please send your name and address to christy@bigheartsfund.org.
Keep spreading the word!
We need to raise $3,200 in the next 17 days for the kickstarter project, or we get no money!
That’s right - we get nothing if we don’t reach our goal of $8000 by August 1st.
For those of you who have pledged, I’m asking you to try to find at least TWO friends to pledge. If you pledged under $100, see if you can get those two friends to MATCH your pledge. If you pledged over $100 (because you love me!) and you don’t think you can find two friends who can match your pledge, can you at least find two friends to give what they can?
The way that most kickstarter projects succeed is NOT from a few large pledges… it is from a huge volume of people giving just a little bit (think $5, $10, $20). Every little bit helps, and no pledge is too small.
Additionally, I am offering “yummy!” surprise incentives for those of you who find friends to pledge! You will receive one yummy surprise for each friend of yours who pledges.
Let’s ROCK this!!!
Seems the cats were getting jealous of all the attention Lucy’s gotten lately. That could only mean one thing – time for some kitty designs!
I decided to use a snap for closure as an experiment. Since many cat collars utilize a “quick release” closure mechanism (incase Kitty gets stuck on something), I thought a regular old snap would do just about the same thing. Think of it as a safety feature!
I experimented with different textures by using the smooth cotton upholstry fabric in combination with the felt. As you can see, I think the “heartbeat” stitching may continue to show up in our work.
Oh, forgot to mention! This collar could also be used on small dogs, and the final would be made with several snaps for adjustability.
Let us know what you think!
Hallie clearly likes it:
:)
Felt is another material we’re interested in incorporating into pet products. We used it a bit on the bowl stand concept I posted yesterday, but here it is in a completely different context.
Felt is a beautiful material, no doubt. But it does not have a lot of tensile strength. We’re experimenting by combining it with nylon webbing to produce some original collar concepts. This one is Big Hearts Fund themed, with the white stitching reflecting the iconic EKG “heartbeat” rhythm.
Here is Lucy modeling. Isn’t she a pretty dog?
She got a treat for sitting so nicely for this shot.
And for you kitty lovers out there, I’ll add this - our little photo shoot was not without its fair share of curious intrusions.
Clearly, a fun time was had by all. Hold your breath for a kitty-cat centered update tomorrow!
