OT - Shameless Promotion of Kickstarter Project, Machining G10 Cell Phone Cases

[Stoney83]

I recently prototyped some G10 cell phone cases for a NYC company who just launched their kickstarter campaign. I'm just the lowly machinist/cnc programmer but thought you guys might find their video cool from a product development/machining standpoint.

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...ory-the-linen-micarta-phone-ca?ref=nav_search

Machine Shop Clips are:

0:40-1:00 = Gibbs Cam, some machining
1:25-1:40 = Me talking, part of our shop and some machining
3:45-3:55 = Shout out to Orange Vice complete with actors falling in love.

Paid actors aside (and me pretending to be Jonathan Ive) I think they have solid product with some very innovative features. Anyone that has ever machined G10 knows it's practically bullet proof. We have some different colors, patterns and even Carbon Fiber cases.

Its one of the more complex parts I've machined. Done on a VF4SS APC, mostly with a 1/4 ball nose endmill running at 12k and wide open feeds. Depending on the cutter and operation 550-800 SFM seems to be the sweet spot.

Anyways aside from unwarranted solicitation I thought I would share a neat project and some of the methods we used to do it.... If you guys have any input for improvements I would love to hear them! Any tricks for machining G10 or Carbon Fiber? Ideas for higher volume fixtures should we need them? What about reducing cycle times with maxed out speeds/feeds? I'm pretty decent at machining G10 but never too good to learn something new!

 

[adama]

Love the multi colour G10 did not even know you could get that!

 

[stephen thomas]

I'm not a guy who much uses his phone, let along pay $$ to dress it up.

That said, love the product!

Thanks for posting a nice design project, and your involvement. You come across very professionally in the video even though your segment is over too fast and somewhat programmed for the "glazed eye" public.

 

[Philabuster]

Love seeing the Orange vises in the video too!

I saw a few times you used an air nozzle to blow off the parts after machining. You definitely need to get a vac system to suck up the dust from the G10 during machining like they have with graphite. You do NOT want that shit in your lungs.

 

[Michael Edwards]

I think the case looks great. I have been a big fan of G10 ever since I got a Spyderco knife with G10 sides, super durable.

IMO the video was so over the top and corny, that it made me gag. They make it sound like a cure for cancer. The machining footage was great, and helped balance out the hyperbole.

Thanks for sharing.


ME

 

[Philabuster]

Ideas for higher volume fixtures should we need them? What about reducing cycle times with maxed out speeds/feeds?

Depending on part volumes (cell phone cases seems like really high volume to me), swap out the Haas for a smaller and faster machine like a Brother or Robodrill with a 4th axis.

 

[Jim Williams]

I am shocked to see a large amount of mill work going into what I think should be a simple, low cost unit. I do not have a cover on my simple, phone only cell. I suppose many people do not think like me, and want something really special.

Jim

 

[fatoldman7]

First the good comments, A very nice case, and I like that the wallet is incorporated into the case. Now the bad, G-10 is fiberglass, I know I'm sensitive to handling it, I will break out in a rash when machining it, if I don't wear gloves. Do you coat it after machining? this might help with that issue. I've been machining G-10 for about 40 years for NASA projects. It's nasty stuff, it is bad for your lungs, and bad for machine tools, if not properly protected. Please read up on how to properly protect yourself from the particulates, and ditch the air hose!

 

[Milacron]

I am shocked to see a large amount of mill work going into what I think should be a simple, low cost unit. I do not have a cover on my simple, phone only cell. I suppose many people do not think like me, and want something really special.

As I've mention before here, what we smart phone users have is really a miniature still shot camera, video cam, web device, computer, note taker, etc, etc, etc....that happens to also function as a phone. A good case for same can mean the difference in a broken unit and no damage at all. My phone slipped out on the roof of my house once and fell probably 16 feet onto concrete and had no damage at all, thanks to the case.

 

[Milacron]

IMO the video was so over the top and corny, that it made me gag. They make it sound like a cure for cancer.

LOL... I was thinking similar...it's almost too polished for a Kickstarter situation...sort of like if the founders can spend that sort of dough on such a fancy video do they really need money to get this off the ground ?

Of course in reality they might be like Orange Vise and just happen to be talented in making their own videos....but the impression is a bit over the top....like an Apple video...except with Apple it makes sense as they have limitless funds.

 

[specfab]

That's a pretty substantial presentation. If I were involved, I would correct the misspelled words, and seek some fairly immediate legal representation to work on a defense for the appropriation of a trademarked brand name, "Micarta". That is a brand name owned (now) by Norplex-Micarta, previously owned by Westinghouse, I think. If permission has been granted for usage thereof, more power to ya.

 

[GregSY]

I'm astounded whenever I meet someone who has a cell phone without a case. I imagine these are the same people who buy one Powerball ticket once in their life and hit the big one. Me....I drop my phone once a week and I can't afford to pay for a new phone once a week.

The product looks good (nice machining!) but really....it's just a cell phone case. From this video, you'd think it was a new sort of artificial heart. I might just have to buy one of these cell phone cases to get in line for the implied intercourse I could receive in the back of that funky white car with Mystery Woman.

Look on Amazon to see what it's up against...it had better be pretty low cost.

G10 might be 'stronger than steel (?)' but how does it rate against plastic and rubber when it comes to shock cushioning? I'll bet not as good.

 

[Stoney83]

Love the multi colour G10 did not even know you could get that!

Yeah, they can do different colors, Carbon Fiber and G10 mixes...even G10 with wood laminates. They basically just stack the stuff up and glue it together with a big press

Love seeing the Orange vises in the video too!

I saw a few times you used an air nozzle to blow off the parts after machining. You definitely need to get a vac system to suck up the dust from the G10 during machining like they have with graphite. You do NOT want that shit in your lungs.

We have an auto air gun and a dust collect beside the machine but do need to look at a better dust collection for this job. Might be able to set something up like a graphite machine.

Depending on part volumes (cell phone cases seems like really high volume to me), swap out the Haas for a smaller and faster machine like a Brother or Robodrill with a 4th axis.

A faster machine would be good... 4th axis Im not sure. We just machine the back side, there's some under cut areas we do with a loli pop cutter. Flip the part over and with some special inside clamps machine the rest. Using an oversized blank and a 4th we could probably be done in 1 but I'd be worried about chatter.

The volume is basically uncertain at this point. They paid me for the prototyping. But with kickstart its more of a way to get pre-orders than anything. Instead of funding the company threw equity... people are essentially ordering off the first production run. And its all or nothing... If the project gets funded we make cases... If not IDK what will happen.

Do you coat it after machining? Please read up on how to properly protect yourself from the particulates, and ditch the air hose!

Yeah, we use a mixture of paint thinner and mineral oil. The paint thinner evaporates and we are left with coating of mineral oil, which really brings out the colors. They will set for about 3 days before they are dry.

And yes we will have to take a better look at the dust collection.

That's a pretty substantial presentation. If I were involved, I would correct the misspelled words, and seek some fairly immediate legal representation to work on a defense for the appropriation of a trademarked brand name, "Micarta". That is a brand name owned (now) by Norplex-Micarta, previously owned by Westinghouse, I think. If permission has been granted for usage thereof, more power to ya.

Im just the machinist but will pass that information on.

I'm astounded whenever I meet someone who has a cell phone without a case. I imagine these are the same people who buy one Powerball ticket once in their life and hit the big one. Me....I drop my phone once a week and I can't afford to pay for a new phone once a week.

The product looks good (nice machining!) but really....it's just a cell phone case. From this video, you'd think it was a new sort of artificial heart. I might just have to buy one of these cell phone cases to get in line for the implied intercourse I could receive in the back of that funky white car with Mystery Woman.

Look on Amazon to see what it's up against...it had better be pretty low cost.

G10 might be 'stronger than steel (?)' but how does it rate against plastic and rubber when it comes to shock cushioning? I'll bet not as good.

Lol thats funny... The mystery woman never did make an appearance at the shop! I was heart broken.

Its not stronger than steel.. its about like aluminum with much better wear resistant properties and flexibility so it might be "tougher" than steel if you cherry picked one or two measurement.

It should do alirght when it comes to cushioning... Instead of plastic in rubber you have G10 and rubber, which should be similar. They drop tested it from 18 foot 3 times onto concrete. After the 3 time something on the inside of the phone did fail. I dont recall what it was exactly but I don't drop it from that height.

 

[Trboatworks]

LOL... I was thinking similar...it's almost too polished for a Kickstarter situation...sort of like if the founders can spend that sort of dough on such a fancy video do they really need money to get this off the ground ?

This is being tossed out there by these guys:

Trident Design, LLC | Crowdfunding & Product Development Experts

 

[Winterfalke]

This is being tossed out there by these guys:

Trident Design, LLC | Crowdfunding & Product Development Experts

They look pretty good, I want everything on their splash page.

 

[Stoney83]

LOL... I was thinking similar...it's almost too polished for a Kickstarter situation...sort of like if the founders can spend that sort of dough on such a fancy video do they really need money to get this off the ground ?

Is it polished, yes... Is it over the top, probably... are they super rich, IMO probably not

I do think there's some concepts with kickstarter and their marketing campaign that we as widgets makers could benefit from though.

In that a typical machinist like myself could go out and make a bunch of widgets but if I cant sell them it doesn't do me any good. Where-as these guys want to sell a bunch of widgets and then make them. Its a different school of thought than I've been exposed too. And to do that they will have to spend some money on advertising.

 

[dsergison]

my suggestion... buy a graphite milling machine. It will run much faster and with proper dust control.

Bostomatic Auctions Online | Bidspotter.com

 

[bjorn toulouse]

my suggestion... buy a graphite milling machine. It will run much faster and with proper dust control.

+1
Some sort of extraction is a must for doing G10 (as well as other composites)!

Carbon electrode work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvLT3cdFmrM


Rex

 

[steve45]

"Our G10 and carbon fiber composites are machined with specially designed tooling fixtures using a state-of-the-art, two-stage CNC milling process by skilled experts in the craft. This precision machining is very labor intensive and costly though the results are well worth it."

Perhaps I'm missing something, but I thought CNC milling was intended to reduce labor and associated costs.

 

[rcoope]

"Our G10 and carbon fiber composites are machined with specially designed tooling fixtures using a state-of-the-art, two-stage CNC milling process by skilled experts in the craft. This precision machining is very labor intensive and costly though the results are well worth it."

Perhaps I'm missing something, but I thought CNC milling was intended to reduce labor and associated costs.

I think they mean compared to lame injection moulded plastic. And they're right. Apple is the most valuable company in the world and it's about the only company other than high end bike makers that puts CNC machined parts in the hands of a mass audience.

I went through a couple of otter boxes but the elastomer always swelled which is a thing that seems to happen to some but not all users, like our hand chemistry is different. For the last two years I've had no case so I can enjoy the CNC machined frame of my 4S. No 16' drops yet parts are slowly failing like the WiFi and the off switch so perhaps a new phone and case is in the offing for me....

Every time I see G10 I want to waterjet it!