what are your industrial design favorites?

[Sal1950]

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Now if they'd only make the lens covers easily replaceable and CHEAP!

Back to my original thoughts ^ though it will likely never happen.

Thankfully for my 2006 Ram, aftermarket replacement headlamps are available fairly inexpensively.
Just a couple weeks back I installed my second set, so I got around 12 years off the factory set with two polishings, and 6 years off the first aftermarket set for $200. With the black background they look even cooler than stock.
We never had this problem with glass sealed beams. LOL
Just rantin,

 

[Somafunk]

You can get uv resistant PPF that could be applied to polished headlights to stop the plastics yellowin.

 

[Count Arthur]

You can get uv resistant PPF that could be applied to polished headlights to stop the plastics yellowin.

Do you have to worry about UV in Scotland?

 

[Sal1950]

You can get uv resistant PPF that could be applied to polished headlights to stop the plastics yellowin.

I do just use whatever paint protection wax I use and do the headlamps also.
Can't hurt.

 

[Somafunk]

Oh we get plenty of sun, prob just as much as any region of the world, only issue is it’s hidden by the clouds.

Joking aside i consider what we get is perfect, 4 distinct seasons - cold and wet, wet, wet n’ dry, not dry - not wet just ?

 

[EJ3]

The kits do come with a topcoat that is supposed to mimic the OEM coating. I suspect some kits' "protectant" gloop(s) are better than others.
It certainly does enhance the survival time of the clear "lenses" (covers) relative to not using it.
I learned that empirically with my old (and much missed) Toyota Tacoma pickup. The kits are limiting only in the amount of the protectant (which is, apparently, quite perishable once opened). I did the Taco's very yellowed headlight covers with 'leftover' cleaner and polish, but couldn't apply the the UV block. They did indeed need to be re-rescued pretty quickly.
But, heck, that particular kit (the Turtle Wax variant shown above) was very easy to use and all in all I certainly felt like I got my money's worth.

I did my son's Honda Fit headlight covers last summer in VA with (if memory serves) a 3M kit. It was a more involved process, but they did really turn out nicely. It'll be interesting to see how they hold up.

Sorry for the digression, all!

I'll rescue this (not uncharacteristically) off-topic post by saying that - from my perspective (and my son's, too), the Fit was a nice bit of practical small car design. He loves his 2013 (IIRC).
View attachment 356745

I liked my 2007 Honda Fit (after I changed to KYB struts & Michelin DEFENDER T + H in a Plus 2 size) quite a bit better than my 2012 FULLY LOADED Lexus ES 350 (except for the Mark Levinson (the company, not the man) stereo system. This was in a place where one rarely exceeded 55 MPH. I sold the Fit & brought the Lexus to the East Coast USA mainland in 2020 (with 18K miles on it), Changed to KYB struts and put original size Michelin CROSSCLIMATE 2's on the original TOPL rims and promptly fell in love with the way it handled. At 48K someone made a left turn in front of me & I hit them at 45 MPH, destroying the Lexus & the idiot's vehicle.
A year later, now, I bought an ordered the way I want it Subaru CrossTrek Touring (my wife hated the Gold Accent Trim on the Wilderness) and I like it's handling better than the suspension modified Lexus. But there is a lack of low end torque, which has been solved by this from Crawford Performance:
CRAWFORD PERFORMANCE INTAKE MANIFOLD SPACERS / BILLET POWER BLOCKS (BPB) which ADDS 15 HP / 22 TQ - NO TUNE REQUIRED, IMPROVES ACCELERATION and INCREASES THE VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY OF YOUR INTAKE MANIFOLD:

• 
  
  There is another thing that all boxer style engines NEED for longevity (they come stock on Porsche 911 variants), is an Air Oil Separator: NOT A CATCH CAN - CLOSED LOOP AND MAINTENANCE FREE, CONSUME LESS OIL, EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR ENGINE, REDUCE DETONATION AND RISK OF ENGINE / RINGLAND FAILURE, REDUCE FUEL DILUTION AND SUBSEQUENT POWER LOSS:
• 

These things work as advertised & I now like the 2024 Subaru CrossTrek damn well.

 

[Keith_W]

I think that ASR needs a separate thread for cars. Anybody want to make one?

 

[Timcognito]

Auction of a lot cool stuff on March 28th. one can join in from the internet.

https://www.wright20.com/auctions/2024/03/design

 

[Somafunk]

What happens if you lean back on that chair?, and why have they chose to use a render?

 

[Timcognito]

What happens if you lean back on that chair?, and why have they chose to use a render?

Well guessing without computing the the moment of inertia, your butt, trunk and legs are inside the four legs, nothing happens when you lean back.

 

[Somafunk]

A very small piece of industrial design, my rotring trio pen/pencil that I bought when I began my Electronic/Mechanical degree course exactly 30 years ago, all my notes were taken down with this pen and I must've went through many dozens of refills and feet of pencil lead, I mostly favoured blue ink for notes and red ink for to highlight important stuff such as the calculus/thermodynamics pages of formulas - the pencil, I favoured H grade lead, was used for workings and proofs that I wasn't entirely confident with but once I had proved my answer I then went over my pencil with ink. The pocket clip has a slight kink in it but it still works and I guess I could send it off to rotring and they'd repair it but I like it the way it is, I'm surprised I still have the cap but I was very protective over this pen, never lent it out nor gave it to anyone. I think I still have my reams of notes in the attic along with a dozen or very heavy tech books.

As for that chair above, I could prob still remember how to calculate the tipping point if I made the effort, and had a quick browse of my notes - but I have a new iem to listen to which is much more fun and satisfying

 

[Timcognito]

How they never harm the thin plastic bag is a mystery.

 

[Doodski]

A very small piece of industrial design, my rotring trio pen/pencil that I bought when I began my Electronic/Mechanical degree course exactly 30 years ago, all my notes were taken down with this pen and I must've went through many dozens of refills and feet of pencil lead, I mostly favoured blue ink for notes and red ink for to highlight important stuff such as the calculus/thermodynamics pages of formulas - the pencil, I favoured H grade lead, was used for workings and proofs that I wasn't entirely confident with but once I had proved my answer I then went over my pencil with ink. The pocket clip has a slight kink in it but it still works and I guess I could send it off to rotring and they'd repair it but I like it the way it is, I'm surprised I still have the cap but I was very protective over this pen, never lent it out nor gave it to anyone. I think I still have my reams of notes in the attic along with a dozen or very heavy tech books.

As for that chair above, I could prob still remember how to calculate the tipping point if I made the effort, and had a quick browse of my notes - but I have a new iem to listen to which is much more fun and satisfying

I must reply because I too am a aficionado for pens, pencils and the like and even erasers and very specific staplers. I keep it a personal secret because it is awkward to present the pleasure of a nice pen and pencil to those that do not sympathize with the attraction to pens and pencils. LoL...

 

[Somafunk]

I must reply because I too am a aficionado for pens, pencils and the like and even erasers and very specific staplers. I keep it a personal secret because it is awkward to present the pleasure of a nice pen and pencil to those that do not sympathize with the attraction to pens and pencils. LoL...

Ha, I guess we're of similar mindset (possibly on the spectrum?) - I had the full kit in my pencil case along with my electronic/mech stencils - I used to rough draw the circuits or mech diagrams during the day as we didn't have time to do perfection and on Friday afternoon I used to sit in the library with my Panasonic walkman, Koss porta pro headphones, couple cans of beer and possibly a cheeky line of speed as it helped me really focus (it was Friday - everyone was at the pub so library was empty) and redraw them on my graph pad in ink with notes at the bottom blueprint style, I used to love a good rummage through the big stationary shop and dig into the fancy glass cabinets of exotica - still have my A3 portable rotring drawing board in the bedroom cupboard. I also had a fondness for Japanese erasers, that sounds really weird now I say it , I guess id better stop exposing my weirdness now

 

[Dialectic]

I liked my 2007 Honda Fit (after I changed to KYB struts & Michelin DEFENDER T + H in a Plus 2 size) quite a bit better than my 2012 FULLY LOADED Lexus ES 350 (except for the Mark Levinson (the company, not the man) stereo system. This was in a place where one rarely exceeded 55 MPH. I sold the Fit & brought the Lexus to the East Coast USA mainland in 2020 (with 18K miles on it), Changed to KYB struts and put original size Michelin CROSSCLIMATE 2's on the original TOPL rims and promptly fell in love with the way it handled. At 48K someone made a left turn in front of me & I hit them at 45 MPH, destroying the Lexus & the idiot's vehicle.
A year later, now, I bought an ordered the way I want it Subaru CrossTrek Touring (my wife hated the Gold Accent Trim on the Wilderness) and I like it's handling better than the suspension modified Lexus. But there is a lack of low end torque, which has been solved by this from Crawford Performance:
CRAWFORD PERFORMANCE INTAKE MANIFOLD SPACERS / BILLET POWER BLOCKS (BPB) which ADDS 15 HP / 22 TQ - NO TUNE REQUIRED, IMPROVES ACCELERATION and INCREASES THE VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY OF YOUR INTAKE MANIFOLD:

• 
  
  There is another thing that all boxer style engines NEED for longevity (they come stock on Porsche 911 variants), is an Air Oil Separator: NOT A CATCH CAN - CLOSED LOOP AND MAINTENANCE FREE, CONSUME LESS OIL, EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR ENGINE, REDUCE DETONATION AND RISK OF ENGINE / RINGLAND FAILURE, REDUCE FUEL DILUTION AND SUBSEQUENT POWER LOSS:
• 

These things work as advertised & I now like the 2024 Subaru CrossTrek damn well.

This is an industrial design thread, and you bring up the Subaru Crosstrek!

I bought a Crosstrek (fully loaded with the less weak engine and ridiculous STI badges) during the pandemic, and I don't mind how it drives. But boy is it ugly....

 

[Dialectic]

I must reply because I too am a aficionado for pens, pencils and the like and even erasers and very specific staplers. I keep it a personal secret because it is awkward to present the pleasure of a nice pen and pencil to those that do not sympathize with the attraction to pens and pencils. LoL...

My personal hell was working with a law firm partner who insisted on marking up documents with his Mont Blancs. Totally illegible. Perhaps his aim was to have his colleagues bill more hours to clients as they tried to decipher his scrawlings...

 

[Somafunk]

I had a browse on eBay for rotring trio and this chancer is taking the piss , yeah, it’s a nice pen to use and the knurled barrel is handy for keeping a positive grip as the sweat drips from your forehead during a thermodynamics exam but asking $320 is a step too far.

 

[Doodski]

I had a browse on eBay for rotring trio and this chancer is taking the piss , yeah, it’s a nice pen to use and the knurled barrel is handy for keeping a positive grip as the sweat drips from your forehead during a thermodynamics exam but asking $320 is a step too far.

I like the device a lot but the price is H U G E ! Can you find a nice handmade hardwood or stone lathed pen with a German mechanism or a pencil? I see them online often and I met a Dood that makes them and they really are unique and not too expensive.

 

[Somafunk]

Here’s one in excellent boxed condition for under $100 , that almost worth it if you factor in inflation and the coefficient of desire which if you already own a rotring mechanical pencil can be summed up as n+1

 

[Doodski]

Here’s one in excellent boxed condition for under $100 , that almost worth it if you factor in inflation and the coefficient of desire which if you already own a rotring mechanical pencil can be summed up as n+1

Are you using this hybrid pen/pencil for math work on paper?
I ask because I was using a 0.5 pencil and it was constantly developing a sharp end on the lead and causing paper tears as I quickly and enthusiastically was working formulas.
I found this 2mm Staedtler(s) pencil type to be quicker, smoother, better control, easier to operate when working formulas etc and it was easily controlled to eliminate sharp edges on the lead. Much less expensive too.

Mars® technico 780 - Leadholder

✓ Leadholder for drawing, sketching and writing ✓ For 2 mm leads e.g. Mars carbon 200 ✓ With metal clip, push-button and grip zone ✓ Integrated lead sharpener in push-button ✓ HB lead ✓ Hardness-degree indication on clip

www.staedtler.com