It just works

Here’s the pivot mechanism that lets the lever arms move in both axes.

The design of the lever arms and even the fixture to hold it took next to no time. The details were self evident. Knurled handle. Check. Spinning handle. Check. 2 inch sleeve for weights. Check. Provision for hook to attach electric motor. Check. Sufficient length for a comfortable arc of movement that allows for an even resistance curve and the load to feel the same through entire range of motion. Check.

These points feel self evident at this point. And we know messing or trying to reinvent this stuff will make for a bad product that compromises on function.

The agony is over how do we produce the smoothest movement with a reliable mechanism that requires next to no maintenance other than a little spray of WD40.

Bearings are terrific but a pan to service and maintain in our setting.

So that leaves us with bushings. They need to be corrosion resistant. The sea air will eat through bronze, brass and mild steel. So it came down to using stainless steel bushings.

And a housing to hold it together. Getting this right was harder!

But the result is a robust part that will never fail. Never corrode (with a little care and lots of use). It looks neat too. The aesthetics may or may not be up your alley. But it’s hard to argue against effective function and durability.

And this is the kind of objects I love buying and trying to make. Things that put function first. And are built to last. And easy to repair. What I like? Stuff made by Concept2 and Versaclimber for fitness use. Pens made in Japan especially Zebra’s Sarasa series. Yale mechanical locks. They are built for ease of repair and use. Well made knives that can be sharpened over and over again. Bags by Goruck.

My least favourite objects include bathroom hardware especially those wall mixers that are incredibly prone to failure. They are built for convenience and aesthetics. But are stupidly hard to repair and often fail on usability. And that’s tragic. When form trumps function.

The only more tragic thing is indifference. When the client does not care why or how something is made as long as the price feels right.