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Post by BoxGods on Apr 12, 2023 9:19:00 GMT
Quick update on the mold tooling. The mold is finished and a production sample part was pulled for validation. The good news is the part is BEAUTIFUL. The maybe not as good news is there may be a small issue with the size of the hatch opening. We are trouble shooting now and I will update you when it's resolved. I will also upload some video of the sample part ASAP =)
Just as an FYI, typically samples are pulled in white to make any issues more visible. Production parts will be in the water tank blue I have shown in previous posts.
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Post by jafar on Apr 12, 2023 9:45:57 GMT
For a first run in that looks incredible.
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Post by BoxGods on Apr 12, 2023 13:15:21 GMT
For a first run in that looks incredible. Yeah the tool shop absolutely crushed it--and this is straight out of the mold with no razor time for flash removal yet. Wait till you see the video I'll be uploading shortly. There is one tiny mistake--literally 2mm (1/16th inch) that was 100% my mistake--and I don't mean that in the "I'm in charge so I take responsibility" sense, but in the literal "I made the actual mistake" sense. If it's any consolation, I'll also be the one paying for the change to the tooling and another sample part. Thankfully it's a relatively minor fix and should only take a week to 10 days.
The pump I originally selected is one I have used several times over the years on other projects and it is/was 38mm in diameter so I made the opening 40mm. You never want to have just one source for items like this so I also sourced a "backup" pump model with similar performance specs. Rather than measuring the sample (for the backup model) myself I referenced the manufacturers specs which listed the diameter for this model at 48mm so I revised the design with a 50mm hatch opening to cover my bases. When there was an issue with the original pump model and we went to test fit the backup part, it turned out to be 52mm wide. I know better so again, 100% my mistake.
Waiting for the video to be uploaded to You Tube. Will post a link ASAP.
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Post by phatman113 on Apr 12, 2023 15:28:54 GMT
I 100% don't mind the white! looks like you could tell how much was in there pretty easy, but I imagine for sanitary purposes, you want to keep as much light out as possible... Still, looking super clean, and thanks for all the updates!
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Post by BoxGods on Apr 12, 2023 16:19:09 GMT
I 100% don't mind the white! looks like you could tell how much was in there pretty easy, but I imagine for sanitary purposes, you want to keep as much light out as possible... Still, looking super clean, and thanks for all the updates! I like the way it looks in white also but keeping it clean would probably suck. Also, as you mentioned, you want to block out UV light for sanitary purposes.
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Post by BoxGods on Apr 12, 2023 16:20:57 GMT
Here is the video--thanks to Jeff for uploading it.
Sure makes my 3D printed prototype look terrible =)
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Post by jafar on Apr 12, 2023 17:25:13 GMT
Have you considered working with Rivian on providing these to them to sell in their gear shop. It might help you reach a much wider audience and work directly with Rivian to move more Volume.
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Post by BoxGods on Apr 13, 2023 3:03:58 GMT
Have you considered working with Rivian on providing these to them to sell in their gear shop. It might help you reach a much wider audience and work directly with Rivian to move more Volume. I would certainly be open to that. For now I am just focusing on getting the first production run shipped and all the little kinks worked out. After that I can try to figure out how to find somebody at Rivian to talk to. It would be a great arrangement for me as I'm a lot more comfortable with the engineering and manufacturing than I am with the sales and marketing portion.
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Post by jafar on Apr 13, 2023 4:34:22 GMT
Have you considered working with Rivian on providing these to them to sell in their gear shop. It might help you reach a much wider audience and work directly with Rivian to move more Volume. I would certainly be open to that. For now I am just focusing on getting the first production run shipped and all the little kinks worked out. After that I can try to figure out how to find somebody at Rivian to talk to. It would be a great arrangement for me as I'm a lot more comfortable with the engineering and manufacturing than I am with the sales and marketing portion.I’m really excited to get mine when it’s ready.
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Post by BoxGods on Apr 16, 2023 19:00:45 GMT
Almost from the beginning of the Frunk Tank project a lot of you guys had and have been asking about using an externally mounted "On Demand" type pump rather than a submersible. Originally the tank was going to live under the folding shelf in the frunk with a few holes drilled in it--something we moved away from pretty quickly as nobody wants to drill holes in that shelf--so the submersible made more sense at the time.
Once the tanks internal structure was beefed up so the top of the tank is now basically the shelf, an on demand pump is easily viable if it turns out to be a better option. So, before I make the pump order for production I'm going to be testing a few externally mounted on demand pumps to compare performance, usability, power draw, etc. as I don't want you guys thinking I don't listen =)
I will have some data in the next 3 or 4 days and will update then.
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Post by BoxGods on Apr 17, 2023 20:16:29 GMT
While I am waiting for the high pressure sample pumps to arrive for testing, I wanted to pose a few "philosophical" design or use case questions for you guys to think about. This is not a test, there are no wrong answers, and all opinions and views are welcome. I'll start.
I confess having 60+ psi available for the sprayer really does appeal to me. I'm not sure how much difference it will be from the submersible pumps 15-20 PSI in actual usage, but on paper it seems like it would be a lot more useful. From a "human habits" perspective I think it would also intuitively promote better water and power management--meaning if it knocks the crud off of whatever you're spraying faster with less water, conservation happens all by itself.
I also really like the potential convenience you get from an on demand type pump vs always having to cycle the power on/of each time you want to use the sprayer. With the submersible pump when you turn the power on the pump is working--even if you're not triggering the sprayer--so it is drawing power the entire time. As an example, if you walk up to the truck with a dirty mountain bike, turn the pump on and spray the left side of the front wheel, then set the sprayer down to turn the bike so you can spray the other side, then repeat for the back of the bike, the pump was drawing power even when you were moving the bike around and not actively spraying. That is obviously not as energy efficient.
From a human "error" perspective my primary concern would be forgetfulness. I am a prime example of this as I wander around with my mind on other things pretty much all the time. With the on demand pump forgetting it is on or powered is less of an issue because it only draws power when you squeeze the trigger. That's good from a power usage perspective, but if you forget and load stuff into the frunk that somehow triggers the sprayer...it WILL pump water. Obviously not ideal. On the other hand, with the submersible if you forget and leave it on, it is drawing power the whole time and if left on long enough without spraying, you are going to wear out the pump faster. So trade offs.
I'm not as crazy about having the pump on top, but I tried a few mount designs and it's in space already in use / claimed by the sprayer hose anyway so not nearly the issue I initially thought it would be. Not "ideal" but again, trade-offs. This is even less of an issue if you consider that you can run longer hoses with the on demand high pressure pump--the extra hose has to be stowed somewhere anyway.
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jcreviston
General
El Cap R1T Feb. 1, 2023
Posts: 28
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Post by jcreviston on Apr 17, 2023 20:52:20 GMT
Given all you've mentioned, the in-demand pump would suit my purposes better i.e., higher PSI, longer hose, theoretically longer pump life, etc. I'm wondering how much more complicated it would be to add a master switch to protect from those accidental sprays inside the frunk when not in use?
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Post by shift4 on Apr 17, 2023 20:57:24 GMT
I vote for the external, on demand pump if that means higher PSI and less overall power consumption.
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Post by BoxGods on Apr 17, 2023 21:13:58 GMT
Given all you've mentioned, the in-demand pump would suit my purposes better i.e., higher PSI, longer hose, theoretically longer pump life, etc. I'm wondering how much more complicated it would be to add a master switch to protect from those accidental sprays inside the frunk when not in use? Technically it does have a master switch--the Frunk plug has a switch, or if you are using the rechargeable battery, it has a switch. They both still require the user to remember to toggle them. I know this is one of those times I'm over-thinking things. My Pop is getting up there in years and is at that stage where he's in the garage tinkering and forgets the tea kettle, so it is front of mind for me. Him being several states away doesn't help. The frunk is essentially waterproof and has a drain so it's not like it would be a big deal--certainly compared to a tea kettle melting on the stove. Maybe some sort of auto shut-off timer on the pump? The problem with that is the on-demand function of the pump is mechanical, (it works off of pressure drop) not electronic. That is a good thing for the most part because there is zero potential for vampire drain that way. I'm not sure I would want to mess with that.
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Post by BoxGods on Apr 17, 2023 21:30:06 GMT
I vote for the external, on demand pump if that means higher PSI and less overall power consumption. Yeah I have to agree. At first I was so focused on the camping portion that the sprayer use was an afterthought at best, but the more I thought about having the tank available for day to day use...man there are just so many more situations where a decently powerful sprayer would come in handy. I go fishing with my buddies out in Port Isabelle and when we get back and have the boat loaded it would be super handy for cleaning fish. I have been at a remote worksite and had small fires start from welding sparks several times. Not something you want to crack open a $50 fire extinguisher for. I loved running our dogs at the beach but rinsing them off for the ride home with a water bottle was all but pointless--a sprayer would be AWESOME there. I can imagine somebody with a remote "garden" reading this and thinking...yeah...YEAH. But only in states where those types of crops are legal of course =)
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