Hi Fastlaners,
QUESTIONS:
Does anyone here have expertise on elastomer materials, or know where to find some? Which plastic/silicone should I use for a product, based on its application? Are there any US-based manufacturers you would recommend for prototyping and manufacture?
I have some ideas about Shore Hardness (A, 20-30ish), but I don't know what other factors I should be concerned with (durability, color possibilities, temp. range, conductivity, etc).
I'm happy to pay for consultation, but don't know who/where else to ask.
I used the Forum search, but didn't find any discussion of materials, Shore Hardness, etc.
I've called manufacturers and offered to pay for a consultation with their engineers, but I'm either in limbo waiting for a response or they've said flat-out that they focus on manufacturing/distributing and don't do any materials advising. In the meantime, I figure maybe someone here would be happy to trade expertise for value vouchers.
BACKGROUND:
I'm Dean, and I'm developing a product for professional musicians (I've worked full-time as a musician for over a decade). The product is validated — it has a handful of existing competitors, but none have the value skews that I'm envisioning. I've made a clay mock-up and have a Step file drafted; now, I'm looking to pay to have some prototypes made but don't know what specific material should be used.
Also, since this is my first real post here, I just want to mention how grateful I am to MJ and the posters here in the Forum. Being a successful working musician can look surprisingly like being a successful corporate employee, and I've drawn a lot of wisdom and encouragement from the Forum over the years.
Thanks for any pointers you can share! I've been a lurker on the forum while building up my music career; now, I'm excited to pour energy into a product that I think others will find valuable.
QUESTIONS:
Does anyone here have expertise on elastomer materials, or know where to find some? Which plastic/silicone should I use for a product, based on its application? Are there any US-based manufacturers you would recommend for prototyping and manufacture?
I have some ideas about Shore Hardness (A, 20-30ish), but I don't know what other factors I should be concerned with (durability, color possibilities, temp. range, conductivity, etc).
I'm happy to pay for consultation, but don't know who/where else to ask.
I used the Forum search, but didn't find any discussion of materials, Shore Hardness, etc.
I've called manufacturers and offered to pay for a consultation with their engineers, but I'm either in limbo waiting for a response or they've said flat-out that they focus on manufacturing/distributing and don't do any materials advising. In the meantime, I figure maybe someone here would be happy to trade expertise for value vouchers.
BACKGROUND:
I'm Dean, and I'm developing a product for professional musicians (I've worked full-time as a musician for over a decade). The product is validated — it has a handful of existing competitors, but none have the value skews that I'm envisioning. I've made a clay mock-up and have a Step file drafted; now, I'm looking to pay to have some prototypes made but don't know what specific material should be used.
Also, since this is my first real post here, I just want to mention how grateful I am to MJ and the posters here in the Forum. Being a successful working musician can look surprisingly like being a successful corporate employee, and I've drawn a lot of wisdom and encouragement from the Forum over the years.
Thanks for any pointers you can share! I've been a lurker on the forum while building up my music career; now, I'm excited to pour energy into a product that I think others will find valuable.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts
Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.
You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.
- Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
- MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
- Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
- Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."— User Richard Peck
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?
