AAR - Product Line

Sustains

• What did you do well?
  I liked my ideas and concepts. Choosing the format and using the hydrant kept me excited about what I was making throughout even when things didn’t turn out exactly as planned. I really liked my packaging and the colors I used. I really like what I made; it was all very “me.”
• Which actions and strategies led to success that you will continue to pursue?
  Creating all my designs in rhino was really good for me. I began by making molds of clay forms and pouring waxes of my designs. They all turned out very cartoonish and more playful than professional. The forms I made in rhino were very clean, modern, and professional. I’m all about hand-making, but for these products, the computer allowed for my concepts to be created in a more precise and more successful way.

Improves

• Which things did not work so well? These are areas to improve.
  Some paints worked better than others when finishing the salt and pepper shakers. I would stick with the same brand next time since the finishes came out consistently well with one brand I used. I would type out my hydrant inserts instead of handwriting them, simply to continue the precision that is found throughout the products I made. I would consider different material for coasters (cork, felt, wood). The acrylic was mainly chosen for the color and might not be the best for functionality.
• Evaluate strategies and approaches that you used either consciously or unconsciously.
  My strategies and approaches to the creation of these products changed very consistently. Each decision that would not work would be revised and a new direction would be followed. Having all my forms in basic CAD files (.stl, .dwg) let me send the drawings to companies in hopes of a response. Eventually I chose to use Zac’s dad and the facilities at Aberdeen Proving Ground since 1-Zac’s dad was willing to help me, 2-It was free and easy, and 3-I had no other options.

What Ifs

• How could the project been more successful?
  If the salt and pepper shakers had been cast or formed out of stainless steel or a food-safe plastic then they would be able to be sold. At this point I can’t sell them since the plastic they are made of is not technically food-grade approved.
  If I had been able to create the wine stoppers in cork. I love that idea.
• What are the best incarnations of the project?
  The shakers in stainless steel with bright colors powder coated and the cork wine stopper. These are what I really wanted to make, and what I hope to actually make in the future.

brands.

This post is dedicated to brands I like. For various reasons. Some I am loyal to, some I do not own/buy anything from them even though their brand is cool. Either way, I like these brands.

So, you may not know, but I am addicted to Lip Smackers chapstick. I do not buy any other kind. I am dedicated to Lip Smackers. Also, I am a little girl.

Great music, incredible live, with an awesome website. The Killers band and brand are one of my favorites. Cannot wait until Tuesday when their new album comes out...

So I don't know if you've ever used a stainless steel zebra ball point pen, but if you appreciate a good pen like I do, you really should. So good. I like their brand because I know their pens are quality.

Same as Zebra, Sharpie is simply the best permanet marker you can get. So many colors, I love to buy sharpies.

This is a picture of delphine press work. Their brand is cute. Their products are very cohesive and fit into this recognizable box that is "delphine."

I love H&M. The colors, the fit, the price. Their logo is hip, artistic, and a good representation of the styles they carry.

I love zara clothing as well. I've only bought zara clothing in Europe so I don't know if U.S. zaras are the same, but they are just good. Clean, simple, good colors and fit.

MAC make-up, while expensive, is quality. Fancy and sophisticated. Good brand.

Puma is legit. I wish I had enough money to buy all of their shoes, clothing, and accessories.

Same as puma. I wish I could afford the awesomeness that is in this store. Simple and unique.

Good logo. I love the colors they use and how there is an arrow between the e and the x.

I am addicted to Kashi cereal. Both autumn wheat and heart to heart. They are delicious. They have good products.

Who doesn't love target? Cute clothes for cheap. I like their commercials too. They use really good music.

Oh Apple. I must admit, I own nothing apple. I do have itunes on my laptop. That's about it though. I love love love love their commercials. They use such great music.

high density polyethylene

So I've been doing some research on food safe plastics. Obviously this won't be used for this project, but I have found out a lot about different kinds of plastics and their applications. Definitely information I will keep in mind for future productions of my salt and pepper shakers and perhaps my wine stoppers. I contacted a few of the plastic resin/pellet distributors asking for a sample of their product (all the companies I found only sell in bulk/huge amounts). No response yet, but we'll see.

I found this info on Delicious Organics:

Safer plastics are:
#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) - usually for soft drinks, water bottles, ketchup and salad dressing, peanut butter, pickle, jelly and jam jars
#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE) - used mostly for milk, water and juice bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners, and grocery, trash and retail bags
#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE) - bread and frozen food bags and squeezable bottles
#5 polypropylene (PP) - margarine tubs
The vast majority of Tupperware products for food contact applications in the current line are manufactured from polyethylene and polypropylene. Linear low density polyethylene is used in the manufacture of many seals, including very large ones. High density polyethylene is used in the manufacture of the ice cube tray, the Freeze-N-Save Container, the Jel-Ring mold and the Ice Tups Set.

From there I found this on the green guide:

Before you know which type of plastic container to buy the next time you hit the store, you first need to know how to tell them apart. Plastics are typically classified by a number from #1 to #7, each number representing a different type of resin. That number is usually imprinted on the bottom of your container; flip it upside down, and you'll see a recycling triangle with the number in the middle.

Here's a quick breakdown of plastic resin types:
#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)Product examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles, cough-syrup bottles
#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/Product examples: Milk jugs, toys, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles
#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)Product examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes
#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)Product examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags
#5 polypropylene (PP)Product examples: Syrup bottles, yogurt cups/tubs, diapers
#6 polystyrene (PS)Product examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers
#7 other (misc.; usually polycarbonate, or PC, but also polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources)Product examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers, medical storage containers

Safer Plastics
#2HDPE, #4LDPE and #5PP
These three types of plastic are the healthiest. They transmit no known chemicals into your food and they're generally recyclable; #2 is very commonly accepted by municipal recycling programs, but you may have a more difficult time finding someone to recycle your #4 and #5 containers.
#1 PET
#1 bottles and containers are fine for single use and are widely accepted by municipal recyclers. You won't find many reusable containers made from #1, but they do exist. It's also best to avoid reusing #1 plastic bottles; water and soda bottles in particular are hard to clean, and because plastic is porous, these bottles absorb flavors and bacteria that you can't get rid of.
PLA
PLA (polylactide) plastics are made from renewable resources such as corn, potatoes and sugar cane and anything else with a high starch content. The starch is converted into polylactide acid (PLA). Although you can't recycle these plant-based plastics, you can compost them in a municipal composter or in your backyard compost heap. Most decompose in about twelve days unlike conventional plastic, which can take up to 100 years.

I decided from this very informative site that I would search for where/how to buy HDPE or high density polyethylene. I searched for HDPE and recycled HDPE. Here are a few links I found.

Premier Plastic Resins
Plastic News
Reliable Resins (this one is an example of company with minimum order of 10,000 lbs)

Ecplaza had a search engine here are a couple I found there:
Plastic Resin
Recycled Polyethylene (from this, I found Brandincy-I emailed them)
Recycled Plastic

Indiana Polymers One of the few suppliers actually located in the U.S. Looked promising, I emailed them and am hoping for a response.
United Plastic Recycling They are a recycling plant, but I believe they also supply. I at least asked for a sample.
Vikoz Same thing. It said that they buy and sell any and all plastic.


So yea. I'll let you know if anyone gets back to me. I hope someone does.

look.

Check out black. white. bliss. I picked out some of my favorite images. I liked the advice above. Sometimes hard to follow. But good.



I love stuff like this. Reminds me of the worn paint on fire hydrants.

Pillows are so nice.

This is a gocco print cute, lovey card. Sometimes I like cute, lovey things.

Crazy cut paper. Very nice.

Cute little animal book index. I want a bear one.