Mechanical shot measure product development
This was a project for Studio Makecreate, who are a pleasure to work with.
Their client was Monkey Shoulder, who wanted an updated version of a late 19th century mechanical shot measure, for bar staff to accurately dispense spirits.
The vessel is filled to the desired level, and liquid then released through the base when the handle is pressed.
I was asked to make a series of prototypes to work out how the valve would function.
This was the first prototype, to see if a piston valve would work, instead of the original poppet valve
Figuring out the handle, and adding water
Flow rate was important, so the entry and exit holes were machined out into slots
This is a vertical slide attachment for an Atlas 10 lathe
A reamer was used to make the valve chamber walls as smooth and accurate as possible
Circlips were used to keep the parts in place
Sean Malikides (Kai Lab) created a model in Fusion 360, which was then 3D printed. The valve was epoxied in place, and a second "ledge" component glued on top (not shown here).
The original antique design can be seen here on the left
My involvement finished at this stage, but the shot measure made it into production...
While putting this page together I found this video, although it's not very interesting. My drawings can be seen pinned up in the background at one point. I went on to do some other product development for these guys. They gave me some telescopic spoons.
It's funny doing a bit of product design - that was actually what I studied at university, 2000 to 2004, although it wasn't ever a career I actively followed. I chose the course when I was a teenager just because it seemed to offer a range of things, from maths to drawing, and I ended up finding out that spending time in the workshop was the most interesting thing to do.