3 ms·

Honestly that's the very gap that we're trying to fill with Totem. All of our mechanical parts that are available in our kits first are made available as indivi

Honestly that's the very gap that we're trying to fill with Totem. All of our mechanical parts that are available in our kits first are made available as individually purchasable parts, the whole section is here https://totemmaker.net/product-category/totem-mechanics/ https://totemmaker.net/product-category/totem-mechanics/ , and strips like you're talking about here: https://totemmaker.net/product/cuttable-strip-bracket-200-mm-4-pack/ https://totemmaker.net/product/cuttable-strip-bracket-200-mm... , with the intention of them being abundant enough for exactly these purposes. I'm genuinely curious and would appreciate your response on what components could be added or improved to our system to make it more fit for such use cases?

adhesive_wombat 4y ago
So firstly let me say that the design of the beams is genius, and for things that need a rigid 3D frame, it's looks very good indeed, and your PCBs are cool too. And kudos on the general price point that doesn't gouge at all on simple things like the screws. As you say, you do have what I would use most: the "strip bracket". Mostly I end up making things that are a smaller, fiddlier scale than the chunkier beams would allow, and bending strips with pliers works well [1]. When I need something on the scale of the beams, I have been reaching for 15mm DIN rail as it's often to hand (for me it's offcuts, but it's a lot more expensive then these plastic beams if you buy it for the purpose). I didn't see those strips at first: the kit that includes them is out of stock, which is a nice problem to have! I'd like to say it would be great to see more gears and so on, but while I think they're super cool in Meccano, I don't actually have any practical need for them. Probably what I would use more would be a "small and fiddly" kit rather then "big and frame-y". I will definitely keep this stuff in mind. Good luck growing your parts library! 1: my tip: use parallel-jaw pliers for easier, straighter bends. You could even sell a model with a groove in the jaw sized for the strip to keep it perpendicular to the edge.

adhesive_wombat 4y ago

So firstly let me say that the design of the beams is genius, and for things that need a rigid 3D frame, it's looks very good indeed, and your PCBs are cool too. And kudos on the general price point that doesn't gouge at all on simple things like the screws. As you say, you do have what I would use most: the "strip bracket". Mostly I end up making things that are a smaller, fiddlier scale than the chunkier beams would allow, and bending strips with pliers works well [1]. When I need something on the scale of the beams, I have been reaching for 15mm DIN rail as it's often to hand (for me it's offcuts, but it's a lot more expensive then these plastic beams if you buy it for the purpose). I didn't see those strips at first: the kit that includes them is out of stock, which is a nice problem to have! I'd like to say it would be great to see more gears and so on, but while I think they're super cool in Meccano, I don't actually have any practical need for them. Probably what I would use more would be a "small and fiddly" kit rather then "big and frame-y". I will definitely keep this stuff in mind. Good luck growing your parts library! 1: my tip: use parallel-jaw pliers for easier, straighter bends. You could even sell a model with a groove in the jaw sized for the strip to keep it perpendicular to the edge.