KB3D Design Ltd: 2018

February 2018

Norton 500 single cyl. Expansion pipe

Another busy year with the annoyance of Vodafone declaring that they are ditching all email services (like all of our house is with Vodafone). It took months to switch everything over to a different domain provider (Google unfortunately). No such a big fan of Google these days. Their charges are going through the roof.
The most challenging job I can remember this last year is an expansion exhaust pipe for a Norton 500 single cylinder motor cycle. It had to be made up from small bands - all tapered and all different sizes so that the diameter of the pipe gradually changed from 45mm to 87mm from front to end.

The image on the left here is the first few bends made up from approx 30 segments. Each segment had to be capable of being rolled up from a Flat Pattern and welded to make a tapered band. All I had to go on was a sample pipe that had been welded up to fit the bike.

The image on the right here shows the full exhaust pipe. The segments are not very visible in this image as it is looking from a distance and I have switched off all edges for an overall effect.
Peter from Service Engineers Ltd called and said he thought my pipe was 300mm short and asked me to double check dimensions etc.
Panic.. He went off to fit the pieces to the actual bike and called back a few days later to say that it fitted perfectly. Phew. Photo below. What a relief. Just waiting to hear how much difference it has made to the bike's performance.

Racedays LED display trailer

Just like the previous racedays trailer (which was pushing the limits for trailer size - by my reckoning) - this new one is even bigger much to my dismay. But this time they don't want the whole display pivoting to a horizontal position. That means I can add bracing where it is most needed.

Image on the right shows the Solid model used for construction but gives no indication of the actual size of the thing. Luckily for me it all worked out and went like a dream.
Total display size when folded out is 9 metres x 1.8m high

Photo on the right here is near the end of construction. The electronics guy sitting on the boot of his car at the far end gives you some idea of the size of this thing.

Slim touchscreen kiosks for Downtown KFC store

An intricate type of job for Fingermark Global Ltd. As usual the customer (KFC) requested some radical changes to these kiosks as the design progressed. Not least of which was that these kiosks (4 in all) had to be mounted to a stud wall that had not been built yet. I had some basic architectural drawings with a few dimensions but as always it all changed as the weeks rolled on. We had a 'sit down' meeting with the Architects, and the joiners, and a few other representatives from KFC I think - and final sizes were agreed upon for the stud wall. To complicate things, this wall was being built in Rotorua and transported up to Auckland in one piece ready to fit our kiosks to. Well it all went to plan (ish) and the new KFC outlet opened on it's scheduled day. Photo on the right here.
Apparently KFC like them and they are wanting more for their Australia stores but these ones have to be floor mounted (not on a wall). Design already finished and submitted.

Cortenz outdoor fireplaces

I met Gareth of 'Cortenz' at The Auckland Home Show. He was talking to Pete from Wintergardenz and all 3 of us had managed to locate and buy some cans of Russian beer from one of the stalls nearby. Good stuff too. Anyway we were introduced to one another and I have since done loads of design jobs for Gareth - all out or Corten steel - it goes rusty on purpose and used for "rustic" outdoor stuff. Some images below..

Maurice from Morrinsville

Maurice turned up at my office one day with a scale model of a jet boat engine. He had a few STL files that he had acquired from the internet and asked if I could convert them into solid models and make changes to them. Anyone who has tried converting an STL image file into a solid will know it is nigh on impossible. But there is a free CAD program called 'Freecad' that allows you to do just that in a roundabout way and in a nutshell - I managed to get some usable solids from them. While I was busy doing that - Maurice (who is a lawn cutting guy) went out and bought himself a 3D printer. The pressure was on now - I had to be able to do this. I must say I was lucky with Maurice's job because I have tried Freecad again since with other STL files and it didn't work. These days Maurice is taking a break from cutting grass and he is selling model jet boat engines to his mates and whoever else online. Images here of a 3D converted model.