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plastic

Home Tag plastic

Porta-bote.

Jun 15, 2012




This summer something caught my eye on top of a neighbor’s SUV. It looked like a lighter – than – air aircraft wing but found out it was a collapsable boat. It looks much better in vitro than in these photos.

Adding collapsability into the design criteria can be a bit of a challenge. Here is a product that is not new and because of it’s design is quite popular.

This is a Porta-Bote, a flexible V-hull craft. Its keel and concave “vee” section provide exceptional directional stability. The hull design means the Bote is more comfortable to ride in because the flexible polypropylene hull absorbs shocks and does not bounce like an inflatable or pound like a rigid boat. The flexible hull allows for easy, stable standing. The inside of the hull is rough-surfaced for traction, even when wet.

When you stand up, the hull flattens against the water’s surface with a suction effect adding to the stability. Because of the wide 5-foot beam, the boat is exceptionally stable even when fully loaded and planing at full speed. The same suction effect that allows you to stand up safely also keeps the boat solidly on the surface. It feels good to stand up and stretch, look out over the water and comfortably fly cast with no worries about the Bote tipping over.

The Porta-Bote Company says there over 50,000 Porta-Botes afloat around the world. Some are as old as 30 years and still floating. Porta-Botes attribute their durability to the unique design hinges and lightweight, flexible polypropylene hull. The hinges are waterproof and can take a stress of over 90,000 pounds per square inch. They are designed to take a beating.

The hull utilizes an ultra-violet filter and anti-oxidant for resistance to sun and saltwater damage. This hull material is used in Astro-Turf, car bumpers and highway signs. Porta-Bote’s “Flexi-Hull” flexes inward and absorbs wave energy and disperses its force.

The same flexibility allows the Bote to “give” safely when bumping against underwater obstacles. The Porta-Bote’s hull is almost �1/4 inch thick, thicker than an aluminum hull. It never needs painting and only requires an occasional wipe down the outside hull and hinges with a some vinyl-protectant.

The Porta-Bote can be used on ponds, lakes and rivers. It can be a fishing boat, a sailboat (with optional sail kit), a duck-hunting boat, a ship-to-shore dinghy or just a weekend family pleasure boat. It can easily be transported on top of most vehicles, RVs, seaplanes and yak. The British Royal Air Force Climbing & Rescue Team used it on their record setting climb up Mt. Everest. The team used the Porta-Bote at 20,000 feet to cross a glacier lake. Inflatables were too puncture-prone and unreliable while ordinary rigid boats were too heavy to carry up Everest.

It takes about 20 minutes to set up and 10 minutes to fold it back up at the end of the day. It is four inches thick when folded.

more info at porta-boat tackle tour

Balancing act.

Aug 11, 2010

what these chairs may lack in comfort they make up for in style.





The aptly named Magica (black) and Magica2 (white) play on the illusion created by the plexiglass base that make is seem as if the chairs really only sit on two legs. The tromp l’oeil won Italian designer Davide Conti first place in Furniture Design at Design Quest’s competition in Grand Rapids, MI this past March.

designer: david conti
producer: awaiting production
material: plexiglass


about perrin drumm

Putting plastic back in the ocean.

Aug 6, 2010

it’s ironic that the world’s first floating dining room is built on a bed of plastic bottles.

The surprisingly spacious dining area sits on a reclaimed pinewood frame that houses 1700 plastic bottles and can accommodate 12 guests for a 6-course sustainable seafood meal. It’s ironic by intention, of course. Designer Shannon Ronalds is trying to make a point.




Ronalds, founder of The School of Fish Foundation, is using the floating restaurant to educate chefs on the seafood industry and the impact that discarded plastic has on the ocean environment. All proceeds from the meal go to supporting the School of Fish’s education initiatives, like Shannon’s mission to make comprehensive sustainable seafood courses a requirement for graduation and providing schools with scientific data from marine conservation organizations. These initiatives are especially relevant now that the ocean has far more than just plastic bottles to contend with thanks to the Gulf oil spill, and chefs will have to make increasingly informed decisions when it comes to planning a seafood-based menu.

designer: shannon ronalds


about perrin drumm

California bans plastic bags.

Jun 7, 2010

california lawmakers have voted to ban single-use plastic bags at supermarket checkout stands.
via Good [RK]

Mega lego constructions.

Jun 3, 2010

the lego group began in 1949. did they foresee a 94 ft tall lego tower?
above: world’s tallest tower. the 94.3ft-high pirate ship mast was made with 465,000 bricks, breaking a previous record of 93.43ft set.



above: the 16-foot (4.9-meter) replica of an egyptian king is the biggest lego structure ever created, with 200,000 individual pieces and a weight of more than one ton.



above: the world’s first full-size lego house – including a working toilet, hot shower and a very uncomfortable bed – using 3.3million plastic bricks built by james may.



above: a replica of volvo’s award-winning SUV, the volvo XC90.



above: this lego bear sculpture contains over 95,000 pieces and took over 1100 hours to construct together.



above: lego table consists of 22,742 pieces clicked together with traditional lego construction techniques (no glue), a 136mm grommet is located in its center. it sits on a polished stainless steel square hollow section structure built by b.a. engineering of prussia st and is topped with a 10mm sheet of toughened glass manufactured by action glass.

it’s amazing how these toys inspire creativity for all age groups.

Producer: lego group [see more: via hongkiat]

The story of bottled water panned by bottled water.

Mar 27, 2010

bottled water hates annie leonard’s short animated film: <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1597525/bottled-water-industry-fights-back-against-annie-leonards-story-of-bottled-water" target="_blank""the story of bottled water" . via >fastcompany [RK]

Gekko steam iron.

Jun 1, 2009

gekko1Style, function, and safety.
gekko2
above: lower body shell is constructed of a plastic containing polymers that change color when the temperature of the iron changes.
gekko3

above: handle pivots downward to release steam from the steam plate.
gekko4

Designer: Erik Pavon

[the designblog]

Boxed water!

Mar 19, 2009

boxh20-1A new brand —and concept— Boxed Water has successfully taken the bottle out of bottled water.
A lowered carbon footprint by shipping their unfilled recyclable containers flat to the water source, keeping the cargo pollution to a minimum while maximizing the capabilities of the carton, which can be broken down again post-consumption. What took so long to think of this? Will the consumer buy into it? Will producers go from plastic to paper?

Producer: Bottled Water is Better

[LINK]

Boblbee rucksacks.

Mar 5, 2009

boblee-7
Looking for a rucksack because of its attitude and be surprised by its utility. Or because of its utility and tolerate its attitude.
boblee-1

For the cyclist, hiker, fashionista in your fave circle.
boblee-2
boblee-3
boblee-5
boblee-6
A great deal of design details are built upon a good, functional pack.
boblee-8
boblee-9

With a padded laptop pocket ( which can hold a 15“ MacBook Pro ), additional pockets on the interior, an easy-access zippered top pocket for keys and whatnots, and a removable cellphone pocket for the shoulder strap. The size of the main compartment expands and contracts based on what you are carrying and is determined by how snugly you fasten the top.

Ultimately, this is one tight pack. Whatever you do, just don’t take it to traffic court.

Designer: Jonas Blanking
Producer: boblbee

The whip. Snowboard.

Feb 2, 2009

whip-3
whip-2
whip1
whip-4
A radical new design that sets out to improve on almost every aspect of snowboard riding – more speed, higher jumps, quicker turns, better fit and less chatter. Now, after four years in development, “The Whip” as it’s known has been officially launched.

The design retains a 4×4 mounting system so it can be used with most conventional bindings but a stiff binding with minimal padding is recommended. While the The Whip will perform well in regular powdery conditions, it’s not built for deep, off-trail powder.

The Whip represents a total rethink of several elements of snowboard design, but at first glance, there are two glaringly obvious features that stand out – the elongated cutout that runs through the center of the board and the raised, carbon-composite mounts dubbed “Spider back suspension”.

The purpose of the Open V Hull shape is to reduce the amount of surface area in contact with the snow and in turn reduce drag for greater gliding speed. The straight inner edges boost directional stability and are positioned lower than the outer edge resulting in a slight V-shape that is designed to improve edge to edge transition.

The second – and most striking – design element is the Spider back suspension, a system which was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man sketch. Lin explains that the SBS fulfills several key roles – it acts as a suspension system to reduce chatter and because it’s edge mounted, allows for easier transfer of weight directly to the outside of the board, which is curved like a conventional snowboard for turns. The SBS mounts are tilted slightly toward the center of the board for a more natural stance and further assist turning by raising the center of gravity. The inner arms also act like leaf springs to give the board more “pop”.

The board is hand-built from wood, plastic, steel edges and carbon composite while the SBS is constructed with carbon composite. The suspension role played by the SBS also means that there’s no need for a dampening rubber sheet to be added to the board.

Only one model of will be released this year with the company expecting to produce a few hundred this season. The first, 158cm model is known as “The Whip F-117” (see below for specs) and there are plans to introduce more boards by next season.

The Whip is patent pending in the U.S., EU and most of Asia and the “F-117” model is now available for pre-order at the Cheetah Ultra Sports website at a price of USD$1899. Shipping is slated to begin this month. via cheetah ultra sports

The Whip F-117 Specs:
* LENGTH: 158cm
* WAIST WIDTH: 23.5cm
* EFFECTIVE EDGE: Outer 127cm, Inner 86x2cm
* NOSE WIDTH: 29cm
* TAIL WIDTH: 28cm
* OPENING WIDTH: 7cm
* STANCE LOCATION: 10.5 Back
* SPIDER HEIGHT: 3.8cm
* RIDER WEIGHT LIMITS: 135-195 lbs.

Designer: Adams Lin

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