By Rain Noe - Mar 22

How to Easily Reverse Engineer Threads

Here's a great piece of physical problem-solving: Let's say you've got the absolutely perfect threaded female part, but the corresponding male part leaves a little something to be desired. You'd like to create your own male part, but it's impossible to measure the interior threading on the female part and

By Rain Noe - Mar 01

Casting an Improved Replacement for a Broken Drill Press Handle

When something breaks, build a better version

The table-height adjustment lever on Eric Strebel's drill press snapped off. For most people that's a setback that requires sourcing and ordering a replacement, then waiting for it to arrive in the mail; but for an industrial designer, it's an opportunity to create your own new handle based on the

By Rain Noe - Feb 23

The Design Process, Moldmaking and Casting of a Concept Vehicle

In this week's video, Eric Strebel casts a series of concept car models and reminds us that industrial design often involves a lot of bodies. Here he shows you his part of the process, which also includes designer Brook Banham, modeler Claas Kuhnen and Joe Fournier's Millennium Mold & Tool.

By Rain Noe - Feb 15

Video: Completing the Design of the Tucker Excelsior Pickup Truck Concept

Responding to our auto design sketch challenge to complete an unusual pickup truck from Preston Tucker's archives, industrial designer Eric Strebel went the extra mile and produced a narrated video on his process. "This week's video is more design oriented than many of my making videos," Strebel explains. "I explore