New pictures & update on samples
almost 7 years ago – Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 05:15:02 PM

I heard from our manufacturing partner today that samples will be on their way to us tomorrow. This is great news, and it means that in short order I'll be able to test their updates.

Updates?

Yes, we had to change a few things based on feedback from the factory. Notably, the springs were too large and needed some tweaking. Rather than produce a full run based on their say-so, I asked for some samples to test here. If we need more or less tension, I can ask for it and get it. At $100 per sample run, it's not a lot of added cost for the security of knowing we've got the feel of the Buddies right.

Pictures

They sent me some pictures of the springs alongside the screws that will hold the pieces together. You may remember our original design had a pin; these screws will allow a faster, easier assembly and if one should happen to come loose during use, it'll be easier to fix. Inserting those pins is tough to do by hand!

Have a great week!

Bret and the Wrap Buddies team 

Quick pre-poduction update
almost 7 years ago – Fri, Jul 07, 2017 at 05:23:56 PM

I just received this photo from our contract factory and wanted to share it with you. Once they have springs in hand, they'll be shipping me a few samples for review. If the finish and seams, fit and finish is good enough for us to proceed to production, then we will. Even more importantly, though, we'll have the opportunity to make any corrections (even potentially changing our plastic formulation) needed before we make your backer rewards!

Again, and for the record, these are not renderings. These are actual, injection-molded samples.

Hope you all are having a great summer!

Bret and the Wrap Buddies Team

A Moldy Update
almost 7 years ago – Wed, Jun 21, 2017 at 07:21:34 PM

That's right, we have molds!

I'll spare you the animated gif joke this time because frankly, they were all pretty gross. But I did receive the following images from the factory today showing the mold cavities for our Wrap Buddies!

This mold plus the following one are a mated pair and show how the recesses and such will be formed.

The idea is that the main surfaces should be slightly textured, giving better slip-resistance and making them feel warmer & more organic. Where two pieces articulate against each other, they'll be polished to a higher gloss to prevent friction and wear.

They've told me that samples should be ready next week, so I hope to have some actual pictures once they're in my hot little hands. I'm still working out whether they'll be assembling the samples or just sending plastic components for review. 

All our love & thanks,

Bret & the Wrap Buddies team

Small news
almost 7 years ago – Wed, May 24, 2017 at 08:59:05 PM

This is just a small update, but it's big all the same.

Design locked down

I've sent our final files to the factory for review. These incorporate a slightly raised logo on the body of the Wrap Buddies (this seemed less ... garish ... than silk-screening or a sticker).

What's next? Once I have a revised quotation for producing the molds, the factory will start cutting the molds. This is estimated to take 30 days, but I hope that's just a conservative estimate. Then I'll get some samples in each color (I hope) for review. They'll also start sourcing our springs and hinge screws.

So it's not much news, but it definitely moves us forward!

Quick survey notes
almost 7 years ago – Mon, May 01, 2017 at 11:23:48 PM

No matter how much testing you do of a survey, there are just going to be issues when it hits reality. So, if something strikes you as odd, please drop us a line at [email protected] or add a comment here or on the campaign page and we'll get them addressed. Survey responses won't be locked down by us until the 15th, so we've got time to fix anything that's still wonky.

So far:

• We've fixed some cases where preorders were being overcharged for shipping by around $3 each.
• We fixed shipping costs across all reward levels so they reflect what you already paid. This should help you get to a $0 balance more clearly.
• Some of you have written to tell us you pledged at a 5 or 10 (or other) level but wanted fewer Wrap Buddies, leaving the rest of your pledge as a contribution to the project. Thank you!! We just added a "None" option to every Wrap Buddies question after the first, assuming everyone who backed us will want at least one. Please update your survey at http://wrapbuddies.backerkit.com/ to help us keep track of how many you actually want.

That's it for now! Thank you for sending out the facebook love when you completed the surveys, for those of you who've added extra sets, and for being such fantastic supporters all along. Our latest design is being 3D printed now, so we should have something to take pictures of soon!

The Wrap Buddies Team