"So, I get this methodology, but I think it is definitely only one part of the problem. If you design a product based on the single outcome, then you are ignoring the other outcomes it might have. especially in the drill bit example, there are several ways that drill bits get used in the shop that aren't specifically for drilling - e.g alignment pin, precise shim, set of parallels, etc. in this case, the tool might be for creating 1/4" holes, or for having something 1/4" in diameter. The latter might imply a lot more uses than could be planner for. (it is also why I don't like drill bits with flats ground on the shank)Many products get to have multiple uses, multiple JsTBD. Trying to understand only 1, or to predefine it before the users have used the products might cause you to miss important functions as you iterate. "

"Facebook has a very nice woodshop, actively run by woodcraft. "

"Yeah, sure...but it isn't a bike? Seems kind of like you give up the best of the bicycle form factor in order have a small car that you need to pedal. I'd think it would appeal more to health conscious, lazy golfers than it would to anyone doing deliveries."

"I thought about TechShop many times. Financially, it would have made sense, but in practice it was just too frustrating. It require constant planning on when things would be available, a difficult environment for iterative runs/manufacturing, and people with not enough respect for machines that weren't their own. The lathe/mill were always left untrammed, chips were left out, BYO tooling, dull chisels, the list goes on. Pretty much only maintenance free stuff like the lasers were usable on showing up, everything else needed some prep work that ate into your working time. If there was a community way to manage individuals actually taking care of community assets it might work better. But, I also get that its hard to manage/insure a bunch of equipment in case people make genuine mistakes. "

"You can buy little versions of that saw called "Snow saws" for building Igloos in the backcountry or examining snow layers for evaluating avalanche risk. MSR, Black Diamond, etc make these."

"Self reply: I meant that if you DO have a hard line dust collection system, CNC will make no dust. If you are relying on small dust extractors, it'll always be pretty bad. "

"Any idea who makes the festool-style side clamps for clamping the edges of boards? The ones shown aren't festool brand. I'd love you guys to do an article on all the different types of bench dog clamps from all different manufacturers. It would be great to see what some of the other options are that I haven't found yet. "

"I love the design, but I only care about the respirator's performance. If 3M produced this and tested it, inwouldnpay double what a current mask costs. But, the functionality is really 100% of this product and design is only "nice to have""

"Oof - those 3D tool paths looked like they had a ton of stutter. need more smoothing/CV setting/Acceleration setting tweak.One thing I don't see mentioned is dust collection. If you don't have a hard plumbed large dust collector, a gantry CNC can run with effectively 0 dust. The origin won't do that because you don't have a way to run a 6" dust port to it. Since routers, especially hand routers create a huge amount of fine dust, you either need to wear a mask, or work outside. I'd also say that a frequent problem that people have with gantry machines is that they set them up too low. Mine is built to have a surface of about 42". This means that I can hang pieces off the end of the gantry machine to carve the ends, and alignment is less of an issue.I like the shaper origin in concept, but in practice, I find that pocket clearing is one of my most common tasks, and a gantry machine will do that better/faster every time. OTOH, being able to work on pieces that are already built or that cannot fit on the bed seem like killer features that even a production shop could use. "

"I think https://transition-robotics.com/ has done this form factor first, actually. I agree that it is probably the way forward for most use cases that don't rely on hovering. "

"What is the make/model of the laser in the picture? I’m interested in a gantry laser like that. "

"I suppose that they didn’t test with multiple finishes. There are types of polyurethane that won’t show rings for nearly anything. I’d bet on that. Industrial furniture tends to get more durable finish than home stuff. Also possible is that their controlled sound chambers have very low humidity, which might also prevent the ring from forming. Still, I can’t believe the failure to test it at home. Pretty much all the engineers should have had versions at home for testing for months. Did they all have IKEA furniture made of plastic? Or did Apple really not let anyone try it?"