Hey guys --
I am shopping around to see the approximate cost (in USD $) & labor required to produce a functional prototype of a product concept.
I would like to create an easy to use, durable tire chalker, which is a common tool used by security guards, parking attendants and parking enforcement officers.
View attachment 121391
View attachment 121392
The most important part of this product is the bottom of the hockey stick, where the chalk is held. Since it will be the most important part of this product, at an absolute minimum I need it to have the following capabilities:
1.) Ability to handle large chalk sticks such as:
http://www.amazon.com/ToySmith-Jumbo-Sidewalk-Chalk-chalks/d p/B001A5SNXA/ with some room for flexibility in chalk size. So, perhaps some sort of a variable tightening mechanism to hold the chalk in place and the ability to increase/decrease tension.
2.) The chalk should be able to easily extend/detract/move in and out of the stick depending on the users preference. The functionality of this feature is very similar to that of a common mechanical eraser sold at office stores.
View attachment 121393
View attachment 121394
3.) Most importantly, if the chalk breaks prematurely, the user should NOT have to use a secondary tool to pry out the stuck piece of chalk. Instead, there should be a feature/mechanism that will allow the user to easily remove the stuck piece of chalk OR simply advance the stuck piece of chalk and continue using the stick. As a test, If I break off the protruding piece of chalk, I should have no problem adjusting and re-orienting the chalk.
I am not too concerned about the 'long stick' part of this product because that part is pretty straight forward, in fact, I am primarily concerned about getting the most important section of this product designed first (The part that actually holds the chalk).
In either case, I am on a tight budget, so before we move on, I'd love to know your thoughts on this and perhaps get an estimate of labor and costs ($) involved.
Also, let me know if you need any clarification on anything I've mentioned above!
Thanks a bunch!