limited production :: hand crafted :: high performance :: rechargeable :: premium flashlights

This is my blog about creating a startup LED flashlight business. I'm a designer, fabricator, and strategist and I'm passionate about making ideas real. I believe that products are about people, that they should be built to last, deliver real value, and that we need to do a better job than we have in the recent past.

Most of my career has been contract or freelance work and I've crafted products and strategies for both big international companies and startups. I also used to work in the "industry" fabricating special effects for film and TV, along with the occasional hot rod. Bottom line, I love making things.

I'm starting this blog so you can follow along, from day one, and see what it's like to start a business, or fail in the process. Only time will tell, but I hope you find this interesting enough to stay tuned, comment, link, like, tweet, and (most importantly) participate in turning this idea into something tangible and valuable.

For a good place to get started with general info about who, what, why, etc., check out the "Stickies" on the left side of the page. Thanks for stopping by and please don't hesitate to ask questions and get involved!

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

WIN: Prometheus Lights featured in FORTUNE?!

Yeah I know! Crazy right? Happy Thanksgiving to me! It sort of seems fake but here is the link and here is the screen shot (below). I keep checking the website just to make sure it's still here. The Alpha is also supposed to be featured in the iPad version of the actual magazine (but not the print version). I'd love it if any iPad subscribers could submit a screen shot or even just write in if you see it.

The Alpha is "techie" gadget #2 (of 6!)
I'd also love to capitalize on the momentum of this press and the best way to do that is through you, yes you dear reader, sharing the news through email, Facebook, Twitter, or anything else you can think of! Since I don't have an advertising budget, basically your good will is the only thing that will help me get the word out.

One last thing, if you are a Facebook user and haven't "liked" my home page yet, would you take 12 seconds and do it? Every little bit helps in this internet economy! This is me giving thanks to you: *thanks!*

Monday, November 14, 2011

Fun with coatings, part 2: Titanium Nitride (TiN)

I've been working with Advanced Coating Technologies to create some special edition lights that are coated with a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) process. These coatings are used on extreme applications like carbide tools for milling and turning. The coatings are microns thick, but incredibly hard. Think of it this way, tungsten carbide is one of the hardest man-made metals in existence. They use PVD to protect this material. No joke right?

Ohhh yeah. 
This is my first sample that is coated in Titanium Nitride (TiN). Need a little more bling in your flashlight? I have no idea if this will be popular or not...but it's still pretty awesome. I'll be getting samples in Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) and Titanium Carbon Nitride (TiCN). These will turn out black and deep grey, respectively. Stay tuned, I hope to have samples in the next couple of weeks.

The light pictured above is one-of-a-kind and is now for sale on my website. Check it out here.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Fun with coatings, part 1: Cerakote

I've been doing some experimenting in the "lab" and I started working with a Cerakote applicator to test out the finish on a couple lights. Cerakote is similar to powder coat but it's a proprietary ceramic-based coating developed primarily for firearms. It comes in a variety of flavors and is very durable. It also looks awesome. I had two lights test-coated and you can see them below!

Cerakote by NIC Industries
So a lot of people Cerakote over raw aluminum. The coating is hard, but the aluminum underneath is still pretty soft. I Cerakoted these lights after they have been nickel plated. This means you retain the corrosion and wear protection of the nickel and you get additional surface hardness to make the finish last longer. I'm not aware of any other manufacturer (custom or commercial) that goes to this kind of trouble.

The two colors shown are "carbon black" and "flat dark earth." Read on after the jump for a couple more photos of awesomeness.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Best credit card for small business?

Hi everyone,

So now that this is an official company, I'm looking to get a business card. This opens up a world dizzying possibilities. Any recommendations based on your experience? I think at this stage the bar for my actual "needs" is set pretty low. I don't have employees with cards, I don't travel a lot for work, and I don't have a fleet of vehicles that need gas. Mostly I need a credit card to put on file with my various suppliers. Thoughts?