March 2012
Encouraged by the fact the DIY Stove Top Fan Mk I actually worked without dropping to bits, I set about working out how to improve it - it was short on air movement - which was the basic requirement and the base plate was ugly as I had done nothing other than drill and counter bore 4 holes in it.
I thought a round base would work well, found a supplier that would supply 10mm thick 75mm diameter discs and purchased 3. I had it in mind to make a further two Stove Top Fans, one for my front room Log Burner and the 3rd for sale (to hopefully recover the overspend on my budget).
Meanwhile, I had joined an on-line forum as I researched how other Solar Panel users were finding their installations. This online forum was a great source of information, I read threads on just about everything I could and started posting about my little Stove Top Fan.
I was staggered at the number of forum members that followed my link to Youtube to see my MkII Stove Top Fan, I got loads of positive comments and a few questions back - I added the link to the Website and watched the google analytics page views climb to the highest figure for the site. I should add, that upuntil this point I had no idea how to use my HTC Wildfire with Video Camera or upload to Youtube... there was lots to learn and I set about getting to grips with it as fast as I could.
April 2012
How could I make best use of this new found knowledge ?
Clearly there was interest in the Fan, I had added a PayPal 'Buy It Now Button' to the webpage and had now sold a few fans. I made little money on the first 10 and recovered the material, postage and costs of earlier parts purchased and it helped me sort out what components worked with what fan etc... this wasn't going to make me a millionaire anytime soon. The early fans had the following issues.
1. Air Flow was 'satisfactory' - it could do with being increased
2. The fan hubs were not as 'true' as I would like and a real pain to make by hand on my union graduate long bed lathe
3. The base discs had to be dead flat otherwise the fans wobbled / walked - saw cut discs were not up o the job
4. The drive mount was tedious to make with any degree of accuracy
5. Each unit took about 3 hours to make and assemble
Now I knew the fan hubs were going to be the critical items, I had feedback from one client who identified his had a 'slight wobble on starting up', so I set about measuring up and then getting quotes for a 'machine shop' to make the units.
I found a larger version of the same Zalman cooler with c 20% more airflow - I could use all the same components other than the hubs which were larger for the bigger fan blades.
At this stage I started discussing my project with a friend and colleague - as a design engineer with a great eye for good design and manufacturing he offered a few hours free time to me and came up with a great little design for the drive mount. I had found a suitable drive which would allow the use of M2.5 machine screw fixings - quick, simple, discrete - flipping fiddly when you have large hands - but you cant have it all !
May 2012
After taking the prototype Stove Top Fan MK II - which I had now named / branded the The Stove Top Fan-C around to a couple of machine shops - I was feeling my efforts were to be for nothing, I had quotes back at £20 for a single fan hub if I ordered in lots of 25.... there was no way this was going to get off the ground. I looked into buying a small bench top metal lathe on which to make the components - I knew the material costs, after all why pay someone else for something I could do myself until I got sales volumes up to sub contract it ! Fortunately, on Friday 11th May, I finally found a family run firm in Hants who saw the potential of larger volumes if the Stove Top Fan unit was a success. I secured component prices which enabled a workable retail price of the larger Heat Powered Stove Top Fan or as it would be branded the 'Fan-Ce' ('e' for extended.... as Fan-Cb...- b for bigger didn't really work as a name !)
That night I ordered a further batch of TEG's and said goodbye to the best part of £1000 and the final part of my business float. If the sales for the fan fail and I can't sell the units I am stuffed.
What was left - I purchased, fixings, website domain names (multiple), stickers to help with the branding, some corrugated boxes - which I now find are 1/2" to small for the Fan-Ce... oh & I started this blog.
What Next:- I have to secure trade orders / interest against a completed Fan-Ce, I have to sell at least a dozen Fan-C models to cover my initial outlay and then push out the Fan-Ce as fast as possible to get some interest and hopefully forward commitments against which I can secure the next larger batch of components to be in a strong sales position for the 3rd qtr this year - when I believe interest in woodburning or multifuel stoves will pick again in time for the cooler months.
I will post images of the various bits and bobs once they all arrive ... and I check they fit ....
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