As with any product that someone is not familiar with, there is always a learning curve when ordering and using our products. One of the ways that we try to alleviate the hair-pulling is by offering design assistance. Whether you are constructing a simple handrail, a comprehensive safety solution, or a complex Kee Klamp structure, we are here to help you through the design process.

One of our recent customers needed help in this exact area. He was trying to build a large booth for a convention, had a concept in mind, but wasn’t sure how to implement the idea. As we usually ask, we requested a drawing. Here was the original concept:

After discussing the ways we could create the structure, the idea turned into this:

And then it turned into this:

This particular customer wanted to use aluminum pipe – not galvanized steel. Because we have a limited selection of aluminum fittings, this put a wrench in the plans for part of the concept. The fittings that we would typically use for the corners were not available (see below), so we had to think outside the box.

This is a drawing of the solution that we came up with:

We used the combination of these two fittings (Type L21) to create the “joint” that was needed at the corners. The resulting idea was a very strong, simple corner that would meet the customer’s needs exactly:

These last two drawings and some of the ones to follow were drawn up by Simplified (by Sam) for the customer to see and understand the concept. This is a common practice that we try to incorporate into our design assistance when needed. It certainly shortens the learning curve and helps with eventual installation.

The customer was able to confirm that this was a good “fit” for his idea, and sent us one last drawing to confirm the design:

From this, we were able to supply a final drawing to insure that we were on the same page, but more importantly, to help the installers understand where each fitting was going:

The customer was able to then turn his concept into reality – and built an incredible booth:

Even though this process is often a difficult one, we stuck through the process and were able to see it to completion. Many thanks to Eric for letting us tell this story – and for the great pictures of the completed project. If there is a design that you are trying to work into reality, and need some help, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

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Andy Lee is a young designer who is designing simple furniture from plywood. This furniture has a simple, modern look and requires no fasteners or glue. You can find out more about Andy Lee and his designs by visiting his web site: www.andyleedesign.com. You can also purchase his work through our web site in the Furniture section of our site.

You can also read about him in issue #9 of MAKE magazine: click here.

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