Edgar Castelo: Fabbing Plans Publisher (Portugal)

Edgar has been inventing and publishing his work (and that of others) on his blog, in addition to producing awesome laser cut guns which I sell the plans to on CNCKing.com.

You can read his blog at http://faz-voce-mesmo.blogspot.ca/

How did you get into designing and what are some of your more notable projects you’ve received recognition for? Are you self-taught or did you go to school to learn what you know?

I’ve got into designing because I was good at drawing, and making stuff. I’ve wona series of Medals for various Inventions, at geneva, Brussels and Nuremberg, lots of Bronze 2 Silver and one Gold Medal, that one for my Triosk.

How do you go about distilling a new design from the start all the way to final production and working prototype? What approaches work best for you and what tools do you use to accomplish this?

I imagine stuff up, in my mind, then go and draw it, on a piece of A4 paper, then I build a Prototipe of the workings of it.

When I’m satisfied, I turn into Inkscape, for 2D laser cut plate projects, or Wings3D, that I clean up with NetFabb, for 3D work.

You wrote a book a while back featuring projects across a variety of skill levels and interests – how do people get a copy and do you plan on formally publishing it one day?

They can still get it trough, an E-book, but Paper books Editions depend on the sales of this one.
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/prototypes-to-build-about-anything-without-giving-up

You publish a very successful blog full of projects and tips, what are your goals with it?

To be honest, I’ve started this Blog both because I like to divulge good news and usefull tips, AND because I can always refer to the Blog, later, when I don’t remember where I’ve got some tip or Link… LOL

I’ve seen a dramatic evolution of your gun designs from your “simple” rubber band pistol to your most recent 5-shot sniper. The mechanisms for those are highly involved, how do you go about testing and designing things that have such a tight tolerance?

I try to make them as fool-proof as I can, parts that will work with loose tolerances, no mather what, but you do have to print the parts, to avoid bad surprises

Can you share any tips about your design approach for these guns and other CNC projects that you’ve done that would save people a lot of time? I find people tend to jump into designing without realizing that a few small changes to their approach would save them a lot of time and money.

I owe that to one of my Design Teachers, way back in High Scholl, Professor Leça: He taught his Students a very simple trick to learn how to draw free-hand:

You buy a pack of A4 Printer Paper, or even cheaper and larger, and you hack away at it without mercy, until you can draw what you see.

It has to be cheap Paper, or else, you’ll be so afraid to waste expensive “art” Paper, you’ll never get it!

The same with making your first Prototype or Design “sketches”, experiment with cheap cardboard, MDF Plate, and whatever you can carve, cut, and glue, again and again, until you have a decent Proof-of-Concept , so you can elaborate on, with time and money expensive Materials or Manufacturing.

What are some of the projects you are working on now? What interests you most?

Inventing in general. I’ve got a huge list of Inventions and Gizmos, from chair improvement to a fliyng contraption that may work or not, so far-out there I cannot talk about it. Also, make a series of Videos about all I make and talk on my Blog.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’d like first to thank you for alll those years of straightforward cooperation, you know I’m as quick to criticize as to compliment, and I like to say to people all around, EXPERIMENT! Do not be afraid of failure, because that comes with the Territory, but nothing compares to the joy of seeing their Idea finally work, or at least, you’ll know it cannot work, and move on!

Photos:
First, the Diploma for my first Invention, and ellypse drawing machine, Bronze Medal.
Then, the BusStopper, one of my 2 Silver Medals, then my Gold Medal for Triosk the Vehicle that’s a Kiosk, for paraplegic self-employenent.

Now, me, being interviewed, on 2 tV Shows, nice girl, on the second:

Now one of my other ideas, a Paper gearwheel:

Now, the Busstopper, on 3D:

Again, the Triosk, an illustration.

The Gold medal, and a 3D Model of the Triosk: