We have some very exciting news for you this month! The componentry for all of the Pocket Drivers has been machined! That still means there's a few more operations to get through like; hardening, polishing, blackodising and anodising. But what it does mean is that, in one form or another, your Pocket Driver exists! 🥳
We carried out an in depth component inspection this month, which saw us staring and squinting at 100's of shiny bits of metal, looking for dinks, chips, scratches and scuffs, along with fit, form and function checks to really put these components under some serious scrutiny.
This stage is super important, as all of the components have been at least rough machined and are not yet close to being assembled. This initial check allows us to spot any issues very early on, when they're MUCH easier to fix!
Master Of Pockets
A really effective test we carry out on all of our component inspections is to use a pre-production unit as a 'master' assembly and then take sample batches of every single component from the production run. We then test replacing a 'master' component with a 'production' component in the master assembly and make sure it functions correctly and looks the same as a 'master' component. We do this for 30pcs of each component, randomly selected from different batches to ensure we get a really good overview of the quality. This equates to disassembling and reassembling the pocket driver well over 200 times 🫠. However tedious this was for us, it's proven time and time again to be one of the most effective early stage tests we ever do! It also proves you can break down and reassemble a Pocket Driver without anything wearing out (it's also really satisfying to assemble, so I kinda like this job).
I'll take you through some of the highlights below to give you an idea of where your Pocket Drivers are at!
The Main Bodies
Behold the deep black barrels of your Pocket Drivers! These have all passed the master test and are one of a few components that are fully completed (one batch have been finished and anodised). The stainless versions are still in the shop unfortunately, however we're aiming to get these checked and signed off in two weeks time.
A batch of Pocket Driver main bodies looking mighty shiny
Pin Handles
The Pin Handles have come out really nice and they don't need to go through any post processing, so these guys are all ready to be assembled into Pocket Drivers. We mentioned in update #10 about reducing the thread from M3 to M2 to strengthen the Barrel Pin by not removing as much material and this is how they've turned out 👌
Barrel Pins
These little hardened pins are the workhorse behind Pocket Driver and need to perform for decades under constant differing loads in some very hostile environments. So, we've done everything we can to strengthen these guys and make them as resilient as physically possible. The blackodised coating is something we apply post machining, along with a good coating of oil to help prevent rust (and if you keep up applying oil once the Pocket Driver is yours it'll be in good nick for decades!).
The Handles
These look amazing and we've paid very close attention to scratches on these components as we want them to be as perfect as possible for you guys. Below is an example of something we've noticed on a few stainless handles and is something we have passed due to not being able to polish an inside face. I just wanted you guys to be aware of this, as our main focus will always be on the outer visible surfaces.
End Caps
These are also in the final stages of manufacture and just need their ball plungers popping in to be a finished sub-assembly. Again, I am very happy with these components and the stainless versions are all just as shiny.
Bottle Bit and Bit Blade
Pretty spot on these guys, really nice finish with no real issues at all. Excuse the excessive oil, we like to keep everything nice and lubricated to keep the components protected as they move through all of the different processes.
The only random fail we had was a crack along the body of a Bottle Bit and I can only assume this was a fault in the material itself which was revealed through the extra stress when the hole was drilled.
That's the quality control highlights for now! The rest of the components are still in production, so weren't quite ready for an inspection just yet, but we got a good chunk done in this QC check! Then we'll be doing another in two weeks time to check the remaining parts and also begin to QC the very first Pocket Driver assemblies!
Maximum Efficiency
We are in the process of securing temporary warehousing due to the sheer volume of boxes full of heavy metal that will be arriving over the next 3 months. For the original Driver campaign, we literally boxed ourselves in! We learned the hard way from that and definitely don't want to do that again, as it really ruins being able to set up effective assembly lines in our workshop. This time around we're approaching fulfilment with much more experience and have already started work on the new assembly lines, along with lots of testing using the pre-production units to ensure we can hit the ground running when everything arrives.
Packaging is a go!
All of the packaging is in production which includes our outer boxes, moulded pulp inserts and accessory boxes. This is all due to arrive with us in the new year, just ahead of the main shipment of Pocket Drivers, allowing us to do any prep work to get the boxes ready for assembly.
Extra Bits Are Ready
Ahead of the main delivery, we have arranged for all extra components like the Bit Sets and Pocket Pack tools to be sent early to allow us to get them organised and ready for packing when everything else arrives. Below is the packaging we opted for to house the Hex Drive sets (with its extra hole to house the big lad at the end).
Any questions leave a comment and we'll get back to you! 😃