Kiss Ideas. When is KISS too KISS? Or when is a Critic too Critical?

I was thinking about this today, and thought this might be a good example:

Notice how high the eye is above the plastic hole? This extra length acts as a fulcrum, and the amount of force applied to it could eventually break out the plastic hole. This might never happen with a bungy cord, but what if someone attaches a line to it? What if that line gets wrapped around an axle?

We’d likely never have the what Ifs…. if that plastic part was cheap to replace. But if we are concerned, how do we improve on the DIYer design?

tie down

Now true DIY KISS should cover the majority of our worries, and it need be as SIMPLE as possible.  The rubber piece is a #4 stopper with a hole in it stock, these are bought from Lab supplies, and do come in black. There’s a seller on ebay that sells them by the pound cheap. The ring is a heavy duty key ring, you buy them by the hundred count. The piece the ring is supported by is a hardware store 1/4 by 20 thread ‘connector’ you can make two pieces out of each connector.

The ring is our ‘fuseable link’ With a static 60 pound pull, we are just starting to deform the ring, remove this force and the ring is not damaged, but apply another 5 pounds, and the ring will pull apart and assure your plastic hole is not broken.

I posted this for several reasons, first, I think Polaris is making some amazing products, the new RZR 1000 is close to Alien Technology, and I think these holes they supply will find a dozen uses. I’m thinking of using one hole for a CB antenna. The hole idea? It’s an old idea, older than the expanding drain plugs used in outboard boats.

If you have a Son or Grandson interested in mechanical things, it might be fun to get him interested in designing a handy thing, and attempting to sell same on ebay.  A tiny drill press and a hacksaw could be all your young one needs to start a business.

George B.