This project involved incorporating a mechanism into a product. The product I set out to design was a premium pencil sharpener for artists and designers to have as a centrepiece on their desk. After doing my research I found that there is not much choice in premium pencil sharpeners. Currently on the market there is a Caran d'Ache pencil sharpener on the market for £120 which visually looks similar to a £12 Helix alternative, the main difference is that it is made from metal.
My initial idea was to change the format of the frame to something unusual as shown above, but this meant not changing anything with how the product functioned. Through sketching I thought of a way that I could change the format of how a pencil is sharpened using just a linear up and down motion. To test my theory I made models using rapid prototyping.
I made a couple models both which worked pretty well the biggest challenge was sourcing a spring that would work with it properly. Without a custom made spring I was unable to test it accurately.
