Ah, the good old Bic pen. Where would we be without you? As a cheap and disposable tool capable of at least a fair enough amount of line weights, the Bic pen is one of the most indispensable tools that can be found in a designer or engineer’s toolkit. Sure—there are plenty of other great pens out there, but there’s no denying that for mere pennies apiece, Bic pens have earned their place on the Most Useful Basic Tools list…along with Post-It Notes, Sharpies, and standard copy paper. But have you ever stopped to consider how a humble company—born out of the ashes of World War II in 1944—came to…
Whether you’re making CAD adjustments to a rough prototype or simply double-checking a measurement guess, few tools are as indispensable in the design engineer’s toolkit than a reliable caliper. After all, precision is everything when it comes to top-notch design and engineering. Why fall short? But in order to do exceptional work, you need reliable tools that you can rely on—and The Perfect Quality Solutions Digital Vernier Caliper will ensure that your material dimensions are accurate without breaking the bank. Featuring easy-to-read measurements in imperial, millimeters or fractions at the push of a button, the caliper can also be zeroed at any point without the need for recalibration—so external, internal…
Get that stretch out of your system with this week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist. It’s fashioned up, ready to make you pull your shoulder blades back and knock out another week of meaningful work while you bob your head to the beat. Whether you’re in the shop milling aluminum, sketching the latest product prototypes or modeling up a 3D storm, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll kick it off with “Shooting Star” from Richard In Your Mind before smoothing things out with Hooded Fang, Sleepwalkers, Shelf-Life, and Hideout before rounding off strong with “Fine Young Cannibals” from Wolf Parade. Rock! Have suggestions? As always,…
No matter where you may find yourself, few things are as capable of getting you out of an annoying jam than a good multi-tool. And whether the problem at hand is an annoying package or simply popping the top off of a nice cold one, the wondrous satisfaction of having the right tool at the right time is something you just can’t deny. And with the days of summer upon us, who knows when you’ll be needing a tool in a pinch? Thankfully, the 14-in-1 Stainless Steel Multi-Tool from SHINE HAI—which includes everything from a knife to a fish hook remover—will get the job done without breaking the bank. And…
Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Each Monday, we’ll link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you. Be sure to check in each Monday morning for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight from the source of your favorite homegrown ‘Smack.…
If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. When all you know is SolidWorks, everything you design will look like RoboCop. You can do better.