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MATERIALS USED IN FLOWTOYS CONSTRUCTION
> Flowlight-based toys
> Oggpoi
> Flow-wand
> The story behind the construction
FLOWLIGHT-BASED TOYS: Flowpoi, Flowstaff, Flowchucks, Flowdart, Flowscrima, Flowstix
Tubing and connectors: All of our tubing and connectors are made of polycarbonate - the most durable clear plastic available and the same material used for bulletproof glasses. We currently use custom extruded tubing that we ensure meets our specs, as the difference of 5/1000ths of an inch can mean that the tubing is too tight or too loose! All the tubing is prepped in-house, which involves cutting the tubing down, punching holes and deburring the edges for a smooth finish. All the jigs and many of the tools are made in-house.
Flowmass: As of April 2009, flowmass is made of polyethylene, a much less impactful material than the previous mass, which was made of pvc.
Caps: We have two types of caps - the bridge cap and the flower cap. Both caps have a rubbery polyurethane inner bumper and a polycarbonate outer cap. The flower caps are overmolded with polyurethane. Caps are all assembled by hand.
Leashes: We make our leashes with dark grey parachute cord for durability and a sleek, clean look.
Handles: Both single and double loop handles are made of quality climb-spec nylon webbing that is extra smooth and truly tubular (no seam) to avoid any rough abrasive edges. They provide a soft and comfortable feel and a lifetime of active use. The handles on the flowleashes are installed using a drill press that Sean modified. The stand-alone handles are sewn on an old home Singer machine that Sean fixed and altered to fit 4 layers of webbing!
OGGPOI
Oggz: Oggpoi are made from Oggz, a mood-lighting product produced by another company that we modify to make great poi. We test all the Oggz to make sure they work, disassemble them, glue the electronics casing to strengthen it, insert all the attachment hardware, replace the casing and glue it to the external shell.
Leashes: We make our leashes with dark grey parachute cord for durability and a sleek, clean look.
Handles: Both single and double loop handles are made of quality climb-spec nylon webbing that is extra smooth and truly tubular (no seam) to avoid any rough abrasive edges. They provide a soft and comfortable feel and a lifetime of active use. The handles on the flowleashes are installed using a drill press that Sean modified. The stand-alone handles are sewn on an old home Singer machine that Sean fixed and altered to fit 4 layers of webbing!
FLOW-WAND
Wand: The core of the flow-wand is fiberglass, which is nice and heavy, extremely strong, and does not warp with humidity or temperature. We drill and clean the fiberglass and apply a special tape to give the wand its beautiful holographic finish. This step has to be done very carefully to avoid getting bubbles under the tape. We then put a layer of clear heat shrink over the whole wand to protect the tape and prevent it from peeling off in humid weather. The hole is finished with handtools and tiny vinyl caps finish the ends and ensure that no fiberglass is exposed.
String: For the strong, we use nylon upholstery thread for strength and durability and for the finger loop, we use parachute cord that has been sealed and de-cored. After a lot of use, especially spinning or jerky movement, the string might wear down. You can replace it easily with any strong button or upholstery thread or you can also use invisible thread or fishing line if you wish. We have found that "clear" string actually appears more visible as it catches and reflects the light, it's also less comfortable and gets tangled easily, but there might be occasions where it's appropriate. Feel free to experiment and see what works best for your needs!
THE STORY BEHIND THE CONSTRUCTION
Flowtoys was born of Sean's love for spinning and for making things. While Sean made his first LED toys from scratch in 1997, Flowtoys officially came into being in 2004 when we realized that to the get the caps we wanted in a clear color, we'd have to order 4500 of them! From 2004-2008, all our parts were made from stock materials that we sourced from many different suppliers and re-worked to meet our needs. From 2009 onwards, we were able to design and make more parts that were manufactured from scratch.
Why is so much of our stuff handmade or deisgned from scratch? In addition to the fact that we like making stuff, the parts we need simply do not exist, and the development time, money and minimum quantities required to have custom parts manufactured is prohibitive, but piece by piece we're getting there!
With the growth of Flowtoys and the spinning community over the years, we have been able to put more resources towards developing and producing cutting edge toys and turning our dreams into real products to share with the world. The flowlight, which was launched in 2007, was our first manufactured product. Since then, we have produced the crystal cases that protect the flowlights, designed and produced the new flowmass and launched our modular flow system with click-in caps and connectors. We are excited to continue providing improved and inspiring illuminated flowtoys in 2010.
To all of you who have in one way or another supported us over the years, we offer our warmest gratitude and our promise to continue pushing the boundaries of design and human consciousness, and providing the best and most innovative illuminated equipment possible.
Thank you.
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