Neat to Rock Bourbon Glass Project progress

The Neat to Rocks concept Glass that I came up with a couple of weeks ago has been moving long well. I took the next steps to refine the concept.

I tested the theory in some glasses I had at home to make sure the glass would not crack and that the ice would not float right away. The ice does not expand enough to crack the and the surface tension on the ice keeps the ice from floating when Bourbon is added. Then I tested different amount of water to get the perfect amount that does not stay neat too long before rising too the top to become rocks.

Then I started printing models of glasses to make sure my scale and shape was good. The first model was super sized but I caught it before the whole printed and then I printed 4 more before getting to the final shape. The final shape is designed with a opening at the bottom for the perfect amount of water.

I then designed the caddy to hold the glasses so they would not fall over in the freezer. The first design came out looking like soap dish and I wanted to maintain a elegant appearance, so in version 2 I decided I would incorporate coasters into the design as well. The the Caddy is molded plastic with a rubber ring around the handle hole. The coasters are Bamboo due to the fact that Bamboo have very little hygroscopic properties so it will not expand or shrink much from the moisture in the freezer. The coasters fit into the caddy and the glasses fit into the indent in the coasters.

See all project process images below.

NO-CHAIR-DESIGN Year 2012!

I am taking the 2012 design challenge not to design a single chair in 2012

http://vimeo.com/26815141

Shape Rollerz First Model

Shape Rollerz Version 2 #PTRdesign Toyz

So after several comments I went to a uniform eye design, the square and triangle eyes were criticized and a little freaky. Also the hand hole on the triangle roller dropped past the wheels which would create a pinching hazard. So these are the updated design.



Models coming

Moto-Mucci: SHORT FILM: Tim Harney Bio

One of my best friends doing his thing and explaining it very well:

Moto-Mucci: SHORT FILM: Tim Harney Bio: A short bio on Tim Harney, and his custom motorcycle background. Tim is a graduate of Pratt Institutte, an art and design based college, ...

v4-9 Bentwood Modern Drink Cart

This was a design that I developed when I was designing a product a day for a few months. I had really wanted to get it into Solidworks and refine it and get a presentation page made. I finally had the time.

The concept was to create a rolling bar drink cart with a modern design and bentwood. The Ice Bucket and Chilling Buckets can be removed for cleaning.



Original sketch

Neat to Rocks Bourbon Glass

The flavor of bourbon changes with the addition of water. Some experts say that even if you intend to drink bourbon neat you should a few drips of water. Some say it must be served on ice. This glass allows the whole experince to happen.

This glass is designed to have a small amount of water added to the bottom of the glass. Then to be placed in the freezer until the water freezes in the small area at the bottom. Remove the glass from the freezer and add bourbon. The bourbon will start out neat and as the solid ice begins to melt the flavor of the bourbon will change. I have tested this it works very well.



I am now working on caddy design for 2 and 4 glasses so storing them in the freezer is easier.

#PTRdesign Toyz Shape Rolls

This is a first draft of some children's toys I have been thinking about for awhile. I am still tweaking the design for aesthetic reasons and safety reasons. I am also not sure about the material yet, I have considered both CNC painted wood toys with plastic wheels and rubber Tires. I am also considering molded plastic with flocking for the bodies and plastic wheel with rubber tires.







Models and next drafts coming.

Some random projects and models

Some project I developed and never really went anywhere but these are the sketches, 3D files and models.

I named this little guy Da-Rex, he may need some little arms



These are just some little dudes came up with up.

RP it or what

Some rapid prototyed models of my designs that I have made.

Squeaksters Featured Again...

…this time by the Behance Network:

http://www.toydesignserved.com/

1HDC Winter is Coming OCT

There is a cool monthly competition on the www.core77.com forum boards. It is a monthly design competition called "1 Hour Design Challenge" or "1HDC". I have followed it for a long time but for some reason never entered. It is pretty straight forward you have to design something in a hour based on the criteria and design breif then upload it. You win recognition and a post on core77 which is good for getting you name and work out there. I think I will enter every month from here on out.

The design challenge for this month is "Winter is Coming" based on the hit HBO show Game of Thrones. Here is the link to the description of this months design brief and the submitted work:

http://boards.core77.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=25541

Below is what I submitted.

3 Part Light v10 27

I'm back, sort of. After a long summer of racing and traveling things are finally slowing down. As they slow down my creativity levels rise and I need to get the random ideas out. It may not be a design a day. But more and more designs will be showing up from now until racing season of 2012.

This is a idea for table light that can be separated into 3 different lights. I had a dream about it. I might work out some more shapes this was just the initial concept.

Race Anything

My good friend Tim Harney of HarneyBoy Motorcycles made this kart with a Toilet on it for Jimmie Johnson the NASCAR drivers new video game. It is the 70mph ShitterKart...



Watch out for him racing it against JJ soon!

My thoughts on Dan Wheldon's death

“You ask me about tragic accidents? If I am on my tractor at my farm and it rolls over on me and kills me, that's a tragic accident. If I die in a race car, that's life. I died doing what I love.”
― Dale Earnhardt

Dan Wheldon's death was a tragedy because it never should have happened.

Sunday afternoon I tuned into the highly publicized IndyCar finale. Once again the championship was coming down to Dario Franchitti and Will Power. There was also the intriguing story of Dan Wheldon racing from last place for the win for 5 million dollars. Added the fact it was the largest IndyCar field on a high banked 1.5 mile oval. Oh the excitement.

With the race coming up both drivers and owners voiced concern about the high banks and larger fields. After the test the driver made comments about how fast it was and how they were going to be a lot of side by side racing at 220+ MPH. It is hard to say, but the drivers seemed a little uncomfortable about this, but they are paid to race.

This event was the brain child of Randy Bernard the CEO of IndyCar who was newly appointed last year (2010). He came to IndyCar from PBA (Professional Bullriding Association) which he built into a very successful sporting league in 15 years. Unfortunately he did not know anything about racing. Bull riding is very dangerous but it only last 8 seconds and it is one on one, one rider and one bull. I am not sure that he understands racing is dangerous from the green to checkered which can take 2 to 3 hours with 20-30 people racing at 200mph.

Randy has felt it is important to increase the sport visibility. To do this he has tried to create more intriguing story lines. He has manipulated the racing and made it more dangerous. Well Mr. Bernard you got IndyCar in the spotlight. Not beacuse of an exciting championship finale. But for the lose of great driver, a driver who never should have died. But you cute little plan to add a lot more cars to the track and let Dan race from the back had to happen. Lets just endanger everyone for rating, fans, driver and crew.

This is not Randy's first stupid mistake in managing IndyCar, but it should be his final one. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway in August Randy ordered the start on a wet track. Five cars wrecked before getting back to the green flag. Drivers and Owners were enraged. Bernard should have been fired the next day.

Unfortunately IndyCar still had faith in someone who is willing to gamble with the lives of drivers. Well in Vegas he lost. We all lost. We lost Dan, who was an amazing driver and person. The Drivers lost a brother. The worst part is Dan's children lost a father and his wife lost a husband.

If the race was run like any other IndyCar race with a cap on the field and no gimmicks with people racing from the back. We would have seen an exciting season finale. But we saw something very very different. Something we have not seen in very long time. Something we will not hopefully see ever again. I know personally as racecar driver that is not the case. But the first step to protecting drivers is finding someone to run IndyCar that puts the drivers before the rating.

RIP Dan Wheldon 1978-2010

Smart Station concept

view my portfolio:
coroflot.com/RagonettiDesigns

My Racecars!

In order Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint, Lotus Super 7 and Nissan Z. In these cars combined, I have won 8 races, finished 2nd 6 times and several 3rd places. Unfortunately this year the coupe had issues, I never drove the Lotus but the Z was good to me! Next year I think I will stick to these cars and only these cars if possible! Unless the opportunity to drive something faster comes along!

BFDracing RMVR Enduro 2011

Andiamo da corsa

Amo la mia corsa d'epoca Alfa Romeo. Purtroppo la mia Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint avuto problemi tutto l'anno. Ho finito per avere la possibilità di guidare i nostri altri Alfa però. Ecco alcuni dei dietro le quinte di Pietro (me) corsa in America.

Road America KIC 2011 weekend


US Vintage Grand Prix 2011 behind the scenes

Coming in on a rope... 2011 racing season recap!

Coming Soon!

Michelin Challenge Design 2013

HALF! Lightweight with a passion! Michelin Challenge Design 2013!



One of the top transportation design challenges! Entry opens this Sat Oct 1st and submissions must be complete by June 3rd 2012 (closed). Last time the competition drew 18,000entries from 88 countries.

Here is the entry form and challenge:
http://www.michelinchallengedesign.com/MCD_2011/mcd_how_to_enter_2013.php

Here is write up of the last competitions.
http://www.core77.com/blog/competition/michelin_announces_lightweighting_theme_for_2013_design_competition_20642.asp#mor

I am going to at least think about it and see if I can come up with something for this! I will update it here.

UPDATE:
Here is good concept already produced achieving these goals.
http://www.likecool.com/eVLC_Super_light_electric_car--Tech--Gear.html
I am going for a 6 person concept I have already started my research and sketching

Coroflot Genius Gallery!

I was featured on Best of Coroflot twice this year for the Roll-A-Coaster and Squeakster. I had my Portfolio featured in August and now I have been featured on the last Coroflot Genius Gallery, see write up below:

http://www.core77.com/blog/creative_genius/coroflot_genius_gallery_-_the_grand_finale_20638.asp

Here is a link to the Genius Gallery:

http://www.coroflot.com/genius/?utm_source=core77&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=button&utm_campaign=CreativeGenius
Thanks to Coroflot and Core77

PTR

(o=v=o)

Get it:

Coupe: (o=v=o)

Roller'z Rendered

The Petville Palace has won another award

US Vintage GP at The Glen 2011

Just got home from this years 2011 US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. It was, as usual, a very fun weekend. The same problems plagued the coupe. We think we have solved it though, unfortunately the motor has to come out, again (Sorry Paul)!

The weekend started off wet from the passing storms and on Friday Morning the fog moved in and the track was under a delay for several hours. Once I was able to take the coupe out it only made it up the esses before losing power. The motor is retarded, it is actually losing timing and retarding! So no coupe for this year.






Then I got a cool offer. My buddy Chip who preps the Alfa Romeo's for us offered for me to co-drive his 914-6 in the 90 minute Big Bore Enduro. Other than that: A)I have never driven this racecar B)I have never driven a racing Porsche period C)I have never driven a car this fast at the glen D)We are in class with LeMans, CanAm, NASCARs, Sports racers and Huge 911's and E)I would be entering the race to learn to drive this car for my first time in the middle of a race with all these fast cars. I was super excited and nervous.This was the car we were racing:





Here is tour of the Big Bore grid I shot before the race started:


Chip was going to run the first segment, I was going to run the 2nd segment and Chip would finish the race off. Here is Chip's first run:


Chip pulls in early and says Pete I think I have gear box problem. I say lets take it back to the garage we do not want to hurt it. Chip says nope go get 4 laps and bring it in! Pardon me, now you want to give me a sick car I have never driven to go get run over by a Audi LeMans car. OK I am in, belt me down! Did I mention that it is a proper doglegged gear box where first gear was down. I have driven one of these before (my 16v had one) on racecar on a race track I had not though.

Here goes nothing. Down to first, clutch out, lets roll. Pulling out on the track I have no idea how hard I can hit the gas whether the rear end will step out on me like in a 911. All of this and I am going to have cars closing on me at double my speed. First lap very gentle and mildly scary with faster traffic, 2nd lap ok this car handles really well lets give it some more juice, 3rd lap I am getting this still not pushing but this car feels good, feels like it is on rails. Let me get one more semi quick lap. I am starting to enjoy it! Oh crap cant get into 2nd gear hope I dont break down on track. Phew got it going, OK lets get this car back to the pits. Most stressful test/practice/race I have ever done. In a car that is not mine and I have never driven that was acting up. Here is the video of me:


Thank you very much for the opportunity Chip. Please let me get a test session in that bad boy and I think I can go pretty quick in it.

Then on Sunday I was able to take out our #100 Alfa Romeo in the group 3 feature race. Once again I had never been in the car but Alfa's are easy to drive and wouldn't have CanAm cars flying past me.


My dad's girlfriend finished the first race 27th, so that is where I would start. The car felt very snappy on the formation lap. I figured I would get on the throttle on the start and pass a few cars. That didnt happen. The car seemed to lose power at the end of the power band and the power band was not long enough. Oh well it was time to go.

Ended up finishing 16th overall and 4th in class! Thanks for lending me the car Kristine!

Off to Denver next to have a similar weekend racing 2 cars that are not mine. One I have driven once and the other is open wheel FV which I posted on the blog but I have never driven one of these in my life! Should make for a interesting video and post the following week.

Oh by the way, Chip and I did finish first in class in the Enduro even though we did not finish! So I got at least one win this year!

Rotational Molding Machine

If you saw my post below about my buddies "I Scream Man" toys, he also went out and bought a way to produce them. How about this, a table top Rotational Molding Machine.

If you are new to manufacturing this is how you make the high end designer vinyl toys, i.e. Kid Robot and Dunnies. You simply build a mold (of your toy design) that can sustain high heat (we are still working on that), fill the mold with vinyl pellets, mount it between the plates with screws, close the door, turn on the heating element and then switch on the motor and start the rotation. We are not sure in mold timing or heat levels but Ryan says there is an equation for that.

See my video below of the machine working and pictures of it.








PS This is also how the squeaksters are made!