Chappy’s right. Most inventors simply don’t want to put their trust into anyone due to trust. I’ve found that to put a great deal of trust into someone means I put a great deal at risk. Simple math. Business for me is picking up nicely and I’m finding less and less time to do my own engineering, so at some point I’ll have to turn this over to an “employed” individual. There would have to be an agreement signed saying that you are being compensated and that all design, concepts, and resulting work is the sole property of the company, perhaps even a non compete clause to prevent an engineer from taking several concept ideas (that have been back burnered) and attempting to get IP before the company re prioritizes the project.

I do have one project that I’d like to get started on, a specific bracket to compliment my wall system. It could open up a huge market. Absolutely no effort has been put into the project, but I have an idea. If an employed engineer came up with the best of the best and the company wanted to get the IP on it, the engineer would not have any rights to the design as the IP would be assigned to the company. But the engineer would be named as a co-inventor.

I design military equipment, so yes I design professionally. I’m new to Solidworks and a real project beats a tutorial any day. I’m attending training courses currently, in order to complete one of my on going projects. I have my drawings done for me but I’m sure there are plenty of wonderful inventors on EN who can’t afford the same. I would be happy to address the legal aspect. I have 15 products under my belt that are fielded in all branches of the US military as well as globally. I enjoy the work. Just offering to help.

Not as a government employee just to be clear.

EriK, I got a project for you. It’s a project that involves moving mechanical parts, gears, etc. There would be some design parameters that you need to stay within for it to work for me, but even if you went outside the scope it might still be a worthwhile project. shoot me an email scott@holeyrail.com

I used to design with Ecad (Easy Cad) but it was limited to what it could do. So I now design with Rhino which is the evaluation version, because I cannot afford a Cad program. So its twenty five drawing saves, uninstall and reinstall to get another twenty-five saves. Is that legal? Guess not, but its the only way I can do it. I try to get as much drawn before I save it. I miss the old days when I had three, to four engineers that would whip up drawings in a heart beat where I once worked.

I agree, a real project beats the tutorials.

If you are finding it hard to find a real project, something that you could do to practice is to walk around your home and grab a toaster, blender, chair, table, etc. and then try to reproduce it. If you want to go even farther and feel comfortable that you can put the appliance back together and have it still work like it did before you took it apart, open up the appliances and try to reproduce the internal components.

I wish i had the time to learn Solidworks, I’ll just stick with my Modo. You guys are beyond me. Getting to old, I guess. I make it look pretty. You guys make it work…

Eric I have a product i would like to have designed (cad mechanical drawings?) My question is if you are doing this in class or on the job, how are you going to keep others from seeing it?.

Other than that do you charge by the job or by the hour.

Speaking of trust, if you tell me ( publicly on this forum) that all correspondence and ideas that I share with you are strictly confidential and that you will not use them yourself or share them with any other parties, that is good enough for me…

My plan is to have you work out the mechanical details and then have John “make it look pretty” :)

Here we go again…I think I can take care of myself Jim I don’t need your protection…

Mug? what you don’t like my friendly smile?…I don’t think I’ve ever seen your mug,why don’t you show it to us?

Jim, after all your different allegations here and there, I agree with you on this one about the services postings. Good luck on season 5.

:)

Erik, you look a little young to be doing this kind of work.
Good luck anyway.

;o)

eventually I would like to learn CAD software and then purchase a 3D printer……….but that’s gona have to be a few years down the line.

I’m waiting for CAD software that I can talk to so I don’t have to figure out which buttons to push LOL! Better yet forget the computer and just talk to the 3D printer…I always was a little lazy.

Karl, I would love a computer that all I have to say is draw me a strainer on a swivel base in green. That’s how much help I need. lol

Yes Jim, I here it is very expensive. Is that true?

hahaha!

Eric or anybody else, I’m in the market for an artist, graphics designer or whoever else exists out there that can transform my chicken-scratch into something that would be much more appealing to Edison or any other company that I plan to submit sell sheets to. I have several PPA’s that only give me a year to market properly.

In exchange for your work, I would be willing to split any proceeds, in the event something does come of it.

As it stands right now, I feel like I am trying to present a communication device to the search with a picture of two tin cans on either end of a string and somebody else is presenting two cellphones.

Damn! That’s what I was trying to communicate to you guys.
(Yea, sure you were Charlie. Well better luck next time.)

charlie before coughing away all your heard earned future money look for a local inventors club or go onto craigslist in a college town and look for a freelance artist… a kid looking for beer money will work cheap.