Behind The Scene

So while the shifters are being manufactured, I might as well share some process of how Carbon Shifter took shape into what it is today.

Right after I had the idea of making a paddle shifter key chain out of carbon fiber, I began sketching out shapes out of my head. Very soon I came up with these complex curves that fit your fingers as if you are actually pulling on the paddles during shifting. That's how the Shifter got its signature warped shape.

After picking the shape that I liked, I sketched out the connected parts, fastening details, and color variety. Material choice and type of machining were also planned out.

I then jumped onto my desktop and fired up Solidworks and started modeling. It wasn't long before I had the shapes down in digital form, and with access to a 3D printer, I was able to have the model "printed" out in no time.

Once I had the prototype on my hands, I could get a feel of the shape in true scale and a feel of the warping "finger groove".

​Very soon, I figured this little complex shape on the Shifter required a mold for the carbon composite material to form on during fabrication, which involved some expensive tooling. I then started this long hunt for suppliers, which was actually a pretty interesting process and valuable experience that individuals don't often get to deal with. At that point I realized I could be on to something big and that it might even have an impact on my career...

A post shared by Carbon Shifter (@carbon.shifter) on Jun 4, 2017 at 12:25pm PDT