Kickstarter

Hello Everyone,

First, the fun news!  In case anyone didn't catch this, NASA has discovered a planet with two suns "just like Tatooine".  There has been quite a bit of press on this but the link that follows is a really good one.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393115,00.asp  Be sure and scroll down to the video at the bottom.

Now, on to the Kickstarter Tatooine merchandise.  We are getting closer to getting the merchandise ready for shipping.  Last week I arranged for the Lars Saviour Certificates to be printed.  The next step for them is to be sent to Mark Dermul for official signature.  A few bugs on the T-Shirts had to be figured out but we are about to get those finished also.  They should be done next week.  The watches are taking some time because I am being really fussy about some of the construction details.  Just a few items to be taken care of and we will be ready for production.  It shouldn't be much longer.

By the way, many people have asked to buy in "post-Kickstarter" and we have built some additional watches and other memorabilia to meet this need.  We will be contacting everyone who requested this and will send an update to the whole group when we are close to shipping.  There should be plenty of Tatooine merchandise for everyone.

Thank you all for your patience!  Believe me, I am as anxious to get all the memorabilia finished and out to everyone as you are to receive it.  I can't wait to get a Tatooine watch myself !!

Best, Thomas "The Watchmaker" Young

Hello Everyone,

The main effort now is finishing off the "time capsule" redesign inside the Tatooine Watches.  We have built this type of watch before but we were never satsified with the integrity of the internal chamber that seals the sand inside.  We haven't had any problems with the old design but our intention was to go to "Time Capsule, Gen 2" for these new Tatooine watches.  Considering that we all want these watches to last a really long time (like generations!), we feel it is worth the extra engineering effort.

For those of you who would like to see more about what we are talking about, we have included a cross-sectional CAD drawing of the new Tatooine Watch design.  Its not easy to see this, but in the lower left part of the watch body cross section is the filling port into the time capsule.  This is where we insert the Tatooine sand.  The redesign incorporates a precision polymer cap (the blue crosshatched part) that will be secured in the filling stem with epoxy adhesive.

We have been focused on the Tatooine watches up to now because we wanted to get the new designs defined and rolling.  Next week we will be printing the certificates, and the week after that silkscreening the T-shirts.  This should put us on track so that in another 4 weeks or so we will  have all the Tatooine merchandise ready to ship.

Best, Thomas

Hello Pledgers,

Well, we are getting closer ! 

1) I was unhappy with the results from one T-Shirt company so I have gone to another for production.   This is a good thing, I want these t-shirts to be really nice.  (Just so you know, I have much experience with custom t-shirts.  This might be the 10th time I have made them.)  This will take another week or so.

2) We are still working on the internal  time capsule in the watches.  We are on the second redesign.  This is another good thing.  The internal time capsule is what holds the Tatooine sand inside the watches and it must be absolutely sealed or sand will get into the watch mechanism.

3) We have decided to laser etch the entire back of the LE watches.  This is so the name engraved is perfectly aligned to the rest of the text.  This requires a special alignment jig which we are making.  No rocket science involved but a little more time to make the jig.

More updates next week.

Best, Thomas

Hello Pledgers,

Several of you have emailed me about links being dead on the Save the Lars Homestead Kickstarter Project.  I have changed my ISP and will be updating those links very soon.

I also am going to put up a permanent webpage for the Save the Lars Merchandise so you have a touchpoint in coming years.  This will probably be done in 2-3 weeks.

I should have more updates for you this week on product progress.

Best, Thomas "The Watchmaker" Young

Hello Pledgers,

Announcing "a little hold up" (2-3 days) while we redesign the Time Capsule (this is the component that holds the sand inside the watches).  In the photo below you will see two views of  our time capsules.  The tan one shows actual Tatooine Sand as put in a capsule.  To the right of that is the rear of another capsule.  (By the way, these capsules are solid, machined brass.  Each is actually machined by hand.)  You see the small port where the arrow points?  Thats the fill hole.  We sealed that hole with epoxy for the prototypes but for actual production we want a cap inserted here. We will epoxy over the cap but a fitted cap is necessary for integrity.  This is the redesign, just a different filling port.

Another topic: several of you have emailed me and asked if we had any connection to Acoustic Forge.  (Acoustic Forge is also raising funds via Kickstarter.)  The answer to the question is yes.  Think Young Design has two groups, Legendary Time, which makes watches, and Acoustic Forge which makes earbuds and earphones. So yes, we are one in the same.

By the way,  I'd love to make a Star Wars-themed earbud set (!) Let me know if anyone has any ideas.  I was thinking of something "distressed looking" like the equipment at the Lars Homestead, the banged up land speeder, that sort of thing.  If any artists out there want to take a wack at it, let us know.  We'd love to get some other design thoughts.

Best, Thomas at Think Young Design, home of Legendary Timepieces and IronBuds.