Hi, my name is Sarah Wartofsky and I’m interning at Montie Design this summer. I’m a Mechanical Engineering student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. I’m used to approaching the design process from a slightly different angle than what we’ve been doing since I got here, so I’ve got a bit of a learning curve ahead of me, but I’m looking forward to gaining new perspectives during my time here. I’ve already learned a lot in the few weeks I’ve been here so far, so it should be quite the experience!
I’ve been working on concepts for a folding slingshot recently. I started by considering methods that have been used to make compact products, and ended up focusing on folding knives (as well as butterfly knives) and telescopes. I actually disassembled my own knife to get a better idea of the locking mechanism it uses.
Below are some of the concept sketches I’ve been working on.
I’ve been having a great time here so far. We’ve gone on a field trip to ADR Hydrocut to see their waterjet cutting process, gotten to play with prototypes, and yesterday I even shot a pinecone off the top of a box with one of Montie’s slingshots. I’ve no doubt this is going to be a fascinating summer.