How a ‘Smart’ Toilet Paper Holder Is Made Using Simple Magnets

In possibly his oddest/coolest video yet, designer Eric Strebel breaks down the making of a one-of-a-kind toilet paper holder. But unlike the version you have at home, which has no technology whatsoever, this rectum-cleaning receptacle holds a couple of smartly-designed magnet discs to make pulling the right amount of toilet paper squares a one-handed process.

Making-of: Smart Magnet Toilet Paper Holder

As with all his projects, Strebel starts the design process by sketching out plans for the toilet paper holder. Basing his concept on magnetic detents within a knob which can be adjusted for different toilet paper plys and lengths. After his initial design sketching, he goes on to create various pyhsical mock-ups to see how all the pieces will fit and fold together, moving toward a simple to manufacture sheet metal base.

After his client, Holdenart, settle in on Eric’s simple sheet metal design without the twists, he creates 3D models of the design in Fusion 360 for a holder that looks more conventional and less twisty with an added phone holder feature (ingenious) so you can accomplish a good, solid two-handed wipe completely unfettered by your mobile device.

The design is refined and a physical mock-up of the final product 3D printed. While it works as intended, Strebel wants the final holder to look a bit more appealing to the naked eye. As is, the design wasn’t very striking and the mechanism for the magnets was a tad clunky. Seeing as you’ll be staring at this in your direst moments of need, Strebel wants it to be something you’d want to look at.

On the next prototype, Strebel fully encloses the tension mechanism by incorporating some bearing that sit within a teardrop shape that act as ramps for the adjstment. With the final design in place, metal prototypes are made.

The aluminum prototypes have a space-age feel to them, like something you’d find in the restroom of the Millennium Falcon. The holder is attached to your wall using 3M VHB (Very High Bond) adhesive strips eliminating the need to find a stud, drill holes, or any extra concrete work to install the toilet paper holder in your bathroom.

To give the holder a little pizzazz and make sure the metal parts don’t accidentally cut you during some aggressive unrolling, a powder coating is applied to the exterior. A phone can be propped up either horizontally or vertically on the holder, while the inner magnets allow you to pull the desired squares of toilet paper, you guesssed it, one handed.

You can find the “PolarityGear Toilet Paper Holder” on Kickstarter, where they’re working toward funding of $40,000. You can always find more of Eric Strebel’s design-centric, non-toilet-related videos on his YouTube channel.

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