In the real world, we’re too often deemed not worthy of fictional gadgets. None of us are getting a proton pack or a flux capacitor any time soon. But if you’re looking for a car roof-mounted licorice dispenser like the one featured in “Wayne’s World,” that can be arranged.
Candy Phelps, a web designer based in Madison, Wisconsin, wanted that licorice dispenser as soon as she saw it in the 1992 movie. But no one was selling it, which was both bogus and sad. More than 30 years later, she’s finally filled that empty space in the market with a real-world version of the contraption, which she sells online through her company called Motormouth.
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Phelps spent about one year in the design, prototyping and testing phase with a dozen or so design iterations and five full 3D-printed prototypes. She said the only reason it took so long was that both she and Motormouth’s product designers have other full-time work, so it ended up being a “when-you-can-get-to-it type of project.”
The biggest challenge with the project was engineering something that managed to stay mostly true to the movie in terms of design while being safe to use and flexible enough to mount in a variety of different ways.
“In the movie, they have a carriage bolt through the roof of the car. Most people aren't going to do that, so we needed to find alternative options,” said Phelps, adding that in the end, Motormouth went with options for screws, straps and adhesive stickers. She said that customers have also used magnets, velcro and suction cups to mount it.
The threads for the dome and bottom plate also took some iteration, as did the parts that the knife is mounted to. Phelps said they kept breaking off, so her team had to develop something that was sturdy enough for quite a bit of pressure but that also worked in the injection mold process.
Once Motormouth finalized the design, the company needed to find a manufacturer. Most U.S. options were well out of the company’s budget but it found a manufacturing partner in China with the required ISO certifications. “Naturally, there were time zone and communication challenges, but in the end, we were very happy with the manufacturers that we found and definitely plan to continue using them for future runs,” said Phelps.
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X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0
00:00.019 --> 00:04.599
In the real world, we're too often deemed not
worthy of fictional gadgets.
00:04.760 --> 00:09.000
None of us are getting a proton pack or a flux
capacitor anytime soon.
00:09.329 --> 00:14.020
But if you're looking for a car roof mounted
licorice dispenser like the one featured in
00:14.020 --> 00:16.469
Wayne's World, that can be arranged.
00:16.760 --> 00:22.360
Candy Phelps, a web designer based in Madison,
Wisconsin, wanted that licorice dispenser as
00:22.360 --> 00:26.030
soon as she saw it in the 1992 movie, but no
one was selling it,
00:26.120 --> 00:28.110
which is both bogus and sad.
00:28.440 --> 00:29.989
And that's just really sad.
00:30.280 --> 00:35.040
More than 30 years later, she's finally filled
the empty space in the market with a real world
00:35.040 --> 00:38.330
version of the contraption, which she sells
online through her company.
00:38.676 --> 00:41.707
Called Motor Mouth.
Phelps spent about 1 year in the design,
00:41.876 --> 00:48.196
prototyping and testing phase with a dozen or
so design iterations and 5 full 3D printed
00:48.196 --> 00:51.106
prototypes.
She said that the only reason it took so long
00:51.106 --> 00:55.707
was that both she and Motormouse production
designers have other full-time work.
00:55.916 --> 00:59.707
So it ended up being a quote, when you can get
to it type of project.
00:59.837 --> 01:04.196
The biggest challenge with the project was
engineering something that managed to stay true
01:04.196 --> 01:09.124
to the movie in terms of design, while being
safe to use and Flexible enough to mount in a
01:09.124 --> 01:12.713
variety of different ways.
In the movie, they have a carriage bolt through
01:12.713 --> 01:13.783
the roof of the car.
01:14.033 --> 01:17.874
Most people aren't going to do that, so we
needed to find alternative options,
01:17.994 --> 01:22.634
said Phelps, adding that in the end Motormouth
went with options for screws,
01:22.643 --> 01:27.513
straps, and adhesive stickers.
She said that customers have also used magnets,
01:27.793 --> 01:32.314
Velcro, and suction cups to mount it.
The threads for the dome and bottom plate also
01:32.314 --> 01:36.153
took some iteration, as did the parts that the
knife is mounted to.
01:36.274 --> 01:39.310
Phelps said.
They kept breaking off, so her team had to
01:39.310 --> 01:42.420
develop something that was sturdy enough for
quite a bit of pressure,
01:42.630 --> 01:45.301
but that also worked in the injection mold
process.
01:45.591 --> 01:49.981
Once Motormouth finalized the design, the
company needed to find a manufacturer.
01:50.191 --> 01:55.191
Most US options were well out of the company's
budget, but it found a manufacturing partner in
01:55.191 --> 01:58.140
China with the required ISO certifications.
01:58.430 --> 02:02.140
Naturally, there were some time zone and
communication challenges,
02:02.271 --> 02:05.831
but in the end, we were very happy with the
manufacturers that we found.
02:06.190 --> 02:09.520
And definitely plan to continue using them for
future runs,
02:09.600 --> 02:12.869
said Phelps.
I'm Ben Munson, and this is manufacturing now.
02:13.119 --> 02:14.649
We're not worthy.
02:14.919 --> 02:16.389
We're not worthy.