

Ask HN: Where do I turn for help developing an invention? - Pipedreamergrey

I've had a few ideas over the years for various household gadgets that I think might have had real marketability.  The problem is, I'm not an engineer and I have no idea where to turn for help developing my ideas.  I would just take the first step of submitting a patent application, but I suspect that my amateur drawings would in themselves be grounds to reject the application.<p>I know that organizations that market services for inventors are, by and large, scams, and I don't know any friendly engineers who might lend a hand.  So, any advice would be appreciated.
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khafra
I doubt you could sell anything like that without at least being able to build
a prototype, so perhaps that'd make a better first step than a patent
application: Learn how to work with thermoplastic, rent some time with a CNC
machine, teach yourself to whittle--whatever it takes.

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Pipedreamergrey
Thanks, that's useful advice. Googling CNC machine, I see that I can download
software for some models to tinker with, to see how difficult that might be.

