🎙️ Industrial designer and former auto journalist Peter Holderith joins Tool or Die to talk about… well, we should be talking about the hybrid kit sports car he’s designing and building from scratch with no hard tooling, no team, and no OEM funding.
But instead we’re talking about this toaster that he’s designing because Jim Belosic of SendCutSend challenged him (and others!) to design a 100% Made In America Toaster. (Peter’s design is…very kickass.)
Thankfully this is a podcast and I edit it so I can talk about whatever I want, so we also go into Peter’s true life mission as a car nut and engineer: making an entirely new type of kit car. From 3D-printed body panels to aluminum tube chassis construction, Peter explains why this might be the first real kit car of the new reshoring era.
Oh, we also talk about his Peltier-cooled beer chiller that pulls 800 watts and needs two gaming PC power supplies to operate.
This is what modern manufacturing looks like when you give an insane clever man access to SendCutSend, tasteful New England ales, and not nearly enough time or self-control. Loved this talk.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Redefining the American toaster
02:00 Why SendCutSend is sponsoring maker weirdos
05:00 Peter’s path from industrial design to automotive journalism
09:00 Making the “Weather Orb” from scratch
14:00 The science and art of a 5-minute beer chiller
18:00 Building a hybrid kit car with no hard tooling
24:00 Flat-pack sports cars and the future of Osh Cut & SendCutSend
31:00 What even *is* a modern car now?
36:00 How to make the front axle electric and the rear gas-powered
39:00 Safety, SolidWorks, and sane madness
Key Topics
Modern prototyping using SendCutSend, Osh Cut, and RMFG
Hybrid drivetrain design with decoupled axles
3D printing for structural and body components
Why we’re finally ready for real reshored kit cars
The crossover between car culture and manufacturing revival
Low-volume production without compromise
📺 YouTube: Peter Holderith’s channel
🔧 Follow Peter: [@holderithdesign](https://twitter.com/holderithdesign)
Tool or Die is hosted by Joel Johnson (with visits from Alex Roy), former tech journalist and co-founder of brands like Gizmodo, Jalopnik, and Wirecutter. Each week, Joel speaks with people building the future of American manufacturing.
#KitCars #HybridSportsCars #SendCutSend #AmericanManufacturing #DIYEngineering #ToasterChallenge #AutoDesign #Reshoring
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