Chassis Stiffeners and Politics

["Matt Danning" <mattd@domain.elided>]

Having worked in and around a machine and fabrication shop and having
designed and built many specialized parts over the years, I feel that the
chassis stiffener is overpriced.  I'm wondering if Ereminias and Centerline
could recoup (sp?) their investments by lowering the price and thereby
selling more.  

Further, having thought more about the ethics of copying another design, I
want to change  my view of back engineering:  IMHO, if I am unwilling or
unable to purchase a chassis stiffener, I can ethically build my own by
measuring my friends chassis stiffener and copying it; but, I can't make
and sell any for others.  However, if I want to measure a spider, get
drawings, and design my own, even if it's substantially the same as the
existing design, I can make as many as I like and sell them since I have
done the research and engineering myself.

Finally, I feel the digest should encourage innovation and problem-solving.
 To that end, I'm wondering if any digesters have come up with any
"inventions" that they have not tried to sell because they could not sell
them profitably, and if they would be willing to give away their designs
for the benefit of us all.  I'll start the ball rolling by offering
drawings of a spin-on oil filter adapter for a 750 motor (and perhaps
others) that I designed and prototyped several years ago.  In this design,
the spin-on filter replaces the paper filter and can on the stocjk oil
filter bracket.

Matt Danning

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