About this Video

• Video Title: I Tried To Make Something In America (The Smarter Scrubber Experiment) - Smarter Every Day 308
• Channel: SmarterEveryDay
• Speakers: Destin, Jeremy Fielding, Daylan, Ted, Logan, Weston, Roger, Chris Robeson, John Youngblood, Tyler
• Duration: 00:48:53

Introduction

This video documents a four-year experiment to manufacture a product, the Smarter Scrubber, entirely in America and assess its competitiveness in the global market. Destin explores the challenges of American manufacturing in the face of global economic pressures, highlighting the importance of local production for self-reliance and economic stability.

Key Takeaways

• The Challenges of American Manufacturing: The video demonstrates the significant hurdles in manufacturing a product in the US, including the high cost of materials and labor compared to overseas manufacturing. Sourcing even simple components like bolts proved unexpectedly difficult.
• The Importance of Tooling and Skilled Labor: The experiment emphasizes the critical role of skilled labor, particularly in tool and die making. The loss of this expertise is highlighted as a significant factor hindering American manufacturing. The video showcases the training of a new tool and die apprentice.
• The Smarter Scrubber: Destin introduces his product, the Smarter Scrubber, designed to solve the problem of grill brush bristles falling off and causing health hazards. He discusses design iterations, material selection, and manufacturing processes.
• Supply Chain Complexities: The video reveals the surprising difficulty of maintaining a completely American-made supply chain, even with diligent effort. The unexpected discovery of Chinese-made chain mail from an Indian supplier exemplifies this complexity.
• Economic Considerations: The video touches on the long-term cost savings of purchasing higher-quality, durable goods versus constantly replacing cheaper, lower-quality alternatives. It advocates for supporting local communities and businesses.

Destin initially sourced chain mail from China, which conflicted with his goal of making the Smarter Scrubber entirely in America. Testing revealed that the common radial pattern chain mail didn't adapt well to grill grates. They found a US supplier for a better rectangular pattern, but this supplier couldn't produce the necessary quantities at a cost-effective price. To address this, they created a contract to buy as much as they could afford from the US supplier and supplemented the remaining needs with an Indian supplier. However, it was later discovered that the chain mail from the Indian supplier was actually from China, highlighting the challenges of maintaining a completely American-made supply chain.