Maine Signmaker’s Invention Hits the Market

A new invention from a problem-solving signmaker does the heavy lifting for you, quite literally.

“The Tim Stick” – named for its creator, Tim Lafrance of East Coast Sign & Design in Lewiston, ME – is a tool that assists in lifting rolls of vinyl and recently became available for purchase online, the Sun Journal writes.

Lafrance devised The Tim Stick after he discovered that his daughter, who works in his shop, couldn’t lift the 80-lb. vinyl rolls. After some experimentation with his saw, he crafted what is essentially a large wooden handle that “acts a lever to mechanically give the user a lift advantage,” the article explains.

Priced at $32.37, The Tim Stick hit the market last month at Yellotools.com, a German seller of signmaking, vehicle wrapping and digital printing tools. The online merchant provides the following description of the lifting aid:

“The ergonomically shaped handle allows you to lift heavy rolls of film with ease: Simply hook the end of the TimStick into the core of the film roll and lift it up, holding the upper end of the roll with your other hand. The film material is then carried horizontally to the printer or plotter and placed there. The entire process is done with no need to bend down – your back will be grateful.

“The TimStick has two milled grip areas, one at the upper end and one slightly lower, around the middle of the stick. The lower grip section is good for lifting smaller rolls of film up to about 1 meter in width.”

Read more at the Sun Journal.