HRG3Design

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HRG3Design HRG3Design is a one person company to do mechanical design in 3D solid modeling software.

From those models and assemblies I can deliver paper, STL, or STP formats for design requirements, 3D printing, or CNC output for machining.

09/26/2026

Gang, I’m back with another vintage ski binding video. This one’s a bit different. It’s more about an inventor. Hjalmar Hvam (pronounced Yall-mer Vahm) came up with the first releasable ski binding toe unit in the mid to late 1930s. Before then, the word “binding” was used, but really meant you were bound to the ski, with no release. In those days, you just hoped the ski would break before you did. Take a moment to think about that!! The video introduces Mr. Hvam, and then goes through not just one, but as many of his bindings as I could find data on. This was harder than it may sound! Ski-Free, or SAF Ski Bindings, was a small company based in Portland, Oregon. Hvam had a ski shop in Portland and one on Mount Hood. Ski-Free didn’t have the reach of the soon-to-be major players in the binding world, such as Look, Salomon, or Tyrolia. It sold a few thousand bindings, not hundreds of thousands. After months of research, I still have some questions about the heel unit. I found the patent, but not the item itself. Not even pictures! Anyone who has more complete information, please get in touch and let’s talk.

07/22/2026

OK gang, I’m back with a “new-and-improved” video I shortened it. Back to our story, in 2018, businesswoman Ingrid Menet purchased Dynamic. I’ve always had a deep respect to Dynamic and have recently been on a Dynamic history deep dive (more on this later). I then discovered these videos that introduce us to Ingrid Menet, and what she plans for Dynamic in the future. The videos are in French, so undeterred, I found software to add English subtitles. I want to see who out there are classic Dynamic fans, and also am interested in everyone’s thinking, if they we’re available to you would you be interested a modern Dynamic ski.

06/05/2026

Well, gang I’m back, this time with a “golden oldie”. I originally did this binding back in 2020 right after I retired from CCD. The M4 toe is one of my favorites. The reason I’m redoing it is because a sharp-eyed watcher of the video got back to me with a “request”! I had referred to the heel as a “Rotomat”. It’s actually “Rotamat”. I really am glad he pointed that out; I really put a lot of time and effort into getting things correct. Notice even Skiing Magazines author, editor, and layout staff also got it wrong in 1972. So, mea culpa…or in a more current lexicon “my bad”! This also gave me a chance to add the M4-M44S step-in heel, and the ski brake for that design. This new video is more in line with my current work, with my lovely wife doing the voice-over. More Marker “Rotamat” repair videos will be out soon!

04/07/2026

Hi gang! I’m back with another “Vintage Ski Binding” video. This one is so rare that I bet even some of our most senior ski techs out there will not have even seen an “Allmat 8000”. As a side note, YouTube let me know the other day that most people who “watch” my videos don’t make it but a quarter of the way through before they give up and go away. Enough to take all the wind out of my sails! But on reflection these videos are more about history and engineering, so they are more academic than entertaining. It did make me think that with the short attention spans a lot of people have these days I could start the videos with something like this…”Tonight on Top Fear, James will attempt to blow up an American Ski Binding, and I’ll see if I can damage a Salomon 747, using a AK 47!”...followed by the usual jingle. OK enough of that! I know the videos are of limited interest to a limited group of ski enthusiasts. As much as it hurts to think this, but most skiers don’t understand what they bought why they bought it. Usually, some pro is on the equipment, or their friends are on it: that’s all they need. But for some of us, the hardware is more than that. How it came to be matters. Who was involved in the concept and design? Where did “Industrial Design” come into the picture? The manufacturing engineers, metallurgists, and designers tell a much deeper story. My ultimate plan is to build a digital reference book that I plan to call “Click, the Engineering, History of the Alpine Ski Binding.” It would pull together all these videos in chapters covering each manufacturer’s history and then linking my videos to the correct chapter. Now all that said, do any of you have suggestions to make the videos more engaging?

02/26/2026

Hi gang, I’m finally back with another vintage ski binding. This time a combination of the Tyrolia 570 diagonal, and the SFF FreeFlex. I know it’s been a while but one of these disassembles, measure, model jobs take about a month, so two in less than two months doesn’t feel so bad. Please let me know what you think. Next binding I’m starting to work on is one that is pretty rare and was only around for a couple of years in the early ‘70s the Allmat 8000 (I know it sounds like a sci-fi show).

12/13/2025

Gang, I’m back with another vintage ski binding video this time the Geze Toplight toe and Step Master heel. Just to note most Americans in the day were determined to pronounce Geze as “Geezzee” but the German based company helped us out with this mnemonic “Say Gate-See”. This binding set was released for sale as a set in 1971. The Step Master heel was released in 1969, and the toe in 1970. I’ve also added Geze “Swing Out” mechanical AFD (Anti-Friction Device). Saska Sports was the importer of Kneissl Skis, Henke Boots, and Geze Bindings. Geze released the Top Jet Toe and Step Jet Heel in 1972 my video of that binding can be seen on my YouTube Channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4BCTOoP5LY&t=2s

11/28/2025

Gang here is another one of my short video highlighting a recent Cars & Coffee car show. My mission is to improve my car photography skill, and post processing with Lightroom. Again if any of these cars are yours and you would like the finished digital file let me know and I'll send them to you free of charge.

With Faction Skis – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉
10/28/2025

With Faction Skis – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

10/19/2025

Hi gang, I’m back with another vintage ski binding video Tyrolia 390RD. I know it’s been a while, but these really do take a while to do. Next up for the disassembly, measure, model, research is the Burt II binding. While I’m modeling the Burt II I’ll do a complete “redo” of the original Burt I did five years ago. Let me know what you think. I am still looking for a plastic Allsop Binding. I’m always open to suggestions for other binding to do.

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7861 So. Windermere Circle
Littleton, CO
80120

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+13037988890

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