Sunny Ray talks with Kieran Skelly and Sebastian Merrell, the Texas-based duo behind the Primer Wand, a handheld squeeze applicator meant to replace the open can and dauber plumbers have used for decades to apply purple primer to plastic pipe. Sebastian, now a master plumber, explains how repeated spills as an apprentice, and the smell and stains that followed, pushed him to look for a fix. Kieran, whose background is electrical engineering and software, describes how he was talked into the project and how the pair went through at least a dozen iterations, starting with parts from Home Depot and moving to 3D printing. They discuss early design problems, including a threaded cap that peeled when primer dried, a flow rate that was too fast, and a dauber tip that spun. They also cover early sales through a local supply store and Instagram, factory partners helping with injection mold design, a target price of 25 to 30 dollars, and a plan to prove demand through direct sales before approaching large retailers.
Two Texas friends 3D printed a fix for the spill-prone primer can plumbers have used for 50 years, and now they are heading to injection molding.
What is the Primer Wand and what problem does it solve?
Plumbers spill primer all the time, especially in tunnels, and the smell is horrendous. You also waste about 40 bucks of primer. The Primer Wand is a handheld device you squeeze to apply primer to the pipe, so you can drop it on the ground without worrying about spilling. It refills through a small funnel.
Can you take us into that tunnel? What happened with the can of primer?
It has happened to me at least 50 times. As an apprentice, you help the master plumber, so I might have knocked the can over or passed it and he spilled it. It sucked for everybody because the primer smell is so powerful. I had this idea four to seven years ago and kept working on it.
Kieran, what drew you to a plumber's problem given your background?
My background is electrical engineering and software, so this was a totally different challenge involving corrosive primer, fluid flow, and mechanics. Sebastian asked me several times and I kept saying no, but he was insistent, which is one of the best traits in an entrepreneur. He won me over, and we have gone through at least a dozen iterations.
Why hasn't anyone fixed the can and dauber before now?
The trades are very under-innovative, with little change in the last 20 years. The only thing I know of is a holster-style carrier where the cans snap in, so they stay together, but you can still knock it over. It is amazing they never fixed the problem itself, which is good for us.
What design problems did you have to fix along the way?
A plumber told us the threaded cap would peel the filament when primer dried like adhesive, so we switched to a cap that snaps over the tip. The first model also released primer too fast, and the dauber tip was spinning. We solved those, and we want the tip to be easily replaceable.
How did you get your first sales and what is the path to retail?
My friend Chris's parents own a plumbing supply store, and they let me introduce the wand to plumbers as they walked in. Plumbers looked at it like an alien, then said it was awesome. Factories are now helping us design the injection mold and have said they will finance the initial run.
How much will it cost, and which market do you start with?
I'd say 25 to 30 bucks is pretty fair, and the margin would be big even at 15, since each one costs about a dollar to make. We start with direct sales. Distributors find us through Instagram, and direct sales prove the product, so Home Depot sees legitimacy when they Google us.
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