Danbury Hackerspace organizes 3D print aficionados and other makers to manufacture free face shields medical personnel and first responders.
More than 50 makers, entrepreneurs, freelancers, business owners and 3D print aficionados have made and distributed more 2,000 face shields to medical personnel and first responders in western Connecticut and parts of metro New York. Thousands more face shields are in production. The volunteers are organized by the Connecticut Personal Protective Equipment Project, a Danbury Hackerspace initiative.
“Shortages of PPE gear is a problem that our members can solve,” said Hackerspace co-director Mike Kaltschnee. “We have 3D printers, and we know other people who have 3D printers and laser cutters. All we had to do is let them know that they can fill a need.”
Within one week, Hackerspace members vetted designs, prototyped products, and set up a distribution system. Ideas were generated and consensus achieved over Discord, a social media application. The first batch of face shields were placed in the hands (and over the faces) of doctors, nurses, rehabilitation center workers, first responders and more in the region.
100 Percent Volunteer Force of Makers, Doers and Geeks
One hundred percent of the Connecticut Personal Protective Gear Project’s workforce and managers are volunteers. They make, fabricate, track and distribute face shield components, and deliver the finished product. They are engineers, teachers, students, business owners, freelancers, technicians, party planners, crafters, writers, self-described do-gooders of every stripe, and at least one blueberry farmer.
The volunteers hail from a wide swath of western Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. They are now connected by Discord, as well as a desire to protect the front line workers in their communities.
“It’s crazy that we have to do this, but amazing that we live in an age where we can,” Steve Prior wrote on Discord. “Those of us geeks who practically grew up in our parents’ basements have moved on to really tricked-out basements of our own.
“Given the chance to help save lives from our basements,” Prior quipped, “well, we’ve been training our whole lives for this.” Prior, a senior programmer at Interactive Brokers Group in Greenwich, runs a 3D printer in his own tricked out basement on his time off.
“Hackerspace purchases materials such as filament for 3D printers, plastic for the visors, and even elastic,” Kaltschnee said. “Businesses and people in our community donate this money. Materials are our only expense. I am most grateful to our major donors: Teed & Brown, Unger Worldwide, Jennings Oil, Steve Prior and Interactive Brokers.”
A shortage of the specialized nasopharyngeal swabs that are used in to collect samples for coronavirus testing has lead Danbury Hackerspace leaders to develop a 3D print production procedure to fill the gap. Tyler Erdman, has worked with a number of hospitals to set up a “form farm” of 3D printers. The swabs are produced in a sterile environment, and the procedures are being shared with other hospitals. Erdman, a Danbury Hackerspace member, owns SkyFlix, which makes entertainment systems for private airplanes.
How You Can Help
The Connecticut Personal Protection Equipment Project’s website focuses on two vital needs:
How to contribute – This button leads to Danbury Hackerspace’s Pay Pal account. All donated money is earmarked to purchase materials and equipment that the volunteers need to produce face shield components.
How to request PPE – Healthcare workers and first responders click this button to request free face shields for their organizations.
About the Connecticut PPE Project
The Connecticut Personal Protection Equipment Project is a response to the diminishing availability of personal protective equipment throughout the community. This network of 50-or so volunteers run 3D printers, laser cutters, pick up and drop off material, assemble products, cut elastic, source materials, vet designs – every aspect of any business operation. The PPE project is an initiative of Danbury Hackerspace, a five-year-old non-profit community of entrepreneurs, makers, craftspeople, & artists.
Organizations that joined Danbury Hackerspace in the PPE production effort include Robotics and Beyond in New Milford Conn., Henry Abbott Technical High School in Danbury, and members the Rho Kappa Club at Danbury High School who assemble the face shields at the Danbury Museum and Historical Society.
In addition to Kaltschnee, key volunteer leaders include Ava-Marie Sealey, owner of Ava Party Designs; Skyflix owner Tyler Erdman; Typeflow owner Keith Snyder, and Ed Siergiej, a semi retired manufacturing engineer.