Hi all, I’m wondering with all that’s been going on: how could the space at LMN and its members be helping out in a maker sort of way right now?
Are there things that you, friends, or your employer need? I’m just looking for some brainstorming to make folks’ lives a little easier and maybe keep us busy in some way…
Prusa Research has been working on some COVID-19 related projects that may be helpful to the medical community. It is inspiring to see what they are thinking about and working on. They have an ongoing 3D design contest for helpful items, too, so it will be interesting to see what the maker community comes up with…
Check it out:
Maybe we will be inspired to help locally in some way.
I wonder if as this thing stretches on if a tool loan program might be useful ? Obviously we can’t loan out our big equipment but hand tools, specialty tools (plumbing stuff, etc) ?
We have to limit it to stuff that we can clean/disinfect after its returned.
Is anyone needing anything along these lines already ?
Hi all. There is one way that I know of we can be of use immediately. As various hospitals are running out of facemasks, they are calling on crafters to sew an emergency supply of them. There’s a thread on this running through the Seams Classes and Community page on Facebook
This is one way we can help out. They have posted a link to a medical official approved pattern at this link and according to one official, the mayor’s office is saying they’ll expect to need hundreds, if not thousands of these masks.
Here’s a news report on the same topic: https://www.michiganradio.org/post/some-healthcare-workers-turn-homemade-masks-amidst-controlled-chaos-dwindling-supplies
Video from Henry Ford: https://youtu.be/-HVB9Oa3JaE
Is this something we can take on? Walmart has cheap sewing machines in stock at the local stores. Can we get the right materials, get some basic sewing instruction, and crank out something usable, and get it to the right places?
The face mask looks realistic for us to make on the laser cutter from some thin plastic. In the video the plastic looked glued to a tongue depressor (a.k.a. popsicle stick), and had an elastic band. We could make those at high speed.
We have a couple of machines already at the space. Who’s interested in learning to sew (me for sure) and who’s willing to teach us to sew ?
@Rossi.Bossi I wonder how many of CADL’s library of things machines are sitting in the library right now. I know there’s usually a waiting list so perhaps not many.
I’m not sure we’d have access–CADL’s stuff is under lockdown right now–but I could ask Jessica.
I’m a new member and I would definitely be interested in learning how to sew those masks and helping out in that area however I can.
I feel like I should jump in here and remind everyone whatever plans we make to help out, we should definitely focus on things we can do while home. I was speaking to an ER doctor yesterday about our plans and her exact response was “That’s great, but people shouldn’t be gathering together right now. Not even to help out.”
Just as a reminder. We shut the space down to keep from transmitting the virus while in each other’s company, and we don’t want to lose sight of that.
I have a sewing machine that I can use to avoid going out. I also contacted Henry Ford Allegiance to get the pattern for the washable mask with replaceable filters.
There appear to be a lot of people looking for that pattern and video for making them — perhaps if we find it and figure it out, one of us could make a video of the production to help others out.
I got a quick response from Henry Ford Allegiance. They’re working on something to share with everyone who’s asking for the pattern. Hopefully we’ll see that in the next day or two. 
looking forward to seeing the pattern. I’ve got a home machine and an old Aviation Life Support Equipment machine that needs to be dusted off.
Jessy Grey of Seams Fabric of East Lansing has been receiving orders from local medical industry for masks. Their Facebook Discussion has published patterns and Video
I believe they already have established distribution of work load and materials to persons contacting them.
We went through LMN’s stock last night and found a handful of N95 masks for jewelry classes that @jody is going to try to get into the right hands at the hospitals.
If anyone can scrounge up the appropriate materials and just needs a machine to make it happen, let me know and we’ll happily loan one of our machines.
@Rossi.Bossi that was more what I was thinking with CADL. If we can help facilitate getting their machines into the hands of people who can use them to make masks.
@James_the_sparky did you say you found materials for the face shields (the laser cut part) ?
@brian.adams
I thought this would work. I think it’s the thickness that prusa uses
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Materials-Glass-Plastic-Sheets-Acrylic-Sheets/Pick-Up-Today/0093/N-5yc1vZc9x2Z1z0qvlfZ1z175a5?catStyle=ShowProducts&browsestoreoption=1
@brian.adams
I’ve been printing out the parts but I’m not sure anyone would accept mine at this point. I still have a sore throat since last Monday. I have a box of them printed in petg. I don’t know the quantity at the moment.