Producing PPE against Covid-19

[O Dinas Powys]

I shared the story here, and sent out a couple of links to people who wanted to contribute.

I have two (actually serious for once) questions. 

Firstly, I'm guessing you're not casting the face shields. Did you just happen to have the right machinery ... or what? How?

Secondly, and probably slightly more selfishly, does this change your status in the eyes of the Lockdown law? Are you now an essential service?


Whatever, I am <insert emotion here> and I hope that your action are not forgotten when life returns to whatever passes for normality.   

They're using the laser cutter, it'll do plastics as well as MDF 

[O Dinas Powys]

Yes, it's going on all over - as I said previously, a lot of school are getting involved (although that might have gone on hiatus now it's Easter holidays)

I saw an item on the local news about a local manufacturer that had switched to producing face shields.  Can't remember what their usual business was, but the minimum requirement seems to be clear plastic, a cutter and a way of making the head-piece.

Keep up the good work chaps 

Addendum: many schools were open for the children of key workers where childcare wasn't available, this is possibly continuing through the holidays.  At my eldest's school the key worker children were helping in the DCT workshop with production - they have laser cutters and thermoformers, probably 3D printers too.

[Techno]

.. although in Techno's case it might have been a chariot ....   

OI !.....

(I'll tell you what.....I'm really proud to be part of this 'community'.....I think you Guys are great....genuinely !)

Cheers - Phil

[jimduncanuk]

I've just bunged a few quid into the GoFundMe website.

Easiest charitable donation (and I've done a few) I've ever made.

Well done Leon and crew.

http://jim-duncan.blogspot.com/2020/04/gofundme-pendraken.html

[fsn]

They're using the laser cutter, it'll do plastics as well as MDF 

That makes sense. Thank you.

I'm not of an engineering bent. I'm sure I was a great disappointment to my father.

Whoever he was.

[fsn]

(I'll tell you what.....I'm really proud to be part of this 'community'.....I think you Guys are great....genuinely !)

What he said.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Wow! A lot has happened in the last 24 hours when I last logged in!  Fantastic work, Leon!

though in Techno's case it might have been a chariot ....   :-

Na Phil cant use though Hi tech things, it were a stone axe...

[Orcs]

I think this should be flagged to the local press and media.  Would show Pendraken and the Wargames community in a very good light.

[Techno]

It should be, Mark....Of all the 'poop' at the mo', this, particularly, has really lifted my spirits more than anything else. 

Na Phil cant use though Hi tech things, it were a stone axe...

What ?....Ah ..... No.....fair enough.

Again...Take care, Gang.

Cheers - Phil (Tesco's was fun this morning.....But everyone seemed to have accepted the delays in good heart...So it was FINE.)

[Orcs]

It should be, Mark....Of all the 'poop' at the mo', this, particularly, has really lifted my spirits more than anything else. 

I agree I think the media need to put out some more positive news.  Like all the things communities are doing, the 98 year gent who survived etc.

I have emailed BBC Look North with the details of what's happened to see if they thought it might be newsworthy.  I phoned M'lady to warn her in case they call and its put the wind in her bloomers

[Techno]

 

Have you ever spoken to M'Lady ?

I've said before.....She scares me .....Nowhere near as much as Von, though.

(Mind you..her signature, when she signed for the last lot of wee men I sent up to Pendraken Towers would be such a piece of wee-wee to forge....And I AM very good at forging 'real' signatures....I know the technique. ).....If you know how...It's not difficult.

Cheers - Phil. (That'll worry some folk who have sent me letters.)

[Leon]

Firstly, I'm guessing you're not casting the face shields. Did you just happen to have the right machinery ... or what? How?

I too am intrigued that you had the right materials available to do this in bulk.

The headbands are made from 3 sections which can be cut on the laser machines, so we just needed to buy a load of the polypropylene sheets to get started.  The machines needed a full cleandown as well, hence the delay on custom bases orders at the moment.  We're going to switch one machine back to MDF later this afternoon, just to catch up a bit, and then it'll be cleaned ready to go back to headbands tomorrow.

The front shield is just a clear acetate, the type of thing you'd use on an overhead projector, or as a cover on a dissertation/presentation.  They just need the corners trimming, which we're doing by hand, and then 4 holes putting in using a standard hole punch.  

Secondly, and probably slightly more selfishly, does this change your status in the eyes of the Lockdown law? Are you now an essential service?

I don't know to be honest, we've not asked anyone about that.  We're still OK to work under the current guidelines anyway, so I suppose if we did get stopped by the police then we'd have a better reason than 'toy soldiers' to give them!

(I know some of you are now thinking 'better than soldiers... how's that possible!?'  

[O Dinas Powys]

Have you ever spoken to M'Lady ?

I've said before.....She scares me .....Nowhere near as much as Von, though.

(Mind you..her signature, when she signed for the last lot of wee men I sent up to Pendraken Towers would be such a piece of wee-wee to forge....And I AM very good at forging 'real' signatures....I know the technique. ).....If you know how...It's not difficult.

Cheers - Phil. (That'll worry some folk who have sent me letters.)

Lol! Good thing I've only ever sent you my card signature then 

You're such a wind-up merchant 

Von and M'Lady are both lovely 

Just realised, I might be standing solo in the middle section of a Venn diagram of people who've met them 

[Ithoriel]

Have you ever spoken to M'Lady ?

Many times ... she's lovely, I don't know what you lot are wittering on about.

There again I have worked for lady bosses whose icy stare could petrify Medusa herself and others whose furious bellow could level the very walls of Jericho!

They were still better bosses than several of the blokes I worked for!!!

[fsn]

The front shield is just a clear acetate, the type of thing you'd use on an overhead projector, or as a cover on a dissertation/presentation. 

So you could print on them before they go out? 

'better than soldiers... how's that possible!? 

Ummm ... errr ... Nope. You got me.