Johnson County Library’s Black & Veatch MakerSpace staff working around the clock to supply masks
Johnson County Library branch locations have been closed since March 15, but the Black & Veatch MakerSpace at Central Resource Library, located at 9875 W. 87th St. in Overland Park, has been putting in overtime. Prior to the pandemic, the Library’s MakerSpace facilitators used their unique skills to help our community learn and create, from 3D printing, laser cutting and sewing to music and video production. Now they are using those skills and equipment to help our community in a new way – by sewing cloth masks and printing parts for face shields, which will be donated to healthcare workers who face a shortage of personal protective equipment.
Makers Angelica Sandoval and Nick Ward-Bopp are leading the cloth mask production effort. After connecting with Johnson County Emergency Management Services to learn about their specific needs, Ward-Bopp secured a donation of 150 yards of cotton fabric from TwirlConnect, a local apparel studio. He, Sandoval, and their manager assembled kits that include fabric, patterns, and thread and distributed them to Library staff with at-home sewing capabilities. As of April 7, more than 35 staff from across the organization had sewn 517 masks. Donated masks are being delivered to Johnson County Developmental Supports (JCDS), and will be used for Community Developmental Disabilities Organization staff who continue to do residential visits. “It’s not often we get to have that sort of direct community impact,” Ward-Bopp said. “I’m thankful to everyone who has stepped up to help.”
In addition to cloth masks, Makers Thomas Mailloux and Brian Oertel are coordinating the production of 3D printed parts for CDC-approved face shields, like the headbands that attach to the acetate shield pieces. Six 3D printers run day and night in the MakerSpace, printing two headbands at a time. Each print job takes seven hours, so in order to maintain appropriate social distancing, the four Makers rotate in and out of the space to reset the printers. Several machines are on loan from the MakerLab at Johnson County Community College, and other community partners, including MakerSpace sponsor Black & Veatch, are pitching in with additional material and hardware to help the effort.
Supplies for making masks and shields—such as filament for 3D printing, acetate inserts, and elastic—are becoming scarce, however. Makers are prototyping creative solutions, like using Avery plastic dividers as inserts and pipe cleaners to create a moldable nose piece for the cloth masks. They are also investigating what other components would be helpful to print, such as splitters that would allow multiple patients to use one ventilator. The makers continue to search for creative solutions to supply shortages and will be reaching out to private businesses for help. They will also keep doing what they do best – creating solutions where it seems like none exist. “The goal is to provide products that can lengthen the life of medical grade PPE or provide people some barrier to infection,” Oertel said. “If we can’t be physically near others, we can still offer something to the community.”
About the Black & Veatch MakerSpace
The Black & Veatch MakerSpace at the Johnson County Library is an exploratorium of technological contraptions for innovators, creatives and tinkerers! Visitors can learn to use new equipment and software, troubleshoot technologies, find resources, and help foster the maker movement. The MakerSpace is free to access, even without a Library card, and is made possible with generous donations by Black & Veatch. Learn more: http://www.jocolibrary.org/makerspace
About Johnson County Library
Through its 14 branch Libraries County-wide, and the eLibrary, the mission of the Johnson County Library is to provide access to ideas, information, experiences and materials that support and enrich people’s lives. The Library is supported by ad valorem taxes, by the Friends of the Johnson County Library book sales, and by the philanthropic efforts of the Johnson County Library Foundation. Learn more: http://www.jocolibrary.org
Staff photos and videos available for use. Please contact andree@jocolibrary.com for access.