Lewes library uses 3D printer to solve a problem

I stood in Ed Goyda's office at Lewes Public Library the other day.  Ed's director of the library.

"Look, they sent us another 3D printer."

They is the state.

I looked.  Clear plexiglass, thin pieces of stuff that looked like plywood, a couple metal arms and some colored wire.

"Looks like some kind of Rube Goldberg contraption to me," I said.

"If you think that looks like Rube Goldberg, you should take a look at the one we have out in the main area."

We walked out, sidled on over to the far end of the circulation desk, and there it was, steadily working away on some kind of plastic item.

Sure enough, Rube Goldberg - the legendary creator of all kind of hoop-stick, duct-taped and wired together contraptions and artworks - would be proud.

Beside the machine sat the prosthetic arm - a working prosthetic arm - churned out by the machine.  Ed installed the downloaded program for that medical device and the 3D printer took off on its own, feeding in a steady stream of plastic from a spool.  "It's kind of like a programmed glue stick," Ed said.

"Have you or anyone here actually designed and printed something useful with the printer," I asked.

"Funny you should ask." And with that Ed picked up a round, red plastic item with indentations and slots.

"You know what this is?"

"Haven't the foggiest."

"It's a toilet paper roll holder," said Ed.  "One of ours broke.  I called the town to see if they could track down a new one from the supplier. Gilbert Holt  checked on it and found they don't make the kind that we use any more. When he stopped by to give me the news, I asked him what we were supposed to do now. Gilbert looked at the 3D printer and said:

"Why don't you use that machine to make one?"

Ah, the spark of collaboration.

Ed delved into the 3D printer's programming information and set out to design and print a new toilet paper roll holder.  Voila! Success. Except, when the machine was finished its work, the new holder proved to be an eighth inch short. When it comes to toilet paper roll holders, close enough isn't good enough.

"No big deal," said Ed.  "I changed the programming specs by an eighth inch, and set the machine  to work again and out came the perfect size holder. Maybe a dollar's worth of material."

Ed didn't tell me what the new machine sent by the state will do.  But the good news is they know Ed the 3D Printer Man will give it a shot. Maybe it will print out the holder and the toilet too.

And now Gilbert and the rest of the town crew know where to go if they need some other kind of part they can't find elsewhere.

Pretty doggone amazing isn't it?