Schoolboy uses Christmas gift to help make protective face gear

The 10 year old asked for a 3d printer - and got one.

He had been using it every day since then to print models and all sorts of gadgets.But, after watching a news programme about how people at home with 3D printers were making the PPE face mask frames for the NHS and care homes he decided to give it a go.

Dad Barry said: "He asked me if he could get involved as he wanted to contribute so we looked into the online community forum where we found all the information to do this and downloaded the app (called slackbot).

"From this we made links to the relevant people in our area and Jamie set to work printing the frames."

At first he was asked print the top and bottom parts of which he made eight sets, which all had to be carefully wiped down and bagged up individually using protective gloves.

Barry added: "After this we took them to our area man called Stephen who lives in Lostock Hall.

"Stephen messaged me afterwards to say that the quality of Jamie’s printing was outstanding and that they now required only the bottom frame part as the top sections were managing to be mass produced by means of plastic moulded injection."

So, Jamie set to work printing 81 of the bottom sections in less than a week.

These were sent to another place where they were assembled and packaged together with the elastic to hold on the head and the Perspex face shields.

Barry is extremely proud of the youngster and his headteacher said the school was so impressed that Jamie received top spot and a special mention on the school social media sites.