DIY face masks for OTTer-pups?

[horati0nosebl0wer 19645xp 1]

With it being Giftmas around the corner and all the OTTer-pups coming up the ranks with our hobby as we share the tradition of geekdom I thought of how we might be able to include putting on pigment beyond just brush and bottle painting with airbrushing.

With modern tech of being able to scan items with a phone, would it be feasible to create a model of a child’s face in order to make custon 3D printed face mmasksthat have gaskets engineered to accept commercially  available filters which seal with platinum cure silicone DIY seals instead of rubber? Its a crazy thought initially but its a hop, skip and a jump away from cosplay, 3D Printing Is the Shiznit and the electronic wizardry of people like Blinky465. Thoughts, ideas, comments are all welcome.

[sundancer 42974xp 1]

I really needed to read this twice because in a first glance over it my brain automatically tried to connect the text, masks and covid for some reason. My fault.

So custom mask for the hobby-child. A good idea in theory but the biggest problem is: the smaller they are the faster they grow. Depending on how long it would take to make such a custom mask the higher the risk of it not fitting any more. Also these “one offs” would be really expensive and with most things expensive they probably would be used much longer then they are actually well fitted. And that negates the custom made thing in the first place. (I hope my ramblings are readable)

In theory the idea is great but not very feasible for children. I myself would keep my child from the “bad stuff” (cutting resin, using pigments and hot wire cutters) so long until I can be sure she understands why protection is needed and how to wear masks and gloves properly.

[limburger 21704xp 0]

even us grown ups don’t get a choice in mask … or rather the fact that companies make more than 1 size is something the webshops I’ve visited didn’t explain or indicate (small / medium / large … mostly depends on the size of your head from what I can tell and it may explain why your own mask doesn’t fit like it should … ).
It might have been visible on specialist websites, because a good fit is kind of critical for professionals dealing with dangerous chemicals …

Anyways … things for kids need to be very cheap, because they won’t last long enough for them to be useable.
Then again … anything involving kids will get a ‘kid tax’ in the same way we get a ‘hobby tax’. It’s not because it is expensive, but because you can scare parents in paying more by pushing on the emotional aspect.

[horati0nosebl0wer 19645xp 0]

I’m not looking at any sales model at all. I’m just thinking about people being able to create the face pieces. Given the ability to create rapid prototypes by different companies it makes sense that someone with a 3D printer and a scan of a kids head can make a simple item that can be discarded when the child outgrows it.
I used to have a housemate who worked at a plastic recycling shop and, thinking more about the disposable stuff, reusing material (the silicone gasket excluded) on an FDM printer might be feasible.

 

It appears that my idea was halfway realised by Smooth On

 

[sundancer 42974xp 0]

Your mind is set on the correct track and I wish more people would try to think that way. But then again we’re in the hobby with some very serious “waste problems”. And at the same time we re-use so much junk.

Smooth On did a nice one with the video. But it shows how much work would be needed for one mask. There must be a way to reduce some of the steps.

[limburger 21704xp 0]

I think the biggest issue will be the certification process …

It might be something as simple as getting the design certified, but you certainl would want to make sure people use the correct materials and don’t substitute whatever is at hand in order to be ‘cheap’ or ‘fast’ …

You can probably skip the filters themselves by using existing ones, but the mask itself probably needs some form of certification.
OTOH … maybe kids don’t displace enough air to make them as effective. That’s just me guessing so it may not be an issue.

 

[horati0nosebl0wer 19645xp 1]

My first thought with displacing air was then turned to water displacement and then Kantai Collection. Damn early morning nerd brain segues.

As far as certs I only thought as far as DIY projects. Making then commercial would definitely need some sort of oversight for GMP (good manufacturing practices).

[limburger 21704xp 1]

just because they’re not commercial that doesn’t mean good practices and such need not apply 😉

it is a safety device. You don’t want to take such things lightly, especially if there’s kids involved.

It still is a great idea though, because we all benefit if safety devices like masks were a little more easier to find within our hobby.

[zorg 18801xp 0]

if you are making one your self the first thing would be is get the sizes of the filters you can easily buy to replacement filters, as having a mask you cant use is a waste of time an money.

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