LEE Fowler thought he was doing a simple good turn by 3-D printing a few plastic clips to help out the NHS.
However like people volunteering their services across the country he’s found the demand from health services has gone off the scale.
“It’s gone beserk,” said the Winyates resident.
“I had no idea how big it was going to get – I’ve just posted out another 2,000 clips and I’m getting 20 to 30 orders in a day.”
As well as the face mask clips Lee, who works for Microsoft, is also making headbands for visors to clip into.
“I work from home anyway and am setting the alarm at midnight and then putting the printer to work,” he said.
“Luckily I’ve got an understanding boss.”
Lee got involved through a former partner, a nurse, who told him where the key shortages were.
The clips, although small, allow medical staff to loop their face masks around them without them rubbing the backs of the ears. Although headbands with buttons for the ties are also popular staff wearing them can get very hot, so the clips are an ideal solution.
Having already spent much of his own money on the project, and gone cap in hand to his family, Lee’s launched a Go Fund Me page to try and cover his rising costs.
“I’m going through a 1kg spool of plastic every two days at £23 a time and at this rate cannot keep funding this on my own,” he said. “Then I have to factor in postage and packing.”
If anyone would like to help Lee’s campaign, they can make a donation at http://gf.me/u/xyqkuh .
Lee is also appealing for anyone with a 3-D printer available to get in touch and he will send over the files for the clips.
