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RestoMod Braun HL-1

Vintage Braun HL-1, restored with 3D modeling and 3D printing

This shroud/blade guard is meant to replace the clear plastic shroud of the iconic 1961 Braun Multiwind HL1 designed by Reinhold Weiss.

A beautiful, complete example in perfect condition is on display at the MoMA.

This is an homage piece, components initially created with the intent of restoring appearance and function to the original product; quite common with these, the plastic parts become cloudy and/or discolored due to decades of oxidation and UV exposure.

I have thus far been unable to restore clarity and color to the original plastic parts, and replacements in perfect condition are… nearly impossible to find.

The shroud is integral to the assembly of the item, so I created the part accurately enough to reproduce the actual part in a high-resolution transparent 3D printed resin, but the functional prototypes printed in bright colors result in a more visually-interesting piece. In a bright, opaque color, this becomes a more apparent sort of resto-mod.

In any event, I got carried away with the process and 3D-modeled the entire desktop fan, which opened opportunities to improve the geometry of the fan blade assembly as well… so that is also 3D printed.

This reference model is available for free download at grabcad.com

Little Einsteins Rocket Exercise

The show Little Einsteins was cancelled long ago, but its educational programming was pretty excellent for the developing minds of young children. That said, when my little one found a connection with the characters, I did some googling.

No toys are sold new anymore, and while used examples are available on ebay and the like, it appears the originals were not of good quality. Additionally, my son seems most interested in “Rocket”, the team’s sentient, shape-shifting transport. When he said he’d love to have his own Rocket, I really started digging.

The problem was really that there were no “screen accurate” toy versions made of this primary character! What a missed opportunity. That said… now, we have a target with a bunch of hard points. Let’s get to work.

Research

Let’s get some reliable reference material. As the show is so old–and of only minor popularity–Google and Bing prove to be of limited usefulness. In fact, many still images, old product packaging, and marketing materials portray Rocket differently (and some not at all similar to how he appears in the show). As this is to be a screen-faithful version,we go to the screen.

Screencaps of the show reveal a very larger range of variation in the geometry of the ‘base’ configuration of Rocket, so an amalgam of sources must be made, and orthographics synthesized with the ‘quintessence’ of Rocket in mind.

Digital Model

Here’s a realtime rendering of the model I put together for this project. It has received the stamp of approval for screen accuracy from those familiar with the work. [click to interact]

As you can see, some creative license was required to build real three-dimensional geometry while faithfully portraying the character/vehicle.

Consequently, the end result is a blend of accuracy and perception based on screen captures from the show itself.

3D Printing

What good is a digital model of a toy to a 3 year old? Enter the real…

COVID-19 3M Facemask filter modification

It’s March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic hits US shores and we are woefully under-prepared–my wife is a nurse in NYC and informs me they do not have enough of the correct face mask to prevent transmission of the virus to doctors, nurses, and clinical staff.

Supplies are low, and replacements are unavailable or delayed.

Not only this–alternatives of the same or similar level of filtration are unavailable as well, due to the medical shortage.

Let’s get to work.

These 3D-printed parts can make an old, inadequate respirator safe for use in a high-contact, high-exposure setting using a commonly available item as filtration media.

Exploded view of the mounting adapter and filtration cartridge:

Alternatively, should a limited supply of n95 masks be available, this system could stretch the supply substantially. By cutting up the donor mask, theoretically, the material from one mask could be used to protect as many as eight people.

Files have been updated; now these cartridges are compatible with disposable 3M respirators, standard 3M respirators AND standard MSA respirators.

Materials used:
ASA (Polylite) Selected for main cartridges for its resistance to exposure to environmentals including heat, humidity, and UV radiation (these can be sterilized and reused indefinitely)
TPU (ninjaflex)Selected for custom-fit, airtight gaskets
Donor mask used:3M 5201 Disposable Half Face Respirator
Filtration medium used:Cotton Rounds

I have made these parts open source and they are available for free download at grabcad.com and thingiverseright now. At last count, these files have been downloaded over 525 times by users in more than 14 countries.