I’ve been printing “ear-savers” for my school district, and they were kind enough to write a small piece found here. My Ender 3 can print six per run over the course of 6 hours. I’m overjoyed that teachers from my middle school (Piner) have been able to use them. I’ve also been able to provide straps to the staff and faculty at Sory Elementary School. So far, I have printed over 200 straps.

“Ear-savers” are a wonderful use for that last little bit of PLA. They don’t take long to print, and they’re incredibly handy. The design I used can be found here. This design is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license, so please, remember to give credit where credit is due. Printing a few for donation is an incredibly easy thing to do which could really help out others, so consider it!

If you’re wondering why I haven’t printed face shields, there are many reasons. First, I do not have a laser cutter to get a good, clean cut on the clear plastic sheet used to make the actual shield. Second, I’d rather stay with PLA since it is easier to print while face shield supports require PETG for proper properties. Third, there is a large possibility that face shields themselves are not very effective. The CDC has their doubts and there is a growing body of research which supports the claim that they are not as effective as wearing a mask. Since straps help make wearing a mask more tolerable, that’s what I decided to manufacture.