Angler makes over 300 visors a month for NHS staff

SWANSEA angler Paul Boyce loves nothing more than catching big perch from his local White Springs Fishery – but like milions of other people across the country he’s had to halt his fishing plans.

Paul Boyce with a 4lb-plus White Springs perch

Paul is a full-time carer for his wife, and suffers from mental health problems. For years he has relied on the essential help provided by the NHS, so when he heard the service was struggling to source personal protective equipment he decided to step in and do something.

“When I’ve been at my lowest the NHS has always been there for me,” he tells us,
“so I wanted to give something back.
“I’d bought a 3D printer a few months ago because I fancied the idea of designing and making some fishing products over the spring, including a custom rod holder.
“Instead I decided to try my hand at making some visors for the staff at Morriston Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and the paramedics of Ravenhill Medical Centre.
“The process was very easy as all I had to do was download the free visor design from 3D company, 3DVerkstan, type the credentials into the 3D printer and watch as it created the visors from a 1kg reel of PLA filament.
“Once the frame is completed you just clip on an A4-size acetate sheet, which is the part that shields your face.
“At first it took me an hour and five minutes to make just one, so I bought another printer so that I could run two at a time.
“I’ve since played around with the printers’ settings and I’ve now got it down to four visors in an hour and a quarter! In the last month alone I’ve made more than 300 visors.”

The 3D printer working on a plastic frame

The PLA filament was a hard material to source at first, but a call to Swansea Council soon brought a solution.

“I told the council what I was doing and asked staff to contact the local university and schools for materials or assistance,” he explains.
“The response was great and the council agreed to supply me with 16,000 plastic sheets free of charge, and even got a few schools, a college and CBM Wales (an advanced manufacturer of 3D products) to come on board. They are now all printing their own visor frames.
“So yeah, things progressed quickly!
“I do miss going fishing, as it’s so relaxing, but the fish will still be there when this is all over.”

Completed visors ready to be shipped to hospitals