PJ Vogt

The pandemic will do a lot of things to a lot of people's lives. For Destin, the pandemic would start him on his quest to build a product in America.

The pandemic will do a lot of things to a lot of people's lives. For Destin, the pandemic would start him on his quest to build a product in America.

In this video from April 2020, Destin's in an empty warehouse removing his face mask, explaining his plan to start 3D printing face shields to give to local doctors and nurses.

In this video from April 2020, Destin's in an empty warehouse removing his face mask, explaining his plan to start 3D printing face shields to give to local doctors and nurses.

In this video from April 2020, Destin's in an empty warehouse removing his face mask, explaining his plan to start 3D printing face shields to give to local doctors and nurses.

I'm sure I don't have to remind you, in the beginning of the pandemic, how hard it was to find PPE. In Huntsville, Alabama, Destin was trying to solve that problem for his community.

I'm sure I don't have to remind you, in the beginning of the pandemic, how hard it was to find PPE. In Huntsville, Alabama, Destin was trying to solve that problem for his community.

I'm sure I don't have to remind you, in the beginning of the pandemic, how hard it was to find PPE. In Huntsville, Alabama, Destin was trying to solve that problem for his community.

They collected thousands of face shields at their drive-through drop-off. And in his video, Destin explains how other people in other towns could follow their process. It was like an internet version of those chains of knowledge he'd been learning from his whole life.

They collected thousands of face shields at their drive-through drop-off. And in his video, Destin explains how other people in other towns could follow their process. It was like an internet version of those chains of knowledge he'd been learning from his whole life.

They collected thousands of face shields at their drive-through drop-off. And in his video, Destin explains how other people in other towns could follow their process. It was like an internet version of those chains of knowledge he'd been learning from his whole life.

As successful as the project was, hundreds of people in Alabama joining forces to make all these shields, it also, weirdly, left Destin somewhat frustrated. 3D printing, relative to most kinds of production, is just slower. It's more expensive. If you want to make something quickly at scale, you'd normally go another route, like injection molding.

As successful as the project was, hundreds of people in Alabama joining forces to make all these shields, it also, weirdly, left Destin somewhat frustrated. 3D printing, relative to most kinds of production, is just slower. It's more expensive. If you want to make something quickly at scale, you'd normally go another route, like injection molding.

As successful as the project was, hundreds of people in Alabama joining forces to make all these shields, it also, weirdly, left Destin somewhat frustrated. 3D printing, relative to most kinds of production, is just slower. It's more expensive. If you want to make something quickly at scale, you'd normally go another route, like injection molding.

But there just weren't that many options for Destin to go that route. Most of the time, most of us are okay with the fact that we just buy cheap goods made in other countries.

But there just weren't that many options for Destin to go that route. Most of the time, most of us are okay with the fact that we just buy cheap goods made in other countries.

But there just weren't that many options for Destin to go that route. Most of the time, most of us are okay with the fact that we just buy cheap goods made in other countries.

During COVID, when there were shortages of everything from masks to toilet paper to video game consoles, maybe you briefly thought about how dependent you are on the international supply chain, but then the world shuddered back to life, and most of us moved on. Most of us, but not Destin. He found himself stuck, thinking, what if you really wanted to build a whole product here?

During COVID, when there were shortages of everything from masks to toilet paper to video game consoles, maybe you briefly thought about how dependent you are on the international supply chain, but then the world shuddered back to life, and most of us moved on. Most of us, but not Destin. He found himself stuck, thinking, what if you really wanted to build a whole product here?

During COVID, when there were shortages of everything from masks to toilet paper to video game consoles, maybe you briefly thought about how dependent you are on the international supply chain, but then the world shuddered back to life, and most of us moved on. Most of us, but not Destin. He found himself stuck, thinking, what if you really wanted to build a whole product here?