PHS student raises funds for 3D printer
Berl Tiskus
Johnny Umphrey displays the 3D printer he hopes to get for Polson High School students
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POLSON — A 3D model of a soccer shoe, an art piece or an a computer-aided design — these and many other ideas can come to fruition if Polson High School sophomore Johnny Umphrey has his way.
Umphrey is raising money to buy a 3D printer for PHS students.
“It’s the next new thing, a fascinating new technology,” Umphrey said, who follows scientific news.
The printer Umphrey would like to buy for students is manufactured by MakerBot. It’s the most advanced, non-industrial printer available and costs $2,800, but the fundraiser is for $3,800 since the printer needs rolls of plastic to operate and also to pay for shipping and installation costs.
Umphrey explained that the printer has a deck and two extruders that build the item to be copied layer by layer.
In five or ten years, Umphrey thinks 3D printers will be a household item, like a microwave.
Umphrey started the fundraiser online a couple of weeks ago on indiegogo.com.
Interested folks can log on to donate. If community members would like to donate locally, Tamara Fisher, District 23’s gifted and talented teacher, and Umphrey can take a donation. Checks may be mailed to the district office at 111 Fourth Ave. E., Polson.
Umphrey said he wants to make other teens aware of the technology so they can use it to think outside the box.
