A TEACHER is making safety gear for key workers from the kitchen of his Peebles home.

Alan Gray, who works at Gracemount High School in Edinburgh, has been producing personal protective equipment (PPE) using a 3D printer.

With a wife employed by the NHS as a nurse, Mr Gray told this newspaper he has "a bit of an idea" about frontline workers' need.

He said: "They are doing a great job and deserve whatever PPE or assistance can be provided.”

Mr Gray – a craft, design and technology (CDT) teacher – said he decided to take home the school's printer before lockdown so he could print pupils' projects.

But now the machine is pumping out around 20 safety visors per day, according to Mr Gray, who was inspired by other teachers' tales.

He said: “I had been hearing from both Scottish and UK social media teaching communities that teaching staff and technicians were coordinating an effort to manufacture PPE for key workers with the resources they had to hand."

Teaming up with other Borders-based staff, Mr Gray began printing with the aim of supplying mainly Peeblesshire-based care workers and the Borders General Hospital (BGH) in Melrose.

“I used Facebook to try to raise funds to cover the cost of ordering consumables for the task,” said Mr Gray. “But the community response has been overwhelming. Generous financial donations to the cause have totalled over £600. Other donations have included a local supply of printer filament, laminated pouches and hole punch, which has been invaluable."

Struggling to keep up with demand, Mr Gray was joined by graphic designer Barry Turner, as well as Norman MacLeod, who designs and manufactures drones.

Mr Gray said: “Local demand for face visors has been huge and I can only print in the region of 15-20 visors a day.

"Two other local people, Barry and Norman, hearing about the problem of supplying PPE to the front line, as well as having access to the necessary equipment, have kindly joined in 3D printing to try to increase the numbers available.”

Although the project was spearheaded by one man, it has continued to grow with the support and generosity of the community, the help of volunteers, and, of course, Gracemount High’s printer.

Mr Gray said: “I actually brought it home to figure out how to use it and it’s easier to print pupils’ projects at weekends. I didn’t know there would be a PPE shortage. It was just luck really.”