01:56 – Justin shares how listeners can find out more about GCP online, talks on their new Discord channel, and gives a shout out to the Shroom Brothers for their new shirts. Scott and Brogan discuss how they are partaking in beer drinking during the Quarantine, Brogan shares the grilling he has been doing lately, and his “biking with family” adventures. Scott brings Billy into the chat who shares how he has been holding up during this time, and talks about his recent adventure going to school in Ireland.

12:32 – Billy talks about how the cost to go to school in Ireland was actually cheaper than taking the classes locally, he explains how he figured out getting around while there, and when he started hearing word about the pandemic. He talks about the hassle with scheduling flights home, his school shutting down, and how he got re-connected with Fab Lab when he returned.

24:14 – Billy explains how FabLab has been acquiring the material needed to make the masks, the kind of innovation it takes to make the masks, and the amount of great collaboration that’s been happening around making them. He shares how people with 3D printers can download the files for the masks from their website, their FabLab Go Fund Me, and how he’s also been coordinating with volunteers in the community to help with making the masks. Brogan shares that he’s taking his wife on a virtual date, Justin shares his love for Clownvis, and Billy talks of what he’s been watching lately.

36:33 – Billy gives the guys an update on Zeva, compares bars here to bars in Ireland, and how he couldn’t keep up drinking with the locals. He talks about how kind the Irish bartenders are with refilling your beer as soon as they see it’s empty, his interesting observation on how people react and communicate while under the influence, and how Galway Ireland is a sister city to Seattle. Justin closes out the show sharing how listeners can help FabLab and GCP.

Thanks Billy for joining the guys virtually for a great conversation on what’s been happening in your world and the amazing things FabLab is doing to help out the PNW during Covid-19!!!

Special Guest: Billy Davis.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• FabLab 3D Printing Masks — Making Reusable Masks & Shields for Medical Workers
• FabLab Tacoma — We provide students, inventors, artists, and DIY enthusiasts easy access to cutting-edge design/prototyping equipment and educational opportunities.
• Galway, Ireland, Seattle's Sister City — Seattle and Galway formalized their Sister City relationship in 1986.
• The Grit City Podcast: FabLab and Zeva — On this episode the guys talk with Steve Tibbitts from FabLab located in Tacoma.

2:23 – Steve explains to the guys what FabLab offers, how the inception became to be, their hours of operations, and they talk about the new Lime Scooters running around Tacoma. Steve talks about what he’s recently helped someone make in the lab, a customer that makes dishes in the lab for soap that his wife makes, and how they got it started in Tacoma. Steve talks about their most important customer being the University of Washington, the importance of corporate sponsorship, and how anything’s possible to make in the lab.

12:06 – Scott and Steve explain what the Raspberry Pi and Arduino are, Steve chats about the number of businesses FabLab has helped launch, his other business, Zeva, and the personal aerial transportation they’re working on, Zero. Steve discusses Uber Elevate, the rules that are in place and changing around flying, Boeing recently announcing plans to launch SkyGrid and the recent news from California where a person was arrested while intoxicated with the auto pilot on in his Tesla.

24:14 – Steve talks about first getting the idea for Zero in 2004, submitting a proposal to Nasa for a grant, the importance of the personal airplane to vertically takeoff and land, and Boeing’s GoFly competition. They talk about the MIT guys that came out with the first all-electric drive airplane, the green technology Zeva is using with the creation of Zero, and the price they’re planning to charge for the air craft. Steve talks about the limitations of the energy sources for the vehicle, the speed of technology, and the number of competitors in the industry.

37:12 – Steve explains the challenges they face in the aircraft design, the strict criteria of the contest, the size of aircraft, and what emergency recovery that’s in place in the instance that there is a failure with flying. They talk about the Russian hoverbike, the country whose police are currently using them, and where people can find more information on Zeva. Steve encourages people that are interested to stop by FabLab, what they offer, and Justin discusses what GCP has coming up, including their plans to join Patreon.

Thanks Steve for joining the guys to share information about FabLab and Zeva and what they offer to the PNW community!

Special Guest: Steve Tibbitts.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• ZEVA AERO: An international team creating a flying machine
• FabLab Tacoma - Home
• Fundraiser by Stephen Tibbitts : ZERO Prototype