Rosie Awori – Local Journalism Initiative.
By day, Patrick Charles works in medical imaging, using technology in a profession centred on patient care. Away from the hospital, that same interest takes a more colourful form through 3D printing Pokémon, anime characters, Hello Kitty figures, K-pop-inspired creations and custom household parts.
“I get to heal at work. I get to create on the side,” he says to the CONTACT. “But both, honestly, bring a smile to people’s faces.”
Charles, who has worked at Lakeshore General Hospital and Hawkesbury General Hospital, began 3D printing about a year ago after his fiancée and friends gave him a printer for his birthday.
“I’ve been diving into it ever since,” he says.
His collection now includes characters from Pokémon, Mario, anime, Hello Kitty and the Netflix series KPop Demon Hunters. Some pieces are gifts, while others are sold through Facebook Marketplace.
But producing a finished figure involves more than pressing a button. A 3D printer creates objects from digital models, building them gradually, layer by layer. Before printing begins, the operator must ensure the design is structurally sound and the machine is properly configured.
Charles considers factors such as printing speed, layer height, the model’s shape and orientation, and the material being used.
“You have to ensure that when you send the digital file off to the machine to be printed, everything is cohesive,” he explains. “The way the 3D model is designed has to be structurally sound, meaning when it comes out of the machine it won’t fall apart and it will actually print properly.”
Different materials serve different purposes. Some are suited to decorative pieces, while stronger or heat-resistant materials can be used for hooks, brackets, shelving components and certain automotive parts.
“The applications are nearly endless,” Charles says. “It’s as far as your creativity goes and as far as your skills can extend once you learn the proper techniques.”
Charles has long enjoyed building and repairing things. His experience with woodworking and home renovations helped prepare him for the problem-solving involved in 3D printing.
“I’ve rebuilt sheds. I’ve made small renovations to rooms,” he says.
He learned many of those skills by observing others, asking questions and watching online tutorials an approach he continues to use with 3D printing.
Charles currently works with digital models created by artists, preparing and adjusting them so they can be printed successfully. He is also learning to create original designs using programs such as Blender, ZBrush, Nomad Sculpt and computer-aided design, or CAD, software.
CAD has already allowed him to create practical solutions around his home, including hooks and specialized brackets for situations where store-bought parts did not fit.
“It might be a special bracket that doesn’t exist and only fits a particular use I have,” he explains.
That ability to turn an idea into a physical object is one of the hobby’s biggest attractions. Charles also believes beginners should not be intimidated.
“Somebody does not need to be an engineer to learn the craft and produce something useful or artistic,” he says.
For now, Charles considers 3D printing a hobby that is gradually becoming something more. Selling some creations helps cover the cost of materials, while others are given to friends and family.
He recently launched an Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/voxlpat/ where he shares his work. Interested customers can contact him through the platform, and he hopes to eventually open an online shop featuring his own designs.
His long-term goal is to create more customized pieces based on clients’ ideas, whether they are characters, keepsakes, functional objects or unique gifts.
“I want to be able to do that from my own mind to form,” he says.
Balancing the hobby with a full-time healthcare career, Charles remains focused on the enjoyment it brings. Whether he is making a gift, a decorative figure or a practical household part, 3D printing gives him another way to use technology to help people.
