Meet the Makers – Thomas Zovar
Tell us about yourself.
I consider myself to be a creative person, or that’s what people tell me. It is true that you are becoming what people believe you are to be! I am always thinking of new ideas and products to develop. Thinking about products and having an idea is one thing. Putting it into a logical step forward to produce that product or idea is quite another. Since I have purchased my 3D printer in October of 2013 I have had so much fun creating my products at home. I have been a mechanical designer for over 15 years with 3D modeling for another 10 years. I use Solidworks for most of all my product designs.
What are you presenting at Maker Faire Milwaukee?
I will be displaying my new Plant & Garden Shield that I developed about 2 years ago. This plant & garden shield keeps chipmunks from digging in your pots and in your gardens and at the same time fertilizes the plant. Also I have a new Mosaic Butterfly Tessellation Mold to create walkways, stepping stones & patios! I will have a variety of other fun products to play with and enjoy! (Check out the Fox6 story!)
Why is making important to you?
Making is important to me because I feel more complete as a person when I can develop and introduce new products to the public! I have this drive that is unstoppable!
What was the first thing you remember making?
One of the first things I remember making was a complete chess set out of scraps of wood cutouts that I found in a dumpster.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
The Plant and Garden Shield is probably the most proud invention that I currently have and developed. I am selling them at 4 locations in the Milwaukee area.
Given an unlimited budget, what would you make?
If I had an unlimited budget I would develop at least 5 products that are so unique that I can not even mention them except in writing with a disclosure agreement. One of those products would be a game that would be as big if not bigger than the Rubik’s Cube!