Caleb Van Brunt wanted to find an alternative to some of the model rocket parts he was buying. “I wondered if it would be more lucrative to 3D print them, and so I bought my first 3D printer with the Christmas money I had saved up,” Van Brunt says.
His dad, David Van Brunt, who many in the industry know from his informational YouTube videos, Pool Guy Podcast Show and Swimming Pool Learning website, suggested he print some pool supplies, turning them into keychains. “I have received many large orders from HASA, Skimmer, Sutro, Primate Pool Tools and others,” Caleb Van Brunt says, adding that it keeps him very busy, in addition to attending the eighth grade.
Now that he has some practice, Van Brunt can design a keychain in a couple hours. He designs all of them from scratch. That one 3D printer he bought with Christmas money has grown to six. “As the business started to grow and I got more large orders, I used that money to purchase another and another,” Van Brunt says. “I did this over the past year and, now I have six 3D printers in the garage. My parents complain a little about that and tell me six is enough until I get my own house.”
This year, Van Brunt designed keychains for the 30 Under 40 recipients. You can order custom keychains from his Etsy store, 3DPoolPrints.
