Episode #3: 3-D help in 4-D times (featuring Kevin Warner)
When camping, or hiking, or doing something in the outdoors, and you get into a jam, the all in one tool that has all of the gizmos and gadgets on it, like the scissors, the knife, the screwdriver, the bottle top opener, the can opener, and the pliers, and 50 other useful miniature tools, comes in handy. When my kids were young, they would call the Leatherman’s tool, a MAN tool. Somehow the name stuck over time for the tool that could get a person out any small jam on the run.
What about all of the other jams that happen all too often that are too big and complex for the man tool!
Well in my neighborhood, we actually have a real live man tool for all of the complex things, like someone who can fix stuff, make stuff, and even reprogram stuff.
Whether programming singing holiday chickens, making piggy back life size gorilla costumes for all for his friends for the local parade of the species on earth day, or generating calculations for energy savings at a NASA facility, my next guest is definitely the sharpest tool in the shed in my neighborhood, or any neighborhood as far as I know.
While not at work solving complex problems, he is at home solving complex problems, and having a lot of fun too. He taught a community class I attended with my kids at the time, on how to build paper rockets and launch systems out of garden parts that sent rockets several hundred feet into the air. Or, he’s hosting power tool drag races where participants modify household appliances or power tools into fast moving crafts that speed down a wooden track. Winner takes all, trophy made from old saw blades and probably a giant bag of popcorn if my memory serves me.
Born out of the maker movement, this pacific northwest version of Adam Savage, our own local myth buster and maker extraordinaire, can really get down and solve problems both fun and those of more serious consequence.
Kevin Warner is my neighbor and friend. He is an engineer by profession, consulting all over the country, and a creative, tinkerer, maker, problem solver, all around fix anything or build anything guy who I’ve come to depend upon to have around.
Aside from his adept mind and cerebral acuity, Kevin also has an enormous heart. He’s one of those folks who would do just about anything for a friend, neighbor, or anyone in need for that matter.
This past spring during the beginning of the pandemic, Kevin put his ginormous brain and high tech toys to work solving PPE supply shortages all of our local front line workers confronted. Kevin was like a genie at a time when we all needed a genie the most.
Post show commentary: I enjoyed talking to Kevin. In addition to the consulting work that Kevin provides around the country, he also has a design fabrication business in Olympia called MIY OLYMPIA. He can be found at www.miyoly.com.
