Simple Protective Face Shield

1. This is a design for a simple protective face shield. It uses cheap, widely available supplies, and can be constructed in 10-15 minutes.

1 two liter plastic bottle (clear)

1 piece of foam (I used packing foam)

12 inches of double sided tape (I used carpet tape)

1 rubber band

2 small wire ties (optional)

Drain and rinse the bottle. Remove the label. Don't worry about the vertical stripe of adhesive, we will work around it.

Cut off the top and bottom of the bottle. Keep as much of the bottle as possible to maximize the size of the mask. Its alright to keep a bit of the curved top of the plastic, as it makes for a more positive mate with the foam during assembly.

Make a cut vertically along the glue line. Cut about 3/4 inch from each of the cut edges, leaving a tab near the top to attach the rubber band.

Make a hole in the tab. I used a soldering iron to make the hole, but a punch would work as well.

I also rounded the lower corners.

Any type of flexible foam will work. If you have thinner flat stock, you can bend it to the correct shape. If you have thicker foam (mine was about 1.5 inches in thickness) you can cut out the required shape. I've attached a copy of the pattern I used.

I used some packaging foam that came with something I ordered. Pipe insulation or pool noodles can be used as well, but won't hold shape as well as thicker material that you can cut to shape.

The foam cuts easily with a knife. I cut one unit that way. I happen to have a bandsaw, so I used it to cut the second unit. The foam cuts like butter. If you have a bandsaw, it works more quickly.

I cut a small chamfer along the outer top edge of the foam.

I used carpet tape to attach the two pieces, but any type of double sided tape would work. I contemplated using hot glue, but wasn't sure if it would melt the foam, or distort the plastic from the bottle.

The carpet tape is amazingly sticky, so be sure you have everything positioned correctly before you mate the two pieces. I applied the tape to the foam, then attached the plastic.

I cut the rubber band, threaded each end through one of the holes, and cinched it with a zip tie. You can also simply tie the rubber band ends to the plastic, if zip ties are unavailable.

I made my (reluctant) 6 foot tall son model the mask. Note that face shield has a natural curve due to the shape of the bottle. I think that the inward curve of the bottom corners provides additional protection.