How a Charlottetown teen is using technology to fulfil his grandfather's wish

A Charlottetown teen who's selling keychains made with a 3D printer he built from scratch plans to use his profits to buy his grandfather's Jeep.

Colton Willis, 17, told CBC Radio One's Island Morning he built the printer in four hours and created his own computer program to make it work.

"I've always been interested in it. I've seen it online and in videos but what really kind of caught me to it was my robotics course in my Grade 11 year," said Willis.

"It was a lot of trial and error. I've burnt myself, I cut myself."

'A silly idea'

It was Willis's grandfather who gave him the idea to model the keychains after the Jeep's grill.

The two are close, and the project has brought them closer together.

"It's really interesting that in my mind, a silly idea turned into to me, a large company."

But that silly idea will allow Willis to buy the Jeep from his grandfather and maintain it so the pair can have fun with it.

"He's very enthused with the whole idea. It will mean a lot to him."

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