Personal Projects
As a life long tinkerer and engineer, I have always been drawn to machines in states of disrepair and loved bringing new designs to fruition. The act of design, repair, and fabrication has always been therapeutic to me in a sense and is one of my favorite past times. I also love to blur the lines between art and engineering in my projects.
Gear Driven Clock
December 2024
This passion project highlights my engineering design and manufacturing skills. The concept is a clock where the hands point to the numbers from the outside in, reversing the traditional layout. SolidWorks was used to model assemblies and simulate motion, allowing for precise cam profile generation. Rack and pinion gears convert rotational motion into the extending and retracting hand movement. A key focus throughout the design process was ensuring manufacturability and ease of assembly, which streamlined the fabrication process. Every aluminum, polycarbonate, and acrylic component was personally machined using a CNC mill with a 4th axis and a manual lathe.
Brass Dice, Copper Jewelry Case, Aluminum Earings
December 2024
As personalized holiday gifts, I designed and machined a six-sided dice set, a heart-shaped jewelry box, and a set of earrings. The dice and earrings were efficiently produced using a 4th-axis rotary setup for continuous multi-sided machining, while the jewelry box was manufactured on a 3-axis CNC mill using undercutting tools to eliminate the need for custom fixturing.
1998 Chevy Truck Restoration
September 2021
I fully restored a family-owned pickup truck that was otherwise destined for the scrapyard, preserving it for a third generation. The project involved complete replacement of the suspension, brakes, cooling, air conditioning, and fuel systems. I also de-rusted the frame and applied a three-stage protective paint system to prevent future corrosion. In addition, I replaced numerous internal engine components, including the fuel injectors, to ensure long-term reliability and performance.
1987 Motorcycle Restoration
January 2021
As part of my motorcycle restoration and parts business, I purchased a rare 1987 Yamaha YSR 50 and restored it to excellent mechanical condition. The restoration included rebuilding the braking system and suspension, repairing the gas tank, and overhauling the engine and clutch. In addition to the mechanical work, I designed and 3D printed reproduction battery lids, which I successfully marketed and sold online.
TIG Welded Art
December 2020
During the holiday season, I designed and welded a stainless steel flower, a dog sculpture, a pencil cup, and a pencil holder as personalized gifts for my family. This project also served as a way to practice and refine my TIG welding skills on both stainless steel and aluminum.
Drift Trike Design and Manufacturing
July 2018
To teach myself TIG welding, I designed and built a drift trike from scratch powered by a 212cc 4-stroke motor capable of reaching 50 mph. The trike has two disc brakes to help control drifts and LED light bars for nighttime use. Throughout the project, I developed proficiency in SolidWorks, gained hands-on experience with TIG welding, and learned to operate manual milling and lathe equipment.
Laser Cut Mountain Scene
July 2018
Completed for an art course at WPI, this project features a laser-cut wooden kerf-bent enclosure, acrylic edge-lit panels, a custom 3D-printed base, and a 5-volt power supply and lighting system. Designed in SolidWorks with precise tolerance considerations, the assembly was engineered to fit securely without the use of adhesives.
Home Made R/C Planes
October 2012
Early electronics projects during my childhood laid the foundation for my mechanical and electrical skills. My first custom build was a flying wing airplane, followed by a hovercraft constructed for a middle school science project. Subsequently, I designed more advanced aircraft, including a tri-copter that involved extensive PID tuning to achieve stable flight.
