I am a mechanical engineer.

Like most engineers, I have always loved knowing how things work from a very young age.  What sets me apart from most engineers is my drive to never stop getting better at my craft.  Coasting is not an option.  Whether for a company, a client, or myself, quality and completeness are key.  I pay careful attention to every detail of every project I work on to ensure it is done to the highest standards.

Contact me if you'd like to talk about engineering!

Software Proficiency

• Autodesk Inventor

• SolidWorks

• AutoCAD

• Fusion 360

• FEA Simulation

• CFD Simulation

• Cura

• GrabCAD Print

Engineering Technologies

• 4 and 6-axis Robotics

• Automation

• 3D Printing

• CNC Machining

• Rapid Prototyping

• Design For Manufacturing

• Software Simulations

• Modular Design

3D Printer Extruder

I didn't want just a regular off-the-shelf extruder for my homebuilt 3D printer.  Since it was a completely custom build, I wanted a unique extruder.  It had to be rugged, accurate, utilize an auto-bed-leveling sensor, and incorporate both heat-sink and part cooling fans. 

What resulted was a clean design that outperformed several commercial extruders I tested in both print quality and usefulness.  A carefully machined aluminum block is at the core of this extruder which makes it both durable and modular - just as intended.

Check out the build on Instructables!

HOVR

The HOVR is a commercial product being sold right now on Amazon.  I worked with the HOVR team to come up with a new design for their stand to make it stronger, easier to assemble, and more cost effective to sell.  I not only designed several iterations of the stand but also built several prototypes.  They are currently selling the design I worked on.

3D Printing

3D printing is hands down the most cost effective and timely way to test your ideas before you spend big money building molds or generating production runs.  I have printed hundreds of parts on printers from Ultimaker, MakerBot, and Stratasys and am familiar with most common slicer software.

4" x 2" Galvanized Steel Gate

The goal of this project was to build a gate that fit in with the existing fence on a home in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago.  We constructed the gate out of 4" x 2" galvanized steel tube.  The gate was cut and welded in my workshop before we installed it on the home.

Old Hobbits Die Hard

Designing sets for theatre companies is one of my favorite things to do.  This is because there is so much variety in what needs to be accomplished.  For this particular play, I designed a set for a Lord of the Rings piece that was a bar on one side, and a hobbit hole on the other.

Honda CB750 Bobber

I started riding motorcycles several years ago and always loved the freedom that came with it.  I've taken a few cross country trips and ridden thousands of miles but as an engineer, I really wanted to try building my own.  I found an awesome deal on a 1981 CB750 a few summers ago and couldn't pass it up.  After riding it around for a few weeks, I decided to make it my own.  I chopped off the back end, and got to work making it a bobber. 

Taliesin Lamp

I visited Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin home of Taliesin in the summer of 2016 and absolutely fell in love with it.  Honestly, I didn't know that much about Frank before going in but I was a complete admirer when I left.  Everything in that house looks like it could have been built today and still admired as a new work of functional art.

I tried recreating his lamp from pictures and from memory and here it is.  Unfortunately, I didn't take many (any) build pictures so this is all I have.  Enjoy!

SAE Mini Baja

I was an active member of the UIC Society of Automotive Engineers team.  I designed the jig to build this frame in my senior year and had the privilege of driving the car across the finish line in the national competition in Maryland.  Being a part of this society taught me far more than any classroom could have.  I learned to design and test in the real world.  We worked with sponsors and vendors, sourced parts and had a lot of parts custom machined just for us.  I learned to MIG and TIG weld as well as expand on a lot of the automotive skills I gained by working on cars since before I could drive.  I learned what worked, what didn't work, and what to do about it.  It was my first good look at what engineering really was.

TIG Welding Cart

A good first project to test out any welder is to use it to build its own cart.  When I got this Alpha TIG, I did just that.  I used 1"x1" steel angle to make most of the structure and used small square tube to make the cable hangers.  

What resulted was a very useful and durable cart that I've been using for years now.

Miscellaneous CAD

I have designed literally hundreds of parts in CAD and am proficient with many different CAD software packages.  I have learned the value of using CAD software correctly (and yes, there is a right and a wrong way) and the time that can be saved by creating complete, well-designed parts.