ASHLEY DODGE

This was the first engine that I machined.  I learned the basics about engines while using my lathe and mill skills to create a functional engine out of mainly brass.  It still runs smoothly after 7 years.

Using both Meshmixer and Pepakura, I took a high definition model and created a low-poly physical model out of paper.  The base was made by wood burning my own pattern into a small cross section of a tree that I had recently chopped down.

With my grandpa​ I have made multiple wind chimes.  I used a plasma cutter to hand cut each triangular piece, and used a MIG welder to assemble them.  I even designed my own wind catchers to hang from the chimes.  

In order to further my Fusion360 skills, I modeled a Low Temperature Differential (LTD) Stirling Engine.  These hyper-efficient engines are fascinating, and this particular model is inspired by the same engine in the book "An Introduction to Low Temperature Differential Stirling Engines" by James Senft.  While creating this, I learned how to perform animations and renderings in Fusion360.

This September, I, along with three of my friends, joined forces to participated in HackMIT.  For 24 hours, the hackers (that's us) reinvent or create whatever they want.  Our team created Nova, a community based interactive storytelling experience.  We won two prizes, the "Master of Both Worlds" which awarded our use of hardware and software, and the "Best use of Storytelling" prize, sponsored by Disney.

The second engine I made.  The flywheel was created on a CNC Mill and I machined the rest by hand.  Push the lever and the flywheel rotates.  No compressed air required!

My ukulele is my favorite woodworking project!  It was made completely from scratch with my grandpa.  Together we learned how to shape the sides, add delicate inlays to the fretboard and sound hole, cut and insert the frets, and so much more.  It involved a lot of patience, but the process was incredibly rewarding.

This machining project was made on the lathe with a steel handle and removable brass and aluminum heads.  I even knurled the handle myself to give it a nice finish.

Can you figure out how to remove the nut from the puzzle?  I machined this piece completely from scratch, including the threads.

I machined this right-handed tool holder, and engraved it with my name using a CNC mill.

Check out the 3D Printer that I built my Sophomore year in college. This was the start of my 3D printing interest and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience it gave me in troubleshooting electromechanical systems. It also gave me my first look into material properties and print profile development. This was an excellent way to get my feet wet int the world of 3D printing.