3D Printing     Laser Cutting     Electronics     Microscopy

3D Printing and Modelling

3D printing has been the primary focus of my graduate research. Ultimately my goal is to expand the palette of available materials and develop  formulations to print materials that are traditionally difficult to print, such as low-modulus elastomers and ceramics. 
For this task, the approach of direct-write 3D printing was used. Despite the process being well-established in academic literature, no commercial systems for this process existed at the time and most systems detailed in literature relied on commercial dispensing systems (such as those used in adhesives) costing well over $10,000. 
I devised my own such system after reading about pneumatic system design and built a dispensing system for less than $200 that has the same functionality as systems costing 5x the price and integrated it with open-source electronics for 3D printing (known as RAMPS). By doing so, I provided a detailed information and documentation as published in the Journal of the Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium. My master’s thesis, 3D Printing and Mechanical Performance of Silicone Elastomers, was published Nov 2019. Below are a few videos from early on in the project demonstrating the printing and mechanical response.

Laser Cutting

Organic Chemistry Stencils
In my time as a chemistry tutor at UW-Stout, I found that many students had difficulty drawing the complex shapes and representations required to understand organic chemistry reactions. So I drafted up a few common shapes and laser-cut stencils from 1/8th" acrylic. The acrylic looked very nice but proved to be too thick for most writing utensils, and thinner acrylic didn't have the mechanical integrity so the final design was cut from a laserable polyester sheet in two formats: a standard 3-hole binder size and a 4x5" card. The stencils were handed out at the UW-Stout Materials Research Society booth as a promotional tool. 

Safety Glasses Case
After being shoved in a backpack and running around campus, my safety glasses were getting scratched beyond belief. Living hinges piqued my interest so I made a protective box for my safety glasses based around laser-cut bamboo living hinges.

UV Polymerization Unit Enclosure
I published an article in the Journal of Student Research entitled Photopolymerization of Methylmethacrylate: An Inexpensive, Open-Source Approach for the Undergraduate Lab.

Electronics and Computing

I enjoy repairing electronics, new and old. I’ve always liked the aesthetic of older Apple products, which were often beautiful in design but difficult to repair. Even with age, they are still beautiful.

Miscellaneous

I also dabble in microscopy and macro photography of technology. Below are a few of my favorites!