Leonard Motor Works: Starrettania Electric Motorcycle
Fall 2019 - Present
My company Leonard Motor works is dedicated to building custom 1930s styled electric motorcycles from the ground up. Most frame parts were CNC plasma cut on my Langmuir Systems Crossfire and fenders were 3D printed on my large printer, and everything was designed and assembled by me. Based on a 1928 Windhoff German motorcycle, I've brought back the stretched out, fat tire and big fender look of antique motorcycles with a modern twist of being electric, high power and low maintenance. The Starrettania is built with an Enertrac 40hp hub motor, 16 Nissan Leaf battery cells, a Kelly Motor Controller, and has all the bells and whistles of current motorcycles on the street. You can check the status of your batteries with your phone, program the power curve of the hub motor, and even slow down without brakes with regenerative braking. This bike will cruise up to 90mph and can hum around town for about 110 miles. The Starrettania aims to bring back the heydays of when beautiful motorcycles crossed the country on dirt roads but with a modern, faster and more reliable twist.
Custom designed frame, suspension and even brushless motor. Designed in Solidworks as a hybrid between a mountain bike and a motorcycle. Easily swappable between 125cc honda engine and electric motor sub frames that can be removed with just a couple bolts. Displayed at ImagineRIT at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2018 and 2019 and the Rochester Makerfaire in 2018.
Tool Designer and Manufacturing Engineer Co-op at Southco, NY
Winter - Summer 2021
My final co-op was with Southco in Honeoye Falls, NY. During my 8 months there, I was involved in the design and manufacturing of many different tools and machines used on the assembly floor. 3D printing was a major focus of my position, being in charge of the scheduling, printing and maintenance of multiple printers in our office. Many assembly jigs were printed which allowed for quicker reiteration and more complex geometries to be used. I also helped Southco save thousands a year in labor by 3D printing molds that silicone parts would cure in and be used as masks on parts to be powder coated, instead of taping. During this time, I also designed and fabricated a measurement and calibration gauge to be used on one of our assembly lines that had a few almost identical machines to check that they were all within spec. Lastly, I was the leader for a small team designing a secondary press die for forming 9mm round stock bars into square U shapes. The die used rollers and wedges to perform an overbend of the stock to have them spring back to perfect 90 degree corners.
Product Development Mechanical Engineer Co-Op at Cooper Perkins, MA
Winter - Summer 2020
For the winter through late summer of 2020, I was a mechanical engineering Co-Op for Cooper Perkins out of Lexington, MA. While there for 8 months, I lead the design and construction of a large scale cable testing rig for Corindus Robotics, researched low power smoke filtration systems for Shark Ninja, prototyped a cross country exercise machine as an internal Cooper Perkins project, and fabricated multiple custom parts for various clients like Hubly, Evolv Technologies and Hologic.
Additive Manufacturing Researcher at NASA's Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, Summers 2018-2019
Summer 2018 and Summer 2019
My mentors and I at NASA Glenn Research Center during the summer of 2018 and 2019 were testing the feasibility and durability in using 3d printed conductive silver pastes to improve the efficiency and ease of manufacturing with axial flux brushless electric motors. These motors will be used in small electric aircraft and must endure peaks of 6 to 8kw of power without over heating. Our goal was to test silver conductive paste's resistivity and it's ability to conduct high current for extended periods of time without overheating, cracking or any other major change in the paste. Our testing set up consisted of a micro-ohmmeter, voltmeter, ammeter, a thermal camera and an AC power supply. We tested each sample starting with 5 amps for an hour and increasing by 5 amps every hour until failure. Our samples all reached well over 300 degrees Celsius without failure and achieved resistivities close to copper wire. All our samples failed around 35 amps after a minute by overheating in one localized spot, then reached the melting point of silver and the circuit was broken. This research will help improve costs and manufacturing towards more efficient and powerful electric motors for electric aircraft and other forms of transportation.
Power Series Race Car: The Stingray
Spring 2020 - Present
Won top 3 in multiple sprint races and 1st in the 75 minutes long endurance race 2021, and won 1st place in multiple sprint events at Ideal Farms, NJ in 2020. Multiple top 3 finishes and another 1st in endurance in Akron, OH 2021. Corvette powerwheels body was cut up and mounted to a highly modified Razor Dunebuggy kid's go kart frame. Go kart slicks, 2kw brushless motor, 18650 custom made battery packs and a kelly motor controller were added to make this car fly. Will be my go to race car for future Power Racing Series events.
Engineering House Giant 3D Printer Project
Fall 2018 - Spring 2019
Started in the Fall of 2018, Enginering House's Big Bertha the giant 3D printer features:
600mm x 1500mm x 500mm build area (0.45m^3 build volume)
Portable table on wheels
Battery backup
Own computer/screen/keyboard/mouse
Octoprint for wireless connectivity and control
Ehouse themed and built, amazing for tours, events and displays
I ride these motorcycle to class/errands/work almost every day and plan on keeping them on the road as long as I can!
Power Series Race Car: The Rapture
Spring 2020 - Fall 2020
Won 1st place in multiple sprint events and 2nd in the challenge course at RallyPGH, PA in 2020. Made from a once on fire kid's ATV that was chopped and extended 6 inches to match the wheel base of a Powerwheels Ford F150 body. Powered by 2x 1800w brushless motors tied together in what I call the 'Bermuda Triangle' that mounts in the original engine mounts on the ATV frame. The full suspension and ATV seating made for a very comfy ride around RallyPGH's very difficult and bumpy course.
Leonard Motor Works: Deathrow 1930s Themed Motorcycle
Fall 2018 - Spring 2019
Nearly completed in just a couple months, this bike started as a fat tire Micargi beach cruiser that was begging for an engine. A steel engine plate was welded to the frame as well as mounts for a muffler made of electrical conduit, a second gas tank, and a 44 tooth sprocket for the rear wheel. A front disk brake was added for extra stopping power with a CNC milled aluminum spacer. It is powered with a 7hp Subaru EX21 engine (the first engine to be installed on the Go Kart but soon retired for a newer one) that was free off of a power washer and fitted with a CVT (continuously variable transmission) for easy control and good starting torque and high top speed. The rear brake disk is fitted to the driven pulley on the CVT for easier access and more stopping power. Highest top speed recorded so far is 47mph. Also has running lights and blinkers, key start and a 100+ mile range with both gas tanks filled.
Designed in SolidWorks, funded by refurbishing and selling lawnmowers, and cut/welded/ painted/assembled/troubleshooted by me. Uses a 7hp Subaru 4 stroke engine, Honda motorcycle shocks, 3s lipo for lights and servo throttle control, a seat from a Nissan RX7, and lawn tractor tires with 3D printed rims. Full suspension with independent A arms in the front and solid axle in the rear. Uses a CVT for power transmission and has a single mechanical disc brake in the rear. Completely built in just 6 weeks.
Power Series Race Car: New York Maker Faire 2018, 3rd place and Ideal Farms NJ 2019 1st place overall
Fall 2018
Modified kid's power wheels mustang converted into a race car in 16 days and transported 6 hours to Queens, NY for the race of a lifetime and placed 3rd in its first ever sprint. Late nights of welding old steel bed frames, powered by a 1800w brushless motor and 60 lbs of lead acid batteries and bike handle bars to steer make this one lean mean racing machine. Also has lights and sirens.
The offroad race at Ideal Farms in NJ was hard fought but I have never had so much fun. After a 4 and a half hour drive, 2 cars filled with friends and a trailer, we brought all the tools we had and battled it out over 2 days, 3 sprints, 1 relay, and a final time trial. The first day was bright and sunny and we came in first for the first sprint, 7th for the second sprint because of a loose key fob wire, and 2nd for the last sprint of the day. On the second day, we were greeted with pouring rain but only 3 other teams showed up, we powered through the relay race and the time trial and pulled ahead and won 1st place overall for the NJ event! Go Coyotes!
Built with dual 1500w brushless outrunner motors, 240amp esc, flysky 2.4ghz controller and runs off 2x 20v Porter Cable drill batteries in parallel. Deck made from 1/4in aluminum plate cut in a single part on my Langmuir Crossfire CNC plasma cutter. Deck supported by 2 aluminum rails for stiffness. About 8 miles of range on 200Wh of drill batteries. Lots of kick and pushes 20 mph, it's a blast to ride to class with.
Betsy: 3D Printer/Laser Engraver
Fall 2015 - Spring 2016
Originally built on a piece of pink insulation foam, 'Betsy' has made a full recovery with a new stained wooden base, linear ball bearings and ball slides (instead of old plastic sliders), an all aluminum spring loaded extruder, and an LCD screen that controls everything and even has a 2.5W blue laser for burning and cutting plastic, foam and wood. Uses a ramps 1.4 on an arduino mega 2650 running marlin. Prints onto a steel plate with craft glue and already has been printing for 1000+ hours without fail.
Steampunk 80cc Motorized Bicycle: Night Hawk
2016
Built off a Schwinn Mountain Ranger bike frame that has been cut and lengthened by 6 inches and rear suspension was added. Uses a 79cc engine that has a high compression head with a matched high compression muffler. Uses a Jackshaft kit for shifting abilities, 3s lipo for lights, fenders, leather seat, and black paint. Built over the course of 8 months, with lots of bugs being worked out in the process like chain skipping, the engine bending in the frame, and small 3D printed parts breaking, but all works as intended now will ride for 30+ miles before running out of gas.
Kid's Modified Police Car: Halloween Costume
Spring 2017
This car was the precursor to the current blue mustang police car, and taught me a lot about drive trains and the limits of certain materials like steel axles and 3D printed sprockets. This car started as a kid's plastic ride on toy donated from a highschool teacher of mine and quickly was gutted and replaced with a wooden rear end to hold the new 800w brushed motor and 3 lead acid batteries. (This was a couple years ago when I had just started my workshop and didn't have many tools or materials so wood was my go-to choice). The car was also complete with flashing blue and white LEDs and sirens. The half inch steel axle used on the rear axle had pins drilled through to hold the various 3D sprockets and adaptors for the tires to it, and over the following 2 years, caused the axle to snap over 4 times. I couldn't change the design much thanks to lack of tools and budget so had to be more and more careful with my driving each time a fresh axle was installed. It also taught me to not use grub screws for secure rotating parts on an axle without flats or the grub screw would bite into the metal and never come off again... After 2 Halloweens, a couple parties, 2 won costume contests and 4 axles, the car was finally retired in the winter of 2018 to make room for the blue mustang power series race car. This car brought many smiles and many fun moments to myself and others and will be dearly missed.
Subport: Portable Speakers
2015 - 2017
A small business idea I started at a friend's house as a joke a few years ago has grown into an art statement that's more than something to listen to. Ranging from the size of a lunch box to a mini fridge, these speakers are meant to be heard and seen while packing a punch at the same time. I enjoy bringing my personal speaker to parties and seeing people react to it and dance along. While it is a poor business model that requires expensive parts and a lot of labor and time, it's more a labor of love than a profitable business prospect.
Wooden Drift Trike
2016
Built out of a frame of 2x4s and part of a mountain bike, I modified a lawnmower engine to run horizontal after modifying the internal lubrication system and had good success even though I was using a belt with a low gear ratio and with an engine running in a position it wasn't mean to run in, yet it was really fun to spin around in a parking lot and chain long drifts on the PVC wheels. The video below shows me and my friend fitting a new engine and chain to the frame and using it again after sitting for a year in my garage.
RIT Engineering House Electric Go Kart
Spring 2017
Built by Engineering House the year before I was a freshman but was updated with a newly wound electric brushless motor and lights as well as an automatic/semi manual shifting CVT transmission. All frame/transmission/control systems were made either in our own workshop or made on campus in one of our various machine shops. Exhibited at Rochester Institute of Technology's ImagineRIT 2017 and 2018.
First Robotics Competition Team 5735 The Control Freaks
2014 - 2017
Founded by a couple friends and I back in 2014, we started off in our Captain's basement and worked our way as rookies to the world championships in St. Louis that year. We fundraised by selling donuts and through our community and got stronger for our second year, and then combined with our high school in Wayland, MA and migrated into their wood/metal shop where we built my last robot for the team named Skrtskrt for the noise it made when it sped across the tile floor. I was the mechanical lead and co-captain and I'm really proud of how far we got and what we achieved with what little we had to work with.
Rochester Institute of Technology: Engineering House
Fall 2017 - Present
As a 4th year at RIT, I'm now an Alumni of Engineering House. It was is the best thing that could have happened to me on campus. We're a family that all share a common interest and we're motivated to have a great time and help each other. I was the freshman representative and the house improvement chairman. I helped keep house's property and workshop clean and in working order and in charge of the tools we keep in our workshop. Since I basically lived in there, it was the perfect job for me.
Engineering House Freshman Project: Window Sign
Spring 2018
This was a group project between me and a couple other freshmen on floor of Engineering House, the goal being to created a glowing, moving sprocket sign to top all other window signs from other special interest houses. The sprocket is made from a 50lb piece of lexan found in a dumpster, turned by a small brushed motor on 2x 30mm bearings and controlled with an android app that anyone can download. The circuit board was designed by me using Google Draw (fancy, I know) and soldered together and successfully controlled the LED strip's colors and motor on the first try. The only problem is that the rotating sign creaks a bit making the sound annoying to those within the same room as it but has now been successfully rotating since the beginning of spring 2018.
216 Motocycles: Custom Motorized Bicycles
Summer 2018
Started in the basement of my rental house in the Lakewood region of Cleveland during my internship with NASA, my lab partner and I started building motorized bicycles for our selves until many people that we met expressed interest in riding one too, so we started a business building them for people who wanted a cheap and fun form of transportation.
Mini Quadcopter Rebuild
Summer 2018
1980 Suzuki GS250 Motorcycle Restoration
Spring 2018
Purchased for 250$, I couldn't turn down a good deal. Only had a dead battery and dented gas tank. New battery, air filter, oil and oil filter, brake pads, and a carb rebuild and she runs good as new!