CLAY McDONELL

Second year mechanical engineering student

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seized honda xr80 restoration

Bike was left outdoors for years. Piston rings were corroded to cylinder, clutch pack was stuck together, carburetor was clogged and jets were corroded shut, intake valve was bent. Bike wouldn't turn over. Rebuilt and replaced parts to make the bike fully functional and reliable with good compression. Worked within budget constraints. Broke down into multiple issues that could be investigated independently to identify the failure and decide how to solve it. Used root cause analysis to differentiate between systems and causes. Weighed decision tradeoffs of time vs. cost and reliability vs. performance.

Interactive led chess board

Collaborated with a team of three to design and build an interactive chess board that dynamically illuminates squares containing game pieces using neodymium magnets and reed switches for piece detection. Led the mechanical design and manufacturing aspects, creating custom 3D-printed chess squares, pieces, and border components to house the underlying wiring system. The project combined embedded electronics with precision mechanical design to create an engaging, technology-enhanced chess playing experience.

off-road go-kart

Rebuilt and upgraded engine from its stock 6.5hp to 12-14hp. Removed governor, installed lighter flywheel, advanced timing, installed new carburetor, heavier valve springs, exhaust and intake. Fabricated and welded custom motor mounting plate, wired kill switch and lights system.

moto race engine rebuilds

Maintained, repaired and rebuilt off road motorcycles for more than eight years of riding and racing. Top-end rebuilds every 40 hours, and bottom-end rebuilds every 100 hours, requiring complete disassembly of the engine and much of the bike. Hundreds of hours of hands on mechanical work, developing experience with engine mechanics and diagnosing problems.

machining

Completed  college course in machining, gaining hands on experience with industrial tools including a lathe, mill and laser cutter. Designed and fabricated multiple projects from start to finish, selecting materials and tools, and machining to tolerance. Strengthened practical skills and CAD to part experience.

bicycle chain cleaner

Collaborated with a team of three to design and prototype a permanently mounted bicycle chain cleaner as part of a PLTW engineering course. Developed a spring loaded bearing mechanism that maintains contact with the chain while shifting gears. Contributed to the full engineering design process, including concept generation, CAD modeling, prototyping, testing, and iteration. Gained experience in project planning, task delegation, timeline management, technical presentations, and basic product marketing.

autodesk inventor

Experience designing mechanical parts and assemblies using Autodesk Inventor through both academic and personal projects. Completed a college level course. Applied CAD skills to design components that were 3D printed and used in other projects. Comfortable creating parts from concept to implementation with attention to tolerances.