James Vogel Mechanical Engineer
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Searching for a Entry Level Mechanical Engineering position in manufacturing and product design. My history of dedication and entrepreneurship in a variety of work experiences has given me the communication and leadership skills to be a valuable and contributing member of any team.
2020 Summer Internship
Mechanical Engineering Internship at AT3 Tactical. Specializing in AR-15 parts and accessory design and manufacturing. Visit this page for more details.
1989 Formula Firebird
In the summer of 2019 I purchased a Project car/daily driver vehicle. I spent the summer fixing it up and working on the 305 cubic inch Tuned Port Injection V8 engine. I currently am driving this 30 year old car everyday.
Toro Proline Rebuild
At the age of 14 I started a local lawn mowing business. In order to mow lawns faster I bought a broken Toro Proline commercial mower and completely rebuilt the 15HP Kohler engine. I successfully discovered that the camshaft had been worn down which was causing it to malfunction. After I replaced It, I successfully operated it for two summers. I then sold it for a profit because I had obtained a different job.
Bridge Design Competition
In my Statics class, we were tasked with designing and building the most efficient truss bridge using Autodesk Inventor. We were given strips of basswood to build the bridge with. My teammate and I built and tested our bridge which resulted in it having the best overall efficiency in the class.
Small Engines/Vehicles
Over the course of the last couple of years I have acquired a small fleet of vehicles which I enjoy wrenching on in my free time. The fleet includes a 15 ft aluminum fishing boat with a 25HP Johnson outboard, a 1990 Yamaha Phazer, a Baja Warrior off road trail minibike with a 212cc engine, anda go-kart with a 3HP Briggs and Stratton. I have spent many hours becoming familiar with problem solving and troubleshooting due to the nature of old rusty machines, but there's nothing I enjoy more than working on these.
House Renovation
In the summer of 2017 I worked for Becker Construction in renovating a 80 year old house. This included re-roofing, putting in new Anderson windows and doors, rewiring the electrical system, new front siding, new portico and many other tasks. I gained extensive experience with power and hand tools working alongside an experienced contractor.
Boardwalk Lake Access
Over the summer of 2017, my father and I constructed a 330 ft floating boardwalk across a mat of cattails in order to gain lake access. This project required a lot of planning and experimentation. My father and I designed the whole thing from scratch. I took the lead in the build phase and spent many hours constructing each 10 ft section. We now use the dock daily during the summer and it has proved very reliable.
3D printer and Machine Shop Steward.
I am currently a steward of the 3D printers and the machine shop at Benedictine College. The steward position includes maintenance of the machines and helping other students use them. I have been trained on all the printers and machine shop tools which include CNC machines, vertical and horizontal Mills and Lathes and Universal Strength Testers.
Woodworking
My father introduced me to woodworking at a young age and since then I've made several pieces of furniture. Through this, I gained lots of experience with hand and power tools. Woodworking was one of the original reasons for my passion for engineering.
Summer Temporary Instrument Builder
In the summer of 2018 I worked in a factory manufacturing position testing pressure and temperature sensors for pipes and Storage Tanks. This involved pressure enhanced temperature aging, and also building onto the modules themselves.
Aluminum Casting
In my Manufacturing Processes Lab I learned the process for melting aluminum and pouring it into a mold to obtain the desired shape. I also learned all of the safety requirements for this process.