Jonathan Comeau

This position involved lots of facility maintenance as well as traditional carpentry. As part of the team at the shop, I helped design and build shelving and cabinets to replace old units, as well as refurbishing and repurposing units. Many of my tasks were repairs, ranging from doors and windows to drop ceilings and flooring. Many of these repairs involved replacing hardware like hinges, door closers, or window latches. I also replaced ceiling tiles and floor tiles. Finally I inspected door hardware and classroom seating yearly.

During this internship I used Rhino3D to create a new kayak model. This involved taking cross-sections from a plaster model, refining the curves in Rhino, and creating surfaces from those curves. I also created much of the hardware from scratch. This included the security bar, grab handles, and deckline holders. Another project I tackled was the creation of a new skeg assembly. I built a new skeg box and skeg in Rhino, and used the existing slider and cable assembly. Another opportunity I had was to work in the shop and learn about the vacuum infusion process used to build the kayaks. This was fun, and I got to be involved in every stage of the process. I polished molds, learned how to spray the gelcoat and lay up the carbon fiber and/or fiberglass, and how to install all of the fittings.