Narcissus 1912 Renovation Project: High School Intern From Baxter Academy (Portland, ME) Uses Solidworks to Create 3-D CAD Files for Narcissus

Sunday, February 12, 2023

High School Intern From Baxter Academy (Portland, ME) Uses Solidworks to Create 3-D CAD Files for Narcissus

The above image of the National Register of Historic Places,

Narcissus is the model generated from the digital

files uploaded to the Solidworks software. As more files

of components and parts are uploaded, the more

complete the digital model will become. EE

Solidworks 3DS Dassault

Screenshot EE

One of the intro slides from the video that

describes some of the outcomes produced by high

school student-intern Logan Rudolph.

Screenshot EE

Ernie Eaton (left) is the project manager overseeing all

aspects of the restoration of the Narcissus at

Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport (ME).

Logan Rudolph (right) is now (2022-23) a senior at the Baxter

Academy for Technology and Science in Portland (ME).

Screenshot EE

I work at Thornton Academy in Saco (ME). One day, back in the fall of 2021, I was working with a new science teacher, Alaina Galvin. While we were chatting about our respective professional backgrounds, I mentioned my volunteer activities at Seashore Trolley Museum relating to the Narcissus project. Including how fascinating it was for me to see the amazing work created by utilizing Solidworks 3-D CAD software. Alaina responded that she was familiar with Solidworks as it was used in classes at Baxter Academy in Portland (ME). And that some upper-class students utilize Solidworks while completing semester-long or year-long intern programs [Baxter Academy is a public charter high school (grades 9-12) in Maine that specializes in STEM curriculum].

That conversation with Alaina inspired me to speak to Ernie Eaton at the Museum. Ernie is the project manager overseeing all aspects of the restoration of the Narcissus, including all the Solidworks activity. I asked Ernie if he might consider taking on a high school intern to assist in the Solidworks projects that were upcoming. He was open to the idea. I then reached out to the Museum's executive director, Katie Orlando, to explain the possible opportunity and seek her permission to learn more about the internship opportunity. I was granted permission.

Alaina contacted Baxter Academy's, Mary King, for me, on behalf of the Museum, to share my interest in the internship program. Ms. King is the vice-principal and dean of students and also oversees the "Flex Friday" program (the internship program). Ms. King and I corresponded and she was very impressed with the Solidworks rendering that Ernie had drafted at the time. Ms. King thought it a great opportunity and would connect with the Baxter Academy's community outreach coordinator as well as a teacher that uses Solidworks as part of the class curriculum.

I did receive an email from the teacher that uses Solidworks in the classroom. Jonathan Delorme's email included the name of a student, a junior, Logan Rudolph, that was interested in learning more about the internship opportunity. Email addresses for Ernie at the Museum were shared with Mr. Delorme to discuss internship mentoring protocol, schedules, etc. Once those details were confirmed, connections with the new intern, Logan, were made. Correspondence between Ernie, Mr. Delorme, and Logan resulted in Logan beginning his second-semester internship with Ernie later in January 2022.

While working with the Narcissus, Logan learned that he and his family live very close to what was the Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI) substation and passenger waiting room in West Falmouth. The Narcissus would stop at that substation several times a day from 1914 until 1933 :)

No. 16, Clematis, at the West Falmouth substation/passenger

waiting room. This photo is one of the more than 200 within

the 88-page Portland-Lewiston Interurban Employees'

Reunion Scrapbook (1938, '39, '40, & '41). The incredible

content of the scrapbook was recently professionally

cleaned, photographed, and conserved by

the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover, MA

What a great collaboration!

Below is the video Ernie made with Logan that summarizes Logan's work during his internship. The video includes a demonstration by Logan of how 3-D CAD models are created that readers unfamiliar with the process may find interesting. Logan was working with Ernie during the second semester of Logan's junior year at Baxter Academy (Jan-Jun 2022)

Click Here to go to YouTube if you have trouble watching the video below.

Video by Ernie Eaton

Several years ago, I cleaned up this collection of original

hinges from the Narcissus. They are unique in that they

have ball bearings. PWM

Close-up of one set of the ball-bearing hinge. PWM

B. F. Foss, Fairfield, Maine is stamped on each hinge.

The hinges are patented. PWM

The patent description - 1905

Sketch of the hinge that accompanied the patent

application - 1905.

The screenshot above from the video shows Logan (right)

explaining the work he did creating the digital 3-D

CAD version of the Foss hinges using Solidworks during his

internship. EE

The screenshot above from the video shows Logan with

one of the original Narcissus mahogany doors while

explaining the work he did creating the digital 3-D

CAD version of the Foss hinges using Solidworks during

his internship. EE

The screenshot above from the video shows Logan with

one of the original Narcissus mahogany doors. Logan is

explaining how the unique hinge works. EE

The screenshot above from the video shows Logan inside

Seashore Trolley Museum's restoration shop with

the Narcissus. He is explaining where on the number two end

vestibule, the Foss hinges are used in the "Elegant Ride"

Narcissus. EE

The screenshot above from the video shows Logan inside

Seashore Trolley Museum's restoration shop with

the Narcissus. He is explaining where on the number two end

vestibule, the Foss hinges are used in the "Elegant Ride"

Narcissus. EE

The screenshot above from the video shows Logan inside

Seashore Trolley Museum's restoration shop with

the Narcissus. He is explaining where on the number two end

vestibule, the Foss hinges are used in the "Elegant Ride"

Narcissus. EE

The screenshot above from the video shows Logan inside

Seashore Trolley Museum's restoration shop with

the Narcissus. He is explaining where on the number two end

vestibule, the Foss hinges are used in the "Elegant Ride"

Narcissus. EE

The screenshot above from the video shows Logan inside

Seashore Trolley Museum's restoration shop while standing

in the public visitors' gallery with the Narcissus in

the background below. Logan holds two long square-headed

bolts and is explaining how he created the digital 3-D

CAD files for many versions of this type of bolt used in

the restoration of the "Elegant Ride" Narcissus. EE

A screenshot from the video shows Ernie Eaton (left) looking

on as Logan explains how he used Solidworks to create

the 3-D CAD digital files of the Foss hinges. EE