Meet HDPOCKETDOORS Summer Intern, Elijah Christner. He's pursuing a career in mechanical engineering. He's been interning for HDPOCKETDOORS for 5 years each summer. He currently uses the program Autodesk Inventor to render models of HDPOCKETDOOR frames.

What made you want to intern at HDPOCKETDOORS? Is this your first time interning or have you interned here or other places in the past?

Interning at HDPOCKETDOORS was a good way to earn money during the summer and I was able to be involved in the family business. This is the only business that I’ve interned for, but this is the fifth year that I’ve worked for the summer. 

What does a day of interning at HDPOCKETDOORS look like?

A day of work at HDPOCKETDOORS starts coming to work and starting by seven o’clock. If I don’t have a project I’m currently working on I’ll start the day by getting the information for a new one and then will work on that until lunch break. After that, I’ll continue working on the current project or move on to the next. During a project I’ll start with modeling the frame or object in 3D and then I can create a 2D drawing from that model. 

What are you currently working on?

I’ve worked on a few projects this past week. One project was creating models and drawing for JE Dunn Construction, and another project was creating a display for Sun Mountain Doors.

What program are you using to create these models of HDPOCKETDOORS frames? 

I’m using a program called Autodesk Inventor that I learned how to use in highschool. I also passed the certification test and got certified in Autodesk Inventor.

What have you learned since starting your internship?

I’ve definitely learned more in general about the process of how pocket door frames are manufactured. I started out working with the steel that is used in the frames, so I learned about how the brackets and post are made. While modeling the frames in Inventor, I’ve had to learn specific dimensions about each part in the frames.

What career are you pursuing in the future and how does interning here at HDPOCKETDOORS help you towards this goal?

I currently want to pursue a career in engineering, and more specifically, mechanical engineering. I think this field is broad enough to have lots of options, but also includes both the manufacturing aspect and the CAD work that I’ve been doing recently. Recently, the work I’ve been doing has helped me improve my skills on Autodesk Inventor. I also am able to learn about the manufacturing process of the pocket door frame and have experienced installing the frames too.

What is your favorite part about interning at HDPOCKETDOORS?

My favorite part about interning at HDPOCKETDOORS is that I get to do work while also doing something that I enjoy and that I’m interested in pursuing a career in.

Tell us about your favorite project you’ve worked on at HDPOCKETDOORS.

I think one of my favorite projects was working on modeling the Sugatsune synchronized frames because creating a working conveyor belt as part of the hardware was challenging, but afterwards I learned a new skill of making the conveyor belt.