Autodesk Inventor

Dream Desk MK2

This is the desk that I designed and built completely on my own. It took me a little over two months to save up the roughly $3,000 needed for all of the materials, hardware, and components. Before building this version, I spent about two weeks designing an initial prototype, which I called MK1. After reviewing it, I decided I wasn’t happy with the design, so I went back to the drawing board and spent another two weeks creating the version you see here, MK2.

Once the design was finalized, the actual construction took about three days. Two days were spent preparing and finishing the wood slabs, while the remaining day was dedicated to cutting, fitting, and assembling the aluminum extrusions that make up the frame. I also designed and 3D printed the custom feet, which required about 2 kilograms of filament and more than 24 hours of print time.

This project was one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have built. But waking up to this amazing desk every day reminds me of the amount of planning, problem-solving, and effort that went into turning an idea into something real.

These are some screen grabs I took of my 3D model (The perspective is off because of my camera)

Desk Shelf

This is the desk shelf that I designed and built for my workspace. I wanted something much larger than the desk shelves I could find online because I needed plenty of room for project supplies, tools, and everyday accessories. The goal was to create something that was both functional and organized while helping keep my workspace clean.

The shelf includes three center compartments that are sized specifically for my 3D mouse, keyboard, and regular mouse. Each compartment has cable management holes in the back, making it easy to route and hide cables instead of having them clutter the desk surface. One of my favorite features is the integrated cable management system. The rear support structure helps conceal wires, and a mounted power strip keeps all of my devices connected in one place. The power strip includes individual switches that allow me to independently control two sets of lights, my desk fan, and both of my 3D printers without having to unplug anything or reach behind the desk.

On each side of the shelf are large storage compartments that I use for flat items such as my drawing tablet, notepads, and other materials that I want nearby but out of the way. Overall, this project helped me create a workspace that is organized, efficient, and tailored to exactly how I like to work.

Filliment Dryer Box

This is the filament storage cabinet that I designed and built to organize and store my 3D printing filament. The cabinet has three levels, with each level capable of holding up to eight spools, giving it a total capacity of 24 spools. At the time I designed it, that seemed like more than enough storage, although I have since managed to collect even more filament than it can hold.

One of the features I included was a drawer at the bottom that was intended to hold desiccant beads to help keep moisture away from the filament. While the cabinet itself is not completely airtight due to the nature of the 3D-printed structure, the idea was still a valuable design exercise and helped me think about environmental considerations for filament storage.

Instead of placing the spools on traditional shelves, I designed the cabinet so they ride on metal rods. This allowed me to maximize the number of spools that could fit within the available space while still keeping them easy to access. The configuration made much more efficient use of the cabinet’s interior compared to a standard shelving design.

One of my favorite aspects of the project is the large transparent front door. It gives the cabinet a clean, professional appearance and makes it easy to see all of my filament at a glance. I also added a latch mechanism to keep the door securely closed and prevent it from accidentally opening. Even though it ended up functioning more as an organized storage display than a true drying cabinet, I am still very proud of how it turned out. It remains one of the best-looking storage projects I have built and serves as a reminder of how much I have learned through designing and creating my own solutions.

Computer Shelf

This is the computer shelf that I designed and built for my brother. I gave him complete creative freedom over the design, and one of his requests was for the shelf to be mounted at a 45-degree angle relative to his desk. While the design looked great, it created some structural challenges that required additional engineering to make sure the shelf could safely support the load.

Because the shelf needed to hold a 1.5-inch-thick wood slab as well as his computer equipment, I knew that fully 3D-printed supports would not be strong enough over time. To solve this problem, I designed custom 3D-printed outer shells that housed aluminum extrusions inside them. These aluminum supports are securely attached to the desk and provide the structural strength needed to carry the weight while maintaining the clean appearance of the original design.

The combination of 3D-printed components and aluminum framing resulted in a very sturdy and reliable shelf. This project taught me a lot about designing around real-world load requirements and balancing aesthetics with structural integrity. In the end, both my brother and I were extremely happy with how the project turned out, and it remains one of my favorite functional builds.