I have a smaller project for today but it might inspire someone; that's the whole point of everything here, isn't it?

Next to my "computer corner", I have a do-it-yourself area for small projects. I usually use the space when I make jewellery, cut small things, or craft with paper. Things I put on the table fall down quite quickly or accidentally damage the table. I had to protect the wooden table from my creative "seizures".

At first, I used the inside of a cork notice board. I just tore out the cork from the notice board and put it on the table. This was an excellent low-cost solution for a moment, but the cork turned out to not be so solid and I accidentally dented it here and there. And an uneven surface? I can't live with that.

A few years later, I discovered a cork pad from IKEA, SUSIG, but its size of 45 x 65 cm was too small for me. The table is 60 cm wide, and the space I wanted to use is about 90 cm at least. So, I bought two pads, put them together, and cut them into a shape that worked for me.

However, the IKEA solution had a short life because, a few months later, I put hot tea on the pad. It spilt a little (really just a little), and the pad swelled and curled. Again, in my world, an uneven surface does not exist. I was surprised at how quickly the pad got damaged. It was barely 4 mm thick.

I decided to check the internet to see if I could find an actual corkboard. Behold, I found quite a few. A technical cork board from the Korek company won with dimensions of 94 x 63.5 x 5 mm for a few hundred CZK. It is pretty strong and looks like it will last a long time. I cut off the remaining 3.5 cm from the board with a standard knife.

There was a problem with the cables, though. The 94 cm-long corkboard fits very well, but it covers the electricity hole in the table. I can no longer move with the area on the table because I have a cabinet on the right and a printer on the left. I decided to cut a hole in the corkboard large enough for the cables of two lamps. However, cutting was not enough; it had to look good as well.

So, I measured the dimensions of the cables of the lamp and opened Fusion 360. The sketch was straightforward, with just a few rounded rectangles and no "science" behind it.

Then I extruded it very simply. The total height is 5.9 mm, with 1 mm for the edge. Of course, everything is rounded to make it look nice.

Printing was also easy. I didn't bother with the brim or supports; I just put it straight on the printing sheet. The print lasted only 10 minutes, so if something had gone wrong, I was right next to it, and it wouldn't have been such a disaster.

The print turned out very well, but there were not many ways to fail :)

First check. Do the cable heads fit through the printed part?

They fit.

The second check is whether the printed part holds well and firmly in the cut area. And it does. So, here is the result.

This is my favourite version of my workspace so far. And, yes, I'm hiding something behind the papers, but that's a different story. And a future article.

STL file

• Cable grommet