My first design I could touch

It’s hard to explain the feeling of seeing something you designed fix a real-world problem. But it’s a deeply satisfying and weirdly emotional.

I’ve always appreciated good physical design. The kind you can touch, test, and that actually changes the way things are done. But I’d never designed anything for the physical world before.

When I recently moved into a new home, there was this rough, jagged hole for the gas hose in the kitchen. I hated it every time I saw it. At first, I thought I’d just fix it with a PVC pipe or something, but I couldn’t find anything that fit right or looked even halfway decent. Plus, it shouldn’t get in the way of cooking or melt from spills or heat.

Then it struck me. I could just do it myself. I’d 3D print something.

After taking some rough measurements, I googled (yep, still googling) for a 3D design tool and ended up designing a simple flange with a central chamber for the hose to pass through. The idea was to cover the ugly edges and hold the hose snugly in place.Just a clean, functional shape.

Funny enough, I used Figma (yep) to map the dimensions.

Once I had the design ready, I contacted a local 3D print shop and had my first print in hand in just a couple of hours. I loved it the moment I touched it. It felt sturdy, and I could feel the lines of the print. I rushed home, pushed it into the hole, and… it fit. Perfectly.

Actually, too perfectly. I should’ve reduced the chamber diameter by 0.5mm to make it easier to pull out. Right now, it’s almost too snug. Not so great if I ever need to remove it. Lesson learned.