Great job MB, on both the lighting fixture and the blog post. Design #1 was certainly the right call. As for the comments about it being over-engineered, I agr

Great job MB, on both the lighting fixture and the blog post. Design #1 was certainly the right call. As for the comments about it being over-engineered, I agree. Yes, you could have used French cleats over the extrusions, and yes, you could have used a chisel and avoided having to print a routing jig. But I’m sure you learned a lot, as evidenced by the difference between the first and latter pockets. Time in CAD, 3D printing, and structural materials selection is crucial for production runs, but you might be surprised by how much sooner you can finish a one-off project by prioritizing a pencil, paper, and hand tools (where sensible of course). I say this not to criticize, but to encourage, as I’m sure you would like to finish the next project much sooner. You ended up making a fixture that looks and functions as well or better than the €600+ one, and in that sense, this is a resounding success. You also started with IKEA detritus for cost savings and ended paying more than €600+, which is pretty funny! Might not be a bad idea to start the next one with some nicely figured solid wood board (and maybe use those routing skills for some inlays…) But again, great job. Sincerely, Former carpenter, machinist, & lighting fabricator/designer