Wood working has always been a great passion of mine, and many of my projects have been centered around experimenting with the forgiving organic material
Wood Working
Custom Cruiser
Skateboard Deck
I designed and built a hybrid cruiser deck that blends vintage surfboard aesthetics with old-school skate geometry, using a combination of digital and hands-on fabrication. Starting with hard rock maple veneers and a cherry face veneer, I modeled the board in SolidWorks, laser-cut seven layered profiles, and pressed them in a custom foam mold milled via Autodesk Inventor CAM. The result is a functional, visually rich cruiser that reflects thoughtful material selection, curvature control, and craftsmanship—all aligned with the vision of a nostalgic yet practical board.
To shape the board, I designed a three-dimensional mold in Autodesk Inventor with precise rocker, concave, and kick geometry. I bonded 2″ foam panels into a block, and used Inventor CAM to generate toolpaths for a ½″ end mill on a router table. After a test clearance pass to remove high spots, I performed the full cut—yielding a mold that perfectly captured the intended board curvature before veneer pressing.
To laminate the seven veneer layers into a single cohesive deck, I used a vacuum bag press around the foam mold. I applied Titebond III wood glue between each layer, carefully aligning the laser-cut profiles in their original order to preserve the curvature and contouring during pressing. The bag was sealed and connected to a vacuum pump, which held the layers tightly against the mold's rocker and concave for several hours while the adhesive cured. This method ensured even pressure distribution across the complex geometry, resulting in a clean, strong bond with minimal springback and excellent conformity to the designed board shape.
The technical journey began with sourcing seven-ply 1/16″ hard rock maple veneers and a locally obtained thin cherry top veneer to achieve a warm, pastel-ready look. I transitioned to SolidWorks to establish the board’s profile featuring a narrow waist, wide tail, pointed nose, rocker, and concave, then exported the outline as DXF for laser cutting. The seven veneers showed minor warp during cutting, requiring careful alignment, multiple passes, and taping to preserve layer order for pressing.
Custom Patio Privacy Facade
To create a modern, private retreat on my apartment balcony, I built a custom cedar and cull-lumber privacy facade that integrates flower baskets for aesthetic and greenery. I digitally modeled the panel layout, CNC-cut cedar slats and support frames, then assembled the structure using sustainable lumber and hidden fasteners. The result is a durable, weather-resistant facade that offers both seclusion and a welcoming, plant-friendly atmosphere..
I focused on environmental mindfulness: structural supports are built from reclaimed cull lumber, while cedar was chosen for its natural rot resistance and beauty. The facade was mounted to the existing metal guardrail using discreet brackets that leave no visible fixings. Flower-hanging inserts are seamlessly integrated, evenly spaced, and removable for seasonal refreshes. Overall, this project marries utility, sustainability, and design finesse, transforming a bare balcony into a cozy plant-draped sanctuary.
Modernistic Basement Bar
Over a winter break, I designed and built a contemporary cedar bar and backlit shelving unit to anchor my parents’ new game room. Using SolidWorks for layout, I hand-cut and stained cedar to match existing décor, assembled a floating-backed frame, and added LED-lit glass shelving for display. The final installation is chic, functional, and perfectly integrated, giving their space a refined centerpiece.
My process began with mock-ups of corner joints and header profiles to ensure a bold yet clean aesthetic. The cedar bar frame features robust joinery hidden behind sleek trim, matched to the room’s palette with custom stain selection. Multicolored LED strips are mounted on the back of glass shelves, creating a soft, ambient glow without glare. I completed the bar with a durable polyurethane finish for longevity. This project showcases skills in materials coordination, lighting integration, and turning aesthetic concepts into practical structures.
Sky Chair Patio Hanger
When faced with hanging a sky chair from my apartment's 18-foot ceiling, I engineered a free-standing, stabilized brace to support it safely. I applied statics course knowledge, iterated a timber frame design, and reinforced it with cross-bracing for sturdiness. The result: a stable, removable sky chair support that came in on time, held securely, and reinforced my understanding of real-world structural statics.
I began with a basic 2×4 A-frame design, then stress-analyzed joint loading and potential sway. When initial testing revealed insufficient lateral stability, I added diagonal braces and gussets. I meticulously pre-drilled holes to avoid wood splitting and used carriage bolts for secure joints. After sanding and sealing, the frame was pad-protected at the base to preserve the patio floor. This pragmatic build not only solved a practical need but also deepened my grasp of statics and iterative prototyping in full scale.
Cull Lumber Planter Boxes
During the pandemic, I designed planter boxes using only cull lumber, achieving a clean industrial aesthetic and sustainability through minimal material waste. I standardized design around just two board lengths, cut via jigged miter saw, then finished with shou sugi ban (char, brush, seal). The outcome is a cohesive set of durable, weather-resistant planters that evoke industrial style while being fully reproducible en-mass.
Every cut was optimized to minimize waste, no board exceeded the two set lengths, and fasteners were reduced to essential points. The Japanese-inspired torch char added visual richness and UV/moisture resistance, polished by hand, then sealed with water-based tung oil. The result is a kit-friendly planter line, ideal for low-cost, high-impact DIY production. It also deepened my interest in finish treatments marrying aesthetics with function.
Oak and Walnut Jewlery Chest
My first fine-woodworking piece, I crafted a jewelry chest from resawn white oak with walnut-spline reinforcements for mitered corners. I learned joinery fundamentals, wood movement management, and finishing by constructing a floating bottom and spline-miter joints. The result is a sturdy, moisture-adaptive chest with a nostalgic-modern style inspired by Minecraft: a hands-on learning milestone.
Resawing oak to create veneer-grade boards honed my milling and planing skills. Precision hand-cut walnut splines reinforced weak miter joints while adding visual contrast. The floating bottom detail ensures the chest can expand and contract with humidity. I finished it with satin wipe-on poly, enhancing durability while respecting oak’s natural texture. This marked a critical step in my growth as I translated game-inspired aesthetics into refined craftsmanship.
Custom Desk & Shelf with Built-in Monitor
This modular shelf was designed as both furniture and sculpture: a clean, wall-mounted storage piece that plays with form through compound curves, tight radii, and a floating presence. As my first introduction to SolidWorks, I modeled the entire unit to experiment with proportions and corner treatments before routing the individual layers from laminated plywood. The process emphasized precision contouring, surface finishing, and hidden mounting techniques to preserve the shelf’s minimalist aesthetic. The finished piece delivers functional storage while blending seamlessly into the room: more design object than utility hardware.
To achieve the soft, sculptural quality I envisioned, I focused on corner transitions and depth layering. The curved shelf walls were designed with consistent radii that flow into each other, avoiding harsh geometry in favor of a continuous, geometric silhouette. After machining, I hand-sanded all faces and edges, then sealed and painted the surfaces in a satin finish that resists fingerprints and glare. A concealed French cleat mounting system keeps the shelf tight to the wall with no visible fasteners, enhancing the floating effect. This project gave me hands-on experience with digital fabrication, iterative surface modeling, and the subtleties of translating a CAD model into a tactile, interior-ready form.
The 6’ Longboard
Inspired by surfboards, I designed and hand-built a 6-foot, 16-inch-wide longboard optimized for carving and flow riding on pavement. Using a laminated birch-plywood blank cut to custom contours, I introduced mild rocker and concave to balance rigidity and flex. The board was sealed with epoxy and accented with a classic blue center stripe, enhancing both aesthetics and deck integrity. The finished longboard delivers surf-like responsiveness and stability, proving its design through a thrilling maiden ride experience—and showcasing skills in woodworking, finishing, and material science.
The deck shape was carefully modeled to capture the feel of vintage surfboards, with a drawn-out tail, softened rails, and a wide stance platform that encourages deep carving and relaxed cruising. I used a jigsaw and hand tools to cut and fair the contours, then applied multiple rounds of sanding and sealing to achieve a smooth, durable finish. The epoxy coat not only brings out the grain but adds structural integrity while resisting moisture and flex fatigue. Mounting independent-style trucks and soft high-rebound wheels completed the build, turning the oversized deck into a functional cruiser that feels both intuitive and expressive underfoot. This project served as a study in functional design and hands-on craft—transforming raw material into a rideable experience that balances form, flow, and feedback.
