Fusion 360

This has become the planning space for a lot of my projects. I use it when the build needs more than a rough sketch: boxes with sliding lids, porch bench proportions, custom furniture, carved panels, printed parts, trays, clocks, and machine-carved details all benefit from having the design worked out digitally first.

The best examples are the projects where fit mattered before anything was cut. The Custom Nightstand with Hidden Wireless Charger used a model to solve the bedside dimensions and drawer layout. The Recipe Box needed the lid rails, card storage, and inlay area to line up. The Halloween Solar Lantern Boxes and later gift boxes used it to get from artwork and layout into toolpaths.

What I like is that it bridges the careful part of the work and the hands-on part. It lets me test proportions, plan cuts, model printed helpers, and set up carving work, then still leaves the project to become real through assembly, sanding, finish, and all the small decisions at the bench.