<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title><![CDATA[ND]]></title><description><![CDATA[Thoughts, stories and ideas.]]></description><link>https://niraj.de/</link><image><url>https://niraj.de/favicon.png</url><title>ND</title><link>https://niraj.de/</link></image><generator>Ghost 4.17</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 01:40:05 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://niraj.de/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><ttl>60</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[Chrysanthemum No. 66]]></title><description><![CDATA[Herbal cocktail]]></description><link>https://niraj.de/chrysanthemum-no-66/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">615d1025e9d2a985677fa307</guid><category><![CDATA[cocktails]]></category><category><![CDATA[cocktail]]></category><category><![CDATA[chrysanthemum]]></category><category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Niraj Desai]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 03 Oct 2021 03:05:00 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/img-chrysanthemum-1.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<ul><li>2 oz. Dry Vermouth (<a href="https://www.lofiaperitifs.com/000000000210007488.html">Lo-Fi Apertifs</a>)</li><li>1 oz. Benedictine (<a href="https://www.benedictinedom.com/our-liqueurs/benedictine-and-brandy/">B&amp;B</a>)</li><li>0.5 oz. Absinthe (<a href="https://www.stgeorgespirits.com/spirits/st-george-absinthe-verte/">St. Georges</a>)</li></ul><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/img-chrysanthemum-1.jpg" alt="Chrysanthemum No. 66"><p>Mix everything, stir with ice, serve over ice sphere, garnish with an orange peel</p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>I needed a wine rack to store wines that I was collecting. &#xA0;I had some space in a cubby near my entertainment center that was unused. &#xA0;I decided to build a custom fit wine shelf system for this cubby.</p><p>There are two primary components to this build:</p><ol><li>Frame</li></ol>]]></description><link>https://niraj.de/building-a-3-drawer-sliding-wine-rack/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">61098d3fe9d2a985677fa301</guid><category><![CDATA[DIY]]></category><category><![CDATA[Woodworking]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Niraj Desai]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 18 Sep 2021 03:13:00 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/img-winerack-1.jpg" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/img-winerack-1.jpg" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers"><p>I needed a wine rack to store wines that I was collecting. &#xA0;I had some space in a cubby near my entertainment center that was unused. &#xA0;I decided to build a custom fit wine shelf system for this cubby.</p><p>There are two primary components to this build:</p><ol><li>Frame</li><li>Wine rack drawer (qty 3)</li></ol><p>The frame was custom fit to the cubby.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2048" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-1.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-1.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-1.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Cubby measurement</figcaption></figure><p>I decided to use a simple post-based architecture to construct the frame, made with some spare 2&quot; x 3&quot; lumber:</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-2.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2048" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-2.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-2.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-2.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>I started from the bottom drawer and worked my way up. &#xA0;Every drawer panel (left, right, front, back) was custom fit to the location where it would slide in. &#xA0;This method worked very well as I ended up with different measurements at every height increment :sweating:</p><p>For the drawer racks, I used empty bottles to figure out the optimal bottle arrangement</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-3.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2049" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-3.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-3.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-3.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Bottle arrangement left-to-right</figcaption></figure><p>I ended up going with a front-to-back arrangement instead of a left-to-right so I could avoid wasting the back left and front right by introducing unusable gaps.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-4.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2049" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-4.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-4.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-4.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Drawer</figcaption></figure><p>I used the cheapest lumber I could find at Home Depot for the rack rails. &#xA0;These ended up being furring strips that I had to sand down for a clean texture. &#xA0;They came out at about $2 for 8&apos; of furring strip.</p><p>I used 3/4&quot; plywood to create a strong frame for the drawer, and furring strips to keep the wine bottles from rolling. &#xA0;I secured two furring strips at the bottom of the drawer to ensure no flex. &#xA0;I also used <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R5XR285/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1">T plates</a> to secure the balances.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-6.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2049" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-6.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-6.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-6.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>T plates</figcaption></figure><p></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-5.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2049" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-5.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-5.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-5.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Drawer and Frame</figcaption></figure><p>I used <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Richelieu-2-Pack-22-in-Drawer-Slide/50041766">22&quot; soft close drawer slides</a> to ensure a sturdy pull out / close experience. &#xA0;I dry fitted the rack into the final cubby to check dimensions. Success!</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-7.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2049" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-7.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-7.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-7.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>After the first rack was done, I started working on measuring, cutting, and assembling the remaining two drawers.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-8.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2048" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-8.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-8.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-8.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>Prior to painting, I used wood filler to fill the numerous holes / scratches in the lumber. This gave the final rack a nice, smooth appearance.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-9.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2048" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-9.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-9.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-9.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Wood filler</figcaption></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-10.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2049" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-10.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-10.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-10.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Painting</figcaption></figure><p>The drawer fronts / fascias were made of 1/2&quot; plywood. This width is fine here as the front is purely for appearance, and not for structure. &#xA0;I made sure the drawer pulls extended past the 1/2&quot; plywood and through the 3/4&quot; plywood drawer frame.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-11.png" class="kg-image" alt="Custom Wine Rack with 3 sliding drawers" loading="lazy" width="1536" height="2048" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/10/image-11.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/10/image-11.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/10/image-11.png 1536w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>I had some leftover drawer pulls that I used on my kitchen cabinets. &#xA0;These fit perfectly and also looked great!</p><p>Voila! A custom, DIY wine rack made with less than $40 in lumber, and $80 in hardware, and of course..several hours of effort!</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Apple TV Remote Stand, 3D Printed]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Today, I tried my hand at &#xA0;Autodesk Fusion360 to design something fairly simple, an Apple TV Remote Stand. &#xA0;My Apple TV Remote tends disappear quite often so this stand is meant to resolve this problem.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image.png" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy" width="516" height="516"><figcaption>The finished AppleTV Remote Stand, 3D printed on the Creality Ender 3 Pro</figcaption></figure>]]></description><link>https://niraj.de/apple-tv-remote-stand-3d-printed/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">604407dae9d2a985677fa278</guid><category><![CDATA[3D Printing]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Niraj Desai]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2020 10:53:00 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1592042221673-7320147c7482?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=MXwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGFwcGxldHZ8ZW58MHx8fA&amp;ixlib=rb-1.2.1&amp;q=80&amp;w=2000" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1592042221673-7320147c7482?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=MXwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGFwcGxldHZ8ZW58MHx8fA&amp;ixlib=rb-1.2.1&amp;q=80&amp;w=2000" alt="Apple TV Remote Stand, 3D Printed"><p>Today, I tried my hand at &#xA0;Autodesk Fusion360 to design something fairly simple, an Apple TV Remote Stand. &#xA0;My Apple TV Remote tends disappear quite often so this stand is meant to resolve this problem.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image.png" class="kg-image" alt="Apple TV Remote Stand, 3D Printed" loading="lazy" width="516" height="516"><figcaption>The finished AppleTV Remote Stand, 3D printed on the Creality Ender 3 Pro</figcaption></figure><p>I followed a few useful tutorials on YouTube to get the hang of Fusion360, I highly recommend them:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PnKBSOulwo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PnKBSOulwo</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B9wem3vCVQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B9wem3vCVQ</a></li></ul><p></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-1.png" class="kg-image" alt="Apple TV Remote Stand, 3D Printed" loading="lazy" width="1639" height="1060" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/03/image-1.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/03/image-1.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1600/2021/03/image-1.png 1600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-1.png 1639w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p></p><p>This is a fairly simple design, with the only challenge being stability of the base. After a few revisions, I narrowed down the size of the Remote inlet, to ensure the weight of the remote itself is what keeps the stand stable.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-5.png" class="kg-image" alt="Apple TV Remote Stand, 3D Printed" loading="lazy" width="913" height="700" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/03/image-5.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-5.png 913w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Revising the inlet</figcaption></figure><p>Check out my design here: <a href="https://a360.co/33dTTjQ" rel="noopener">https://a360.co/33dTTjQ</a></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-3.png" class="kg-image" alt="Apple TV Remote Stand, 3D Printed" loading="lazy" width="1193" height="701" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/03/image-3.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/03/image-3.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-3.png 1193w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Rendering in progress</figcaption></figure><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-4.png" class="kg-image" alt="Apple TV Remote Stand, 3D Printed" loading="lazy" width="806" height="615" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/03/image-4.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-4.png 806w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Rendering done, in a shiny, aluminum finish</figcaption></figure><p>You can design a 3D model is Autodesk Fusion360 and simply export an STL file, this STL file can be imported into Ultimaker Cura from which you can rotate, position, and export gcode for your 3D printer.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-2.png" class="kg-image" alt="Apple TV Remote Stand, 3D Printed" loading="lazy" width="2000" height="1244" srcset="https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w600/2021/03/image-2.png 600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1000/2021/03/image-2.png 1000w, https://niraj.de/content/images/size/w1600/2021/03/image-2.png 1600w, https://niraj.de/content/images/2021/03/image-2.png 2160w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"><figcaption>Ultimaker Cura</figcaption></figure><p>You can download the STL and 3D print this yourself using the model I uploaded to Cults3D: <a href="https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/gadget/apple-tv-remote-stand">https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/gadget/apple-tv-remote-stand</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[My first post]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Hello and welcome to my <em>blog</em>!</p><p>I&apos;m excited to have a place to post random thoughts and creations, related to many different things I have been thinking and doing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>I&apos;m hoping to cover many topics, including, but not limited</p>]]></description><link>https://niraj.de/my-first-post/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">60440492e9d2a985677fa244</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Niraj Desai]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2020 22:45:00 GMT</pubDate><media:content url="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1587207433549-7d796bccc6a2?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=MXwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDh8fHN0YXJ0fGVufDB8fHw&amp;ixlib=rb-1.2.1&amp;q=80&amp;w=2000" medium="image"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1587207433549-7d796bccc6a2?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=MXwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDh8fHN0YXJ0fGVufDB8fHw&amp;ixlib=rb-1.2.1&amp;q=80&amp;w=2000" alt="My first post"><p>Hello and welcome to my <em>blog</em>!</p><p>I&apos;m excited to have a place to post random thoughts and creations, related to many different things I have been thinking and doing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>I&apos;m hoping to cover many topics, including, but not limited to: software (cloud and embedded), investments, woodworking, 3D printing, photography, cars, and more!</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>