This 3D-Printable WorkBox Delivers an Enclosed Workspace for Messy Projects — On Home 3D Printers

Management student turned 3D printing entrepreneur Priyank Pal has launched a crowdfunding campaign for a modular desktop workstation designed to create an enclosed and optionally actively-ventilated space for messier jobs: the WorkBox.

"WorkBox is an enclosed maker workstation built from smaller 3D-printed modules," Pal explains of the design. "Those modules join together to create a much larger working chamber than a normal desktop printer could produce as one piece. The front gives you a clear view of the project and opens when you need to place larger objects inside. Hand-access ports let you continue working while the project remains inside the chamber. A lower rear duct connection supports an exhaust hose when you want to route fumes and odors away from the immediate workspace."

The WorkBox is clearly inspired by industrial fume cupboards, complete with a viewing window and openings at the front through which gloved hands can reach. It's not quite up to that level, though: while it includes an opening at the rear for user-provided active ventilation, the gaps between the 3D-printed modules mean it's far from airtight while the gloves used for Pal's demonstrations do not seal to the openings like in a real fume cupboard.

What it does have going for it is price. The WorkBox is designed to be printed on a consumer-grade fused filament fabrication (FFF, also FDM) 3D printer, with no non-printed parts required. As a result, the whole thing can be put together for the cost of a few kilograms of filament and a bit of electricity — plus the $49 Pal is charging for the STL files, or $89 if you want them with a license for commercial use.

Pal positions the workspace as ideal for everything from soldering and sanding to spray-painting, with optional internal lighting for dim rooms and built-in tool storage. "WorkBox is not presented as a replacement for proper safety equipment or responsible ventilation," Pal admits, however. "It is designed to make it easier to connect a practical exhaust route to an enclosed work area."

More information is available on the project's Kickstarter campaign page, with STL file delivery expected in September this year. As with all crowdfunding campaigns fulfillment is not guaranteed; while Pal has a track record of delivering something in previous campaigns, feedback on the quality of electronics included with earlier filament drier and extruder designs has been universally negative — an issue that shouldn't affect the WorkBox, as it lacks any integrated electronics.