I ran into a problem lacking enough plug sockets for everything I need. However I do have a 12v DC 8.5A power supply in use to run LED desk lights in the office which is only using approx 600mAh. The house phone (6v 300mAh), USB powered hub (5V 3A) and SATA external dock (5V 500mAh + 12v 700mAh) can all be powered from the 12v DC supply with the help of some step downs.
I designed a small desk dock unit to be laser cut out of the same blue UV reactive perspex I used for my computer case Rick & Morty front panel. In additional to the powered components I also decided to add in the card reader with it. The 12V supply could be used directly for the SATA external dock but I needed a 5V 5A output step down which I found by recycling an old car phone charger lighter socket adapter.
The dock frame work is fairly simply and utilises the same slot and key construction method to be glued together with acrylic glue for a seamless finish.
The model and DXF output I created in Rhino
The dock when glued together sits the USB hub at the top with the phone dock at the back out of the way. The front panel gives access to the SATA dock as you can see in the photo is currently open with the draw opening downwards so it naturally falls out of the way. The card reader is to the left of the dock and is wired directly to the USB hub on a spare port.
When the SATA dock is closed you get to see the whole unit.
At night my PC case lights catch the desk dock and illuminate it. It's very subtle but not distracting which is exactly what I was after.
With 3 devices previously on wall sockets now powered via the DC supply I gained 3 plug sockets without losing any electrical devices at all, in fact I gained one: The SATA dock, as it was never designed to go in the PC case I built.
