For this project, I was running very short on time in the week, so I opted to go for the beginner project.  I love the engraving feature on the laser cutter and wanted to embellish my box with multiple engravings of my pets at home to make it a bit more than a simple box.

To start, I first tried to estimate the kerf.  My original plan was to cut the kerf test, but because I could not find the file, I opted to make two small box sides using MakeaBox.io to see if I could find the right settings for a press fit.  From my estimate of a kerf of 0.013″, I created two box sides, but they were extremely difficult to fit together.  I then tried box sides with a kerf of 0.012″ and it created a snug fit for each side, but with all of the sides in place, a box that would stay closed.

 

After settling on the correct kerf settings, I made two box sides to ensure that my pictures for engraving and text would come out cleanly.  When I cut using 15% speed, I didn’t cut all the way through the wood, and ended up needed to go through for a second pass, leaving ugly burn marks.  I noted this and used blue tape along the edges of my box to prevent unwanted burn marks.

Now that I had all the information, I was ready to cut.  I created an Adobe Illustrator file with all of my desired engravings and the correct sizing/settings for the box itself from MakeABox.  I wanted to include a picture of my two cats, Cosette and Dolly, and my two horses from home, Mango and Paddy.

With each of the cut pieces, I assembled all of the sides together to create my final box!  The press fit was perfect and I did not need to use glue or sand any of the edges to make the pieces fit together.

As a final step, I applied a clear coat to the laser cut box to finish the wood and protect it.

If I were to make another box, I would use the same cutting settings to reach the same press fit, but I would probably spend more time testing each picture to see how it engraved.  I used the settings from my favorite engraving on the laser cutter room wall, but I think that had I had more time to dedicate to making the engraving look really clean on each photo it would have a better result.

Cost Analysis

Wood: I used a scrap piece of wood from another person’s box project, however, had I bought a new piece of .25″ thick plywood, it would cost about $5.

Clear coat: Clear coat is very inexpensive ~$5/can, so I overestimated a $1 usage.

Laser cutter: I used this FactoryeNova website to estimate a project usage time on the laser cutter of 1 hour for about $60.

Labor: I spent about 3.5 hours on this project.  At my hourly wage of $25/hour this would be $88.

Total cost: $154

This cost is largely reflective of the time spent on the project and the laser cutter use.  With the files that I have now, replicating this box would take far less time on the laser cutter and less time in labor.