This week I enjoyed the opportunity to use the laser cutter to make a snap-fit wooden box!

I started my Adobe Illustrator file by downloading a box outline from makeabox.io I wanted the outer dimensions to be 4″, so I made the box 3.8″x3.8″x3.8″ since I had measured the wood to be around 0.2″ thick. I used a kerf size of 0.008 to achieve the tight fit.

In illustrator, I added fun images to the sides of my box like a cowboy boot and the outline of the state of Iowa. After setting the strokes to the appropriate measurements to cut vs engrave, I sent the job to the laser cutter!

Because the pieces of wood were very picked over and mostly used when I went to cut my box, I ended up separating 2 squares of the box at a time and cutting them separately, rather than cutting the whole box at once.

There were a few tabs that didn’t cut all the way through and had some splinters of wood, but at the end, all my pieces fit together nicely!

Cost Estimate:

Time on the laser cutter: 30 min @ $30/hr = $15

Wood: 1/4″ thick plywood: $5

Labor: 1 hr @ $15/hr = $15

Total Cost: $35