For the laser cutter project, I completed the beginner assignment by utilizing makeabox.io. First, I started by picking out a board and measuring the thickness of the board, which turned out to be 3/16″. I calculated the width, height, and length by subtracting this measurement from 4″ so that when I assemble the box, it’ll become 4″ x 4″ x 4″. In order to make the box more snug, I measured the kerf out to be 0.012″. In addition to my name and my college crest, I decided to decorate my box with some of my favorite things, which are my cat, my dog, and coffee!

The first time around, I cut out a few squares with different power and speed to figure out what the best vector cutting setting is. I also tested the etch setting and decided to stick with one of the recommended settings on the wall. Then, I cut out two sides of the box as a trial. Unfortunately, the edges were too tight and I could not combine the boxes together.

In order to resolve the problem, I changed the kerf setting on makeabox.io to be 0.010″ and repeated the steps above. Towards the end, the laser cutting definitely gave up on me because even though I was using the same settings for vector cutting and etching, the etches were significantly less clear and my dog especially became very blurry (but it was 10 pm so I decided to forgive it).

To protect the box from wear, I finished the box with the matte finish clear coat, and this is what it looks like!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost Analysis

• Plywood: Because each board is approximately $3, and I used 2/3 of it because of multiple testing, this sums up to about $2.5.
• Laser cutting: Averagely, renting a laser cutting machine to cut for an hour is around $13 and I spent about 4 hours on this project, this sums up to about $52.
• Labor: If I’m getting minimal wage for all 4 hours, the labor cost is $32.
• Clear coat: The clear coat costs about $0.45 per ounce. Although I didn’t quite measure the amount of clear coat I applied, I believe it’s approximately $0.30.
• In total, this laser box sums up to be $86.8. (Not quite economical but the experience is valuable)