Because I spent so much time on my crate this week, I decided to create the simple laser cutting box. However, although it might have been simpler, due to the laser cutting machine not always cooperating, this project also took longer than expected.

I started my box by using the makeabox.io software to create the outlines of the box. I wanted the box to be 4x4x4 on the inside. The width of the wood we were using was 0.2in, so I inputed those parameters into the software. Additionally, I decided that I wanted my tabs to be 0.75in wide as I didn’t want too many tabs on each side. Originally, I had the kerf as 0.012, but this led to a box whose sides did not fit together, so I then adjusted the kerf to 0.008 as Aastha performed the kerf test earlier that day for the laser cutting machine that I was going to use.

Once the software created the box, I uploaded the pdf to illustrator. I joined the individual paths into six fully closed paths to make my cuts faster in the laser cutter. I also added my name and class to the bottom panel as instructed by the directions and the RICE GMI logo to the top panel. I decided to not add anymore images into my box as I was aiming for a minimalistic clean look. I adjusted the panel edges’ stroke to be 0.001in. I also made the other strokes 0.003in to ensure engraving.

Then, I sent the file to print on the laser cutting. I went through the process of autofocusing the EpilogPro laser cutter and I was ready to cut. I first send over just the engraving  to ensure that it was properly engraved before making the final vector cuts. My settings for engraving were: 600dpi, 100%speed, 70%power, and for vector cutting: 18%speed, 100%power, 10%frequency.

I admit that I had to recut my box, because originally, I had the kerf at a wrong setting, so my box did not end up fitting together properly. However, that process allowed me to learn some important lessons so that my final cut was just what I wanted. For my first cut, I tried putting tape on the sides of my box to prevent the burnt color of the wood; however this created a lot of issues like the laser not cutting all the way through and the finish of the box being rough to the touch. Fo my final cut, I did not use any tape and the cuts were precise and the burnt color was not too bad! The box fit very well with a tight secured fit. Here is my finished product!

The material cost was $5 for the 1/4″ thick plywood. I spent about 1.5 hrs designing and cutting the box which would be about $22.5 in labor costs. Finally, since the laser cutter is a more expensive machine, the cost to operate is about $30/hrs. Since I only used it for about 40 minutes, the cost associated with the machine is $20. Overall, that brings the cost for the laser cut box to be $47.5.