We are back with another assignment! This time, a laser cut box with the similar function of a trophy case. This box is meant to serve as the resting place of the various projects throughout the rest of the semester. Since I had previous experience using Adobe Illustrator and had also used the laser cutter before, I decided to challenge myself on the project and create the whole box from scratch.

The first step was to take the project measurements provided and create rectangles that I could then rearrange. I organized the rectangles in the arrangement that I liked and then started setting out the pattern to cut. Before being able to determine how to create the box, I had to pick out my piece of wood that I would use to cut. I measured the wood thickness and used that value in the whole design. The plywood piece I chose had a thickness of 0.193″. Using this I was able to determine the size of all of the outer rectangles associated with the inside rectangles that I based the whole project on.

The outer rectangle for each box was drawn to be  an additional 2 x 0.193″ in each dimension. For example, one of the required size rectangles was a 3″ x 3″, so the outer bounding rectangle would be 3.386″ x 3.386″. These inner and outer boxes for each size were grouped independently and then arranged so that the inner shapes overlaps as in the picture below.

The next step was to create the interlocking fingers that would join the pieces of the box. I chose to make the fingers 0.5″ wide and 0.193″ tall. This ensures that the rectangle that will be cut will accept the corresponding male insert from the walls that will be made shortly.

From this I then began creating the inner and outer vertical walls that would in the end result in the trophy case that I was intending. I began by tracing all of the outer sides to create unique shapes that matched the outer edges and added the corresponding male teeth so that they could join with the back plate. Next, the inner walls were drawn and had places for the outer walls to interact with. This would make sure that the whole structure is dependent on its pieces and so that it could be a stronger box. As shown below, the outer walls and inner walls were designed to lock into each other like a puzzle. There was mostly no method to my madness, I simply systematically measured all the sides and added the corresponding teeth that would allow the pieces to connect.

With all of the parts designed, I decided to try and cut out the whole box in one attempt, which ended up not completely working. All of the pieces cut well, but since I made the whole box from scratch, there were some pieces that had incorrect placement of the teeth and so did not line up the way I had intended. The first attempt was beneficial in that It showed me that most of the design worked, but needed some adjustments.

 

After the whole first attempt at the box was done, I assembled the box. I noticed immediately that the box sides did not stay in place at all and that the outer sides of the box were not snapping into place. As per the instructions of the assignment, no adhesive could be used to join the box sides so a tight fit was desired. There were also alignment problems with a few pieces as mentioned above, to some design fixes were required. First I measured the width of the inner female slots and the width of the male connectors. The female slots had a width of 0.493″ and the male connectors had a width of 0.508″. This means that the laser cut a total of 0.015″ off. I took this into account and made the holes of the back plate less wide to a accommodate for the material loss. Additionally, to avoid cutting all the pieces over again, I widened the male connectors on some of the outer walls so that they would snap better into the corresponding female slots. This was to make the outer walls all really snug and improve the structure. Also, since the name plate had to go in the box somewhere and I decided to make it on the surface of one of the holes, I decided that it would be a waste of space so not add a secret compartment behind the name plate. The first attempt failed because I forgot to account for the floor of the box, but i just shrunk the walls by 0.193″ and that took care of the floor problem. Overall the trophy case turned out really well and all of the sides snapped snug into place. For this being my first time creating a whole box from scratch, I think it turned out really well. Plus the abstract arrangement of the compartments makes it have an abstract artistic look to it. The box will be hing using the Command Picture hanging strips for easy removal from my dorm walls, but nail holes can be added as well.

The cost associated with this project consisted mainly of the cost of the wood and the cost of the time it took me to design the file. Assembly time was minimal since it was all snap fit.

• Material: ~1/8″ plywood, 24″ x 32″ (OEDK) $5.00 x 2
• Work Time, 7 hours, $70
• Total Cost: $80

Additional remark…always be sure to store your projects in a safe location. I had to re-cut the back plate and two pieces because I accidentally sat on the box and broke it apart. That is all for this week, wait until  you see what I’ll have in store for you next week! Go make something awesome!

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