So this is my first time using a laser cutter. However, I felt that the beginner project didn’t challenge me enough, so I opted to attempt the Advanced assignment instead. I think my box clearly reflects that. It’s a reasonable design, looks pretty cool, and my cardboard drafts came out really well. But there were some novice errors that made the wood draft come out… subpar. If I had one or two more iterations on the box, I think it would have come out beautifully, but there just wasn’t enough time for it, and not for a lack of effort. I feel bad about how much this box costs because of all the hours I spent modifying the file and working with the box, especially since it didn’t come out like I want it to.

I started my design with a floor plan, based off the dimensions given to us. I decided to make one main box with an adjacent mini box for the chess piece.

From there, I used Make A Box to generate a base for my main box and for my side box. I then mimicked the side to create the dividers, adding holes to their joining points the size of the holes in the zigzag outer edge.  To conjoin the side box, I layed the side piece that would be replaced and copied all its holes to the attachment side. I then generated a cardboard draft from my model.

At this point, I was helpfully reminded of a few important aspects I had left out. Firstly, I was going to be using 1/4″ plywood, not 3/8″ plywood. This substantial difference would have made for a box much like the cardboard draft, with lots of jutting tabs. I was also reminded that you have to manually fit kerfs in, a duty I thought the laser cutter handled. At this point, I decided just to start fresh.

I made the necessary edits, and created a second cardboard draft that came out beautifully, and I felt ready for a wood run. I printed it out, and then found out that I had overcompensated for kerf, and my insert holes were far too small. Once my efforts to force it in and to dremel down the tabs failed, I tried to recut wider holes, but the laser had been rezeroed since I used it, so it didn’t really work. Basically, a lot of stuff didn’t quite fit like it should, and the final product is decent, but with many flaws.

On an interesting note, the fit on my main box is quite loose, which I find perplexing, since it was made by Make A Box. I gave it a Kerf of .007 in, but the parts just don’t fit snugly. The slightly too large dividers don’t help, but still.

Overall, I feel a little disappointed because I know how close it is to being awesome. I had a bunch of art planned to go on the lids, but due to time constraints, I was unable to print them. That said, I learned a lot from the experience and feel very confident both with the laser cutter and basic cuts and engraving.

Cost: $272

Materials- $30
Machining Costs- $20
Labor- 16 hrs @ 15$/hr : $240
Quality Discount- $18