When we were first assigned this project, my idea was to completely create my own box design. I was going to use fusion to do this with the correct dimensions, then transfer to adobe. After hearing people talking about the project, I decided this may be too complicated for the time period and my skill level.

Instead I decided to create three different shaped and sized boxes using an online box maker tool and have them stacked on top of each other. I designed all of this on adobe before I was able to test my dimensions for the joints because many people were using the laser cutter that day. When I later tested the dimensions, I discovered I did it wrong and I did not have time to fix all of it

So I decided to go with a simple box design with 5 sides attached permanently and the top able to come off easily. With this I focused on getting the right tolerances to do what I wanted. I used a different box maker program, makeabox.io, and set all the joints equal to a .01 kerf. When testing this kerf worked well. I then needed to make the holes on the top piece smaller, so it would be loose on top. I did this by locking the first layer on adobe then drawing over the top piece with bigger holes and smaller tabs on the second layer. I then replaced the original top with this new piece. Since I only made a normal box, I decided to use a few different etching techniques. The first was required and was writing words on the box. I then found a cute picture of an owl on the nounproject to put on my top lid. I decided to create a pattern using the circle tool on illustrator. I thought this might give the sides some texture as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The laser cutting took a little over half an hour. About 20 minutes of this was spent on the etching. The rest of the time was spent cutting the wood. I grouped all the lines for each piece together, but when cutting the laser jumped around each piece instead of doing it in one solid run. Only the piece that I created was cut in a solid line. This jumping around definitely added more time to the cutting process. In the future I will need to figure out how to fix this.

After I cut out all my pieces, I put them together. The side pieces and the bottom have a very tight fit with each other. This is what I wanted because it will help prevent them from coming apart. The top piece is loose enough that it easily comes off the box. It could be a little tighter so it does not come off quite as easily, but I was focused on making sure it would easily come off.

The etching of the owl and my name came out very well. The circles are a little difficult to see. I think the lines for them should have been a little thicker. I also could have used different settings on the laser cutter, but I liked the settings for the other parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am pleased with how my final box turned out. After going through the problems with the tolerance with the online software, I think I may have been able to create my own box in the same amount of time I spent on everything else. I spent about 2 hours on the initial box design, then about 4 hours on the second design, and another 2 hours on my final box. If I stuck with my original box, I probably could have finished it in the seven hours I spent on everything else. That way would have been easier to control and know how the tolerance was being created. In the future, I would try to do my own box. I would also try to test the tolerance earlier on. This would require going earlier in the week when the laser cutter was not as busy.

The total cost to make this when paying myself and for all materials would be around $377.61

If I only was paid for time working on the final box the cost would be around $287.61

Cutting Cost: ~$12.73 /hour

AI software: $239.88 / year

Wood: $5.00 for one piece from oedk

Time: $120 or $30

The total cost without paying myself and for machines/software would be $5.