After following the instructions on the homework file, we did some cuts to determine the kerf of the laser cutter. We had it as 0.01455”. This was way bigger than we wanted. The pieces could not even fit. We kept increasing the kerf until we realized that it is getting harder to fit. This is where we figured we have to decrease the kerf. I went on the table and saw Darrell’s piece with a kerf of 0.007” and when I used it my box worked.

The process of setting up the laser cutter was fun and instructive. I was making sure I jogged the laser cutter to the right height and was fascinated by seeing it etch and cut the files.

One of the biggest failures was etching the college crest. I struggled a lot to convert the png file to SVG file and whenever I would do it, the file would not look well. What I tried doing is to cut the general Martel logo then manually add lines and the cross afterwards and it looked miserable.

Because we were running out of time, I ended up cutting the Martel College crest without the cross and the lines but my box overall was pretty good.

Cost Calculations:

About $3 for the wood piece ( including scrap used for etch test and failed pieces). Since this was done multiple times the cost increases drastically to $3×3 = $9.

Estimate about $1 for the tape used and $0.25 for the sandpaper

Laser cutter training = 1 hour, labour = 3 hours

Cost of labour = $15 x 4 hours = $60

Total Cost = $9 + $60 + $1.25 = $70.25