For this assignment, I chose to do the beginner level since I had never used the laser cutter before. I also decided to etch an image onto every side of the box so that you can see etching from any angle and so that I could get more practice using Illustrator.

To create the 2D drawing of my box, I used en.makercase.com. I set the external dimensions to be 4″x4″x4″. I also used calipers to measure the thickness of my wood, which turned out to be 0.195″. Since the instructions for this assignment suggested that the width of the tabs be at least 0.5″, I set the width of my tabs to be about 0.512″.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I could download the 2D drawing, I had to determine the kerf of the laser. Finding out this measurement was the most tedious and time consuming aspect of the project. To start, I used the method of cutting out multiple rectangles, pushing them to one side, and then measuring and dividing the resulting gap. Doing this gave me a kerf value of 0.0089″. To test this value, I went ahead and downloaded the 2D drawing. Instead of printing out the entire box, I selected two edges to print out and tested how well they connected. After a TON of trial and error, I ended up setting my kerf value to be 0.0062″ and downloaded the SVG file.

Next, I opened the box file in Illustrator. I had never used Illustrator before but I quickly realized that it was very similar to Adobe Photoshop, which I have used. After making the squares into shapes, setting the stroke size to 0.072 pt, and setting the location of the squares, I added the required text and college crest to my box. Additionally, I added other Rice logos so that each side of the box had an image etched onto it. I found these images online and used an online converter to make them SVG files.

After finishing the drawing for my box, I taped my wood to prevent burn marks, placed the wood into the Epilog Fusion M2 laser cutter, and focused the laser. I set my printing preferences to 4s, 100p, 10f for vector cutting and 30s, 40p for raster cutting and then sent my print to the laser cutter.

Although I had cut a test square with my printing preferences, unfortunately, when I finally printed out my box, the laser did not fully cut 4 sides of the box. After speaking to a lab assistant about my issue, I slowed down the vector cutting speed to 3s and successfully reprinted the 4 sides.

After removing the tape from the wood, I finally put together my box. I decided to leave the tape on the owl because I like the blue color that it added. When I put the first two pieces together, I was a little concerned that the fit might be a bit loose, but after connecting all 6 sides, the joints felt much more secure.

Something I might have done differently is using a raster setting that cut a bit deeper. Since I used tape on top of the wood to prevent burning, the laser had to cut through an extra layer, resulting in some of the smaller image details to be only lightly etched into the wood. Overall, I felt like I learned a lot about Illustrator and the laser cutter and am very happy with my final box.

Cost Analysis:

• 1 2’x2′ sheet of plywood = $10.74 (The Home Depot)
• Painter’s tape = $6.98/roll (The Home Depot)
• 4 hours of labor, costing $15/hr = $60
• 2 hours of machine time, costing $20/hr = $40 (xometry)

Total Cost: $117.72