I was a little scared to use the laser cutter for the first time but I really enjoyed using it! First I used en.makerspace.com to set up the box file. I set the thickness of the wood at 0.1776in, the tabs spaced apart at 0.64in, and the kerf at 0.008. 

Then I downloaded the file and opened it in Adobe Illustrator. I added my name and class information, then imported the Rice crest file and made some edits to it. 

Once the file was ready, I set up the laser cutter software and I changed the stroke lines on the file to 0.072pt. When I sent the job to the printer, the file was not recognized. I had to ask the TA for help, and I found out that if it’s your first time using the laser cutter on your account, you have to connect the printer. After they connected, the job appeared and I was able to adjust the cut/etch settings and set up the laser in the correct position. Then I traced the job to ensure the box would fit on the wood.

The cut went really well and all of the sides of the box came out clean. I then set all of the pieces up to put the sides of the box together. I had to knock some of the tabs together for the gaps to close, but at the end the box fit together perfectly

Cost Analysis

Cost Type	Item	Cost	Source	Quantity	Total
Material	Wood	$14.94	Home Depot	1/4in x 2ft x 4ft	$14.94
Labor	Laser Cutter Operator	$19.90/hr	ZipRecruiter.com	1.5 hours	$29.85
	Prototyping Engineer	Custom	Self	0.5 hour	–
Total Cost					$44.79

The total cost of the box was $44.79. I think this price is a bit high for the thin plywood, but the time spent with the laser cutter machine could be cut down as I gain more experience.

Reflection

This was a very enjoyable project and I am really happy with the result. It was fun to work with the laser cutter and I’m excited to continue using it for the midterm mechanical model!

Clean Workspace