Introduction

For this project we were tasked with making a friction-fit box out of laser-cut wooden pieces. Though a seemingly simple task–given a website to calculate the kerf and design for you–making sure the box was made to my liking too a bit longer than expected. Over the course of this post I hope to delineate how I went about designing and fabricating this sturdy, one-of-a-kind box.

Step 1: Designing the Box

The first step was to go to MakerCase and define the desired dimensions of the box and kerf for accurate fitting. I got the kerf from a past blog because of the announcement saying those who already calculated their kerf should share it with the class. I planned to make a 4″x4″x4″ box out of 1/8 inch wood; however, I realized later that the wood was actually closer to 0.187 inches which made the sides of the boxes not line up correctly, and thus the fit was completely off. I adjusted the measurement using calipers and the ends fit well.

I then used Adobe Illustrator to import the design from MakerCase and the art designs I wanted on the sides of the box. I was having a headache making the patterns fit within the box geometry, but I finally figured out the problem: the box outline imported grouped so editing the tiles individually was impossible. So, I ungrouped them and pressed ctrl+7 while selected the geometry and pattern to create a clipping mask (insert the pattern into the geometry). It is such a simple thing and once I got it I could recreate the box easily when adjusting for wood thickness, but boy was it annoying initially.

<– Digital Design

Step 2: Laser Cutting

With my design in Illustrator, I was ready to cut out the box. But first, I needed to make sure the pieces fit together correctly. I drew a small box around two edges and hid all other pieces to test how well they would fit. As I mentioned earlier, the sides didn’t fit. I was confused and thought I’d need a different website for sure. Thankfully a lab assistant asked if I actually measured the wood, so it was an easy fix from there (I input the actual wood thickness). I then messed around with different power and speeds for engraving and vector cutting since the recommended settings were burning the wood horrifically. I got it right third try and was ready to wait 20 minutes for the print finish.

<–First edge test//All edge tests compared–>

  

Before and after of laser cutting all the pieces ^^

Step 3: Assembly

Thankfully, the box sides print out well on the first try. I then–with much fervor–pressed the pieces together until the box was made. I made the sides first and then put the top and bottom on last in that order.

——(a lot of pressing together)——->  

Reflection

All-in-all I liked this project a good amount and think I learned valuable Illustrator techniques. The box will not come apart under normal circumstances and it’s only held together with wooden properties, so I’m happy with it.

<– Clean workspace

Cost Analysis

~100 square inches of wooden planks: $1.73 (from woodpeckerscrafts.com)

Labor: $15 per hour for 3hrs

Machine Time: $50 per hour for 1.5hrs (from SA Laser)

Total: $121.73