- Kerf Crisis
Before starting the design for my laser cut box, I wanted to work with the laser cutter to get comfortable. I calculated the kerf by creating a box with 10 lines in illustrator and then measuring the space made by the laser cutting.
From this test, the kerf was .01. Using this, I began laser cutting the joints/connections of the box to ensure I had the right measurements. Of course, with my luck, it didn’t fit exactly correct on the first, second, or third test. But, a kerf .009 gave a perfect fit.
2. Designing the box/engravings
I went with the simple 6 sided box and I included engravings of a moon, sun, and star because the designs were clean/simple enough to be effective/successful with the laser cutter
3. Laser cutting the box
I used .2″ thick plywood with a 12 speed for the cutting and a 70% power used on the engravings (the rest of the settings were the standard for .2″ thick wood). And Ta da! The perfect laser cut box! I finished with a coat of glossy clear coat to seal in my work.
4. Price breakdown
Laser Cutter: at least $22,500 according to online
Wood: $8
Labor: $25/hour (skilled laborer salary) x 4 hours = $100
Total cost: $22,608
