Hey !

Today I’m excited to share my adventure in creating my laser-cut box. Let me walk you through the entire process, including the trials and the “learning opportunities” (aka mistakes) I encountered along the way.

STEP 1: MAKERCACE DESIGN AND SPECIFICATIONS

I started my journey creating a laser-cut box using Makercase.com as my design tool. I settled on the perfect specifications for my 4″ x 4″ x 4″ box. I set material thickness to 0.19″, and after running a kerf test (which measures how much material the laser burns away), I determined a kerf value of 0.014″ would give me the perfect fit which I found. by dividing the value of the remaining portion by 10.

Looking at my design file, you can see six panels – top, bottom, front, back, left, and right – each with interlocking 2 finger joints around the edges. Each piece was clearly labelled in blue to make assembly easier later. The red lines show where the laser would cut, creating those precise joints that would eventually snap together neatly.

STEP 2: Dialling in the Perfect Laser Settings

After designing the box, it was time to get the laser settings just right. For cutting through the material, I set the laser to Vector mode with speed at 16%, power at 100%, and frequency at 10%. These settings ensure a clean cut through the plywood without excessive charring.

For the engraving portions (like the text and designs), I switched to Engrave mode with different settings – speed at 500 and power at 80%. This combination gives nice, clear engravings without cutting too deep into the material. I made sure to use the “Inside-Out” vector sorting option to get the cleanest possible cuts.

Before diving into the cutting process, I’ll talk about the crucial safety measures I followed. The ventilation system was turned on and running properly to remove potentially harmful fumes from the burning plywood.

I wore safety glasses throughout the process, even though the laser cutter has a protective cover.

Before hitting start, I aligned the material carefully on the laser bed and did a quick test cut in the corner to verify all settings were correct.

STEP 3: Cutting The Box

I loaded my plywood into the laser cutter, making sure it was flat against the honeycomb bed and properly aligned with the machine’s grid. I used the machine’s red dot pointer to verify my material placement – this little feature is a lifesaver for ensuring your cuts will be where you expect them.

After this, my printing successfully ran through!

STEP 4: Assembly Time: Bringing It All Together

 

 

With all six pieces cut and engraved, it was time for the most satisfying part – assembly! The finger joints came out perfectly thanks to our careful kerf calculations earlier. I started by connecting the bottom piece to two side walls, making sure the engraved panels were facing outward. The joints fit together with just the right amount of resistance – tight enough to hold but not so tight that they’d split the wood.

Working my way up, I added the remaining sides, carefully aligning each finger joint. The engraved text and college crests ended up perfectly positioned on their respective sides. No glue needed – that’s the beauty of well-designed finger joints!

Box Complete!

 

STEP 5: The Final Touches: Sanding and Completion

After assembly, I gave the box a light sanding with fine-grit sandpaper to smooth out any slight burn marks from the laser cutting and to soften the edges. The key was to sand gently – you don’t want to compromise the precise finger joints or blur the crisp engravings. The natural plywood took on a lovely smooth finish, really highlighting the college crests and text engravings.

COST BREAKDOWN:

Materials:

• Plywood sheet (1 piece): $5.00 from Maker Space Supply Total Materials: $5.00

Labor:

• Design and prototyping time (2 hours at $25/hr): $50.00 (Student Engineer rate)

Overhead:

• Laser cutter machine time (30 minutes at $30/hr): $15.00 (University Maker Space rate)

Total Project Cost: $70.00

 

CONCLUSION

Looking at the final 4″ cube, it’s amazing how a flat digital design transformed into this three-dimensional box. The finger joints came together perfectly, creating clean, sharp corners. Each engraved panel tells its own story – from the course details to the intricate college crests.

This project taught me valuable lessons about kerf calculations, laser cutter settings, and the importance of precise measurements. From initial design to final sanding, each step built upon the last to create a piece that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

 

CLEAN WORKSPACE: