Using the Universal Laser
Before I started using the laser, I opened the lid and lined the mat board up with the corner, and made sure the laser didn't go off the edge of the material.
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After I clicked the play button, it started by engraving all of the black lines in my design.
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To edit, click on the text
and add your own words. |
Here is the notebook cut out on the laser. It was only half-way through the engraving process did I realize that I forgot to change the line color to red instead of black. This meant the laser engraved the edges, not cut them out.
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Here is me putting the notebook covers and paper together with a notebook spiral.
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Final ProductHere is the final notebook, all cut out and bound with paper.
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Using the Rotational Jig
Thingiverse Project
Research for This Project
This page of my designer notebook includes the original ideas I had for this project, as well as if Thingiverse had the project for me to make. At the bottom, I also included my final project.
Choosing a Project
I started out by perusing Thingiverse, a site where you can find files to make almost anything. I found a shockingly low number of cardboard creations.
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In the end, I decided to choose a cardboard train where the pieces slot together to form a 3-D project.
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Here is the file for the train, thankfully Illustrator-compatible and all in one place.
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After the laser finished, I immediately experienced problems with removing the cut pieces from the laser bed. Most of them immediately fell out.
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Here is the in progress construction of the train.
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Final ProductHere is my best attempt to put the train together. Despite pieces falling out and the fragile pieces collapsing and folding under construction, I feel like I made a semi-presentable product.
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Summary
Throughout this individual laser project, I gained a lot of knowledge. First and foremost, I learned that it would be safe to double-check you Illustrator file before you start using the laser. This happened when I forgot to change the border of the notebook to red so they would be cut out, not black to be engraved. As a result, I had to use a paper cutter to remove the notebook from the mat board. In addition, I realized that some letter on my engraved water bottle weren't as centered as I would have liked. After some thought, I realized that I could have tried to use the center function on that specific box, so that it could have turned out better. Next time, I will try to improve my project in that way. Finally, in the Thingiverse project, I learned that when you are working with a project in which pieces slot together, you need to constantly remain conscientious of the scale of your project versus the thickness of your material. If the cardboard you are using is 0.108 inches thick, then the slots of the parts have to be 0.108 inches wide to account for the thickness. If you scaled the parts, the holes and gaps will scale with it, so you will need to be careful with the scaling of your part in regards to the thickness of you material. I am certain that the knowledge I learned from this project rotation will benefit me in the future, as it will help my laser projects be more successful.