Written by Emily, Shop3D.ca Vancouver
The addition of Dremel’s LC40 laser cutter and engraver to Shop3D.ca has inspired our staff. We've been experimenting with different materials to create samples and personal projects. I wanted to update and replace a makeshift jewelry box that I had been using for the past year. I hadn't come across anything that was functional, visually appealing and could hold everything I wanted to place in the box. So, I decided to make my own.
All parts of the box were drafted in Adobe Illustrator as a vector and exported as separate PDF files to the LC40. The biggest challenge was making sure everything was drafted with the correct measurements on Illustrator so that the pieces would fit together nicely.
I saw, from other projects on Pinterest, different patterns that people used in order to make the wood bend and I wanted to incorporate that into my design to make it more interesting. Tropical leaves were placed around the walls of the box. Corners were rounded and impressions were made in the base for a pocket mirror and perfume bottles to anchor themselves in. Designing the box allowed me to fully customize it for my style and needs.
To get it prepped for laser cutting, the files were separated by color to help distinguish what command I wanted the LC40 to execute. After importing the files into the LC40 software, the rest was easy! I used the factory recommendations for cutting 3mm birch plywood and only the cut and score commands for this project.
The piece was finished with a stain and accented with gold acrylic paint to add light texture and that extra bit of flair. What made this project special was the perfume sample holder attached, which provided added functionality to the design.
This was my first laser cutting project and I would say it was a medium difficulty level because I had to re-familiarize myself with Illustrator, I had to make adjustments to my draft to reflect actual measurements after the material was cut, and I had to consider the nature of the material into my design.
This project presented the fun, yet challenging task of making 2D cuts pieces into a 3D object. I found that the LC40’s interface made the cutting part of this process simple and straightforward. Overall, the project took about three small revisions to successfully complete and I am looking forward to making much more with the Dremel Digilab LC40!
