first laser cutting

Awesome! I work at that time but I can't wait to see your updates!
I believe the room is S1342 but I may be mistaken. Have fun!

Well today was a failure (on multiple levels). I start working with Kevin Lee and Patrick around 11. The reason we had to cut out some pieces was to learn how to use the laser cutter, do a test fit on the parts, and redesign elements that were overlooked. However, the problems began to emerge when I forgot my digital caliper at home. I thought the joints were tight at school but I noticed how bad it was when I tried to assemble part of the frame at home. What I did not account for was that wood generally comes oversized by 20 to 30 thousandths. That may not sound that much but try to imagine putting a 3/20 inch peg into a 1/18 inch hole. The peg is too big and the wood is not strong enough to be pounded with a hammer (trust me it is a bad idea, I found out the hard way). However, considering that I have a diamond file set, I tried to file the tab's down so they would fit into the slots. It works, but it is very time consuming. In fact, it is so time consuming that it would be easier to cut out a new frame. It is a good thing that we were using scrap because this is going to have to be redone. So what did I learn today?

---> When you are alergic to all plants and trees, your not going to enjoy handling laser cut wood. I had a mild allergic reaction.

---> measure the wood before laser cutting to ensure correct dimensions for your parts.

---> It is a good idea to cut the parts out of scrap to ensure that no wood is wasted.

---> large thin pieces should not be bent due to the risk of cracking during assembly.

---> tabs and slots should be pressed together by hand to avoid fatigue cracking.

---> The frame is actually pretty strong, it should have more than enough strength when assembled.

---> don't forget tools/camera. (at least other people took picture for me, I promise ill post some picture next time I use the laser cutter.)

I don't count today as a complete failure because Patrick and I at least learned how to use the laser cutter, the next time one of us cuts out parts, it should go much quicker.

If anybody wants to learn how to set up the laser cutter, just let me know.

Definitely wasn't a failure, Kevin Lee was awesome in showing us the ropes and I'm pretty confident we could operate it on our own now. However, I do want to get a handle on some of the more advanced options (changing the tolerances, etc.) so I want to get him in there with us again. I really want to get some more time on that machine so we should try to get in there again this coming week if you're free, preferably with Kevin but we could also do without I guess. I can do it whenever other than 9-10 and 12-1 M-F.

Good to hear the strength is going to be enough, I had doubts but then again I was just handling the individual pieces. I'm going to try and get my hands on a full copy of Autodesk Inventor and Inkscape so I can get a better feel when using them on the cutter. After seeing what the cutter is capable of I think I'm going to use it to cut some parts for my Raspberry Pi project too.

Meanwhile I took a couple pictures and a video while we were working but to be honest I was far more interested in the work rather than in documenting it.

Any chance you can link me/upload those Autodesk schematics? I wanted something to play around with so I can get the hang of the program.

I am doing a part assembly in inventor and I already am noticing things that need to be fixed, ill post all the new parts online as soon as I can

while we are at it, we should learn how to use the 3d printer. I have inkscape on my laptop so we can do quick edit's. what is going to suck is finding the kerf width every time we use the lasercutter, I don't know how frequently they clean there lenses. I am really good at inventor but I have been using it for years. look at the image below and spot the problem.