Simple Laser Cut Puzzle in 45 Minutes
Introduction: Simple Laser Cut Puzzle in 45 Minutes
This is a project to help students in TDE 110, an introductory college class for Technology Engineering and Design Education, learn to use the laser cutter, as well as learning how to transfer images onto wood. It is not meant to take a long time, but instead to give a general overview of these processes
Students will be able to:
* Transfer a picture onto a piece of wood using acetone
* Edit SVG files in Adobe Illustrator for laser cutting
* Comfortably set up materials settings and other print settings for Universal Laser Systems.
STELs:
Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy or STELs are a way of categorizing and describing the instruction of STEM subjects. You will learn more about them in later classes if you choose to continue in TDE. For now though, it is enough to know that they exist and have three levels, Core Disciplinary Standards, Practices, and Contexts.
Core Disciplinary Standards are exactly what they sound like, the core ideas and standards for understanding STEM education. This project relates to the 'Core Concepts of Technology and Engineering' Standard because you will be learning to use several important tools and processes, as well as having to make decisions regarding which materials to use and how to treat your product based on the time you have available (more on that in Step 6).
Practices are important knowledge, skills, and thought processes that students in STEM need to master in order to be successful. This project relates to the 'Making and Doing' Practice because you will be, well, making and doing. This is a hands on project and that is a core part of Technology and Engineering Education, as well as this class.
Contexts are how the Standards and Practices relate to the general world, as well as how STEM classes in general relate to the world. 215
This project relates to the 'Computation, Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics' Context. Learning to use a Laser Cutter will give you context of how things can be automated, something that is often used in the real world by major production companies.
Supplies
Required Items
Acetone
* Acetone nail polish remover is a perfectly acceptable to purchase this.
Basswood sheet 20cm x 30cm x 3mm
* this is a standard size you can find online, other sizes will work, you will just have to adjust the size of your picture file and puzzle file
Picture slightly larger than your intended puzzle printed with a laser printer
* If you use an inkjet printer this project will not work. Check your printer, most residential printers are not laser.
SVG puzzle file
* I have supplied a file for a 7x10 inch 117 piece puzzle, if you need a file for a different puzzle size you can find one online.
600+ grit sandpaper
cotton ball or paper towel
Optional Items
roll of blue masking tape
Clear nail polish
* Another finishing product can be used, using them may take longer than 45 minutes
Cost:
Acetone costs roughly $5 for 9oz if you buy it as nail polish remover, or approximately $9 for 32oz from a hardware store.
Basswood sheets vary in cost, but you can find packs of 5 online for $8.
Printing a picture costs between 10 and 30 cents, depending on where you go for the service.
600 grit sandpaper can be purchased in a 10 pack for $7 at a hardware store, and one sheet will last you much longer than you think.
Clear nail polish costs between $2.50 and $10 depending on brand and store, while other clear finishing products start at around $5.
This project can cost around $25, which is a little costly, however, with the exception of the printed pictures, all of these items are essentially bought in bulk, and you can get 5 puzzles out of that $25. Additionally, a custom wooden puzzle of the same size can cost upwards of $60. Plus you get a fun learning experience!
Step 1: Prepare Supplies
Prepare your wood.
* If it's not the correct size for your puzzle then you will want to cut it to size, leaving approximately an 8th of an inch margin all the way around to allow for mistakes.
* Sand with the 600 grit sandpaper it to a soft finish. This will help with making the picture adhere.
* Make sure you blow off the dust!
Gather your other supplies
If you choose to cut your picture out of the larger sheet of paper leave at least a half inch margin around the picture for taping it later
Step 2: Picking a Picture
Any picture will do, but in the process of trying this out I've found that dark colors work best. Colors like yellow will not transfer well to the wood as they are nearly the same color as the wood. 110