Project 2: Laser Cutting - Grant Peterson

Process

For the second project of this semester, I went through the whole process of turning my tool tote model into something I could cut on the laser cutter. Of course, after I had done that, I learned that I didn't have to make another tote, so I went back and did it again with a different idea I had come up with: a custom phone stand for my desk.

Some time ago, I had identified this problem I have. I like to prop my phone up on my desk, but I also sometimes like to prop up other items in my phone stand too, and I obviously can't do this at the same time. I also often have as many as four charging cables on my desk, which are no problem while they're charging my various devices, but when I unplug the devices to use them I find myself with really no other option but to let the cables slide off the desk and fall to the floor.

With this project, I decided to solve these problems with a single build. I measured my phone's thickness and the angle at which I wanted to prop it, as well as the thickness of the various cables I wanted to manage. Then I used these measurements in designing a simple shape that would hold up two devices parallel to each other (it didn't matter to me that whatever I put in the back slot might be obscured by something in the front slot), and provide multiple notches to hang my cables when I wasn't using them. I had a lot of fun with this process, though I also had to battle with Fusion 360's constraints system at some points.

Once I was actually cutting the pieces out, I ended up going through two prototypes before I reached my final product. In the first prototype, it turned out that the side pieces were spaced too far apart to hold my phone up vertically (which was one of the features I wanted this build to have), and additionally, my measurement of the material thicknesses had been a little generous, so the pieces were very loose when slotted together.

After adjusting these parameters and cutting out a second set of parts, the pieces were close enough to prop up my phone the way I wanted, and they fit together a lot more snugly. I went on to the next step in the process, engraving a simple design I made onto the baseplate with the Glowforge. The engraving wasn't as crisp or deep as I would have liked, but it worked. I decided I wanted to try to apply some sort of finishing treatment to the pieces, and after surveying the options we had, I chose to go with a dark wood stain. I tested it out on the first prototype to make sure I liked the look before I put it on the "final" model. I applied the stain in a few coats, and let it dry for a couple of days. Then I went to check on it, and when I tried to put the pieces back together I was forced to use a hammer because the extra layer of stain was just too much for me to be able to push them together by hand. As I should have expected, however, one of the side pieces broke before it would go all the way into the slots. So I went back to the drafting board.

The third rendition of the project involved adjusting the material thickness parameter in Fusion 360 to be halfway between my original measurement and the value I used in the second prototype, and making a few other adjustments so the pieces lined up properly (since I noticed that they hadn't in the first two prototypes). I cut the pieces out, and the test fit was perfect. This time when I went to do the engraving, I tried using a pdf file rather than a png. It gave me a different range of options with the Glowforge, and I chose "score" to see how that would turn out. Luckily, it was exactly what I had wanted—a crisp, clean line that cut deeper into the wood. This time when finishing the piece, I tried applying the stain with the pieces already assembled, since I had given up on the idea of being able to disassemble it at this point. I also decided that I liked how it looked better before I wiped the excess stain off, so I just left it on. After a few coats of stain and a couple coats of clear gloss enamel to make it shiny, I was finally happy with the finish.

Results

I am very satisfied with the results. It is functionally exactly what I was aiming for, and aesthetically fairly decent. I like how the fiberboard and the stain interacted to create a slight texture, so the surfaces aren't too plain, and also how the stain was able to smooth out/cover up the burn marks made during the laser cutting. I am especially pleased with the way the stain settled into the grooves of the engraving to emphasize them, and how the clear coats smoothed over the grooves and made the whole build look glossy.

There are a few things I think could have gone better, however. For one, the edges of the pieces are inconsistent coloring. I still haven't decided whether I like this, but it was definitely unintentional that some places are rust-brown from the stain and other places are still black. Also, the way the gloss dried, there are small bumps scattered across the surface. I'm not sure if this happened because I didn't sand the board beforehand, or if it's just the nature of the material getting damp with the stain and would have happened anyway if I had sanded it, or something else entirely. Finally, I probably should have glued the pieces before finishing them, because at present it is purely a combination of friction and the stain/gloss coating that is holding the pieces together.

Reflection

Though I am satisfied with the result of this project, if I were to do it again I would still do a few things differently. I would run several tests on scrap board to determine how best to eliminate the bumpy surface at the end, and during the staining process I would glue the pieces together and make sure the staining on the edges is consistent.

I never used my modified tool tote design, but I am glad I followed the tutorial through to make that, because it would have been more difficult to try to apply the tools as I was learning them to a new project of my choosing. Doing it this way however, I already had all the knowledge of the tools and concepts to keep in mind while designing something to be laser cut, so it was much easier and more streamlined for me to create the initial 3D model. It still took me several tries to get it right when it came to making that product happen in real life, but through those failures I learned valuable lessons about the importance of prototypes, as well as some things to check in the future like proper compensation for the laser's thickness when sizing pieces to slot into other pieces. I also learned that the fiber board sucks up a lot of stain because it is so porous.

And finally, this project showed me how easy it is to use the laser cutter to design and cut complex shapes. I understand how to do it now, and it has inspired me to make other things, so I now have a running list on my phone of different projects I want to try sometime.