Lizzie Edwards Project 2: Laser Cutter

Process

Using Fusion 360, I started creating my box based on a paint brush holder that I found online. I decided to use simple dimensions for my box so I wouldn't take too long in Fusion. Creating the box was pretty easy, but then I needed to add the holes for the brushes which was the most difficult part. With some help in class, I was able to create the holes and extrude that side of the box without failure. Once my drawing was done, I was able to move over my sketches to Adobe Illustrator to print them out. I got help doing this part so it went pretty smoothly. I loosely fit all my pieces together to make sure it worked. Then I had to decide on an image to put on the side of the box. For this I kept it simple and chose some paint brushes so people know what it is for. Once I uploaded the image to Illustrator, I used the machine to etch the photo on my box. First we did a test run to make sure the photo and settings would create a good image. When I was done with this, I glued my pieces together and taped it up to dry.

The beginnings of my sketch.

Trial of my image.

A pretty bad picture, but these were the first cuts!

The final laser cutting of my box.

Result

As I did for the last project, I looked at lots of pictures online of different types of boxes. I knew I wanted to make a box for some of my paint brushes, so I refined my search and found this box. I liked the concept because it seems like a practical and functional object for keeping brushes organized while in use. I thought that the holes in the top were a cool challenge for me because I was completely unsure how to make them. I played around with the idea of making the bottom have little legs instead of having a straight edge, but I ended up liking the straight look better. Throughout the process, I experimented and revised my ideas, making adjustments as needed, and I believe that my design balances both aesthetics and utility, making it another project I am proud of.

My finished box as it is drying.

Reflection

Since most of the work was done in Fusion 360, it is where I spent most of my time for this project. There was a lot of trial and error mostly when I was extruding my design and combining the objects to create the notches. I had to go back into my sketches and fix them up so I would have accurate notches to fit the pieces together. I was having a really hard time with the bottom piece, likely because my sketches were not done right. The notches weren't fitting together in the way they should, so I decided to take out the bottom piece entirely. I didn't want to do this, but I realized that if I am using this for in use brushes, it would be better to not have a bottom so paint and water doesn't get trapped in the box. I also learned from this project that I need to spread out the work for this class more throughout the week because I had a hard time finding time to go to the MakerSpace in between my classes. But I also learned that this type of project really isn't that difficult and is something I could likely do again all on my own.