Research and Design
For my individual laser project, I decided that I wanted to design a pencil cup for my desk. I searched a couple different pencil cups and some laser designs, but I didn't like any of them so I designed my own. I wanted it to be simple but also have a cool rectangular design on the side. I knew I wanted to have it be made out of wood of some kind.
I started with basic shapes and then added the slotted corners so that the pieces fit together. I then went back and started the design for the side panels, which went through a couple versions. I settled on the one I liked and then I exported the .svgs to Fusion 360 so that I could make sure all of the pieces fit together.
Illustrator File
Here is what my Illustrator file looks like (the lines were made bigger so they show up on the picture). There are no engraving lines, all of these features should be cut.
I also modeled by object in Fusion 360 to ensure that all of the pieces would fit together correctly, which they did. Here you can get a sense of the size and see what the design looks like on the side. I hope to be able to go into the Innovation center during 2nd semester to make this.
What I learned
In this unit, I learned how to make a 2D file that will be a 3D object once put together. It was challenging having learning how to make the interlocking teeth corner system, but it was a lot easier knowing that there was no tolerance to keep in mind unlike the 3D printer. I hope to be able to go into the Innovation Center and learn how to set up and use the laser to make my object.