Valentine's Day

[mikeacg]

It was about a year ago when someone asked for a heart vector. He made heart boxes with it and I tried my hand at it as well. Since then I have made all kinds of different boxes but I think I have come full circle with my latest heart boxes...


1663

These are cut out of cherry wood and are approximately life-size.

Mike

[mikeacg]

continued...

I couldn't get it to take both pictures...


1664

Mike

[navigator7]

That second pic.....

I've been there before.

Nice, Mike.

[mikeacg]

Welcome back, Chuck. It has been awful quiet here lately! I think that, ever since they disabled the "last day" function, people quit coming around.

Mike

[jdervin]

What does the underside of the lid look like and how do you keep the lid aligned and in place?

[mikeacg]

John,

I use an 1/8" high, 1/4" wide lip so the lids fit snugly but come off without too much difficulty.


1665

Mike

[navigator7]

Mike,
Did you use a magnifying glass to burn your name into the heart?
;-)

[mikeacg]

Chuck,

You are up early (and just as sassy as ever!)

No, I have an Epilog laser engraver and it makes labelling my products so easy. You can put a nice small bug anywhere but I prefer the inside of the bottom of the box - subtle but effective.


1666

Mike

[navigator7]

I know you do, Mike!
Setting you up to talk about it is a free service I offer. ;-)
The etching looks dead solid professional!
Can you mount the laser on a ShopBot?

Up early and off to hit my food pellet pedal like a trained monkey.

[mikeacg]

You just want me to get busy so I get off unemployment! Don't worry, I am looking hard and hope to be a 'trained monkey' again before too long!
The laser is big - like a early copy machine so it wouldn't work on the Bot.


1667

There are some smaller ones out there though that embroidery folks are using to cut appliques and etch fabric right on their machines. I don't see me buying one any time soon...
Talk to you over the weekend!

Mike

[jdervin]

Mike--

What's your cutting sequence for the lid? Do you cut the underside first and then flip it? How do you keep the top and bottom accurately aligned?

[mikeacg]

John,

I do two tops at a time - one upper side and one under side head to head. I put two pegs on the center line of the board, cut one side and flip it end for end, then do the same cuts again. The bottoms of the boxes done separately. This picture should make it clearer...


1668

Mike

[chiloquinruss]

John thanks for asking and Mike thanks for answering. I did my first two sided job yesterday and well let's just say I enjoy 'learning' about my Bot!
Russ

[navigator7]

@ Michael,
How can you be on "un-enjoyment" when you have such a good sense of humor and so many toys?? You should be laughing your way to the bank!

Question on the use of two dowel pins?
In backyard metal casting or backyard plastics casting, the normal procedure is to make the "pins" or alignment system asymmetrical so the two components can't be put together wrong.

Obviously your two pin system works or you wouldn't have these beautiful unique boxes to show for all your labor.
The way I see it...you got a 25% chance of getting it right. You can flip the part on the Sb manually wrong; You can flip the model wrong on the puter; or a combination of the above.
Right?
What are your thoughts on a asymmetrical pinning/alignment system so that in the heat of production, after all the kinks have been worked out of a design.....a fella doesn't produce scrap while going brain dead through repetitive actions?
Or at least an "X" "Y" carved into your file oriented to your table and puter?

Here is an example for when making molds:

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[eaglesplsh]

Good point Chuck - I've been going with asymmetrical alignment pins whenever possible. It's an easy improvement that could be a big help - especially if the person using the file/jig isn't the one who created it.