Designing for Ponoko Laser Cutting with SketchUp and Inkscape (a study in cubes)

This Instructable will discuss the practicalities of the designs presented in SketchUp, Inkscape, and Ponoko Laser Cutting. You will be shown successes and failures (there's no point in making my mistakes - I can make enough for everyone).

I like to call this approach the "novice with a shotgun" research methodology. If you put enough pellets in your cartridge (lots of small designs) and stand close enough to your target (start with simple cubes) then you are bound to hit something. Hopefully you wont self harm in the process (see step 5).

My previous instructable dealt with the software side of creating Ponoko laser cut creations. The main tool being the open source SVG Plugin for Google Sketchup. This plugin exports to SVG, and Inkscape can then import the file. Changes can be made in 2D within Inkscape, and the result can be laser cut by Ponoko.

Step 1 Unboxing

To make this an Instructable, and less of a postmortem, each step will feature instructions derived from my learning experience (you learn as I do).

Instruction 1a: Learn from my mistakes (and hopefully my successes).

Remember to peruse the previous Instructable if you haven't already, this one builds upon the designs already presented.

I was genuinely surprised that shipping was so fast (seeing as wooden materials can be delayed in customs). The package arrived in what appeared to be a recycled cardboard. Nice! Be green people... be green...

I ripped the package open as was greeted with the sight below... oh*...

After peeling back the protective and sticky layers that hold the parts in place - everything looked much prettier. I felt a moment of pride in my designs (and then I was brought back to Earth).

Instruction 1b: Don't judge a delivery on its packaging - It'll look pretty once everything is peeled away. Remain calm.

Comments

[jelmore]

When you make your parts 'fitted', are you compensating for the width of the laser cut?

If I were to cut a 1" square, would it be slightly smaller?

[johnthomas75]

this works really well for simple shapes but If I have an object that I want to simplify and cant select the face then it is impossible to export.

[sulleric]

 I can't thank you enough for the "novice with a shotgun" comment. That's exactly how I feel about my design process. I'm currently working on an RGB 16x8 monome clone that is entirely original in terms of hardware implementation, despite the fact that I've never really done anything more complex than getting a 5x7 matrix to display some characters. It sure is fun though, and I'm learning at such an accelerated rate because of it.

[flightsofideas]

Yes - there's nothing quite like the shotgun approach - so long as you're pointing in the right direction you're bound to hit something ;-P

Good luck with the monome - I love those things! Never had the chance to play with one though...

[flightsofideas]

Inkscape (prior to version 0.47) has a funny way of importing SVG files (it's as if if converts to pixels using a different DPI). The good news is that this bug has been fixed and you can download Inkscape from here:
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/inkscape/Inkscape-0.47-3.exe

For a quick work around without downloading new software - select your design once it's imported into the Ponoko template then goto Object->Transform (from the menu). Scale your design by 283.465% for both width and height. This should scale your design to the correct size.

[nycdesigner]

Is that real blood on the knife? No dramatic mention of that mistake?

[flightsofideas]

Real blood I'm afraid... I good example of why you should always use the right tool for the right job ;-P

[flightsofideas]

My kalimba prototype: it's not pretty, but it works...

[royshearer]

I'm going to say cajon? Excellent Instructable - thanks!

[flightsofideas]

I didn't realise how much like a cajon it looked (with the sound hole on the wrong side of course). I might have to try and make one of these as well!

It's actually a bit hard to pick without the extra attachments that I'm working on at the moment, but it's an over-sized kalimba - there's some cool Instructables floating around on these.

Thumb Piano
Instant Thumb Piano: How to make a set screw lamellaphone

I wanted something big an hollow so that you could tap your fingers on the top as well - which is why it looks like a cajon.