CNC Wooden Shelf for Laser Cutter Material Storage

We had our wood stored for our laser cutter in an unorganized cardboard box- so this shelf is an upgrade to that situation. I recommend measuring your own laser cutter to ensure your shelf will fit snugly into the space required.

The material I used is MDF, but for future reference I would recommend a higher density material as I faced some problems with denting and bowing of this material.

When choosing between a vertical or horizontal design, I recognized there is space under the laser cutter so storing the material there would make the most sense for our workshop.

This design could be utilized for many other purposes such as a coffee table, vertical wood organizer, media center, or whatever purpose a shelf could bring to your life.

Supplies

-2x 4’ by 8’ sheets of ¼ ” MDF. (Can be substituted for other 1/4 material sheets.)

-Wood glue

-Nail gun

-File

-Blue Tape

-CNC Router (or other machinery for cutting out your pieces.)

Step 1: Preparation & Prototype

Previous to seriously beginning the project, I used popsicle sticks to visualise the general idea I had in mind. Obviously this is quite miniature, but it did give me a good idea about what joints I'd have to come up with. I additionally made a beginning sketch of the organizer I was attempting.

My initial goals were to make a compact storage unit to fit under our laser cutter. I wanted many divisions to hold different sizes and thicknesses of materials.

Step 2: CAD and CAM Design

I used a CNC router to cut out my pieces, so first I made the design in Fusion 360. I then made my CAM out of Fusion as well.

Laser Wood Organizer- Erica Siegmund

Step 3: Manufacturing Drawings

Here is my assembly and detail drawings for this project. If you have other means of manufacturing the parts, this can be utilized to see dimensions and referencing for assembly.

Laser Wood Organizer- Erica Siegmund Drawing v4.pdf
Download

Step 4: Assembly

After removing pieces from the CNC router, use a file to remove tabs and smooth edges of the pieces.
When placing pieces together, use wood glue on any sides that are connecting together.
Use a mallet to ensure pieces fit completely together. Cautiously tap the shelves into one side of the shelf, then repeat with the other side. (The material I used was relatively soft, so this caused slight damage to the pieces. Don't hit harder than your stock can endure!) After that, I added the dividers between the shelves.
Place blue tape to hold glued pieces together while they dry.
If wood is not fitting tightly with glue and tape, using a nail gun can ensure better stability in areas that aren't perfect.
Remove blue tape once the glue has set.