Laser Cut Heart Net

For this assignment, we were tasked with creating a net of a 3D object. I chose to design a net for a prism-like heart because I wanted to challenge myself with a nonconventional shape.

Supplies

We were given access to a laser cutter and provided cardstock, but all you really need to make this or something like this is paper, scissors, and glue.

Step 1: Ideation

Sketch out the 3D model of the net you want to create so it's easier to draft a net for it, then decide on the dimensions. For mine, I made it relative to scale. For example, if you chose X (blue color) to be 30 mm, then red color would be 20 mm and green color would be 10 mm.

Step 2: Digital Design

Step 3: Fabrication

I sent my finished drawing to the laser cutter in the makerspace and had it cut out and scored with the fold lines. After viewing it in Adobe, I realized that I could scale up the net since it would be a bit small, so it ended up being slightly larger than the original measurements. Once it came out of the laser cutter, I still had to use an exacto-knife to cut out some parts of my print because the laser didn't cut all the way through the cardstock.

Step 4: Assemble the Net

With the scoring, folding the cardstock was much easier. I then assembled the net one side at a time, applying liquid glue onto the tabs when needed.

Step 5: Final Product

Once all the sides and tabs are glued, you get the 3D shape that was initially designed. Overall, I was pretty satisfied with how my net turned out. I think if I were to refine the design in the future, I would want to look into other possible locking mechanisms that might give it a more seamless look. In terms of usefulness, it's more of a decoration, but it could be used to store small items if a hole were to be cut into the top.

Step 6: Reading Application

After going through the reading, I realised that there was so much more thought that goes into planning out a net than I thought, especially with tabs. The way this reading laid out step-by-step the best way to construct a cut-out was so meticulous that it’d be nearly impossible to mess up. It also gave me a lot more options to work with since it also talked about closures and not just tabs. However, I didn’t get to make use of the tab method it mentions in the text, where the tab takes the form of half the shape of the face it attaches to, since I didn’t want them to be that big.