Notches and joints make projects easy to assemble. By using different kinds of joints, we can create projects with many looks and purposes. In this lesson, we will assemble 3 different dice with 3 different joints too see which style applies best for each purpose.
Safety First
Before powering on your laser, ensure that your workspace is free of fire, electrical and other safety hazards. Always be aware of all safety precautions when cutting materials with a laser.
Verify that your laser is connected to a computer by using the included ethernet cable.
For any additional setup or troubleshooting, reference your user manual for details
Launch Software
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Type this unique number into any web browser. We recommend Google Chrome for best results.
Step 1
Cut
Import and cut the file to create the pieces needed for these 3 dice.
Step 2
Flat Die Assembly
The flat edged die is the most basic design. Assembled, this project has very clean and sharp looking edges. Lie the dice out in the layout shown below, making sure that the "3" and "4", faces are placed are placed so that the longest measurement is width.
Use glue on the seams, and "fold" the corresponding sides to create the walls of the die.
Add glue to the tops of the walls, and place the "2" face on top as a lid.
While simple in design, the flat die is relatively difficult and feels combersome to assemble. There are no guides to assist you in gluing, which results in complex methods of holding the pieces until the glue is set and the possibility that the walls will not be square.
Step 3
Notched Die Assembly
Our next die has very consistant notches. Lie the dice out in the layout shown below. Notice that the "3" and "4" panels can only be attached one way. These types of notches help us by creating a guide to help align our pieces.
Add glue to each of these tabs, and assemble the walls of the die.
Add glue to the tabs of the "2" panel, and place this on top as a lid.
While the edges do not appear as clean and neat as in the flat die, this die is much easier to assemble due to the notches. The notches are able to only allow the piece to fit one way creating a perfectly square die.
Step 4
Bolted Die Assembly
Lastly, the remaining pieces are designed to fit together with nuts and bolts. #4 3/8” screws will fit nicely and join all the pieces without glue. Lie out the pieces below in their corresponding order.
With this type of assembly, we will need to attach each wall one at at time. Pick up the "4" and 5" walls and place them together. Thread the nut on the bolt so that it can fit within the slot. Place this in the opening and tighten it in place.
Continue until all 6 sides are sealed.
While this method may not be as simple to create, it is the most functional. Used very commonly for electronics cases, the ability to use bolts makes re opening the box much easier than with boxes that are glued together.
Joints are very useful when custom designing and can be used in most assembly projects. We hope that when desiging custom files, these techniques can make choosing the right stype for assembly jobs quick and precise.
What We Learned
Materials:
1/8" Wood
Wood Glue
24 #4 3/8” bolts and nuts
Things to think about: