Week three


Insert the vinyl from the back of the machine. Make sure the sensors roller are postion at the end of th roll, on one of the white stripe. Then clamp the vinyl using the lever on the left side. On the machine, it will ask you to select the media. In that case, it is a roll. On the software, choose CUT!	Now cut the piece as close as possible to your drawing, this will greatly help when peeling it...	Using tweezers, gently peel all the excess material

You should have by now a nice peeled graphic	Apply transfer tape on it and press hard using the plastic grater. Peel it from the paper.	Apply on a clean surface. I use IPA to clean the surface from finger fat. Here your go!

Insert the vinyl from the back of the machine. Make sure the sensors roller are postion at the end of th roll, on one of the white stripe. Then clamp the vinyl using the lever on the left side. On the machine, it will ask you to select the media. In that case, it is a roll. On the software, choose CUT!

Now cut the piece as close as possible to your drawing, this will greatly help when peeling it...

Using tweezers, gently peel all the excess material

You should have by now a nice peeled graphic

Apply transfer tape on it and press hard using the plastic grater. Peel it from the paper.

Apply on a clean surface. I use IPA to clean the surface from finger fat. Here your go!

I started with the basics. The lab had no material / kerfing charts so I went online and look for ressources to create a minimal library of kerfs and rasters with the propper settings.
I found a very nice collection of kerfs onInstructables (check for the SVGs in the comment section, second comment from the bottom) and a raster chart

I spend a full day lasering theses in wood. I had 1/8" cheap plywood and had to fiddle with the Speedy 300 to find the right settings for the job (P:85 S:70 B:1000). My first attempt produced a half cut desing that was totally useless.
Then it was time to test the raster pattern on as much materials I could find unsing the presets provided by Trotec. Have a look.
Now head on and work on my assignment for a laser cutted kit that could be assembled. I'm into japanese paper lantern and decided to build a jig to make them. On my last trip to Japan in Gifu prefecture, I went to the paper museum and had the chance to observe how jigs are assembled there. This is a crude but quite nice copy of what I saw.


We have theses texties from opentextiles.org. Leather, cotton and softshell etched and some cut with a pattern.	Stash of stuff to test. 95% of theses are refuse.	First try. Not through

Fire is not good. Lens problem?	Oups, that's not good. Better clean that. The lens is soaking in IPA	Still an issue with burn marks. Too much power.

The first batch is quite fragile, stressed by the heat	First successful batch!	Now the raster sampler in diverse materials

workflow= Design in Inkscape (no fill, stroke 0.1mm 255,0,0) To Trotec JobControl. Using stock settings for cardboard	Cutting the two ply cardboard for the prototype	Assembly and tolerance verification

Silly errors in my desing. Back to inkscape.	Cutting the 3.5mm birch plywood.	Single pass using the presets found before while testing. P:85 S:70 B:1000

Perfect press-fit assembly.	Less perfect for the circular retainer. I redid this part much larger in my final desing.	Compleeted assembly

At work.	Not too bad but grooves are way too deep. Will have to change that but I don't have time anymore. Later I hope.	Still testing the concept. Not too bad!