This week was about laser and vinyl cutting. Our assigment for the week was to “design, create and document a press-fit construction kit”. This is the documentation part.
I’ve decided to create a Bedside Lamp.
First, a scribble (scribble as in a very bad drawing)
Choosing a radial shape meant that that the profile will be a crucial part of the assmebly and thus I started with it. After several failed attempts to start the design process in solidworks I resorted to sketching with a pencil, paper & ruler. Conclusion: It’s easier to express your initial thoughts on paper.
Next, I sketched the profile in Solidworks. The press/fit socket size needed to be parametric in order to be adjustable to the cardboard thickness at hand without manually changing many dimensions. This was achieved by using SolidoWorks’ global variables and smart dimensions. This method is quite cumbersome and I will work on finding something more easily manageable for future projects.
The size and shape of the circular horizontal connectors were determined from the profile’s sockets and the light bulb’s socket diameter.
Originally, I planned to assemble the parts in Solidworks to see how they fit together. However, laziness combined with the availability of the laser cutter and materials encouraged me to go ahead and cut.
I was lucky enough to have the socket size right at the first attempt. However, I had to bump up the laser power to 40% and stay in the upper left quadrant of the cutter for the laser to cut through.
Assembling was a delicate task because some parts of cardboard were pretty thin and sockets were a very tight fit.
Voila.
Fun Bonus: Vinyl cutting a mustache decal for my MacBook
