Blog #11: 2D Fabrication - Lasercut Lantern

 

For the 2D fabrication project, I teamed up with Sunny and decided to make a lantern with hollowed-out designs. The decorative component was taken from a graphic design project I worked on before which was a series of totem design of Chinese characters that symbolizes the "five elements" in traditional Chinese fortune-telling: gold(金), wood(木), water(水), fire(火), and earth(土). 

Design of the totems:

Design of the laser-cut parts:

We chose to use a pentagonal structure for the box so each totem will print on each side. The box is designed with finger edges so the parts can interlock seamlessly without using glue. 

Execution + Process:

We chose an indigo-blue acrylic board for the material. The first print did not go very well --- for some reason, the laser cutter did not cut through the plate completely with the correct setups. We had to use pliers to break the parts off. 

The first attempt also helped us to notice a problem with our graphics: some designs have graphics that are scattered which does not make the pattern an enclosed path, and make unwanted effects after laser cutting. We revisited the original illustrator file and made adjustments to the design so each of the designs is an enclosed path which fixed the problem. We ran the file again and the second print went smoothly with ideal carvings. 

Finished Product + Reflection:

We assembled the box by locking the teeth together. We liked how it turned out visually. However, we realized that the edges do not interlock with each other very well, which might have to do with the material we selected. Therefore, we still had to glue the parts together so it does not break down. I liked how the box turned out visually and appreciate how the laser cuter serves as a tool that fabricates intricate and accurate designs. Through this assignment, I also learned the importance of making necessary changes when applying a 2D design to 3D forms, as well as considering the functionality of materials when executing a design.