Laser Cutter Update

I took some time to knock out a few projects this weekend. I created two different-sized boxes using an online template, finished a couple more bowls, and my wife added two requests for her plaque holder. 

It's really cool to have a laser cutter, but it is difficult to pick out which items to spend time on. 

The boxes are 9x5x2 1/4 and 6x4 3/4x1 1/4. They don't really suit any particular project I have in mind, but I will use these to practice staining and painting. Once have the finishing bit down, I will scale them up to hold figures and models.

What size would be best for figures? I'd really like to stop storing my Battlemechs in a terrium to protect them from my evil cats.  

The lids are totally plain, so I might add some designs to them. I don't really have the knack of double burning, where I cut out one lid and then burn an image on it, so I need to work on that process. 

Also, this particular type of wood is very "pitchy". The brown streaks in the images aren't an imperfection in the wood; it is the tar-like material that comes out of the wood when I cut with the laser. 

You can really see this substance in the images of the bowls. The small hexagon bowls are 5 3/4 by 1 1/2, while the larger ones are 6 1/2 x 2 inches. These examples highlight my lack of skill in finishing items. I tried painting some and finished the others with beeswax. I do like the beeswax finish. 

I can sand that brown stuff off, but with each layer of the bowl being 3/8 inch wide, sanding this one project is difficult. Sanding the boxes is a snap. This also highlights a couple of problems with these types of projects. I will hit on this last*. 

I don't know what the last two items are called. My wife purchased some home decor from 15 Monkeys. These included door hangers, signs, and these "plaques", for lack of a better word. Beth, the owner of 15 Monkeys, does a couple of subscription packages which we really enjoy. However, there are only so many Disney-themed items you can have in one home. My wife tends to switch up the subscriptions. 

You should check out 15 Monkeys on FB and on the website above. We have so many cool things designed by Beth. 

Jen asked me to make a couple of Dave Matthews Band-themed plaques to go in the holder she got from Beth. They are really easy to make if you have the measurements and a good idea of what you want. In the first image, you can see the DMB Coffee Rings, and a fire dancer in the second. 

What makes a good design is all in the finishing. Beth's 15 Monkey's designs are perfect, every time. These, not so much. My wife likes the natural wood, but that style doesn't match the holder. I might simply place hooks on my designs to be used as wall hangings. 

The last issue is, I'm happy to make my wife or myself something quick and kitchy. However, I have this vision of actually selling items. I don't have a storefront; I am just an online digital retailer. While one of my outlets does support physical goods, I am stuck with the twin dilemma of what style/size at what price? 

Costing out materials is easy. All of the items in this post cost less than $3 in materials. 

The machinery cost is higher. I have two computers, a laser cutter, a tablesaw, 3d printer, and a host of other tools I need to produce these items. As I use each tool, the price per item goes down. That is weird.  

Costing time is something else. Worse, getting good at something takes more time than the actual production of a finished good. My time is worth something. 

For this example post, I ended up creating 12 bowls (6 unseen), 6 boxes (4 unseen), and 2 plaques. All of these are non-saleable items. I think I need to think in terms of projects, as opposed to time to create and assemble a single item. 

I am not sure how to proceed, but you can be sure to see some new and unique items on my websites.