Help with Box Design.

Pete Simmons

Member
Messages
546
Location
Melbourne, FL
Remember I am a Laser Engraver first and a woodworker second so I am thinking of a way to highlight the laser work. Maybe some fancy inlay work or even a marble insert.


Just got this from a friend at a radio station who has received some of my work.

I’ve got a little business proposition for you. My manager is VERY interested in having you make “Registration Boxes” for all three of our stations. The ones that we are currently using are cheap and don’t represent us the way would like them to. What he’s looking for are ( 3 ) 10X10 or 10X12 box with a lid that is latched on. On the front side of the box will have “REGISTER TO WIN…” and our Logo, AND on the bottom front will be “Designed by: Laser Image Arts; Pete Simmons (and contact details).

These boxes are used on a DAILY basis and are visible to thousands of our listeners. We use them for each station Live Remote, Live Broadcasts, Club nights, and EVERY event where our radio station is at. This would be a GREAT opportunity to get your creative work out in the eyes of the public and generate new business. We would also love to have some business cards to pass out at events.


I want to make some first class boxes.

Any ideas???
 
I've got a few ideas bouncing around in my (mostly hollow) head that might work. I'll have to check a few things later today when I get home, but I'll let you know what thoughts come to mind.
 
Pardon me for being cynical, but are they proposing to pay you some money or merely to give you and your work some free publicity?

If they're making a serious business proposition there should be a reasonable amount of cash involved. As for the publicity, that's great, but you can't take it to the bank. You can't even put a value on it. What you can do is take good photographs of your work, including some after installation and put them in a portfolio to show to clients.

I'd reply with some drawings and a rough estimate for the job. It's just a principle I won't let go of. I'll build gifts for friends or maybe something to donate to a charity auction, but if somone wants to book my skills and my time - there're going to have to pay for them.

Being a curmudgeon comes naturally for me :soapbox:
 
We use them for each station Live Remote, Live Broadcasts, Club nights, and EVERY event where our radio station is at.

pete, the above sentence is cause to look to either corian or some man made material...these things are going to be abused.......if they`re made out of wood the abuse will most likely show sooner than later.....if the station is dead set on "wood" try to talk them into an inlay that you could protect with another material....good luck! tod
 
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Free Advertising

Ian: Yes my "pay" is the free advertising. I have no problem with that. I have done a lot of paid with $$ for this Company and their exposure has been very good for me. Example was a golf tournament where my work was prominetly displayed both at the tournament and pictures on their website. People who enter big $$ Charity Golf Tournaments are a great group to advertise to and an even better group to have as customers.

I am a small time woodworker with my main item being high end pens. These types of ads have helped my pen business immensely.

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Tod: I was already thinking about Corian for 1 or 2 sides of the boxes.

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Vaughn: I am anxious to see your ideas. On another topic I did some inlay work today on one of the boards. It is going to be a Kokopelie with the wedding couples name and date. So far the name and date are looking good.
 
Hi Pete,:wave:
Not being familiar with the laser I must ask questions. Is it computer controlled, how deep will it cut in corian or wood? Where I am headed is can you program dovetails into it and cut the sides out with it?
If you think it a worthy investment with the station, that is what you must do,trade labor for advertisement and good will.
Shaz
 
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Shaz, the laser can cut through material between about 1/8" and 3/8" thick, depending on the material. Pete will know better specifics. It's computer controlled, accurate to tolerances that'll make your eyes sting. :D Think of it as a scroll saw on major steroids (as far as accuracy goes, not thickness).

Here are a couple pics of a cutting board Pete inlaid. (Sorry for the threadjack Pete, but I had the pics handy.) The recess in the cutting board was cut by the laser, as was the walnut "Mountain Air" lettering. The board is about 15 1/2" x 12", to give an idea of scale.

Mountain Air 1 800.jpg

Here's a detail shot, larger than actual size. The inlay is a single piece of walnut. You can see the fit is perfect. :thumb:

Mountain Air Detail 800.jpg

Pete, the basic box design could go a lot of different ways. Here are a few rough sketches, out of several ideas I messed around with tonight. I went with the same shape for each, but they could be made more into a cube, or with a different slant to the front. It seems to me a simple design would show off the radio station logo and your promo better than a real ornate box.

Registration Box1 800.jpg Registration Box2 800.jpg Registration Box3 800.jpg

Maybe these will give you some ideas to work from. :dunno:
 
Laser Work

Shaz: The laser can cut / engrave about anything that will burn. Vaughn was right about cutting depth. It cuts 1/8 up to around 1/4 in wood very easily without to much charring. I can cut 3/8 but that is pushing it and there is a lot of charring.
Entry levey Lasers run about $12K. Of course you can up the power (just add $$$) and cut thick wood. Even with high power I do not think wood dovetails are a good idea. Plexiglass would be OK. I make some small box joint plexiglass boxes that cut perfect.

The laser works in 2 modes:
1. Raster engraving where it works like an ink jet printer except it spits photons out. Can go 0.005 to around 0.1 inches deep depending on the material. This is how I cut the recess for the inlay. Remember this engraving looks good without being inlayed. I do a lot of pen boxes this way.

2. Vector cut - Beam on continously as the cnc table and laser head follow the path. This is how I cut the material to inlay.

Think of it as a cnc scroll saw with a 0.003 dia blade and you can control the depth.

Some things I engrave that you might not think fall into the (I can burn it) catagory are glass, marble and anodized metal.

If this is not looked at as an ad and I can post it take a look at

http://laserimagearts.com to see what I do.

I am always glad to do laser work for woodworkers at very reduced rates from those shown on the website.

Mods - if I should not have posted that link please delete it.


Vaughn: Thanks for the box ideas. I plan to keep it simple but those pictures give me a good start.
 
Hi Pete,
Thank you for sharing that and may I add that had you not offered viewing of that web site I would not have been able to enjoy the marvelous work site.
I can see it as very complimentary to decorative woodworking and wish you well at both. Thanks again and good luck with those boxes.
I appreciate both you and Vaughn sharing your time through explanation of this interesting process. I know more now than I ever did,

and now Vaughn, I am going to try to go catch them fishes...:rofl: I seem to see things much clearer now.:D :D
Shaz :wave:
 
What sort of radio station is it?

May be a box that looks like an old time radio? Maybe even dummy dials that you lazer engrave, or maybe a box that looks like a wirlitzer(sp) jusrt some ideas.

I imagine with the lazer engraver it would be 'easy' to make patterns on the material to look like an old time radio.
 
I think they will like it.

A little Cherry, Maple, Walnut and Padauk. Add some Laser Tile, some inlay work and a few box joints and you get a box.

Yes it has a spot inside to hold some of my cards.
 

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