Oh, oh no, this is way too much fun

I got brave enough to try the cutting action of this laser engraver/cutter, and I have to tell you… there might need to be an intervention. It is hella fun. And super fast! As someone used to having anywhere from six to eight weeks before starting to make a project, and finishing it, it’s so wild to be done in twelve minutes.

I decided I wanted to make a mail and keyholder for near my front door. I already have one, but the mail part is honestly too small for mail, it falls out. So I thought I’d make this one. Plus, the seller for these plans allows for selling commercially, projects that you make with her plans. So if I decide I want to make these to sell, I can.

This one did come out a little smaller than I wanted (I’m not a pro yet at scaling up) and I forgot to scale it all up together so I found out after I was putting it all together that, whoops, I had some things that weren’t going to line up right. LIVE AND LEARN. That’s OK; I’m making another one that’s a hair smaller than the wood I have, as I type this.

I did not know the cut-outs, which are supposed to be just tossed, would be so heckin’ CUTE. I’m already trying to figure out what I can use some of the pieces for in my dollhouses. Trim on things, most likely. Really heckin’ adorable trim!

The wood that I have comes in 12×12 sheets. I can fit as large as about a 14×18 sheet (but they’re not made in that size) but the laser cutting area is only about 11.5×15 (also not a size sheets come in). I can already tell that’s going to be a frustration for me, because most sheets that come as wide as I might want to cut something (15 inches) are going to be too tall to fit into the machine. For instance, a 24×24 sheet. But I’ll figure it out. I’ve already done some research and some folks who do this professionally will find a lumber yard, buy 8-foot sheets like you’d buy for plywood, and then cut it to the size they want on their table saws at home.

I mean, really. How amazing is that chainmail pattern? And the little letter H???

I guess you could paint after you glue it all together, but since I wanted to paint the chainmail cutouts but didn’t want to paint the backing, I thought I’d go ahead and paint first, before putting it together.

I had to glue some parts together, because like I said, I didn’t really think things through when getting ready to cut everything out (note to self: scale everything locked, not individual pieces). But I still love it and it’s hella cute.

I had bought some hooks on Hell Errand Day last week, but they’re too big to use on this one, since it’s smaller than I meant it to be. And the screws would be way too long. I might have to go with gluing on smaller hooks… but I’ll figure that out later, when I get somewhere to look at hooks again.

I plan to put this one over in the studio, anyway, and I’ll make a larger one for the house, to take the place of the one I have that doesn’t hold mail very well.

Eeep! This is too much fun. I might be in trouble, y’all. All I want to do today is play with this machine, not … actual work. Oops.