Process & Procedure

[Outline your approach to the project. What steps did you take to design, model, sketch, and prototype this projects? What ideas did you generate and how did you refine or reject them? How did you use cutting, etching, scoring? What challenges were encountered and how did you resolve them? Include photos of prototypes, redesigned sketches, design worksheets, and failed trails.]

When I first started laser cutting my files, I tried to use white acrylic instead of the plywood I was originally planning on. Unfortunately, I attempted a few times, and could not get it so that the features I wanted to stand out would show. Additionally, I found that it was harder for me to get the look I wanted with such sterile seeming material.

After moving on to the wood, I had issues with figuring out the settings I wanted to use on each element of my clock. For instance, I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to score and etch the blush, eyes, etc. so I worked on different iterations through laser cutting. I ended up having to go back and edit my Illustrator files in order to create closed geometries (as features such as the bowtie on the cat were not engraving properly as an open geometry) as well as pass the file through the laser cut software multiple times. I started by engraving all of the parts using different colors on the laser cutter, and then going back with new commands for these colors to cut/score.