digiTOOL: Pencil Box

Introduction

For digiTOOL, we were tasked with creating some form of holding device utilizing our new skills in lasercutting and 3D printing as forms of prototyping. As someone who's frequently working in a studio setting, my desk often gets cluttered and I find myself digging through my cabinet for supplies I might need. To remedy this, I wanted to make something that simply kept what I commonly use in one central space, and in something that would occupy space on top of my desk, rather than have me dig around in my cabinet once again.

Inspiration

I liked the idea of creating the look and feel of a crafted object through machine-made methods, and found myself gravitating to the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, particularly his leaded glass windows. The strong sense of geometry that's often in his work gives off a feeling of modernity that speaks to the manufacturing methods used in the piece itself.

Prototyping & Construction

In order to figure out the rough form and dimensions, I quickly prototyped it in cardboard, then used those measurements in a 3D model using Fusion360. Parts for the box were then prepped for lasercutting, processed, then slotted, glued, and stained. The lid was designed directly in Adobe Illustrator, and followed a similar process. The same design was lasercut in various materials to give me room to experiment with potential layouts. The box itself is stained 3mm thick plywood, and the lid is that same plywood with various 3mm thick acrylic, with a clear acrylic backing.

3D Printed Supplement

Part of the project requirements was to incorporate both lasercutting and 3D printing into one artifact, however my project wouldn't really benefit from doing so (I had some ideas in creating a 3D printed handle to slide the lid on and off, but it detracted from the overall design). So, I decided to recreate Frank Lloyd Wright's barrel chair as a way to explore the 3D printing process.

Throughout its creation, I ran into several issues regarding printing -- printers malfunctioned mid-print, and support material would encapsulate objects. To solve this, I made the decision to both scale up my model as well as cut it into a top and bottom half, so that support material would only be necessary to hold up the armrests. The halves were then put together with plastic solvent glue to assemble the final piece.