Laser Cut Sofa & Chairs

After all these structure posts I'm thrilled to have something more interior focused to share!  This week I brought three projects to life using my local library's laser cutter.  I now have a living room set for the build and an extra roombox to play with.

*Before I get into things, I just want to remind those interested in trying laser cutting that Ponoko is an online shop that can cut your designs and ship them to you.  Before I used the laser cutter at my city library I had great success with their online shop.  A lot of what I know about designing for a laser cutter was from reading their tutorials (you can use Inkscape (free), Illustrator, etc).  So don't let access to one of these machines hold you back!*

I tried a new approach this time around.  After creating my designs in Adobe Illustrator (which I succumbed to purchasing the CC version for a month) I uploaded them into the Silhouette design software and cut them out in cardstock first.  

This was the perfect way to catch design flaws!  Usually I'd waste a lot of expensive hobby wood and time at the laser cutter before getting the design just right, but the cardstock made it simple and quick to visualize and fix issues.

Below is a progression of my side chair frame design.  You can see how small and out of scale the math was on my first version and how each one changed.  The final piece is cut with the laser.

Cutting 1/8 basswood:

Assembly:

Now I just need to add stain and make cushions.

Cushion idea using foam board for now:

Next project was making a modern miniature sofa.  This one was a bit more difficult to plan out because it's hard to know exactly how much room I will need for fabric and foam on the cushions.  Again I first cut it out of cardstock to check my math and then revised.  

At the laser cutter I cut 1/4 MDF.  It was very difficult and did not want to cut all the way through, especially the curved lines. I had to do multiple passes and it made the edges burn.

I decided to make the cushion corners rounded.  I'll add padding next. The entire sofa is 11 pieces without legs.

Below was how I tried to figure out how large to make my cushions.

And finally I took the roombox from the right side of the build and added in some windows.  This roombox is actually 2" too short for the build so I plan on just using it for quick display and modern dollhouse scenes.  (My boyfriend just shakes his head because we've already recut this twice now. But I'm excited to have an extra display!)

I painted and added some (temporary) floor boards.  I have laser cut windows in my stash somewhere to add in.

It was so motivational to see everything come together and have a bit more of a design/decor element.  I now have the next four days to complete my kitchen design in time for my next laser cutter booking, so it's going to be busy!  Hope you are all having a great mini making weekend!