A few more Pokeball necklaces

Both my sons (12yr and 22yr olds) love Pokemon.
And I certainly play Pokemon Go…I’m level 22 already…lol

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So from the back do they look the same? That is are the inlay pieces like a jigsaw puzzle, or is it like a black “tray” with the inlays glued into the engraved areas (in which case the backs would be a black circle)?

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What was the process you used to make these? They’re awesome!

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They look the same on the back…before I glue it on a white backing piece.
I’ll do another today and take pics…

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Cut each piece out of acrylic, compensating for kerf, and put it together…afix onto a backing piece that has the hoop for hanging.

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Thanks for the quick response. I should have put my handle as “Lazernewb”. While I think I know what the kerf is by definition. How does one compensate for it? I’m thinking this a question that should be it’s own topic if I’m not mistaken.

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Oh, there are lots of topics about kerf. In my experience, kerf adjustment is a good test of your ability to do abstract thinking and using numbers to represent that. I will most likely only get it after I have a Glowforge and ruined several pieces getting it correct. Unless I use Proofgrade and ready made designs.

and

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I set my super nudge setting as the kerf so its easy to move lines the correct distance…with shapes, I use contour to make the shape slightly bigger so when the laser vaporizes the edge. Its the same size as the cut out hole and will fit snuggly…
You need two separate pieces to make a puzzle…if you cut it with one line, you have a gap…that is the kerf size. Hope that makes a bit if sense.

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Please forgive my ignorance, but what is “super nudge setting”? Is that a personal term that you use, or is than an “official” term?

Also, how does a “nudge setting” allow you to easily move lines?

I’m hoping that even stupid questions like this will help me learn just a bit more!

Sorry it’s a setting in Corel…I assume there are similar ways to do it in other programs… basically when you select nodes on a vector and you use the arrow keys it moves a certain distance. If I shift arrow then it’s a difference distance and then if I ctrl/arrow then it’s the super nudge…I can preset how far it moves for each setting.

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Kerf has been stated as between .008 and .022" depending upon material, which at worst is on par with many narrow kerf scroll saw blades and at best, much tighter. I understand it won’t be a perfect fit, like you could achieve with cutting separate pieces and eliminating kerf, but for interlocking the tolerances should be tight enough, no? Pretty sure those kerf tolerances are on par with most die presses as well.

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Nope, it won’t hold together without glue. Kerf for acrylic is .0037" on my shorter focal lens of 1.5" which is thinner that the Glowforge.

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Plus the difference between cutting with a saw and laser cutting is that he laser produces a much smoother edge as opposed to a saw which rips the material and leaves the edges ragged so they can grab onto each other

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I know a lot of makers out there are making puzzles with lasers and not relying on cutting the pieces separately, so their must be a way (because cutting individual pieces for a puzzle would be a nightmare). Perhaps it’s the actual interlocking design that allows the kerf to be somewhat forgiveable in allowing the pieces to lock successfully. To be clear, I’m just referring to (jigsaw) puzzles - not just press fit/inlay pieces.

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From what I’ve seen the jigsaw puzzles that are being made as a back tray area so when you put the puzzle pieces down they interlock and that’s what keeps them together

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The Glowforge booth at the Bay Area Maker Faire had the Settlers of Catan board and its pieces interlock. Based on the images, and what I recall reading about it, they are made from different species of wood, so cut from different boards unlike a puzzle. They are “loose” fitting - they interlock, but not super tight. As I was wiggling them, I said, “that must be the kerf to someone in a glowforge t-shirt,” and they said yes. Based on the looseness of that one board set, yes a jigsaw puzzle would interlock, but not as tightly as I remember the 1000 piece puzzles at my aunt’s house fitting together. More than tight enough for a young child’s puzzle and just fine for a board game like that one.

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And when you use a die-cutter it doesn’t subtract any material it just squishes it down and cuts it so theres not much kerf because the material can actually bounce back. With a laser it’s being vaporized and it’s gone so there’s no way it can bounce back

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Sometimes it’s exactly what you want and sometimes not.

For Stephanie’s Pokemon and other inlay type projects or those you want to have very tight joints you want to compensate.

But, when I’m making things where I want the parts to be repositionable or easily removable (for instance the land tiles or harbor buttons for Catan) I leave the kerf because that allows me to move the tiles into different patterns.

I also leave the kerf uncompensated for “folding” game boards that I make. Rather than actually fold I cut small dovetail or puzzle joints in the two halves of a board. Then I can disconnect or reconnect the board pieces so it’s portable in a smaller box but doesn’t require hinges which I don’t really find aesthetically acceptable for board games.

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