That’s a brilliant way to align those holes @jkopel ! I tend to hoard laser scrap too – the shapes are just so pretty 
I’ve also been trying to come up with ways to use all of it up, and have done some earrings with some. But, the other day, I got the idea on how to use a bunch of these Mah-Jongg tile-size scraps I have (which I’ve been previously considering turning into a Mah-Jongg set once I get the GF and can align with the cameras). Instead, I drilled holes in them and turned them into new product tags for the store, to replace my terrible old paper tags – here’s a pic:
20 Likes
Boring video? BORING VIDEO?!? Wha…?!?
Okay, deeeeeep breath… and… release. All better.
I know some people that like beads, too. Even the little wood bits pre-bead. Preschoolers! If you ever do end up with a giant bin full of these things, holes or no holes, and want to get rid of some, find a local preschool that embraces working with these kinds of materials. Hilltop Children’s Center and Stroum Jewish Community Center’s preschool would both likely take them near Seattle. (Note: I didn’t ask them and am not affiliated with either, so call first.)
Love the videos. Any videos.
5 Likes
Interesting idea, I will look into that thanks!
2 Likes
Now THAT is brilliant!
2 Likes
Just ask me and I can tell you. 
We’re cutting proofgrade 1/4" plywood at 400 mm/min at full power on a basic (40w). We’re still tweaking a lot of variables so the final speed should be that fast or faster.
16 Likes
We were originally planning to do a lot of work on order-of-operations but it turns out it makes a fairly small difference in the total print time. We’ll get to it eventually but right now we’re fond of saying, “Go home, traveling salesman, you’re drunk.”
26 Likes
The holes appear to be the same size, is there something obviously different about the material that would account for some “flaring up” and other just being a little smokey?
1 Like
Thanks for sharing, Josh! That little video is the kind of thing that needs to go out on social media, oh say, faceplant.
Oh, that’s the kind of problem that kept me up nights in college around 1990. We had to develop algorithms and then code them in Pascal to solve these sorts of problems.
5 Likes
I do enjoy watching the smoke get whisked away like that.
3 Likes
Ah Pascal…and Fortran…the memories…I was more partial to Assembly…lol
3 Likes
The algorithm solution to the traveling salesman problem is worth more $$$ than anyone could ever imagine! 
5 Likes
Pascal, mmmmmm … got to love the linked list solution in Pascal. 80s for me but I’m sure the concept of linked lists and sorting algorithms separated the men and women from the boys and girls.
1 Like
Yeah, that class was the make/break class for computer science majors. I made it through but only by scheduling the rest of my life around that one class and its homework. I think the class was called Discrete Structures.
4 Likes
Thanks! 
Hopefully with the laser, I can make bigger holes nearer to the edge though – the one problem I’m running into this morning is I’m having to try to string them on with reinforced thread, which is quickly becoming a pain in the ass 
3 Likes
I’ve been doing some cutting with my Silhouette Cameo on heavy cover stock for stencils of lettering. It is the most bizarre thing to see the head move around. It doesn’t make sense to me sometimes. It will cut a whole word out but leave a few letters. Some of it is how the interiors are cut last. Like the drunk salesman riff! I can’t imagine how challenging this would be in terms of programming. We’ve had some great threads on this topic here. Looking at the video doing all those circles, I imagine we will be very pleased with the speed compared to other CNC machines we might be used to.
2 Likes
Is anyone out there old enough to appreciate the joke “FORTRAN IV with WATFOR and howcome”?
3 Likes
Try using Fireline beading thread/fishing line, and use a wide-eye beading needle. It will make the job a LOT easier.
2 Likes
Thank you – I totally hadn’t thought of fishing line (and I’ve got a roll in the closet)!
1 Like
I wanted to use WATFIV for a project once for a summer job, but it was too new and didn’t work with the math libraries I had…
1 Like