This is my first time trying lasercut dovetail joints. I copied the basic design of the organizer from one that I found online, and followed this guide here for the joints.
In the process of making the design, I learned a lot and would do many things differently.
- The align tool in Adobe Illustrator is pretty powerful, specifically key objects. There are probably other ways to make the pattern than creating a single dovetail and duplicating/aligning it but that’s what I knew how to do, so.
- If I were to do this again, I would probably try a simpler design with fewer dovetails. They were pretty tricky, and probably made trickier by the fact that I was using MDF core instead of solid wood.
- The MDF didn’t chisel well or sand well in between the dovetails, and I was left with either joints that were too snug or joints that had a bit of gap (like you can see under the cat design). I bet solid wood would be much easier.
- I cut the base and the center dividers pieces too long and had to saw 1/4" of the bottom of each of them because I didn’t want to waste the wood and re-do them entirely.
- I also mucked up one of the measurements on the back and didn’t realize it until I’d put it all together, by which time I couldn’t pull it apart without risking the wood peeling off the MDF.
All in all, though, I like the look of it, especially as something different from the normal finger joints I’ve done before.
