Flat Rate Boxes

Has anyone configured their glow forge to cut flat rate boxes? If so what settings did you use?

Given that the post office gives them away for free and that cutting boxes takes a surprisingly large amount of material, you might be better served by heading there.

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I teach middle school art and students have designed name plates for their lockers. I was just wondering if someone had configured the settings to cut through the flat rate boxes. I can figure it out. Thanks.

p.s. I have visited the post office on several occasions and have taken advantage of the free boxes.

Just search cardboard in Beyond the Manual.

Lots of combinations of settings work on cardboard for cutting. Some leave the edges of the cardboard sooty and some not so much.

Also, corrugated cardboard may be the most flammable material there is for laser cutting. Do not cut/score in tightly grouped areas. Do not engrave unless you really know what you’re doing.

Knowing what I was like in middle school, and if I’d had access to a laser. I shudder at the thought. I understand school budgets and all, but you may want to consider an alternative material. Ask the shop teacher to cut 3mm Baltic Birch to glowforge size; it should wind up pretty cheap per sheet.

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Never heard of anyone getting arrested, but:

The terms of Agreement for the use of United States Postal Service shipping supplies is as follows: I understand that Priority Mail Express service, Priority Mail service, Global Express Guaranteed, Priority Mail Express International and Priority Mail International packaging is the property of the United States Postal Service and is provided solely for sending Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Priority Mail Express International and Priority Mail International. Misuse may be a violation of federal law.

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I know. I always like it when I find someone using those boxes to take up excess space in something they ship UPS :slightly_smiling_face:

I like how they say “misuse may be a violation of federal law”. I mean don’t they know? If they don’t how could I be expected to?

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I had to send something using a “regional” flat rate box, they don’t have them in the PO and you can’t pay for that service there either. So they had to send me a pack of 10, I’ve used one and will likely never need them. Guess they’ll go in the burn barrel next time I fire it up…

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I hope stuffing them with a gross of chocolate truffles and other candy, because the medium, squarish-box, is just the right size, and then giving them away, isn’t considered misuse.

Aha, I thought you meant to cut out boxes to be used as boxes. Yeah cutting through them is about like any other cardboard, standard warnings apply: keep your cut shapes fairly simple, and watch it carefully. It can catch fire, and is more likely to do so the more detailed your cuts are.

As for settings, we discuss those in Beyond the manual, I tend to use 80 power and 300 speed. I’ll move this discussion there.

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You could ask the kids about bringing in Amazon (or other mail order) boxes from home or neighbors (after being emptied–don’t want to encourage porch thievery!) that otherwise would be going into the recycling bin–would be bizarre if none of the kids are able to find some!

Pending the thickness and the corrugation, the settings may vary from one box to another. And you don’t have the USPS printing on both sides of the cardboard to deal with, since USPS has started printing the interior with “thank you from USPS”.

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You know why, right? People would take their boxes and turn them inside out to ship stuff with other carriers, or using different services than priority.

Amazon boxes or similar is a good idea. It’s what I used to finally complete the camera calibration, after blowing thru my remaining draftboard on multiple failed attempts.

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Totally get it–the USPS boxes aren’t “free”–those of us using them to ship with via USPS pay for them! (and taxpayers if/when USPS gets any gov’t funding).

And great idea to use the cardboard for the camera calibration!

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