ok ok I had it all wrong, one sec.
OK.
Open the file, find it totally grouped. Ungroup everything.
The T is one big path, break it apart.
Now select the outer frame, and break it apart. I’ve color coded the two paths you are interested in.
Do a difference:
Oh no! it did the wrong difference. This is because it subtracts whatever’s on top from whatever’s underneath. We need to be sure the T outline is on top. UNDO.
I’ll color code them and you can see what I mean. This is wrong:
We use page up to put the T on top:
And now and do difference
and we’re basically ready to go. That being said… color code it properly so the inner cuts go first and the outer go last… then group it:
And there you have it.
EDIT: well… that is if you wanted to cut everything. If you just want to score the details in the T color code it differently with a third color:
Now you can score the black, cut the blue, then cut the green.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! And, i followed your example and it did ‘just’ what yours did…the oops and all! The explanation about the T on top was something i didn’t know! Bookmarked until my next major issue…although i use this type of design a lot. Will save me tons of time editing nodes!!!
You’re the greatest 
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THIS - it’s something I know, but not something I’d ever seen specified - I usually oops once or twice. Remembering that might cut an oops out of the equation 
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Greatest? OK well, it’s official! Look out, world!
This is Inkscape’s official docs site, the advanced page has an illustrated guide to what booleans do:
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I need to revisit this…read a lot when i first started but it will probably make more sense now!
Yeah it says on difference “bottom minus top”, but interestingly doesn’t mention it in “exclusion” or “division”, which I think also follow the same rule. Maybe I have that wrong?
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Hello @rvogt, it appears you have received some amazing and helpful answers here! I’m going to go ahead and close this thread for now - if you need anything else, please go ahead and post a new thread!