Laser cutting round boxes from square sheets

Client: Dr Laura James <LBJ@cantab.net>, Cambridge MakeSpace

Kerf bending is a cute method for making round boxes with a laser cutter, but it requires quite a bit of planning. The goal of this project is to build a system that can be used by customers to design their own wooden boxes in arbitrary shapes (e.g. letters of the alphabet), with the templates for the round sides automatically produced using kerf bending. The resulting pieces should be suitable for posting in a flat-pack format, in as few pieces as possible, with tongue and slot assembly. Examples of the resulting designs will be fabricated using the Computer Laboratory laser cutter.

Background on kerf bending: http://hackaday.com/2012/06/12/bending-laser-cut-wood-without-steam-or-forms/