Since apparently my plan for slate and cork coasters is on hold due to indefinite shipping delays for the blanks at Amazon, I focused in on my Reindeer Flight gift box design instead. This is something I made last year for the wife as a give-away to family, designed to hold 6 festive bottles of beverages. Rather complex design, making sure all the cuts and angles work out, but a fairly simple assembly.
Last year, the design worked well – I made several and they were all successful. This year however when I went to remake them, some of the measurements were off, some tabs were missing, and a few new tabs existed. End result was an unusable blueprint. Plus the new laser is perhaps more precise, or the measurements were off – none of the tabs would slot in properly.
After a bit of effort in Lightburn, and a series of test cuts, I have managed to re-correct these errors. The slots were enlarged to 5.25mm to provide enough space, the extra tabs removed, and the overall layout improved. I also updated the year to 2024. Then after a bit of exporting, moved the designs into xTool’s Creative Space, where I was able to cut the various pieces on the new machine. Smooth, clean cuts, and about an 80% speed improvement were a big advantage.
If interested, this design is up now on my Etsy shop, supporting our efforts, available at least thru the Holidays.
