Today I built a small assembly hammer that can be used to assemble your laser cut boxes. The hammer is small and light enough to not damage your pieces but heavy and strong enough to put them together.
As much as I would like to take credit for this design, the original was created at Cartonus. I only modified the hammer to have a smaller rear tip and optimized the files so they work easily on the Glowforge. When you get a chance, I suggest you stop by the Cartonus website. They have a lot of useful instruction and free files such as the original files for this hammer or one like it since I modified this one.
Here is the layout. It will only require a sheet that is 12 inches by 10 inches.
I used a utility plywood that was 2.7mm think that I got from Home Depot but you could use the 3mm Glowforge proofgrade products as well. You might need to use a file, sandpaper or an emery board to enlarge the slots.
Setup to order of operations on your laser to do the engraving first, then the internal cuts, then the outer cuts last. This gives you a better chance that you parts will cut all the way through (If it doesn’t cut all the way through, make sure your lens are clean).
- Black = Engrave (Draft)
- Green = Engrave (Draft)
- Cyan (or light blue) = Cut
- Red = Cut
Every part is numbered, so start with 1 and work your way through all the parts. When you get to parts 12 and 13, glue them with the numbers facing inward. Unless you want the numbers on the outside. Your choice.
Clean off any residue glue. I found it easy to scrape the glue off with a razor blade just before it’s completely setup. You can also use a wet cloth to get the glue off as well.
Here is the file. Enjoy.
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