Any Ideas for ULS-25E for middle school students

[Mike Berndt]

Hi all,
I am looking for suggestion for project to do with this ULS-25E laser with my middle school students any ideas out there? It will be a great help to my program so please share your ideas.

Mike Berndt
Davisville Middle School

[Richard Rumancik]

I haven't used the Lazerbuzz designs myself, but I think those designs would be of interest to students and perhaps they could even create things to sell for a fundraiser. If you can find a good source of baltic birch I think it would be easier to administer/supervise than having to procure and work with all sorts of different materials. Take a look at the Lazerbuzz website and see if anything might interest the students.

[Mike Berndt]

Hi Richard,
Thanks for those ideas and I will see what comes of that site.

MIke B.

[Glen Monaghan]

I bought one of their designs (a dollhouse) and found it to have rather poor design elements. For example, one wall or other object might consist of numerous disconnected and separate line segments while another might have all the cut lines connected but engraved lines are disjoint. (Makes it tricky sometimes to work with, such as rearranging parts, when you can't just click once to select an entire object, and objects are too close together to use a rectangular selection.) Some parts are out of square, not much but in some areas such as certain slots, enough to make the slot and tab construction loose in some places to very tight in others. Some parts are marked or labeled but many very similar sized and shaped pieces are not labeled, so you can spend quite a while sorting it out. There were even a couple of joints that just didn't fit properly as drawn. The staff shrugged when I emailed, forwarded my note to the owner, and he blew me off with the statement that "no one else ever complained". Although he said he'd check the files and get back to me, he never did. I went to a trade show last year and saw the house in their booth, with the same alignment and fit problems I'd experienced. Owner wasn't there so I mentioned it to the woman there (his wife?) and showed her where there were gaps and falling-apart loose pieces. When I came back next day, still no owner but the house was all fit and glued together...

Someone else posted that they'd bought a couple of those designs and had similar issues, so be prepared to clean them up before you have students try to do something with them, unless you want that experience to be part of the lesson plan...

[Dee Gallo]

Mike,

Are you teaching them the computer design aspect as well as the operation of the laser? You might try them out with more simple things they can use, give as gifts or sell as fund raisers. There are a lot of ideas on this forum if you cruise old threads, but some obvious ones are bookmarkers, greeting cards, tags to hang from backpacks, school logo magnets, notepads, personalizing pencils and pens, hanging decorations/mobiles, puzzles, jewelry, game boards like chess or backgammon, and so on. You can always move them up into more difficult designs after they master the basics. There is so much more to laser work than just pressing GO.

Have fun, dee

[Wes Mitchell]

Epilog has a very nice "Sample Club" section on their site, you could use that for ideas or pull the corel files right from it. The Periodic Table one could fit in nicely. I did one here to put in our front lobby and people have really liked it.

[Chad Fitzgerald]

Mike, key chains and zipper puls with school logo. have them design it them selves, zipper pull is simply a smaller keychain. i use 3/16 acrylic for these, the school love them for fundraisers. cheap, simple design, you make alot of them at very low cost.
if you want to mix things up with it, have them design simple shape keychains with the logo and name inside, then have them design the keychain with the shape of the mascot with name inside.

Another thing i have done for schoolls is sports cards. trading cards. i use alum for this, kids love them. makes real nice keepsakes especially for seniors. i have a sample of one on my facebook page if you want to take a look to get an idea of what im talking about. facebook page is my bus name hickorygrovecabinetry. hope its ok to post it

[Joe Hillmann]

If you are trying to teach them rather than make something, I would suggest having each of them design a square box that fits together with finger joints and maybe a living hinge. Make them out of the cheapest material you can get your hands on because it will probably take a few trys for each student to get it right.

Maybe make it so they each have to design a box with a lid that opens that can be cut from one square foot of material. By letting them learn from there failures they will learn more then," ok, here is a pre-made design that you will tell the machine to cut out then glue together."

You could spend several days showing them how to design wooden hinges, the living hinges, how to figure out the corners of snap together boxes where all 3 pieces meet up, measuring the thickness of the wood and why at least one dimension of the tabs should be the same as the thickness, how to adjust for the kurf of the laser, how to do peer review by having another student look for flaws in there design before they laser it for the first time, show them how to set up the grid and snap to in corel, laser safety.

You could make it a 3 week course or a 2 day activity depending on how in depth you want to get.

[David Fairfield]

I'd discuss this one with the science, art or math teachers at your school. Keychains are nice but ideally a laser project would put a fun spin on something with real educational value. Unfortunately it can be tough to find a teacher that's willing to think creatively and think outside the state-mandated curriculum. I remember as a kid being absolutely disappointed by our art teacher, because she gave up teaching, only gave us uncreative nonsense projects. "Copy this, your mom will love it" and it would be some junk like a clay ash tray. I tossed all that stuff out on the walk home.

Dave

PS I just read Joes, post. Right on!

[Chad Fitzgerald]

joes idea is by far the best idea yet. extremely valuable.
that being said, start with the keychains(or other very simple) project. basics of corel, quick and easy, little patience necessary. get em excited and wow "i made that" before giving them something we all know can get frustrating.
a little excitement goes along way to keep kids focused and want to learn.
chad

[Matt Turner (physics)]

I'd discuss this one with the science, art or math teachers at your school. Keychains are nice but ideally a laser project would put a fun spin on something with real educational value. Unfortunately it can be tough to find a teacher that's willing to think creatively and think outside the state-mandated curriculum. I remember as a kid being absolutely disappointed by our art teacher, because she gave up teaching, only gave us uncreative nonsense projects. "Copy this, your mom will love it" and it would be some junk like a clay ash tray. I tossed all that stuff out on the walk home.

Dave

PS I just read Joes, post. Right on!

I echo what Joe and Dave are saying. The students will benefit most from projects that include more design requirements than just engraving or cutting out a shape. Designing a box gets them to think in three dimensions. Gears would be fun to do, and they would learn about reduction ratios, etc. You could have the students look through projects on Thingiverse for inspiration, but require them to modify projects or create their own from scratch instead of just making something that someone else designed.

[Martin Boekers]

I too think theliving hinge is a great idea as it shows some non traditional possibilities. Find some blank yoyos kits. If you want to do a 2 tiered, think of turning pens then engraving them.
Its relatively easy and cheap to turn a pen. You can get set up for about $200.

[AL Ursich]

I have posted this idea before but here it goes again...

Years ago I found a Font called "MY CHAIN" that gives you Text with a Frame Around it.... The Comma = the Heart, the Period is the left loop end cap and the back slash is the right side end cap. ", . / "

I tried to find it again for the CarveWright Forum as it makes Great Name Plates when made bigger and great small name tags too. The Trick with the CNC Wood is to cut it and leave a skin on the bottom to hold the parts in place. All the links for the font were 404. But further research might find it again.

This would work for a Laser Engraver and with Colored Acrylic and the plastic tag clamp and a 1 inch ring like seen in the picture would make a cool project.

Imagine kids collecting all there friends names in Stunning Fluorescent Colors... Even Sports Team Members....


It could even make a nice "In Out" board Tag for Teachers....


Good Luck,


AL

[Joe Hillmann]

If you want I can send you files for some models I make and sell, they are cut from .108 ply and would require a bit of re sizing for the slots to fit other thicknesses. I have an airplane, a blimp, a rocket, a sub, a jeep, and a train. The fit on small 5x7 cards and the parts just snap out and all but the plane just snap together. I sold a couple hundred of them last summer so I know younger kids like them.

Another idea would be to have them bring in items of there own to engrave on. Show them how to do the layout, and then mark on blue tape to make sure it is in the right place, then since they are one of items start out with a low power and high speed and slowly stepping up the power until it engraves like they want.

Or if you want to make items for fundraisers you can use it as a way to teach industrial, assembly line processes, troubleshooting, sourcing supplies, selling, record keeping, inventory and market evaluations. Of course you could also do that without the laser, the laser just adds that extra "cool" factor rather than doing it out of a book.

You could make jigsaw puzzles, combine it with an art project where they paint the puzzle before or after it is cut.

I assume it is parts of an industrial arts class, you could use the laser to build architectural mock ups. Either have the whole class build one big mock up. (I think that would lead to 1 or two students doing all the work and the rest either coasting or feeling like they aren't getting to work on it) or, have everyone build a mock up of there home/ apartment/ school/ favorite building/ dog house.

As an art project you could engrave photos into :mirrors, tiles, wood, leather, whatever.

You could make new directory signage for the school and put it up, make the kids feel connected to there school.

You could set them loose on the epilog sample club website, or the engravers journal website and have them vote for there own project or two.

In combination with home-ec class you could cut out patterns in the fabric or engrave designs on the fabric.

You could make sets of domino and boxes for them to fit in.

You could have the students design and make there own board game in combination with a history project, or any other class, I guess.

You could have them use the laser to cut out gears and linkages such as cams, parallel linkages, escapements, watch stops, non round gears to understand how they work. (the book "507 linkages" has many examples that would work well with the laser)

Have them make erector sets.

Have them make blocks that work with legos.

I have seen class competitions that use syringes and surgical tubing along with erector sets to build hydrolicly powered robots. I've played with that myself and it is pretty fun.

Many schools have bridge building competitions where they test a bridge over a span until it breaks and compare the breaking weight to the weight of the bridge and whoever has the highest ratio wins. I am sure you could do something like that with laser cut parts.





If I give you the files for the models they are only for educational use, I don't want you selling the kits.

[Joe Hillmann]

Mouse trap powered cars.

Model rockets that use estates motors.

Spirograph.

[Bruce Dorworth]

Al, the program you are talking about is a key chain maker and can be found here...http://www.scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/ He works off of donations and has tons of DXF files there also.

Good Luck,
Bruce

[AL Ursich]

Thank you!!!!!

[Keith Outten]

Consider the Dinosaur Projects like the Wooly Mammoth (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?40461-Acrylic-Wooly-Mammoth&highlight=wooly+mammoth)

[Mike Mackenzie]

Mike,

The important thing to keep in mind here is your machine, These ideas are all great however your system will have a difficult time working with these materials.

Your system is pushing 20 years old and is only a 25 watt 12x24 system so my suggestion would be to work with materials that will be easier to process. Paper, Chip Board, Poster board, frame matting, 1/8 wood maybe 1/4 etc.

Because of the age of the system if you try to push the limits it may only discourage the kids from using it when there projects do not cut.

[Kay Bengtson]

I suggest making stencils that they can use to personalize their bikes or anything they have at home. Make it possible for them to employ their favorite stuff too like logos from TV shows or movies or video games. That will engage them more than making a key chain for mom. Use 1/16" bass sheets for the material. Show them hoe to get the image from the net, insert it into a program to make the tracing and the resulting vector file. They learn several interesting design steps and don't get bored.

Kay

[Brian R Cain]

Hi,
Here in the UK lasers are very popular in schools. Not all schools have one but some have several. They are invariably found in the Design & Technology depts. I understand that the UK as a country is somewhat unique in the extent to which laser s are used.

The nature of the projects the kids undertake depend on the courses each school runs, but typically the school would have the kids start off designing clocks or iphone holders, fancy memory sticks. They use the lasers quite a bit for packaging projects if they run graphics as a separate course and if they run a textile course the laser would be used to make parts for purses etc. Jewellery projects are popular too.

The best thing to do is to try and have a look at some UK school websites. If you search for "school laser cutter UK" you'll be able to find some schools showing what they've been making.