So far I have completed my design for the final project, and I think it will go over pretty well. I 3D printed a smaller version to ensure that it would work as intended, and even though it broke upon removal from the build plate I was still able to simulate some movement. This prototype’s gears were very small, only a couple of inches, as opposed to the foot and a half I intend for the final. I think it was the small size and the freshness of the print that caused them to fail, and I hope this does not happen when it comes to the final design. I have also run into some issues with procuring materials, as the hardwood I want to laser cut is sold in smaller sizes unsuitable for my final since hardwood sheets are usually used for flooring. This could hopefully be solved with a phone call to a local lumber company that might be willing to help me find something suitable for the project, but this could come at a hefty cost. I want to avoid gluing components, so I may have to settle on either a wood with less quality but larger size or decrease the intended size of my project. The laser cutters also require that hardwoods like walnut or cherry be smaller than 1/8″ thickness otherwise the kerf will be too large and could be off tolerance for my needs. This complicates my material search further, but I had already expected to have to glue several layers of material together to create the gear thickness I want.

I want to avoid settling for a different material quality, but rather slightly decrease the size of my project such that it can be cut out of smaller pieces of wood. I also notice that these smaller pieces come in packs of ten for a pretty high price, so if I can keep it down to one pack that would be ideal for costs, but the material would be uniform where I want some slight change in definition. I can buy stains for pretty cheap, though, so I could just get a light wood and get some different stains to get the effects I want here. If I cannot fit my whole design into one pack of this wood I will get two packs of different materials, one light and one dark, and use the same stain or lacquer to bring out the most from the natural woodgrain in my finished product.

I am significantly behind schedule now due to these issues, so I will have to sacrifice a lot of time this weekend to get myself back on track. I like to think that if this process had been easier I would be close to a finished product by now but my tendency to procrastinate things like this says that I might be in just about the same spot with the only difference being a stack of hardwood in the corner of my living room.