Paper Guide Prototyping

Booked the 60watt laser cutter at TechShop today. Objective was to cut out the parts for the paper guide from wood (much cheaper than acrylic -- that will come later). Also used the time on the machine to cut out an iPod stand I've been working on (fail on that and back to the drawing board!).

I now have a copy of Corel Draw at home so I can prepare the designs before I get to techShop. Since I did my last Intersession at the design studio at Stanford University I'm much faster at laser set up and operation.

Cut the parts and assembled the with super glue (hey! for prototyping it works fine).


When assembled I put a thin sheet of plastic on the bottom of the guide for the paper from the printer to follow on it's path to the shredder.


Picture below shows the guide in place on top of the shredder, resting in front of the printer. Measurements were spot on. Now the first problem became apparent: the guide is too deep. When the paper exits it misses the shredder enter-slot. Really needs to "funnel" the paper into the shredder. Good news that that is an easy design change. I'll revise the Corel model and laser cut a new guide on Monday.