Yes, but *WHY* a laser cutter? (middle school level)

[Kevin Jarrett]

Hi all, thanks for the many great threads here about laser cutters. We're considering getting one for our middle school makerspace and are actively researching so the posts and experiences really help.

My questions: what are some of the uses and projects and applications that have convinced you the device was a good investment? What are kids and staff DOING with the thing that's so great? In your course(s) or in others?

I'm especially interested in middle school perspectives, but high school is good too. (We like to aim high...)

Thanks, kj

​-----

Kevin Jarrett

Middle School STEAM Teacher

Technology, Engineering & Design Program

Northfield Community Middle School

kjar...@ncs-nj.org | @kjarrett

"Life ​changes when you trust kids.​" - ​Ira Socol

[Adrienne]

Hi Kevin,

We just added a laser cutter to our middle school Innovation & Technology Lab a few months ago.  I heard from other MS makerspaces that the laser cutter quickly become the "workhorse" of the space and the most-used tool, and we have also found that to be true.  A few projects that have taken place in the past month or so:

• Laser cut hieroglyphics (Humanities project)
• Laser cut Eco Smart Houses (Science & Humanities  - kids designed eco-friendly house plans and then laser cut the walls, roof, floor, furniture, elevators, etc. and built prototypes)
• Laser cut Etch-A-Sketch (Math project - students are learning about slope by laser cutting gears and building their own Etch-A-Sketch mechanisms)
• Laser cut gliders (3rd Grade Science project) - The 3rd grade students are designing gliders in their aerospace unit and the 6th graders are helping them laser cut them)
• Lots of laser cut art pieces in conjunction with art class and laser cut felt pieces for soft circuit sewing
• Other little projects for the school such as engraving trophies for chess tournaments, making a sign the school garden, etc.

I'm sure there are more but that's all I can think of off the top of my head now.  I will say it was totally worth the investment and we plan to add another to our K-4 space as well as our art room in the future.

Adrienne Gifford

Director of Innovation & Technology

Open Window School

Bellevue, WA

[Sylvia]

Hi Kevin,

You might like some of the perspectives from the FabLearn Fellows Meaningful Making book. It's free online here: http://fablearn.stanford.edu/fellows/page/meaningful-making-book

There are several articles talking about laser cutting projects, and Erin Reilly wrote an article addressing the question of what exactly can be learned from 2D and 3D projects (as a result of a conversation in this forum!)

By the way, we are very close to releasing this book as a print book. It won't be free, of course, since it will be made of atoms, not bits, but it will be easier to add to your makerspace library!

Sylvia Martinez

http://inventtolearn.com

On Friday, March 18, 2016 at 1:07:02 AM UTC-7, Kevin Jarrett wrote:

[Tinker George Jemmott]

To me, the best answer to "Why a laser cutter" isn't the project ideas, but rather a connection between digital and physical mindsets.

So many of our students are comfortable on a laptop, picking up skills in Illustrator or any other vector drawing program with comfort and ease.  Being able to make those things into a physical reality gives them an "in" into making, which is a hook into engineering, art, intuitive physics, ... etc.

That said, here are the most recent laser cuts in our laser cutter's history:

A model Police Call Box (for some Dr. Who themed art)

A test pattern for Printed Circuit Board manufacturing - it looks like it's possible on a laser cutter!  (crossing fingers)

Many clock faces (clock mechanisms are cheap & a great intro-engineering project)

Two rectangles (not sure why)

Parts & logos for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team

A tessellated pattern for use as a stencil for a hydrophobic coating for a chemistry/art project

A frame to wrap wire around for a solenoid for mechatronics

A label that says "microbial fuel cells," likely for our STEM fair

More FRC parts

More clock faces, some of which earlier iterations of the others I mentioned.

Wooden Sign letters for our student-run TEDx event

Gears (there are online gear-making websites, download the dxf and laser cut them!)

A bison-shaped construction paper mask to add dramatic flare to a presentation on a field trip to Boseman Montana

Parts for a low-cost 3-D printer in development by an 10th grader

Those were cuts 1000 through 1117 at our school of ~80 students per grade.

They show me that, in addition to the introduction to making, the laser cutter also helps advanced students take their passions further through the easy availability of precision, repeatable parts. The re-usable TEDx sign is also a benefit to the community, so kids don't have to make a new sign each year.

~George Jemmott at The Nueva School

On Friday, March 18, 2016 at 1:07:02 AM UTC-7, Kevin Jarrett wrote:

[Tinker George Jemmott]

PS - As another connection into the physical space for more "digital kids," is the use of a saw to cut down material to fit in the laser cutter.

We have a panel saw - a *great* addition if you have space and budget.  It looks scary, but it's easy and safe, and can turn 4'x8' sheets into laser-cutter sized pieces.  It is frequently Nueva students' first power tool, as they cut something out of cardboard and then want to move on to plywood.  

[Kenton Hoover]

Even though they are alot more expensive, I think that laser cutters are a better tool than 3D printers if you have to pick only one. They are also radically less temperamental than 3D printers, as well as faster, and bluntly, not a device for making endless amounts of plastic crap. 

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[jumekubo]

Thank you for posting this question. Love all the responses so far, and agree with them. One other advantage of laser cutting over 3D printing is the wide variety of materials. We have used primarily wood, but also acrylic, cardboard, leather. There's also felt, some rubber, aluminum engraving and so much more that students can get creative with.

- john 

On Friday, March 18, 2016 at 1:07:02 AM UTC-7, Kevin Jarrett wrote:

[Lindsey Own]

So many great responses here... Like many others in the list, we also use our laser cutter more than our 3D printers. I was skeptical, but use had been huge for both whole-class projects and individual projects! 

One of our biggest uses is in creating and keeping a huge library of pre-cut pieces for construction projects, or in prepping items to help jump-start projects. We keep bins of circles, squares, gears (LOTS of gears), hexagons... tons of stuff. So it's a great tool for making our overall space/materials more flexible, besides actual kid laser cutting projects. We've also pre-cut leather pieces for kids to make leather-bound journals for their Oregon Trail diaries, or precut flat pieces for kids to fold into wagon body... the engineering fun there was in making the working wheels/axles, tongue, and bonnet, so we shortcut the body itself.

We have kids down to 5th grade regularly using Adobe Illustrator to design for their own needs, too... making model pieces to the precise sizes they want rather than cutting something junky with scissors. Also a variety of community service-ish projects, like our 8th graders making the carnival prizes for our Halloween carnival. As more and more kids get laser cutter experience, more and more kids are opting on their own to use the laser cutter for their various individual and team projects outside of teacher-assigned laser cutter projects.

Kid custom gears

Projects mostly from library o' gears

Kid-designed Chichen Itza model

Book covers and gear library projects

Hallowee carnival prizes

a broader 8th gr project where *some* kids used laser cutter

I haven't done a great job documenting laser cutter projects... We use almost entirely cardboard, which everyone in our community hoards now - good sustainability piece there, too. Cereal boxes and the like are AWESOME, and corrugated packing boxes too. Wood or acrylic only when absolutely necessary, and leather/fabric largely from Goodwill clothes... You can get a lot of bookcovers out of a $10 leather jacket.

Most of us probably have the big expensive laser cutters from Epilog or Universal, but there's a startup making a smaller, less powerful, less expensive - not out yet, but tons of pre-sales... I'm a total shill and have a referral code  :-)  https://glowforge.com/?kid=6SG16

Hope that helps a bit! That's kinda a lot of thoughts crammed into one post...

- Lindsey

On Friday, March 18, 2016 at 1:07:02 AM UTC-7, Kevin Jarrett wrote:

[Kevin Jarrett]

This thread...DELIVERS! Thank you all! Keep the responses coming!

[eriley]

Hi Kevin,

 

Love all of these ideas and second the FabLearn e-book recommend!

 

The laser cutter is my favorite machine for its reliability and power as a learning tool. For the laser in particular, we have been working with design problems that require students to move between 2D to 3D. They visualize their form, design it flat in Illustrator and build in 3D. In order to do this, they have to measure and do the math for connections and joints. They also need to consider material width, think spatially for mirroring shapes, and visualize how the shapes fit. We build in time for prototyping so they can redesign as necessary. The fact that vector cutting is so quick makes the laser an ideal machine for this process. 

Best of luck!

-Erin

[Alicia Testa]

Our Laser cutter gets tons of work:

7th grade Medieval Projects: depending on topics we cut out of colored matte board and had Hornbook, Shields, map of the area, playing cards, 

7th Grade Cathedrals Project in Theology

5th Grade Crosses Project in Theology

We also had a Science Art club design Mobiles and lamps cut acrylic 

Made some intricate boxes for Art as well

Mazes in math class,

tessellation puzzels

to get them interested in using the cutter we have them design their name simple 60 minute how to.

We have also cut out paper Valentine cards, snow flakes,

templates for felt beads and flowers.

Alicia

[Ann Boes]

I'm seeing lots of great ideas for projects on the laser cutter. If anyone has curriculum they would be willing to share, would you please link to it in this thread? 

Thanks!

Ann

[Diego Fonstad]

I haven't updated it in a long time but I used to post my project files on Thingiverse under ZombieCat http://thingiverse.com/zombiecat

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[Bob Deneau]

I am enjoying reading all the ideas shared in this thread. I am curious what laser cutters everyone is using. Thanks for sharing.

[Steve Westwood]

I love and agree with most of the posts.  I'll add a practical point:

Laser Cutters are a big up front investment, but tend to be inexpensive to operate, inexpensive to design for, require less teacher support both in design and operation and provide a rapid throughput that keeps student project energy moving, while providing a level of polish and zazz that knives, scroll saws and drills cannot easily match.  

From the list of projects above, the other big perk is the near endless number of applications and uses--a lasercutter supports a broad STEAM or Design Thinking program without needing a ton of specialist training.  

Thanks,

Steve

On Friday, March 18, 2016 at 1:07:02 AM UTC-7, Kevin Jarrett wrote:

[Tim Cooper]

I would also like to ask which software kids are using to design. Especially young kids. I can see tinkercad and Inkscape at either end of the spectrum. Anything in between?

Tim Cooper

The York School

On Tuesday, 22 March 2016, Bob Deneau <itec...@gmail.com> wrote:

I am enjoying reading all the ideas shared in this thread. I am curious what laser cutters everyone is using. Thanks for sharing.

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[David Malpica]

Truth is there is nothing really that great in terms of software between Tinkercad and Inkscape.

In terms of curriculum, I've developed a workflow that I teach to 6th graders. It goes from 123D Design (3D Modeling) to 123D Make (Slicing) with a detour through Inkscape (for pdf file cleanup and optimization) and ends in Corel Draw (which controls the laser). All of these tools have their complexities. Most 6th graders can do all of this unless they're too short and can't reach the laser; it just takes a lot of time.

I spend approximately 12 periods teaching them 3D modeling (precise 2D line drawing, mirroring, extrusion, grouping, and a bit of lofting) and slicing (and would like to spend more time on slicing). I then give them a product design engineering project (create a product out of cardboard to solve a problem in the lab) which takes about 20 periods (I require at least one significant iteration of the physical product) and culminates with presentations. I have classes of 24 students divvied up into teams of three students. Our periods are 65 minutes.

Best,

David

On Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 6:21:45 AM UTC-7, tcooper wrote:

I would also like to ask which software kids are using to design. Especially young kids. I can see tinkercad and Inkscape at either end of the spectrum. Anything in between?

Tim Cooper

The York School

On Tuesday, 22 March 2016, Bob Deneau <itec...@gmail.com> wrote:

I am enjoying reading all the ideas shared in this thread. I am curious what laser cutters everyone is using. Thanks for sharing.

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[Chris Bradfield]

This is really a great thread.  I'm also curious about the hardware everyone is using, and what I should start budgeting for!