How to Make an Acrylic Sunglass Rack Using a Laser Cutter

These are instructions for how to make an acrylic sunglass rack using a laser cutter.  I used a laser cutter at the TechShop in Menlo Park, CA.  Check out their website, http://www.techshop.ws, if you're interested.  TechShop is a membership-based workshop that provides members with access to tools and equipment, instruction, and a community of creative and supportive people so they can build the things they have always wanted to make.

Materials/Tools needed:

-24" x 12" sheet of 1/4" thick acrylic (1/8" would probably work)
-~18" of 1/2" OD acrylic rod
-Acrylic solvent cement
-Laser cutter

The materials can all be found at TAP plastics or a similar plastic supplier, and a laser cutter can be found at TechShop.  I designed the file using Autodesk's AutoCAD, also available for use at TechShop along with lots of other software.

Using the file provided, cut out both the main plate and the base plate using a laser cutter.  There are three holes for each pair of sunglasses.  The size of the middle hole is critical as it needs to fit the 1/2" rod pretty snugly for the acrylic solvent cement to work well.  Depending on the laser cutter and software you're using, you may want to tweak the sizes of the middle holes before cutting to find the size that works best with your acrylic rod.

Cut the 1/2" acrylic rod into (x8) 2" lengths using your tool of choice (I used a table saw at the TechShop).  Sand/smooth the cut edges to your liking, then glue the pieces into the middle column of holes so that they're flush with one side of the main plate.  Then glue the base plate to the bottom and you're done!

Note:  the acrylic solvent-type cement works best in small quantities, so don't put too much on, just follow the directions given with your particular cement.