Lora's Giraffe

Well it had to be done. After my wife saw the Bantam Biplane (https://www.instructables.com/id/Bantam-Biplane/), she wanted a giraffe. So using the same pixel pushing software as before, I generated a giraffe for engraving and cutting on the DK-8-KZ Mini Laser Engraver from Gearbest (http://www.gearbest.com/3d-printers-3d-printer-kits/pp_343187.html?lkid=10969329). I again used .3mm brown card stock for the pieces.

I've included three bitmaps in this design. One containing the legs, the second containing a giraffe pattern, and the third containing the giraffe torso.

I engraved and cut the parts in three steps so that I could engrave the pattern on both sides of the pieces. I also used two sheets of .3mm brown card stock for each cut; one for the parts and a second underneath the parts card used to protect the cutting surface of the engraver.

I began by loading and engraving the giraffe pattern using a burn time of 10. Next, I increased the burn time to 110, then loaded the giraffe torso pattern and performed 3 engraving passes. I then carefully flipped the torso card and realigned it using the burn through marks on the reverse side and the engravers "To the origin" and "Box locating buttons". I finished by reloading and engraving the giraffe pattern again using a burn time of 10.

I incorporated 4 small sprues (thin white lines through the thick black lines in the bitmaps) in both the torso and leg bitmaps to assist in holding the parts together during flipping to the other side. Cut through these with a small, sharp modeling knife.

I repeated the same process with the leg pattern.

You've probably already figured this out, but slide the larger leg set into the slot near the giraffe torso head, and the small leg set into the slot near the giraffe torso tail.

A small dot of thick cyanoacrylate glue between the leg and torso joints holds it all together.

Hope you like it, Lora does!

Oh, and don't turn on the ceiling fan...