![[Laser cut and engrave] Teacher's Day 3D Apple](https://image-res.xtool.com/ali-res/community/making/eb85eae6-8d13-4e82-a279-fe52946515a8/Mock%20(1).png?x-oss-process=image/resize,w_1200,h_900,limit_0/interlace,1/format,webp/auto-orient,1)
Teacher's Day 3D Apple
Instruction
Information
These days, if you bring teachers an apple, you might get a weird look, but it is believed that there were serval points in history when students actually gave apples to their teachers as appreciation. So for Teacher's Day, I am making this 3D Apple to pay tribute to all teachers in the world.
Instruction
Step1: Idea or Sketch
Since I like to add some messages to the apple, so I was thinking that building an apple with apple slices, and each slice can carry messages. So I will need two disks to hold the apple slices, and to be able to read the message, I was thinking to try six slices.
First, I need a good-looking apple, and I found two reference photos of the apples (see photo 1 & photo 2).
Step2: Design File
I ended up using the green outline apple, so I am able to add patterns or messages in the slice.
- Trace the Apple image, and convert it to vector format (see Photo 1)
- I need to separate the apple to the left and the right half slice, see Photo 2 for how I did it.
- I went ahead and create 3 pair of half-apple slices,
Style 1: I add some heart shapes to show our love to the teachers (See Photo 3)
Style 2: #1 (See Photo 4)
Style 3: Teacher (See Photo 5)
The design is to show our love and pay respect to our teachers.
See photo 6 for the final design, export it to the SVG format.
*I did have the change the curve direction of the stem after my first try
Step3: Laser Cut
Upload the SVG to xTool Creative Space (see photo 1), connect to my 10W M1, and turn on the air assist and air purifier. The cut of this design is very straightforward since I'm using cardboard, the setting work for me is 70/10/1
Tip for cutting cardboard, always lay your design in the same direction, so the side (corrugated patterns) will look uniform (see photo 2).
Step4: Assembly
Since this is cardboard, I personally prefer the organic look, so there is no need to color it.
- Go ahead and put the hanging string or ribbon of your choice first, because it will be hard to add it at the last stage.
- Add a dab of glue of your choice at the slots where the apple slice and the supporting disk meet, gently push the slice into the support disk, and do the same pattern slice on the opposite slot on the disk (see Photo 1)
- Do the same thing for the second style slices (see Photo 2)
- Repeat the same thing for the third style slices (see Photo 3)
Photo 4 is the finished product.