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Destined to be Wooden Heart Slide Decoration
Instruction
Information
An easy to assemble sign with stands that says "You" and "Me" are "Destined to be" When the heart is slid open. When you push the two halves together, it then states that "You" and "Me" are "Destined to be Together Forever". Give this to your loved one to show how much you cherish them and believe in the eternity of your love!
This can be done on any of the larger machines (D1, D1Pro, M1, M1U, P2 and P2S). While this could be done using the F1/F1 Ultra, the plans will have to be resized accordingly.
Included are the XCS file and SVG file.
Instruction
Step1: Before you Begin
This project was a flash of inspiration after looking at a few projects from others for Valentines day. I designed and built this in XCS but did export and include the file as an SVG as well. All parts are on one canvas.
This is an easy assembly using just 3 pieces of 1/8" (3mm) birch plywood at 12"x12". You could use other woods/materials and resize as you wish, however, keep in mind that the stands shown and included are set up for 1/8" material and you may need to adjust them to accomodate a thicker material.
Speaking of the stands, they are optional. If you decide to go a different route to display this, you could. I do have a kickstand bundle on Designfind that would work with this as well. You can find that in the premium section or by following this link: https://projects.xtool.com/project/20613-kickstand-bundle-for-signs-and-portraits
If you are using the P2, then the settings for the birch is included with these plans. This is able to be used on different machines, but you will need to adjust your settings accordingly.
I used 2P10 Thick adhesive for this. However, you could also use the 3m 468mp adhesive paper as well. Do keep in mind, you will only want to use this on certain parts so be sure to read through the full instructions to know which parts exactly you would want to use it on.
Have some sandpaper on hand just incase you need to sand the edges of the slide guides. More on that in the assembly instructions.
Step2: Cut out all your Parts
Using the settings shown (on the 1/8" birch from xTool with the P2) cut out all your parts. You most likely will need to sand your pieces to get rid of burn marks if you don't mask (which I did not). Use 220 grit.
When you have all the pieces cut out, lay them out. You should have 3 large pieces, 2 heart halves, 2 large slide pieces, 2 spacer (smaller) slide pieces and 2 stands.Total pieces: 11.
Step3: Assemble Step 1 - Front and Middle
Take the part that states “Destined to be” and the larger part that is not engraved. You will want to put glue on the surface of the unengraved piece and then press the engraved piece on top, lining up the edges all the way around. This is a good reason to use glue instead of the 3m 468mp as you will most likely need to adjust the two pieces so that they line up as perfectly as possible.
Once you have them together and it is dry, flip it over. You should see that there is lip as shown in the first photo above in the cut out.
Next, put in a slider spacer as shown in the 2nd photo in the cut out. This is one of the smaller pieces. Take note that the flat edge should be facing towards the center. Put a circle of glue in the center of this piece being careful not to get close to the edge as any squeeze out can adhere this to the lip which will make the whole piece not slide correctly. Take a slider (the larger of the small pieces) and, again making sure the flat edge is facing towards the center, place it atop the spacer piece. Line the edges up as perfectly as possible. If done correctly, you can lift this piece out after the glue dries and you will have a piece that has a lip on both sides as shown in the next to the last picture. Put it back in place and then do the same thing again with the other slide spacer and slide. Again, as this is so important, be sure the flat edges are facing towards the center.
IMPORTANT: Slide the sliders back and forth along the opening in the larger pieces. If you feel it catch, sand the slide spacer along the edge slightly where it catches. (You can see where I had to do this in the next to the last photo.)
When you have these pieces completed, flip the entire thing over so that the parts are still together and the words “Destined to be” is face up. Proceed to the next step.
Step4: Assembly Step 2 - The Heart Halves
First thing you will want to do here is slide the right slider part out of the way and have the left half centered in the opening. (Remember to do this with the words “Destined to be” face up.)
Put a circle of glue on the middle of the slider spacer that is facing up as shown in the photo. Remember not to get it close to the edges at the top and bottom as squeeze out can glue the slider to the larger pieces making this not work. Take the left heart half with “You” engraved on it and line it up along the edges of the slide spacer. It will align perfectly on all sides when in the proper position. (NOTE: Dry fit so you have an idea of placement so that way when you do apply the glue, you don't move the glue around to the edges when trying to line up.)
Once the heart half is attached and dry, move the right hand slide up to bump up agains the left side. (See next to last photo) Put a circle of glue on this piece and then line up the edge of the right heart half (the one with “Me” egraved) with the left heart half. After lining up the edges of the heart halfs together, lever it down to line up with edge of the slide spacer. When completed, it should look like the last photo. Slide the two halves back and forth to ensure easy movement.
Step5: Assembly Step 3 - The back
Flip the entire piece over again so it is resting on the hearts. Put a strip of glue around the edges and a bit in the center. Take the final large piece and flip it so that the engraved part is facing down. Press it to the part with the glue. Stand the entire thing up and line up the edges so that it is aligned on all four sides before firmly pressing the back on.
Once the back is on, lay your project flat and slide the hearts together in the center. When you do so, you should see “You”"Me" side by side and revealing the words “Together” “Forever” in the opening. Slide the heart halves to either side and then you should cover those words and see the “&” symbol in the opening.
Congratulations, you have just assembled the “Destined to be” sign
Step6: Assembly Step 4 - Optional Stand
Included with these plans is two legs to create a stand. This is completely optional and can be left off in favor of a different stand or hanger. Included in the first step above is a link to my Kickstand plans that would work well with this project. Run a bead of glue along the edge of the stand on the part attaching to the sign. Be sure to put a bit of glue at the base to. Attach this to the back of your sign. Stand it up to make sure it is lined up straight. Do the same to the other leg and adjust as needed to be as straight as possible.
Step7: You could also...
There are many things you could do with this project. For example:
The words are removable. Just ungroup the plans to add your own text. Maybe you want to change the “You” and “Me” to names. Or maybe you want to add a quote of your choosing instead of “Destined to be”
Also, as shown in the cover photo, you could add color. In fact, I recommend it. But, you may also want to stand he other parts. It will help the letters pop darker if you do.
The choices are yours. Have fun with it.
And Happy Valentines day.
