Vintage Baseball Scoreboard for Dad – Personalized, Photo Frame DIY Laser Cut Project
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Instruction
Information
I made this scoreboard as a unique, personalized Father’s Day gift for baseball-loving dads. As a lifelong Mariners fan, I wanted to give my husband a scoreboard where he could finally be on the winning team. Inspired classic stadium signs, I thought it would be fun to make something he could personalize and actually keep track of some wins at home (even if the real team can’t seem to make it to October).
Inspired by vintage stadium signs, this design combines laser-cut 3D elements with peekaboo photo frames to make an interactive, meaningful display for the home or office. It’s customizable with your own photos and family name, and easy to assemble with basic tools. It's perfect for anyone new to laser cutting or looking for a meaningful DIY project.
Instruction
Step1: Ideation
I started by researching and finding some photos of vintage baseball stadium scoreboards to find common shapes that felt both vintage, heirloom, and timeless.
I combined a few shapes that felt like the theme I was going for, and decided that some pinstripes integrated throughout would fit the vintage feel.
Step2: Design in Adobe Illustrator
Next, I formed the outline shape for the scoreboard.
Then, I thought it would be fun to include a vintage logo that would be personalized for the last name of the family.
I played around with how many 3D elements should go into the scoreboard. (Ultimately, after a few trial cuts, I didn't want to glue all the elements of the letters on the frame). But this version is included in the template if you would like to add more detail.
Step3: Laser Cuting + Trails and Errors
This was one of my first significant projects I have done, so i really stuggled with either over-charring the wood, or under cutting it. I actually tried so many times I ran out of the Birch plywood I was using, so the final version ended up being a mix of Birch and Basswood.
I had previously used a different laser cutter before trying the XTool S1, and the Xtool's software actually made it way easier to dial in the power and speed. On my previous machine I wasn't even in the ballpark (pun intended).
Tip: Always test your cut and engrave settings on a scrap of the same wood before committing to your final piece. Birch plywood can scorch easily, especially with intricate details.
What I learned: Switching from my previous laser to the XTool S1 made it much easier to dial in speed and power for crisp lines. However, I still needed a few test runs to avoid overburning or undercutting, especially since this was my first real project and I live in Spokane, WA, where the dry climate makes it extra challenging to prevent burning the wood.
Step4: Assembly
Next, I glued all the little scoreboard pieces in and my inkjet printer photos to go in the frames. I added the personalized logo at the top to finish it off.
The finished scoreboard made an awesome Father’s Day gift. This project is easy to customize for any family or baseball fan, and comes together quickly with the S1 and a few basic tools.
If I were to do it all over again with the experience I learned, I would have bumped down the power a little bit on the cut edges, and especially on the engraving of the tiny detailed pieces. If I had more time, I would also love to try and cut out and glue the “All Star Dad” layers at the top that I intended to.