Toy Forklift Pallet
Instruction
We have made several accessories for toys in the past with the xTool laser. This is a good fit since the d1 can cut small parts with ease and accuracy. This project is simply several small boards and some special designed ends with dados to connect all the parts into a pallet.
This project and end product is for a bruder toy forklift. I have used the spacing of the forks to design this pallet.
In may of my projects I like to start with a basic shape and size it to match the target dimensions of what I am designing. This helps me get a sense for the space on the canvas and to space parts. In this project I am starting with a rectangle that matches the overall top down dimensions of the pallet.
The top of a pallet is made up of slats. The slats are not touching, so I began by drawing a rectangle and sizing the length exactly to match the length of my pallet. I used the array tool to copy the slats until I was close to the overall width. I then selected all of the slats and made the overall width exactly the same as what I wanted the pallet to be.
to begin to design the cross bracing, we need a vertical rectangle. We will use the slats to the left as a guide to create notches or dados to receive the slats.
Next take one of the slats and resize it so that the length is the depth of the material used, which is .125 in this project. Now copy this rectangle enough times for all the notches on the cross brace. Just place each in line with the slats and subtract. I added three across the bottom to help support the pallet.
All operations on this project are cut operations. The settings are for the D1 5W laser. You may need to adjust the settings for your laser configuration.
Be sure to follow all the safety guidelines for your laser and always wear personal protective equipment when the laser is in operation.
The last task is to glue up the parts. I found using super glue to glue the three supports across the bottom helped, then i used wood glue to secure the top slats.