Puzzle pieces - An inkscape / excel combo

By IanDownLondonWay
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BY-NC-SA 4.0 License
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Updated Wed Sep 16 2020

Using inkscape, backed by a spreadsheet to create smooth puzzle pieces suitable for a display surface. This was mostly me learning to use inkscape to create an interesting Shaper cut-able design.

> 2 hr
Easy

38

Other

Files Included (17)

  • 01 - Commentary.pdf

    19 kB
  • 02 - puzzle piece layout 1.svg

    28 kB
  • 03 - puzzle piece layout 2.svg

    30 kB
  • 04 - puzzle piece layout 3.svg

    30 kB
  • 05 - Puzzle pieces size calculations.xls

    32 kB
  • 10 - very small joints.jpg

    346 kB
  • 11 - Single boat support.jpg

    88 kB
  • 12 - one set of boat supports.jpg

    198 kB
  • 13 - Finished boat supports.jpg

    419 kB
  • 14 - first test pieces.jpg

    284 kB
  • 15 - dry trial.jpg

    186 kB
  • 16 - glued up sheet.jpg

    184 kB
  • 17 - finised base.jpg

    368 kB
  • 18 - In place.JPG

    173 kB
  • 20 - Commentary.docx

    6 kB
  • 21 - Commentary.odt

    26 kB
  • 22 - Puzzle pieces size calculations.ods

    39 kB

Materials

6mm thick hardwood, minimum of 80mm x 120mm

Lots of double sided tape.

Tools

Shaper Origin

Additional router (for bevel)

Instructions

I've included quite a long commentary in the files (ms word / libre office / html) which describes how I managed to use inkscape in a highly parameterized way, using a spreadsheet (MS excel, and libre-office) to do the hard trig calculations, so as to create the shape that I wanted - puzzle pieces. Three versions of the SVG files are included, containing the same basic shapes but in different layouts to match the varying sizes of hardwood I had available. The cutting itself was straight forward, with the exception being that when cutting small pieces, the double sided tape needs to be carefully applied. Also included are various pictures of the puzzle pieces, and their context (a dry dock design, also constructed using the Shaper for some very small and consistent joints).


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