One of the reasons I purchased my xTool M1 was for engraving switch plates. You can't engrave plastics with it, but wood and some metal plates work pretty well. I suppose I could create and engrave acrylic plates, but I haven't ventured down that path yet. After engraving several steel plates, one at a time, I decided I needed a better way. So I set off to design a jig (though technically I guess I should call it a fixture, since it's holding the plates in place while the tool—the laser—is moving).
The outcome is a fixture with inserts to hold up to six Decora-style (paddle switch) plates in place at once for engraving. I have a plan in mind for toggle switch plates, too, but I need more time to work on that. And the actual engraving? Well that's another story for another time....
Basic Information is loading...
Step 1
Setting 1
Process Method
Laser Score
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
50
Speed(mm/s)
60
Pass
1
Setting 2
Process Method
Laser Cut
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
100
Speed(mm/s)
5
Pass
1
Create the Frame
I use a honeycomb panel with my M1, so these instructions are written from that perspective. When working with a 12" x 12" board, I like to trim the board first to fit flat on the grid. The first tab in the XCS file creates the board. First set the Trim layer to Output and Ignore everything in the other layers. The Trim layer trims off the bottom, cuts the anchor holes, and cuts the nail hole.
Now remove the trimmed piece. This is also a good time to relocate your positioning pins to the anchor holes you just created. Just be sure to angle them out to the sides so they don't interfere with any additional cuts. Select the Trim layer and Ignore it, then switch to the other two layers and set them each to Output. When you Start this part of the process, it will score the text on the board and cut the holes for the inserts.
Step 2
Setting 1
Process Method
Laser Cut
Power(%) or Cut Pressure(g)
100
Speed(mm/s)
5
Pass
6
Create the Inserts
I spent a lot of time—I mean...a lot—determining the proper size for the inserts to hold switch plates in place by their paddle openings. Suffice it to say that the so-called standard is not necessarily applied consistently from product to product. Ultimately, the size I settled on should fit in any switch plate opening for Decora-style, paddle, or GFCI product.
The inserts need to be thicker than the board so they'll stick up through the paddle openings in the plates them. Ideally they should be between 3/8" and 1/2" thick. I experimented with various wood products but ultimately settled on Make Market-brand wood coasters from Michael's. They cut more easily than some other materials, and the cuts were more consistent. One pack of four coasters will yield eight inserts, and unless my math is wrong, that's the most you should need for the configuration of this fixture.
Using the Inserts tab, place one coaster in the top left corner of your engraver. Put the other coasters on the engraving surface. If you're not using a honeycomb panel, place them on triangular prisms since you're going to do a lot of cutting. Make sure one of the coasters is under the thickness sensor and run the auto-measure process.
If they're not already, align the grouped objects on the top left coaster, and use the Smart Fill function to replicate them to the other coasters. It didn't do a perfect job for me, but it was good enough. Just make sure they're all in bounds. Now start the process and sit back. This one will take a while. Each cut will require six passes.
Step 3
Clean up the Inserts
Push the inserts out of the coasters and push any hole cores that remain out of the inserts. I recommend using 400 or higher sandpaper to smooth the edges and remove any fuzzies the laser cut may have left behind. Then use a rag or a microfiber cleaning towel to remove any remaining dust or char.
Step 4
Use It and Put It Away
So how's this all work? To use your new jig (or fixture, as it were), you'll place the board in your engraver, then use the inserts so you can position your switch plates around them. For multi-gang plates used with 2 or more switches, use two inserts—one on each end. Once in place, gently pull down on each plate to make sure the openings are firmly against and level with the top of each insert.
As I said in the intro, the engraving part is another story for another time. That, too, takes a lot of experimentation to get the settings right for each type of plate and finish. I'll follow up with a separate post about that. If you try on your own, do not attempt to engrave on plastic or vinyl plates—the fumes can be toxic!
So What's With the Weird Shape and All the Holes?
You undoubtedly noticed that each insert has something of a figure-eight shape. That's so they're easy to pull out. And the holes? I don't know how you store your jigs, but I keep mine on the wall. The holes are so that both the board and the inserts can all hang away neatly.
Create the Frame
I use a honeycomb panel with my M1, so these instructions are written from that perspective. When working with a 12" x 12" board, I like to trim the board first to fit flat on the grid. The first tab in the XCS file creates the board. First set the Trim layer to Output and Ignore everything in the other layers. The Trim layer trims off the bottom, cuts the anchor holes, and cuts the nail hole.
Now remove the trimmed piece. This is also a good time to relocate your positioning pins to the anchor holes you just created. Just be sure to angle them out to the sides so they don't interfere with any additional cuts. Select the Trim layer and Ignore it, then switch to the other two layers and set them each to Output. When you Start this part of the process, it will score the text on the board and cut the holes for the inserts.
Create the Inserts
I spent a lot of time—I mean...a lot—determining the proper size for the inserts to hold switch plates in place by their paddle openings. Suffice it to say that the so-called standard is not necessarily applied consistently from product to product. Ultimately, the size I settled on should fit in any switch plate opening for Decora-style, paddle, or GFCI product.
The inserts need to be thicker than the board so they'll stick up through the paddle openings in the plates them. Ideally they should be between 3/8" and 1/2" thick. I experimented with various wood products but ultimately settled on Make Market-brand wood coasters from Michael's. They cut more easily than some other materials, and the cuts were more consistent. One pack of four coasters will yield eight inserts, and unless my math is wrong, that's the most you should need for the configuration of this fixture.
Using the Inserts tab, place one coaster in the top left corner of your engraver. Put the other coasters on the engraving surface. If you're not using a honeycomb panel, place them on triangular prisms since you're going to do a lot of cutting. Make sure one of the coasters is under the thickness sensor and run the auto-measure process.
If they're not already, align the grouped objects on the top left coaster, and use the Smart Fill function to replicate them to the other coasters. It didn't do a perfect job for me, but it was good enough. Just make sure they're all in bounds. Now start the process and sit back. This one will take a while. Each cut will require six passes.
Clean up the Inserts
Push the inserts out of the coasters and push any hole cores that remain out of the inserts. I recommend using 400 or higher sandpaper to smooth the edges and remove any fuzzies the laser cut may have left behind. Then use a rag or a microfiber cleaning towel to remove any remaining dust or char.
Use It and Put It Away
So how's this all work? To use your new jig (or fixture, as it were), you'll place the board in your engraver, then use the inserts so you can position your switch plates around them. For multi-gang plates used with 2 or more switches, use two inserts—one on each end. Once in place, gently pull down on each plate to make sure the openings are firmly against and level with the top of each insert.
As I said in the intro, the engraving part is another story for another time. That, too, takes a lot of experimentation to get the settings right for each type of plate and finish. I'll follow up with a separate post about that. If you try on your own, do not attempt to engrave on plastic or vinyl plates—the fumes can be toxic!
So What's With the Weird Shape and All the Holes?
You undoubtedly noticed that each insert has something of a figure-eight shape. That's so they're easy to pull out. And the holes? I don't know how you store your jigs, but I keep mine on the wall. The holes are so that both the board and the inserts can all hang away neatly.