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Introduction



Welcome to one of our hands-on Project Kits! This kit features a tensegrity table, a structure held up purely by tension! "Tensegrity" refers to the combination of "tension" and "integrity". This project allows you to familiarize yourself with the CO2 laser cutter, its procedures, and the Elko Garage space. Ready to learn? 

In this kit you will receive only the basic materials: wood, string, and rivets. Everything else is up to you! Make sure to complete the Garage's CO2 Laser Cutter training before starting this project. You will be given the files to cut your pieces out and instructions to assemble the tensegrity table yourself! Feel free to ask the Garage staff for help at any time. Enjoy this hands-on project!

-Mattea

Step 1: Using the CO2 Laser Cutter

Once you have received the CO2 laser cutter training, you can start cutting your piece of wood into the needed components. Using the provided wood, and either the blue or red laser cutter, set up your piece on the machine's bed and open the .ai (Adobe Illustrator) file below:


Tensegrity Table 0.25in.ai


Enter the below settings into the Manual Control menu for Black and Red, then perform the cut according to the laser cutter's SOP:

Red/Blue CO2 Laser Cutter

Raster Settings (Black):

  • Power: 70%
  • Speed: 100%
  • PPI: 500
  • Z-axis : 8.00 mm


Vector Settings (Red):

  • Power: 90%
  • Speed: 4%
  • PPI: 500
  • Z-axis : 8.00 mm

Note: If you want to avoid burn marks on your wood pieces, you can cover the top and bottom surfaces in masking tape, then peel it off after the laser cutting is done. In this case, you may need to slightly increase the power settings (or decrease the speed) by ~5%, to make sure the engraving reaches the wood and the vector cut goes all the way through the material. 

Step 2 : Assembly

Using the following instructions, assemble the table in any free workspace in the Garage (or at home). Good Luck!!



Feel free to customize your tensegrity table however you see fit! You can decorate the table bases and legs, change the text of the engraving, swap the string colours, use acrylic instead of the wood provided, or anything else you can think of! If you'd like your finished tensegrity table featured on Garage Makes, let a staff member know!