Simple Interlocking Joints

[matt.culik]

I'm working on drawer organizers for our kitchen. They will be made from 1/4" plywood which I will laser cut. I'd lock to design in simple interlocking joints to ease assembly.

My plan (for a number of reasons) is to draw the organizers in 3D and then export the individual faces of the various pieces of wood as DXF files for the laser cutter. 

My question is:

Is there an easy way in Fusion 360 to make interlocking joints like in the example image below without having to model in the slot in half of the pieces (and then use combine/cut)?

Would be great if I could just design them all as intersecting rectangles and then have the slots done automatically.

Thanks for the help!

[g-andresen]

Hi,

here´s one way:

My recommendation:
create parameters for thickness, height, width ...

günther

[2herds]

From what I gather you you would like all interlocking item to be made automatically.

Only 2 ideas came to mind for me. First if there is symmetry between most or all the parts then perhaps they could be stacked together and then the cut made. Or, make the part large enough, then make a cut then slice into the parts needed.

All this assumes I am following your proposal.

[davebYYPCU]

Your suggestion is the simple way, don’t forget the tolerances.

Make one, pattern them.

make a crossing rail, Combine cut, one and pattern it.

You have to create the sockets in the first half for that system to become semi automated.

Install DXFer to streamline the dxf files.

Might help....

[etfrench]

That's not a very good design for machining as the corners are square and the tool bits are round 😀

[etfrench]

Missed the laser cutting🤕

[chrisplyler]

Point still valid. Laser cutters use a round beam, right?

I guess if it's small enough, the interfering corners of wood just compress when you drive the things together?

Or you allow for a tolerance.

[davebYYPCU]

Yep round beam, so small that you don’t notice it, on mine it is the radius of the 0.2 mm beam, but very much machine specific.

[chrisplyler]

No experience with laser cutters myself. Can you set the center of the beam to follow right on the line? Or do you pick a side to leave untouched and the kerf is vaporized on the other side?

[davebYYPCU]

You elect one or the other, for my work I run centre of the line, adjusting geometry for this type of interlocking Part fit,

most routers have to run edge to the line, (cutter compensation, radius offset and dog bones).

[chrisplyler]

Cool. So I'm guessing for THIS project...plywood drawer dividers...just design the parts with no tolerance gap, cut them, then the 0.2mm laser gap will be pretty adequate for sliding the dividers together, and the tiny radius in the corners of the notches will probably actually help it fit right. Close enough to make a solid set of dividers without being hard to assemble or binding up with a little moisture.