Kerf of Tarkin measured?

@dannym Do we have a formal spec for the kerf of Tarkin? I know it is extremely tiny… I regularly use the Boxes.py generator, and some of my box patterns that I used regularly on Red are too tight when cut on Tarkin, and I’m pretty sure after various measurements that it is coming from the kerf setting. Red had an ever-so-slightly thicker line. Is there a spec for how wide Tarkin’s kerf is? If not, I’ll have to work on experimentally working it out.

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PS: “The Kerf of Tarkin” sounds like a powerful D&D artifact or rare M:tG card that every character should aspire to acquire. :slight_smile:

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I don’t know the answer here but I also use that website and have had good luck figuring out best settings using their calibration test box. I think it’s labeled Burn Test under Misc. Not helpful if you aren’t able to cut it out, but might be the best way to find out.

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That was going to be my next project if Danny didn’t have ready numbers for me. :slight_smile:

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It depends on material thickness. I would try 0.002in and 0.004in less than what you used on Red.

How big is your box in the XY? Any skew in the square of the XY axis turns rectangles into parallelograms and that tightens the box, the error can become more significant with larger boxes. This all comes from the accuracy of the timing in the rod that connects the left and right sides of the Y axis.

After I lasered some of the many-layered mandalas for Christmas, I saw they were pretty delicate to ship, so I lasered plywood crates for them. Then turned the design into an outline and lasered a foam insert to hold it in place too.

Overall I didn’t see any significant timing error there, but there is always some. The crate faces were about about 18" wide and fit tightly and had to be lowered into place at all 4 corners at once- pressing in one side and then the other would hang.

I actually brought an 18" crated mandala in my carryon bag on a flight. The crate was thin but quite stiff and sturdy and protected it completely as the bag got chucked around.

You can just measure the kerf alone, there’s calipers right there. Cut a 10mm square and caliper the actual size. It can vary with materials and settings by a small amount (like single digit 0.001" amounts)

On 1/8" acrylic I measured the diameter of the kerf to be 10 thou (0.01"). That’s worked well for me thus far, but ymmv

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