I've done a previous blog on a similar item, but this time I'm including the design process for those of you who are interested.

Making another panel for a box idea, this time thinking about a different 3-D type layout.

Here is what I have in mind:

Will be 8" x8".
Before I think about veneer wood selection, I need to lay out the design.

I use LightBurn (LB) with my laser, it has excellent tools to do what I'm going to show, but I like doing this with MacDraft, something I've used in one form or another since the 80's
Most any simple drafting/drawing type software can easily do this.

Step one is to think about the basic elements that make this up.

Plans are for the sticks to be 3/8" wide, I'll let the other dimensions (length) fall where the trigonometry tells it.

Just an 8" x 8" rectangle, 45's corner to corner, and lines offset by 3/8"

I'll just create the parts running horizontally as rectangles, then rotate them 45° as needed.

With some simple duplication and trim operations, I can create the solid shapes for all the pieces and break the thing up into the parts.

This becomes the basic set for one color of veneer to create two of the smaller "sub" boxes that create the whole shape.
Same number of light and dark parts.

Instead of setting up for all four sub boxes from one piece of veneer, I chose for only two since I plan on using some small scraps of about 5" square I have.

This done, I create a "dxf" file so I can import it into the LightBurn software and prepare it for cutting.

Back to MacDraft, I assemble the full panel from the basic sub-square above to get a printout of the parts layout (first picture above), It is just a matter of duplicating the square and rotating/flipping to arrange it all. The following picture has added shading to so I can get the light/dark parts in their correct locations.

Now with the pieces imported into LB, I need to verify the scaling.

Lasers have a very thin cut line (kerf), but just as with a table saw blade (1/8" kerf typically), the lasers kerf needs to be considered.

Again, as with the table saw, I want the part to be the intended size so I'll intentionally cut it oversized by the amount of kerf.
LB allows you to tell it how big this needs to be (1/2 the width of the "spot") and automatically compensates for this when cutting.

("Kerf offset" in the center)

Only 4+ thousandths of an inch, but for a tight fit of all the parts it matters!

To further muddy the issue, diode lasers typically have a rectangular "spot" that does the cutting.

Some are better than others, but it is another issue to consider (CO2 lasers have a true dot if focused well).

LB doesn't (yet) consider this effect in the kerf offset. The rectangle will mean the up/down cuts (Y-axis) will have a wider kerf than the left/right cuts (X-axis).

What to do?

With the pattern I made, I set the width of the parts to 3/8", so I'll cut one out and measure it to see if my kerf offset is what it should be.


Laser setup

Let's step back a bit and run over the machine setup for this project.

Veneer cuts easily, but being wood, it will burn and make smoke. The smoke needs a place to go and the burning should not be a fire.

Typically you would raise the veneer of the "floor" of the laser so the smoke can exit underneath and it won't get heated by the floor where the beam tries to cut into that.
A finned grid will work, but since I have it, I use a piece of rippled glass.
The laser beam will pass through the glass without generating heat and the ripples provide a path for the smoke to get out.
Veneer is rarely flat as well so I like a surface where I can tape it down and keep it flat.

So now I have a test sample of parts cut out on a scrap

I'll take one of the pieces and measure the width using a dial caliper.

It's spot on 3/8" (0.375"). Now to check the length. Pulling a dimension from the MacDraft drawing, I know exactly the length from tip to tip of the long pieces.
With the rectangular beam, I expect this dimension to come up slightly short.
Knowing the difference from as-cut to desired, I'll simply stretch my parts out only in length (x-axis) by the difference.

Time for a real cut. I chose maple, curly and birdseye that was dyed grey. Hopefully it'll have the right contrast, otherwise I'll have to try other woods.

LB allows you to set "tabs" or small bridges where the cutting skips. These tabs keep the part from flying away after the cut is finished.
I only have the tabs along the long grain sides. Tabs in the end grain can be touchy to break off and remove.

Red dots are tab locations, 0.020" wide.

All cut and sizes are correct!

Onto the panel layout

I use vinyl self adhesive shelf liner from WallyWorld as it hold the parts great, but I can still shove them around slightly or remove them if needed.

I'll tape the shelf liner to a 10" x 10" caul of 3/4" MDF with the sticky side up.

(backer paper peeled away)

A couple of straight edges set at 90° for use as guides.

The small setup 45 is great for help in getting all the 45's perfect.

When vacuum pressing this, the exposed side of the veneer will be facing the shelf liner (good side goes down).
Since the laser cuts a bit of taper from the beam spreading out, I'll use the top side when cutting as my "good" side,
This means the side that still has some smoke staining will be up during assembly.

The part edges are burned so I hold the parts with a wide mouth binder clip and use a sanding block to carefully clean off the nibs from the tabs and a bit of the char.

I didn't do the ends (end grain) since that usually causes some damage to the corners.

Now it is just placing and aligning

I did the triangles between the pieces last since I didn't know what wood would look good.
Tried Sapele, but ended up with light walnut.
Used the same adjustment process for size as before

Done!

Now I just cut a piece of plywood for the panel a bit oversize (8-1/2" square).

To have the plywood come out more or less aligned and centered to the veneer layout, I placed some sticks space 1/4" away.

Then it's applying glue (Titebond cold press) with an ink roller to the plywood, setting it against the wood strips, applying glue to the back, and laying on a Sapele backing veneer.

Top caul is 3/4" MDF (8-1/2" square) covered with two layers of paper towels to absorb any glue squeeze out.

Into the vacuum bag for two hours.

Out of the bag, remove the back side caul and the tape holding the shelf liner to the face caul.

The shelf liner peels away easily enough, I do this shortly after removing from the bag to allow air in for the glue to set up at the same rate on both sides to help prevent warping.

Came out good! Visible lines (lower left corner) where the burned ends butt up. Next time I'll see into sanding the ends.

A wipe with mineral spirits to see if the wood combo will work.

I can work with that!

If you've made it this far, congrats and thanks!