
Large or (mini) Pirate Chest
Where arrrrrrr you gonna hide your treasure?

- Safety First: Ensure workspace is free of fire, electrical and other safety hazards. Be aware of all safety issues when cutting materials with a laser. Always have a fire extinguisher on hand
- Power on the laser and all of its components.
- Ensure that:
- The laser is powered and the boot up cycle begins on the screen.
- The cooling system is connected properly and water is flowing through the tube.
- The air compressor is powered and exhausting air to the laser head.
- The exhaust system is on and vented into a safe location. - Connect to RetinaEngrave 2.0 software using your machine’s touch screen to copy the software IP address into your favorite browser. The Wired IP address is displayed at the bottom of your touch screen.
- Import your design and adjust power and speed settings. Double check settings including the number of passes and cut order.
- Insert material into the laser bed. Use the focus tool to adjust to the top of the material. Focusing should be done each time a new material is introduced.
- Use the “Perimeter” function to ensure that the file will fit within the cutting area. Adjust accordingly.
- Run the job file. Do not leave a job running unattended.
CUT
Import the included files and cut all the pieces from their respective materials. This file contains vector cuts, vector marking and rasters
The first step in assembly will be with the base.
Next you can notch the back panel into the base.
Now add the side panels to each side.
see next slide..
And now the front panel, this is distinguishable by the 2 notch holes in the front.
Then add the side tabs to hold all into place, but do not glue them yet.
Lets start on the rounded top of the chest.
First you will want to start with side brackets adding the 5 similar cut pieces to the top.
Leave one notch in the front for the thinnest cut panel.
Now the two back panels will need to be put together like this.
Time to add glue! Starting with these sides to the rounded chest top.
Once the top is complete set it into place of the main chest.
Then we can glue the corner brackets in place and add the latch loop. You can stop there if you would like or go on to see how to add the accessories to give even more detail to this project.
At this point you can also paint and or stain your project. Remember that you can always stain your wood prior to cutting the pieces.
To build the lock we used Romarks gold metallic with adhesive back and simply stacked the pieces together.

As for the buckles, we simply looped the leather straps and glued them in place.
The leather we had was not the best for cutting due to it’s fibrous nature and the scale of this cut. So we simply marked the leather for reference and cut later. For information on the best leather to use with your laser cut projects please check out our materials Ebook. Coming Soon!
Finally add all the accessory pieces where you see fit. A simple dab of super glue will hold all in place.
Well Done!
Bonus File: Mini Pirate Chest will need to be glued throughout, does not notch together like the bigger one.
Difficulty: ★★☆
Minimum Requirements: 40W
Raw Materials: ¼ inch wood or ⅛ inch wood
Optional: Paint and or Stain, Leather and or Similar Material, and Romarks 1/16th gold with adhesive backing
Estimated Laser Time: 14 mins