A short time ago I excitedly received my very first shipment from the laser cutting service Ponoko. Here’s a narrative of the unboxing, to let you know all the lovely details.

When the box arrived, I plopped it on the floor to cut it open. Our dog Pippa couldn’t help checking it out.

Inside was the 1/8″ MDF I ordered, carefully protected by a sheet of cardboard.

I was surprised to find that the board was covered, front and back, by a protective adhesive, to keep the parts from breaking loose in shipping – nicely done!

The front piece is cut; the back piece is solid. The paper easily peeled from the pieces, revealing a reminder that this is laser-cut: a strong smell of woodburning, which to me seemed to smell like codfish oil. Fortunately the smell dissipated in a few hours, leaving nothing but a nicely-cut piece of wood.

Once the protective papers were off, I could see how the engraving on the Lunar Wheel came out: nicely wood-burned lines, with no noticeable flash-burn. The dog cutout has a little burn, but I’m sure that will come out with a light sanding.

So, there it is: a wonderful first experience ordering my own design from Ponoko – cheers!