Melissa Metzler - Cedar Street Design

We use a laser cutter to cut the wood parts for our boxes. And we use vector graphics software to draft the designs for our boxes. So, it’s true that we use technology and have called our process digital woodworking. But the boxes don’t design themselves and they certainly don’t make themselves. We spend a lot more time designing, sanding, gluing, and finishing a box than setting up our laser cutter and watching it make a cut. Here’s an overview: 1) Develop original two-dimensional designs to construct into three-dimensional objects 2) Use a laser cutter to cut thin pieces of wood to make the necessary parts for each box 3) Sand the pieces before gluing to remove smoke marks left by the cutting process 4) Glue the pieces together 5) Sand the box again, possibly multiple times, to get it ready for finishing 5) Choose and apply the finish - natural, oiled, polyurethane, shellac, paint, or dyes 6) Add other finishing elements such as fabric or leather linings, beads, woven details, etc.