Files
Grasshopper Code (not recommended for use, was a learning experience.)
Rhino File
Cat SVG Etch for Laser

Concept
In my house there is a love seat that frequently has two dogs sitting on it. Immediately next to the love seat is an end table, and empty corner wall space above.

In my house there are also two cats, one of whom frequently expresses irritation that the dogs exist.

I want to put a shelf in the corner above the end table such that the cats can get up on top of it and torment the dogs from a vantage point they cannot contest. I also want to put up a small wall around part of the shelf such that a cat can hide up there, as well as soft padding so they can nap.

Initial sketch:


My design has four parts. The shelf itself is 15" by 30" with one rounded corner. Then it has two brackets that can fit into the holes. Each of these brackets has two wall mounts to screw into the wall. Finally, there is a four inch tall wall piece that mounts onto the side of top and left side. It only goes part way around the front. Functionally, the shelf is to have an open part where the cat can jump on, and short wall they can hide behind.

Grasshopper
This shelf is the first thing I have ever designed in the Rhinoceros plugin Grasshopper.
The grasshopper file is an awful mess, some components aren't even used, and I certainly do some things very inefficiently. I learned alot along the way though.

Cutting
After having the file designed, there was one more step, adding drill points to each corner so the pieces can slide together. This is because the bit is circular and cannot make square corners.

The Champaign Urbana Community Fab Lab does not have a large CNC machine, but there is one next door in architecture. They have a C.R. Onsrud 98C. Jeff Putney went to the store to get some MDF and we took it inside.

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