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Assembly guide

Cut, stack,
glue

How to turn your downloaded files into a finished layered map, from the first test cut to hanging it on the wall. It works the same for every kind of map.

1. Before you cut

  • Check the stack. Turn the design round in the studio's 3D view and read the layer list: README.txt in the zip lists the same layers, bottom to top, with the material for each.
  • Match the thickness. Set the studio's sheet thickness to your material's real thickness (measure it: “3 mm” plywood is often a little thinner), so the stack height and the 3D preview are right.
  • Measure your kerf. Cut a 20 mm square from the material you'll use and measure it. The kerf is 20 mm minus what you measure: 19.8 mm means 0.2 mm. Enter it in the studio before downloading; it's then built into every cut.
  • Test your settings. Power and speed depend on your laser, lens and material, so engrave, score and cut a test on scrap from the same sheet first. The score should leave a light, visible line without cutting through.

2. Set up the job

  • Import at full size. The files are sized in millimetres. Check the imported size against README.txt; if it's off, your software assumed a different resolution, so set the import to use the file's units, or use the DXF files.
  • Map the three colours. Red hairlines cut. Black fills engrave. Blue hairlines score: one light line pass, not a fill. In DXF files these are the layers CUT, ENGRAVE (set it to fill) and SCORE.
  • Don't add an offset. The kerf is already in the cuts; an offset in your laser software would count it twice and the pieces would come out loose.
  • Order: engrave and score first, then cut, and cut inner shapes before outer ones, so nothing shifts once it's loose. Most laser software can do this for you.

3. Cut

  • Lay each sheet flat; weigh or pin down a warped one, or the beam goes out of focus across it.
  • Some makers cover wood with masking or transfer tape to keep smoke marks off the face, peeling it after cutting. Air assist helps too.
  • Cut the sheets in order and label them as they come off, or keep each in its own pile. Never leave the laser running unattended.

4. Sort the pieces

  • Maps: every sheet but the top one has its layer number engraved where the sheet above hides it, so the stack sorts itself.
  • Lakes, coasts and terrain nested onto stock sheets: each piece with a layer glued on top has an ID such as 4·2 (layer 4, piece 2) engraved where that layer covers it; P is the panel. Pieces with nothing on top have no ID, since it would show: find them by shape. Open assembly.html from the zip for a checklist and a drawing of every stock sheet and step.

5. Dry fit

Before any glue, stack everything in order on a flat board. Check every loose piece has a home, nothing is upside down (engraving faces up), and edges line up. It takes a few minutes and saves a piece glued in the wrong place.

6. Glue it up

Side view of a layered map: the base sheet, a rimmed second layer lined up by its outer edge, and a loose piece lowered into the gap, where a blue line scored on the base marks its place a little inside its edge.1234
  1. Layer 1, the base: a full sheet.
  2. Layer 2 reaches the edge, so it lines up by its outer frame.
  3. A loose piece, such as an island, is glued inside the blue line.
  4. The line is scored a little inside the piece's edge, so the piece hides it.
  • Bottom up. Start with layer 1 and glue each layer onto the one below.
  • Full sheets line up by their edges. Sheets that reach the edge of the map share the same outer frame, so square them up against each other, or against a straight edge clamped to your board.
  • Loose pieces go inside the blue line. Islands, peaks and other pieces that don't reach the edge have their outline scored on the sheet below, set in a little, so the piece covers the line once it's glued.
  • A little glue, away from the edges. Wood glue between wooden sheets. On acrylic, use a glue that dries clear and won't fog it, or double-sided transfer tape; superglue fumes can leave a white haze on acrylic.
  • Weigh it down on a flat surface while each layer dries, with a board and some books on top, so the stack stays flat.
  • The panel (lake, coast and terrain name plates) goes on last; on terrain it sits in its recess in the lowest land.

7. Finish and frame

  • Wipe soot off cut edges and faces with a slightly damp cloth, and peel any masking tape.
  • A clear finish protects wood and deepens its colour; try it on an offcut first, since some finishes darken engraving or raise the grain.
  • To frame it, pick a shadow-box frame deeper than the stack: the studio shows the stack height. Or fix hanging hardware to the back of the base.
  • If you sell or show it, credit the map data, such as “© OpenStreetMap contributors”.

Something didn't fit?

If pieces come out too tight or too loose, adjust the kerf in the studio and download again; that's free for a place you've paid for. If the files themselves are wrong, tell us: faulty files are always fixed or refunded. More answers are in the FAQ.