Cricut veneer cutting, Advanced Techniques: Bluetooth Speaker

 Here's how I used a Cricut maker to cut Walnut veneer to make a bluetooth speaker.

I'd like to share some tips I've come across when using the Cricut Maker to cut wood veneers. Basically, the machine cuts paper, vinyl and wood veneers which are stuck to a plastic mat with knife-dragging technology. This is not a huge deal when cutting paper and thin vinyl, but cutting hardwood veneer (such as Walnut) can be a tricky proposition.
First of all, if you just stick the veneer on the mat, there's a very good chance it will become unstuck in the middle of your cut. 

Cricut recommends you simply use masking tape on every edge to keep the veneer in place. But, there's a problem with that advice.  The rollers rolling against the tape can create errors in the cut, renedering your sheet of veneer useless. Also, masking tape really doesn't stick well and can become unstuck from the veneer. Finally Cricut recommends using a "high grip mat." This can work for cutting, but the problem becomes removing(weeding) the parts from the mat.

First, clean the Cricut rollers with an alcohol pad:

You don't need to clean the rollers every time, but check periodically to make sure they're clean.

Second, I like to really clean the veneer by gently running tape across the surface. Choose one side- that will be the side that will be stuck to a regular-grip mat. Use whatever tape you like, but use quick strokes across the surface and don't "blot" the veneer. Un-sticking the tape might do some damage if you aren't careful. You might be shocked at how much dust is on the veneer! Clean in this manner until the tape comes away relatively clean.

Another trick I use is a bit different than what you might read in the manual. I suggest not using masking tape to hold down the veneer. If you use few thin strips of a strong tape, you can keep your veneer in place while cutting, as shown in the photo below:

Even this many strips of strong tape on a clean veneer is overkill.  2 on each side is usually plenty. More tape becomes helpful if your mat is not clean, or is really losing it's stickiness. Try not to get the tape in the path of the cutting blade. Though it won't really cause a problem, getting the tape off your parts might be tricky.

I also prefer to use .PNG files in Photoshop. This type of file will allow you to keep empty areas clear when you import them into Cricut Design Space.  This way, by simply uploading the file, there's no guesswork about what parts need to be removed. The Cricut will always just cut out the shapes and ignore the negative space as shown below:

Be sure to use 150dpi when designing and saving files. I use 300dpi.  The key to getting the proper artwork scale from Photoshop to Design Space is to remember the exact dimensions of your original file.  I do this by cropping the file to the exact dimensions required, and then putting the size in the file name. When importing to Design Space, they will be huge- you must remember the size of the file, or at least know how big you want the parts to be (Shown in green, Below):

  All of these tips are available in the video below:

It's approximately a 4" cube. 

It's 11.5" tall and 11.5" wide.

It can be cut from a single 12" by 12" veneer.  You can use the leftover parts to reinforce the interior of the box.

Good luck!