The cut sheets
1 sheet. 1220 × 2440 mm, 18 mm plywood. Total cut path 31.7 m.
Machine time for the whole unit: about 1.2 h best, 2.1 h typical, 4.8 h slow. Based on reported 120 W-class diode speeds, multiple passes at 18 mm. One timed scrap cut will replace this.
A commercial CO2 flatbed is about 1.0 h in the sourced case. That number is an assumption, not a cut on this machine.
Sheet 1 carries a fit-test coupon: cut it first and try the tab in the slot before you cut the rest. Hover or tap a part below to light it in the model.
Build stages
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1
Cut the sheet(s) about 212 min (3 h 32 min)
Run the fit-test coupon first (slot = tab + 0.1 mm), then cut 1 sheet(s) from the DXFs (CUT layer): 32 m of path, 36 vent slots. Inside-out order, air assist on.
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2
Remove char and sand about 50 min
Brush char from every edge, 120 then 180 grit; round over the cat-door edge and the lid edge by hand so there is nothing sharp at whisker height.
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3
Dry fit about 15 min
Stand SIDE-L, push in BOTTOM, FRONT and BACK, add SIDE-R, then set the LID (with keys loose) on top. Check the litter box slides in and out with the lid off, and the door is square. No glue.
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4
Seal the inside about 75 min (1 h 15 min)
Litter and urine are the enemy of bare ply: give every inside face and the BOTTOM top 3 coats of waterborne poly or a 2-part epoxy, masking the tabs and slots. A removable plastic tray under the box is a cheap second layer.
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5
Glue-up (Titebond III) about 30 min
Glue BOTTOM, FRONT and BACK into SIDE-L, add SIDE-R and clamp with cauls across the width. Check square by measuring the diagonals. Wipe squeeze-out at once.
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6
Screws as clamps about 20 min
16 #8 screws (3.0 mm pilots cut in): #8 x 1-1/2 in through the side faces into BOTTOM, FRONT and BACK; the lid keys take 4 x #8 x 1-1/4 in down through the LID (plug the heads).
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7
Lid keys about 20 min
Glue the two LID-KEY strips under the LID so they sit 1 mm inside the walls (use the carcass as the jig), screw from the top, plug and sand. The lid then lifts off by hand for litter-box access.
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8
Finish, test, pack about 45 min
Two coats of low-VOC water-based poly on the outside, 48 h cure and air out before it goes near a cat. Check a 15 kg lid load. Felt pads under the 4 feet. Flat-pack in one box about 0.7 x 0.6 x 0.12 m.
About 7 h 47 min for all 8 stages.
Materials and hardware
18 mm (3/4 in) birch or Baltic-birch plywood, 4 x 8 ft (1220 x 2440 mm) x 1. Thickness 18 mm. 1 sheet.
Glue: Titebond III, about 5 oz.
Finish: low-VOC water-based poly outside, poly or epoxy inside (about $24 for both).
| Hardware | Qty | Each | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| #8 x 1-1/2 in wood screws from model | 12 | $0.06 | $0.72 |
| #8 x 1-1/4 in wood screws lid keys | 4 | $0.06 | $0.24 |
| Wood plugs / filler | 1 | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Felt/rubber foot pads | 4 | $0.40 | $1.60 |
| Low-VOC sealer / epoxy for the inside (share of a quart) interior is wet-area; included in finish too for the outside coats | 1 | $14.00 | $14.00 |
| Hardware total | $18.56 |
Screws counted from the model: #8 x 1-1/2 in × 12, #8 x 1-1/4 in × 4.
Profit estimate
Estimates and assumptions. Every dollar figure on this page is a planning estimate, not a quote and not a promise. Sheet price, hardware, fees, labor, and machine wear are assumptions. Machine time is based on reported 120 W-class diode speeds, multiple passes at 18 mm. One timed scrap cut will replace this.
Diode machine time
These three columns are the same unit at the mid selling price. Best, typical, and slow are the diode estimates. Based on reported 120 W-class diode speeds, multiple passes at 18 mm. One timed scrap cut will replace this.
| Best | Typical | Slow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine time | 1.18 h | 2.11 h | 4.78 h |
| Cost per unit | $150.57 | $152.15 | $156.69 |
| Gross margin | $239.43 | $237.85 | $233.31 |
| Gross margin % | 61.4% | 61.0% | 59.8% |
| Net after fees and labor | $135.43 | $133.85 | $129.31 |
| Gross profit per machine hour | $202.91 | $112.73 | $48.81 |
| Net profit per machine hour | $114.77 | $63.44 | $27.05 |
Commercial laser (assumptions)
These columns are assumptions, not a cut on this machine. ASSUMPTION. Sourced case: 300-600 W CO2 flatbed, single pass at ~600 mm/min (vendor 480-720), 60 m/min rapids, 5 min/sheet, $8/h operating cost. What-if cases: a machine 10x / 20x faster than the diode mid cut+travel time (not sourced for 18 mm ply).
| Commercial CO2 (assumption) | What-if 10× (assumption) | What-if 20× (assumption) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine time | 0.97 h | 0.27 h | 0.18 h |
| Cost per unit | $156.32 | $150.72 | $150.00 |
| Gross margin | $233.68 | $239.28 | $240.00 |
| Gross margin % | 59.9% | 61.4% | 61.5% |
| Net after fees and labor | $129.68 | $135.28 | $136.00 |
| Gross profit per machine hour | $240.91 | $886.22 | $1,333.33 |
| Net profit per machine hour | $133.69 | $501.04 | $755.56 |
Selling price, at the typical diode time
| Low price | Mid price | High price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selling price | $240.00 | $390.00 | $600.00 |
| Cost per unit | $152.15 | $152.15 | $152.15 |
| Gross margin | $87.85 | $237.85 | $447.85 |
| Gross margin % | 36.6% | 61.0% | 74.6% |
| Net after fees and labor | -$1.15 | $133.85 | $322.85 |
| Machine hours | 2.11 h | 2.11 h | 2.11 h |
| Gross profit per machine hour | $41.64 | $112.73 | $212.25 |
| Net profit per machine hour | -$0.55 | $63.44 | $153.01 |
ESTIMATE: 2.1 h (low-speed case 4.8 h, best case 1.2 h) of machine time per unit for 32 m of cut path in 1 sheet(s) on a 120 W diode, 18 mm plywood. Machine time, not material, is still the limit on profit per hour, but a single test cut on scrap will replace this range with a real number.
All dollar figures are planning ESTIMATES / ASSUMPTIONS, not quotes, not guaranteed. Sheet prices: 4x8 ft 18 mm birch plywood $70-110, basic plywood $55-75 (assumption). Machine time uses a sourced RANGE for a 120 W diode on 18 mm ply (low 120 / typical 300 / high 600 mm/min effective, i.e. after multiple passes; taken from reported speeds for a 120 W-class diode); ACMER publishes no 18 mm ply feed rate, so none of it is measured on this machine. Machine wear/electricity $1.70 per machine-hour (assumption). Labor valued at $25/h for the "after labor" line only. Marketplace fees 10% (assumption, e.g. Etsy-style).
Where the price band came from: My estimate: Etsy and Amazon cat-litter furniture runs about $90-$200 (mass-market MDF) to $250-$600 (solid wood/plywood handmade); a survey of similar pieces for sale measured strong demand for pet furniture. Low = compact, one finish; high = XL for two cats, finished inside and out.
Try your own numbers
Change the sheet cost, hardware, selling price, labor rate, or machine time. Finish ($24.00) and packaging ($16.00) stay put. Machine wear follows the machine-time choice: $1.70 per hour on the diode estimates, $8.00 per hour on the commercial assumptions. Fees stay at 10% of the selling price. Labor uses the planned 2.6 h at the rate you type.
Still an estimate. Based on reported 120 W-class diode speeds, multiple passes at 18 mm. One timed scrap cut will replace this. The commercial rows are assumptions, not a cut on this machine.
Parameters
These are the knobs for a custom order. The model on this page uses the defaults. Stay inside the limits.
| Parameter | Default | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Litter box width | 560 | 400-700 mm (litter box length) |
| Litter box depth | 430 | 330-550 mm (litter box depth) |
| Height | 600 | 520-700 mm |
| Entry width | 220 | 170-280 mm (<= interior width - 120) |
| Entry height | 250 | 200-320 mm (>= door width) |
| Door sill | 70 | 40-100 mm |
| Thickness | 18 | 17.5-19 mm |
| Slot clearance | 0.1 | 0.0-0.2 mm |
| Plinth height | 90 | 90-150 mm |
| Vents | 1 | 0 or 1 |
Safety notes
- Pet safety: no gaps a paw or head can wedge into (door is a smooth arch with no latch); keep the lid heavy enough to stay put (the lid weighs about 3 kg).
- Seal the inside with a waterproof finish; urine soaks bare ply. Let VOCs off-gas fully (48 h minimum) before use.
- Rated target 15 kg on the lid (a lamp and a plant), UNVERIFIED - do not sit on it.
- Ventilation: keep the side vents unblocked. Not a children's product (no CPSIA testing).
- Low piece (under 27 in): no wall anchor needed.
Unverified / to test
- Machine time is an estimate (120 W diode on 18 mm ply, sourced range, not measured on this machine); cut time and profit/hour depend on it.
- Litter box sizes vary a lot: measure the exact box before ordering; interior = box + 50 mm in each direction.
- Odor control of the vented design is untested; a carbon filter pad in the vents is an add-on, not modeled.
- A French cleat is not offered: a litter box is too heavy and wet for a cleat; the piece stands on short feet raised for the robot vacuum instead.
- Exterior (marine) plywood and cut quality of sealed inside faces are unverified.
- Price band is my estimate, not a market quote.
Downloads
Meadowlark Models. Numbers on this page are estimates. Machine time is based on reported 120 W-class diode speeds. One timed scrap cut will replace it.