Glowforge Pro / Plus / Basic jig for military-style dog tag blanks

With 0.2 mm clearance per side, 4 mm webs and a 8 mm margin, the Glowforge Pro / Plus / Basic's 495 × 279 mm work area fits 64 pockets for military-style dog tag blanks, in 8 rows of 8. Staggering the rows does not help with this shape, so the grid is the best layout.

495 mm279 mm
Blanks per run
64
Layout
8 rows of 8
Blank
50.8 × 28.6 × 0.6 mm (2 × 1-1/8 in)
Pocket
51.2 × 29 mm
Clearance
0.2 mm per side
Jig
Laser-cut 3 mm sheet, through-holes
Plate
495 × 279 mm, 8 mm margin, 4 mm webs
Tallest point
3 mm (limit 13 mm)
Cut path
11.39 m

Download preview SVG

Cut file in millimetres: red = cut, blue = engraved labels and marks. Adjust anything below and download the 3MF, STL, DXF and alignment template.

What to know before you cut

The 0.2 mm starting clearance assumes a laser-cut acrylic, MDF or plywood jig. Cut the test-fit coupon (0.0 to 0.5 mm) in the generator before the full plate: blanks from different suppliers vary, and the laser's kerf makes cut holes slightly larger than drawn.

As a laser-cut 3 mm sheet with through-holes, the blanks rest on the bed or honeycomb and their surface sits 2.4 mm below the top of the jig, so focus on the blank, not the sheet.

Cut the jig and leave the sheet on the bed: the pockets are then exactly where the machine thinks they are. The cut file has 11.39 m of cut path on a 495 × 279 mm sheet, with row letters and column numbers engraved in the margin.

The 3.5 mm corner radius is an estimate; measure one blank and adjust it in the generator if the corners bind.

Blanks sit 2.4 mm below the jig top: focus the laser on the blank surface, not on the jig.

Adjust this jig

The generator below starts from this machine and blank. Change the clearance, layout or jig build, then download the files.

Blank

2 × 1-1/8 in. Corner radius estimated. Source: Aluminum dog tag blank (mPower Promo).

Shape
mm
mm
mm
mm
Height of the blank as it lies in the jig.
Machine

Work area 495 mm × 279 mm, objects up to 13 mm tall. 13 mm (0.5 in) with the crumb tray in, 50 mm with it removed. Glowforge performance tech specs.

Layout
mm
Gap between blank and pocket wall.
mm
mm
Plate size
Rotation
Pattern
Jig build
How you'll make the jig
mm
Finger notches
Mixed blanks Free during beta
495 mm279 mm

64 pockets, 8 rows of 8, on a 495 mm × 279 mm plate.

Pockets
64
Plate
495 mm × 279 mm
Cut path
11.4 m
Sheet used
1381 cm²
Tallest point
3 mm of 13 mm
  • Blanks sit 2.4 mm below the jig top: focus the laser on the blank surface, not on the jig.

Cut it

Red = cut, blue = engrave. Millimetre units.

Print it

Through-holes in a plate. Millimetres.

Line up the artwork

Template with pocket centres, blank edge, bleed and safe area, placed where the jig sits on the machine.

mm
mm
mm
mm

Other Glowforge Pro / Plus / Basic jigs

Military-style dog tag jigs for other machines

Guides

Sources

Machine and product names are used only to describe compatibility. Pocketplate is not affiliated with Glowforge.

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