This laser cutter science project was a great third project for us with our XTool P2S. We learned much making this laser cutter STEM project and making these biology-themed backpack tags.

The plant cell model puzzle was slightly more advanced and required some planning on what to cut, engrave, and score. Sizing was another aspect we played with. If some of the puzzle pieces were too small, the scoring would burn too dark. This project was a good lesson on when to adjust the power and speed of the laser.

We have these for sale in our store, if you’d like to purchase one. The product information is below the video.

We brought our design into the Creative Space and made adjustments to the size of the objects and words. We did add a few mitochondria and chloroplasts.

We made several versions and practice cuts and finally settled on putting our air assist on 1 and using the default settings for 3 mm bass wood.

When it was done, we had 14 pieces altogether. The only gluing with this project was to glue the cell wall piece to the base of the puzzle. The puzzles were then painted with inexpensive acrylic paints and some used acrylic paint markers.

This was definitely a hit with the kids.

Purchase the Wooden Puzzle Kit

We have the precut puzzles for sale in our store. They are ready to paint and assemble. The only gluing is to glue the cell wall piece to the puzzle base. Paints are not included, but you can use dollar store acrylic paint. Pictured here we used acrylic paint markers.

I hold a master’s degree in child development and early education and am working on a post-baccalaureate in biology. I spent 15 years working for a biotechnology company developing IT systems in DNA testing laboratories across the US. I taught K4 in a private school, homeschooled my children, and have taught on the mission field in southern Asia. For 4 years, I served on our state’s FIRST Lego League tournament Board and served as the Judging Director. I own thehomeschoolscientist and also write a regular science column for Homeschooling Today Magazine. You’ll also find my writings on the CTCMath blog. Through this site, I have authored over 50 math and science resources.