Perpetual Calendar – how to make it

Every year we buy a new calendar for the next year. But we’d like to make a calendar that does not need yearly updating. People have long before invented a perpetual calendar. Today, we’ll try to manufacture one using a laser.

Actually, there are many different versions of the perpetual calendar, but we have chosen the simplest and most practical one. You can use it yourself or give somebody as a present.

The perpetual calendar is a calendar for a wide range of years intended for determining the day of the week. Many of the perpetual calendars have a grid to be applied to a selected month and year.

The perpetual calendar can be also used to determine church holidays, which don’t have a fixed date.

In the Swedish church calender for calculating the Easter day in 1140—1671, Julian calendar, every rune corresponds to a certain week when this or that holiday will take place.

Tabular calendars of the modern look, we know today, came to being only after printing had been invented. While perpetual calendars had been in use long before. The time of their creation dates back to the pre-Mongol period. Perhaps, one of the first calendars of this type was found on the wall of the Kiev Sofia cathedral.

What we need:

A diode blue laser (we use an Endurance 10w PRO PLUS);

A piece of plywood;

PVA glue.

This project is going to be very simple and easy to implement.

At the beginning, we create a template in LightBurn.

Then we divide the template into layers, set the processing parameters for each of them, set the laser focus, connect an air assist, put on safety goggles and set to engraving.

When all the parts are ready, we polish their edges and flat surfaces using sandpaper to make the item look brighter. Besides, the sliding of the moving part will become easier.

You can also varnish the parts if you wish.

After all the preparatory work is over, we get to assembling.

We glue the parts together with PVA and fix with clamps for the period necessary for the glue to dry.

After the glue has dried, we remove the clamps and clean the glue waste from the item with a blade.

Now we can insert the part with the engraved dates in between the joint plates, and that’s it!

Our perpetual calendar is ready!

Download files >>>

How to make a DIY acrylic calendar – all you need to know!

A detailed guide of how to make an original acrylic calendar using a 2 mm fully transparent acrylic (plexiglass)

What we need to get started:

– a СО2 laser machine with 40 watt laser power output

– acrylic 2 mm thick
– a box for work with acrylic
– acrylic paint
– a masking tape
– dichloroethane
– cotton-wool sticks or a brush
– LightBurn program

Preparation

First of all we need to cover the acrylic workpiece with masking tape. Later on at the step of painting, we’ll use it for a stencil. The tape should cover the entire surface of the acrylic on one side.

Parameters definition – settings

To define parameters we focus the beam on a waste piece of acrylic covered with masking tape too. Then by trial and error we find parameters for the best result.

– cutting: power 100 %, speed 380 mm/m
– engraving: power 40 %, speed 6000 mm/m.

Anyway, they might be slightly different in your case. So you’d better test these parameters first on a waste piece of acrylic and adjust the values if needed.

Then we recommend that you test the paint. If it’s not good enough for your acrylic it might go crazing.

The main part of the laser process

Now it is safe to process a real workpiece.

Don’t change the order of the steps. Do engraving first, then cutting.

Acrylic painting

At the end before painting it is necessary to brush well the engraved areas. To protect the attaching holes from the paint you can make a cardboard stencils as shown in the photo.

We use special acrylic paint.

After the paint has dried we peel off the masking tape carefully.

Acrylic cleaning

To join firmly all the details together we use glue for plastics dichloroethane.

Using a cotton-wool stick we glue all the joints.

Now we have an original calendar made by ourselves.

Download g-code (LE5040 SainSmart control board)

Calendar 2021

Enjoy and if you have any questions – please ask us in a Livechat!

More about other types of calendars.

Now in the 21st century, there are many variations of the calendar. Most often, people use the calendar on their phone. This is really handy as there are many different additional functions. It is possible to create a schedule for a specific day, turn on a reminder, for example, about the upcoming birthday of your friend.
But despite all the advantages of electronic calendars, paper, plastic calendars are still relevant. You can, for example, put a small paper calendar in your wallet, so it will always be at hand.

Also, a calendar can be an interesting decorative element. There are many options for the original calendars that are easy to use and will look great in your workplace.