Glowforge Forums (2024)

FAQs

How do you score deeper on Glowforge? ›

For deeper scores, you would want to decrease speed and/or increase power. You can also do multiple passes.

Almost always because you have 2 lines defined. It may look like only one but if you delete one you'll see another one still there. The Glowforge will never add passes on its own. If you didn't tell it to make multiple passes in the cut settings, then it's following multiple paths in your design file.

The issue is the optics and optics alignment. The right side of the bed is furthest from the focus point for the laser. If the windows inside the left side of the machine and on the left side of the printhead are clean as well as the mirror and lens, then Glowforge support needs to see pictures of your cuts.

The difference between the two is just the speed and power assigned. A single pass with the laser that is not strong enough to cut through material will score it. Conversely, a score line with too much power will cut the material.

Higher power produces deeper engraves, cuts, and scores, but also produces less-detailed engraves, as the laser can damage the surrounding area. Precision Vs Full Power The laser tube produces varying amounts of power. This setting offers two types of power control, balancing efficient cutting with high-quality prints.

Glowforge - the 3D laser printer : Positioning precision to 0.001” (0.025mm)

There are 8760 hours in a year. So a tube rated for 10000 hours would run continuously for about 1.2 years. So a tube rated for 10K hours, that's used for 8 hours/day, ought to last 3.6 years.

How many 1 hour engravings can the glowforge run without a break? You'll likely need to clean it after about 30 hours or so. (I know they say 40, but if you're running constantly for thirty hours, stop and clean it.) If it overheats, it pauses itself.

One of the most common problems is that the engraving is not deep enough. This may be because the power of the laser beam is too low or because the focus is not set correctly.

It could be your cable connections:

If it isn't connected properly your print head may not move. Turn off your machine, open the lid. The black cable connects on the right and left along the sides of the lid and in the back on the right side. The white cable connects from the lid camera to the left side.

Why does my Glowforge keep bumping? ›

Check for any damaged wheels or pulleys. If your print has a "bump," something in your Glowforge may not be moving smoothly. So next we'll check the wheels and pulleys.

The Glowforge is a laser cutter & engraver that uses a beam of light the width of a human hair to engrave, cut, and shape designs from a variety of materials including cardboard, wood, metal, acrylic, glass, fabric, and more.

The Glowforge bed can accommodate materials measuring 12 x 20.4” with the maximum printable area of 11 x 19.5”. It can take space for the laser to decelerate so it may be reduced somewhat when the laser operates at high speed.

The Glowforge can cut some 1/2" (13mm) hardwood and acrylic; for best results, 1/4" (6mm) or thinner materials are recommended.

Several things you can do… increase your speed, decrease the power…and make sure the engrave is set to convert to dots instead of vary power. Reducing the LPI can also make the engrave less “deep”.

Setting a lower speed allows the laser to spend more time on each area, leading to deeper cuts. However, care must be taken to avoid setting the speed too low, especially with materials like wood, to prevent burning or excessive material removal.

Thickness varies by material. The Glowforge can cut some 1/2" (13mm) hardwood and acrylic; for best results, 1/4" (6mm) or thinner materials are recommended. Makerspace staff must approve all non-Proofgrade material.

Like @markevans36301 said, hot and fast is generally the best way to avoid char, even multiple passes at higher speeds can lead to less char than one pass.