Oh, this I know quite well. I didn’t start with paper cutting. I’ve been selling since 2007. This has happened to me with glass etching, sculpting, and even painting (“It’ll be good exposure to paint us something for free!”) I was counting on using the Glowforge for not only my own designs, but to have access to some of the funds the artists I’ve come across along the way will spend to have their own designs rendered on such a machine. We artists may be a broke lot in general, but if there is anything we will spend money on, it’s to try new things with our own designs.
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Haha oh I’m familiar. Amateur only, but I’ve done my share of assistant gigs.
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With all the apologies @dan has made today, I’m going to talk to my good friend Justin Trudeau and see about getting @dan that Canadian citizenship he so justly deserves.
Careful, America. Canadians are everywhere. 
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While it is quite fair to say they knew this delay was needed far earlier than it was announced… it is not fair to say when they should have announced it.
At any moment in the last 2 months, they could have said “Power supply still sucks, we will be delayed until someone else gets it right” that would not have been well received at all.
I would hope that they waited until they DID have a viable power supply, prepped for mass production capability, before sitting down to re-calculate their new date. Coming out with a solid “next december” which includes enough slop for other unexpected delays will hurt, but sit far better than entering an eternal “not quite yet…” status.
So, I join many others in hoping that while they are saying December, they are really thinking early November, but allowing for issues which certainly will arise.
On a side note, for those who are basing businesses around the Glowforge, I have to agree that this is a poor choice. Not only do you have no idea when the forge will arrive, but you also have no idea what it will be capable of.
So… anyone who does have business plans around the forge, I would say go get the cheapo laser cutters and hire someone to help get you as close to “push button get product” status as possible on that machine. Stop waiting for a dream. Even though I have faith in what we will get from the Glowforge team, I would NOT base a business around it.
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Or have it shipped to a border town in he USA and make a day trip. (If you can) I use CBI all the time.
This article has a comment from Dan about the power supplies. Just a paragraph at the end with a non-technical description for those not familiar with high voltage power supplies. Also notice the new picture that include a Glowforge Pro case.
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I must say I suspected that there would be some delay but not for six months. I am a believer in GF but my husband isn’t and I had managed to convince him that the device is a game changer. Not sure how I will explain away this one but I still believe in the GF team and what they are trying to do. In fact, I think Crowd-funders have already and will continue to invent great technology. I have a sneaky feeling that people are equally or more concerned that there money will not go down the drain, than they are about the delivery timeline. Maybe @dan can provide some assurance that this will not happen.
Maybe this is too early but I am also concerned about technical support post delivery. I don’t want to be stuck in the middle of a job with a broken GF. Dan, how will this happen? I think I’m gonna stay with this one. I have read “Hotseat” and I’m very impressed.
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Great to hear @dan and I totally agree, I just want a good estimate of when I can actually expect my unit. As an oculus rift supporter as well, I don’t really care about when they start shipping, I care about when I get mine. 
So while the news is disappointing, I am not bent out of shape over it. Expectations have been managed.
Well, as to the “gimme the free template” thing, I have been writing what amount to free tutorials for various glassmaking techniques for the last decade or so. I’ve gotten so many of those requests over the years that I finally wrote out a stock response; now I just reply with the link.
After awhile, other artists started asking if they could use that, too, so KitCameo, if you want to borrow some of the language, be my guest: http://www.morganica.com/stories/form-of-flattery/
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So many replies since I last checked at lunch.
I agree with so many. I, too am disappointed in the delay and now have to wait an additional 8 month to even see what my GF can do (and not do) with my paper creations. I currently work for a manufacturing company and understand the unforeseen circumstances that plague projects-BUT if you have a crappy project manager who cannot speak up earlier about issues-or does not recognize possible delays-then there needed to be a “come to Jesus” meeting before the 11th hour. I think GF was a little safe already sitting on all of our money vesus asking us to pay on delivery. I hope we are all not here on the forum again in December sounding like a broken record.
I also am mixed on all the “freebies” given us. I had no intention of using my GF on any other medium other than paper. I feel there will be some Xmas gifts to my family of coasters and plaques…but that’s it. And what good would any percentage of a store be if you never have an intention of buying from it? I will just wait and see. Maybe I will be wrong and I will find something that I like.
I do appreciate the honesty and forthcoming about the delay…but will now be skeptical on anything else coming from Glowforge.
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Hey @dan I think that would make a lovely Laser Thursday wall hanging. Simple, and something to look back on when that kid has kids.
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You can keep posting. It looks like you have plenty to contribute by your comments in this discussion. Welcome to active participation in the forums.
@dan, I nominate this for today’s theme song (or maybe tomorrow’s–people need time to get un-sad). This is the song I was constantly humming/singing to my bummed-out fiance in the year after his startup finally went to bits. It made us both feel better, and by god, it ended up being true. Today is a hard day. Tomorrow might be hard, too. However, things WILL get brighter, and eventually, you and your team will be “walkin’ in the light of the beautiful sun…” (Or basking in the safely deflected light of perfectly aimed laser beams–whatevs.)
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Wanted to chime in that I’m so glad you did this. I don’t think that most people fully appreciate the ramp that needs to happen to get from the number of units GF expected to ship to the number that they got pre-orders for. If I was sitting in a post-mortem meeting after that crowdfunding campaign I’d be asking for 6 months straight off the top. The fact that they’re only slipping because of a PSU issue (which is one of the parts you better get 100% right) and not a “#@$@ we have to figure out how to build how many of these things?” is pretty incredible to me.
So hats off to the whole team. I’m 100% confident you made the right call, and I’d far rather have a unit that you can all feel proud of something merely good enough.
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I should hope we have a fair idea of what it will be capable of based on everything the company has already told us about the machine. I do realize that people like to look down on those of us who make an investment without a security net, but I am reading Dan’s book right now, and literally one of the first things quoted in it is, “Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to the resources currently controlled.” - Professor Howard Stevenson.
Now, if I didn’t make this purchase when I did, I would have lost the accrued referral credits I had toward purchase, and I would have lost the presale rate for the machine, as well as a good spot in line. Having no interest for six months made it seem like a solid investment to me, because I know this device can help my business, and at the time my job would have paid for it. Denigrating people for making this decision when we did is disingenuous at best, because we were sold on the fact that it would help us with our businesses. You are basically telling us that we should not trust the company that you are championing.
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Dan
Thank you for the up date.
I am waiting anxiously for my GlowForge and the ability to laser engrave using rasters instead of vectors as I currently am forced to while using the six Chinese made low power (5watt or less) laser systems (two MakeBlock.cc kits, three Eleks (Chinese Arduino Uno based systems) plus the laser engraver on my Next Wave Automation CNC Shark laser option.
To get these systems to work I have had to kluged up post processor files for Vectric VCarve that will generate the G Code to control this motley collection without burning down my shop.
I understand the quality control issues you are experiencing and wish you the best in mastering them prior to shipping my GlowFroge Pro.
As with all customers every where I would love to have my system yesterday.
I laud you and your staff on your patience dealing with us the demanding customer community.
John
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Hey KitCameo-what are you studying? Max or c4d? or Maya?
Yes, I am basically saying not to trust them. But with the additional qualifier of “with your entire livelihood.”
Trust that they will deliver a product capable of everything they say it is capable of, and with more capability as time goes by and they refine the cloud system with added features. But absolutely do not pay for space or advertise products which you plan to make.
Granted… I haven’t read the Hot Seat book yet, and I am not the kind of person to run a start up. I know you are supposed to take risks, but I would hope that you are supposed to take reasonable risks.
Buying this to augment a business… great plan. Buying it to START a business, and be cornerstone for it? I personally feel that is a TERRIBLE plan. Buying it to start PLANNING a business in which it will be a cornerstone? Again, back to great plan.
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What …the… * reads* Nrrryyaaarrggh! * takes sledge hammer to the walls * * Throws old CRT monitor through he window * * runs out on the deck * * jumps on railing * * yells and shakes fist at sky * * sees neighbour * * sheepishly waves while closing robe * * storms back inside * * slips on dog water bowl and does splits * * hobbles back to computer room with pulled groin * * flips over table * eiGHisg * picks up keyboard *
Thanks for the update, Dan, appreciate it!
-John
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Best response ever.
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