Well, the first QOTD was a rousing success. Thanks ya’ll-- your openness and enthusiasm is oxygen for our product team!
Next QUOTD: What does the first week of your Glowforge look like? Specifically, Does it live at work or at home? Who uses it besides you? What are the first projects that are made with it?
As usual, here’s my answer:
I’m probably a special case because I have ready access to a Glowforge 10 minutes away at work. But you’d probably be surprised how rarely I get to make something with lasers (too busy making Glowforges!). I have enough projects that I’m excited about that I could easily take a year-long Laser Sabbatical!
Where it will live: at home in my small office/guest room.
Who will use it: me (fairly geeky/designer-y) and my wife (reasonably geeky but doesn’t know design tools) and occasional friends/guests.
What will get made the first week: I’ve promised my nephew in Alaska a leather watch band (he and I designed it together in Illustrator!). I want a Settlers of Catan board (wood/felt bottom). And I want a wallet-- my current wallet is laser-made, but I have some new ideas. My wife wants to make coasters and a wooden box for the bathroom counter. She also is making noise about replacing some lighting fixtures with laser-made alternatives.
It will live at home on a rolling rack along with my 3D printers (working on rack-wide external exhaust)
My son and I will be the primary users (he has similar maker toys in his high school’s makerspace)
First week, I have some work related designed I am waiting to create for research projects, and my daughter undoubtably will want some leather work for her equestrian gear. I have a present for my aunt and uncle that I want to start work on (they are big sailors, and thought one of those inverse relief maps of the ocean at one of their favorite sailing locations would make a nice anniversary present)
Where it will live: At work primarily, but frequently carried around to schools in the area, and on occasion maybe to my house. First week exclusively… likely to take it home so I can power-learn. Unlikely to arrive while my class which will make use of the Forge is in session (January-April)
Who will use it: My students during aforementioned time frame. Former students now working on Masters or personal projects. Myself. My wife. All my wife’s co-workers. Elementary students around the town… Again, first week only… just me. I don’t trust anyone else till I know full capabilities and concerns.
What will get made the first week: Lots of etching. I might try to figure out how to etch Chromebooks, since that would be a nice thing to do for my kid’s school. Raw cutting I already can do on my own laser, so if I find jobs that need to be dimensionally accurate those will wait for the Forge as well.
Where it will live: The current plan is to put it on top of my dresser in the bedroom. Because it’s right next to a window for venting, my kids don’t play in that room, and so my wife has easy access to it.
Who will use it: I am predicting that I will be the heaviest user of it, but my wife has a lot of plans as well.
What will get made the first week: Personalized hand turned wooden pens, hardwood teething toys, cardboard lamp, and Millennium Falcon model.
Where it will live: In my “office” at home with the 3D printers and server rack.
Who will use it: Just me. And probably a graphic designer friend who I can give remote access to send jobs to.
What will get made the first week: Besides a lot of smoke, I want to get some coasters and edge-lit acrylic signs mocked up for a friend’s brew pub; those little touches that make cool things awesome.
Where it will live: at home in my small sunroom come office.
Who will use it: me (geeky/designer) and my fiance.
What will get made the first week: Leather. Already designing patterns to test. Before glowforge I was about to build my own press and get a few dies produced. Now im hoping that i can make more bespoke items and a faster pace. Also expect to experiment with a lot of wood/veneers etc. Have a few clocks and lighting ideas that id like to make up on 123d.
(Keeping in mind that while I provided the credit card, my niece is the owner)
Where it will live: In-law’s condo (where the college aged niece lives)
Who will use it: Niece (and hopefully her parents and me)
What will get made: Niece says the first thing is the rubber-band Gatling gun quad rotor. Her younger brother is a robotics major who has built/designed several quads, so that makes a perfect test piece.
Where it will live: On a yet-to-be-built bench in my new home office/studio over a garage that is currently under construction.
Who will use it: Me (techy graphic designer). My wife has projects she wants me to make but will leave the designing and production to me. It’s likely a couple friends will want to give it a try.
What will get made: While my list of projects I want to try is over 90 items long (some for fun, some for hopeful profit), I expect to spend the first week getting to know the GlowForge and experimenting with feeds and speeds on various materials. I’ll probably make a sign for my business and maybe some earrings for my wife.
Where it will live: On a table by a window in my office (or, if it’s delayed long enough, in my new basement office, venting out through the old dryer vent.)
Who will use it: Mostly me, but I will get my twin 3-year-olds and wife involved quickly. And my friends will soon hop on board as well.
What will get made the first week: Probably lots of demonstrations and tests. First order of business is to build an insulated vent passthrough for the window so I can use it without letting out my expensive heated or cooled air!
Where it will live: I am repurposing a very small room in the back of my very small house. In the beginning, it was baby’s room, then a sewing room, then a junk room, then a pantry…now to be a great workspace. Going to have a long table built to be mounted on one wall, especially for the Glowforge, with space for projects / supplies.
Who will use it: Mostly myself, but hopefully son-in-law and four grandsons. And also my fellow-geek brother when he visits from out of town.
What will get made: Special interest in lighting, including LED edge lights, perhaps some leather stuff, and experimenting with some ceramic tiles. But…the first week or so will be spent familiarizing myself with the GF. It’s all totally new territory for me, so I will be learning
Where it will live: In our office, taking the place of my 3D printer.
Who will use it: My wife and I primarily. Some friends of mine will probably want to make stuff as well. I’ll probably won’t charge them too much
What will get made the first week: Toast first. Maybe laser etch the GF symbol in it. Then the Catan set. Maybe a dice tower, if I finish the design for it. Then my wife will probably take the rest of the first week with projects from Pinterest.
Who will use it: Primarily me, although I’m sure my kids will want to try it. I also want to invite some kids (and their parents) from our home-schooling community to try it out as well. Although that may wait until the 2nd or 3rd week, once I’ve figured out the do’s and dont’s of trying this out with kids around.
What will get made the first week: I have about 20 projects in the hopper right now that are designed but not cut. Some artwork, some miniature gaming stuff, some new boxes, I’m pretty sure my 6 year old daughter will want a “my little pony” themed something.
Where it will live: There was a lot of discussion about this one. I have finally conceded that the environment in my shop is too dirty, so it will go in my wife’s basement studio.
Who will use it: She is probably going to end up being the primary user, but I will sneak in there whenever I can. We have a large group of friends and relatives lining up as well…
What will get made: I see many many many pieces of cut paper and book board in the future. For myself I intend to do a lot of experimenting, and to make wooden boxes for all my measurement tools, and to cut fitted foam inserts for my tool boxes. I might finally get organized!
Who will use it: Primarily me, but I imagine that my husband will try to set something on fire with it lol
What will get made: I feel like there are a million ideas running through my head, but I’m most excited to experiment with “engraving” some small leather goods and making some wood art pieces.
Where it will live: At home in my office/craft room.
Who will use it: First cuts will be made by myself, followed shortly after by my 8-y.o. son. Once I know my way around a little, I’ll invite some creative friends over who are already compiling their own lists of things to make.
What will get made the first week: I’ve been hoarding bamboo ply and will cut a few pieces of jewelry with that, followed by the same with acrylic, and finally a leather bracelet I’ve wanted to make for years but didn’t want to deal with the cost and hassle of prototyping and iterating through outside laser-cutting services.
Where it will live: Workshop Who will use it: myself and family to start with What will get made the first week: With ample time before it arrives, I have 2 items I’m drafting so all components will fit into 12"x20":
Full size violin ( Thanks @JeremyNielsen unlikely to have completed within week 1 and hard part will be getting it to sound ok)
An Eiffel tower inspired bar stool using 3 layers of 1/4" material
laminated together to form 3/4" components. Hoping to replace the bar
stools in our kitchen…
My Glowforge (WHEN it finally arrives…april? July?) will first live on my desk in my Man-Cave/ freaky guestroom. I hope soon after I will be able to design or adapt a design for it’s own lasercut (maybe even by the glowforge self) stool/ desky/ thing.
I will probably get the most use out of it. My brother will also get cutting fast. I’d love to say it will be used by all my friends but I don’t have any designer friends.
Depending on what week it will arrive and if I have the time to use it or not I have a load of projects that I want to try. The very first will be cutting and testing my different materials and logging those. I really want to make acrylic risers for my toy displays. Generic risers as well as item specific risers. And I’d love to see if I can engrave some UkiyoE designs for woodblock printing. But then… that glowforge specific desk!
For myself I intend to do a lot of experimenting, and to make wooden boxes for all my measurement tools, and to cut fitted foam inserts for my tool boxes. I might finally get organized!