Hey all! I’m new here. Less than 2 hours on my new GF Pro and all is going well except that I have the air filter dial set to new and the fan isn’t pulling. If I turn the dial toward the center, the fan kicks in. Does this mean that when the filter is new it does need the fan-assist to pull the smoke out of the GF?
The manual is a bit vague about how to dial in the correct settings.
thanks!
Avoid using any MDF with the air filter as it jams the filter very quickly.
Medium plywood also contains MDF
Just turn it up until smoke is being evacuated. As the filter clogs, you will need to turn it up more until you reach max, at which point it will need to be replaced.
As stated, avoid Draftboard/MDF as much as possible, and any other material that contains it.
Thanks for that!
Do you happen to know if the induction fan in the air filter is supposed to turn on when the filter is new?
The lowest position of the dial on the filter is basically off. It needs to be turned up at least some to operate even with a brand new filter.
Thanks! Oddly, the manual doesn’t say that.
Don’t even worry about the dial, turn it all the way up and leave it there.
Using the fan at full speed will ensure that the collected particles are fully compacted into the filter pleats, allowing the filter to collect the most debris, and extending the usable lifetime.
In addition to the solution already posted, you’ll want to make sure you leave it running after cutting/engraving for as long as you had the GF running. So if you do a half hour job then leave it running for another half hour. That allows the internal fan to pull the particulates deeper into the filter media so it doesn’t just end up in the top of the filter media.
I’ve been using the original filter for over two years now, and have yet to notice any decrease in performance. My use has slowed to occasional, but for the first year of ownership, I was using my Glowforge several hours a day.
What material(s) did you work with primarily?
I have no use for a filter but I am curious, because you mostly read about the cartridge’s short lifespan…
Lots of Proofgrade MDF, Proofgrade Maple Plywood, acrylics, Solid walnut and white oak. Besides using only high speed, I also use three layers of carbon prefilter material on top of the Glowforge cartridge. The prefilter material is switched out with clean material every 1-2 hours of operation, washed, air-dried, then set aside and used again later. I keep a dozen sheets ready at all times to make cleaning easier.
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