This machine will have 3rd party upgrade options that will make most of those missing features a reality.
1 Like
Their website.
2 Likes
Yeah, I was a little shocked about that when I heard that in the video. Thou, he is very, very capable with manual tools. He gives the impression he hates automated things. i.e. the issues he had when he got the Tormach or the X-Carve. In the example of the X-Carve Zach had to make a personal visit and set it up.
But hey. Competition is good. (In the case of the Muse V. Glowforge)
Edit/Addition:
Now that Dremel is now taking ‘Ownership’ things may get better for the Muse (in which it was a reference design for Dremel)
1 Like
So I talked to the guys at the Dremel booth at MakerFaire NY last year. They had the rebranded Muse there live doing some engraves. I was wearing my 'forged “Ask me about my Glowforge laser” badge so the guy was pretty engaging with me. To summarize what he said, “When it’s fully functional, it will be very similar to your Glowforge.”
3 Likes
When you get a $5,000 item for free, hard to not like it at least a little. 
5 Likes
Yeah so did I
He never mentioned anything about matching feature sets but the word ‘safety’ was mentioned a crap ton of times in our convo.
2 Likes
I don’t see a passthru. I mean if you are going to rip off someones design maybe don’t forget to copy a key feature. That and a bucket of water - Puleeeeze.
Also where is this manufactured and will it be sold by Harbor Freight.
1 Like
FSL has been operating since 2009, and is well established with their other products, including the hobby laser that served as the basis for the Muse.
The maturity of the company isn’t the problem, it’s the maturity (or lack thereof) of the Muse. As @chris1 says, Glowforge created a market and FSL tried to rush an alternative to market.
A feature that the basic Glowforge model doesn’t have.
The Muse is clearly meant as an alternative to the Glowforge, not an exact copy. The Glowforge lacks a touchscreen, ethernet, USB, rotary attachment, and removable bottom. The units have different feature sets, that’s all.
Possibly assembled in Las Vegas like FSL’s other products, but the components are (I’m guessing) likely made in China.
Dremel 3D printers are available in many Home Depot locations. It doesn’t seem too far-fetched that they may leverage that existing distribution channel.
3 Likes
Re pass-through, I think their solution is a removable bottom. Which is sweet.
2 Likes
Is the bottom of the case in the focal length? I’m assuming they have a similar 1/2 in focal length.
I’m skeptical that it is. The removable bottom lets them put taller/thicker things in but you’ve got the limitations of the typical CO2 lens to deal with - there are some with longer focal lengths but then they’re not good for the close stuff. I suspect the typical 50.8mm lens is probably what they’re using. The largest I’ve seen readily available is an f127mm lens.
They have an adjustable lens. It will move up and down 6 inches.
1 Like
That will get it into range of something it’s sitting on (through the open floor) but it won’t permit thicker cuts. It’s a clever but necessary design necessitated by the equally clever ability to pop the bottom out to allow for really big stuff. I think that was a major step-up in design. I almost punted on the GF and bought the Muse in fact 
Funny you would say that. I am thinking of cancelling the GF and buying the Muse. The ability to handle items thicker than 1.5 inches is a big deal. I can not see what else I will be missing. Struggling on this one. Someone convince me to stay with the GF!
I won’t tell you to stay, you know your needs far better than we do. All I ask is for you to not jump from the frying pan to the fire. If you must go get an Epilog or something like that. Too many horror stories about FSL.
The reason I stuck with the GF is it’s made here in the US and the Muse is assembled by FSL. FSL all by itself was enough of a reason to make the decision for me. I’ve never had any luck with FSL Support. They’re just awful. After the Muse came out, the posts on YT and other websites just confirmed that they still haven’t learned - it’s not the initial sale that matters, it’s how you support the customer afterwards (and post-sales questions, etc are one of the big problems with chinese lasers).
With Dremel picking it up, the jury is out. I like the all-in-one box of the GF and surprised that the Muse (or Dremel) couldn’t fix the need for outboard cooling.
At the end of the day though, the thing that kept me in the GF camp was this forum. I have learned more here than in years of lasering beforehand. I use stuff I learn here in the classes I teach. And it’s not just about lasers here. I also take a ton of inspiration from the artists here (I’m more of a mechanic). The promise of good US Support brought me to GF and the Forum kept me here.
I also looked at my use of the pass-through and depth of the Redsail. I have a 9" depth on that and can drop the full front and back. But when I thought about all I did, it’s a 1 or 2% issue not being able to do more than a couple of inches in the GF.
4 Likes
Thanks for the comment Mark. I have also heard about a lot of ugly things with FSL but not much recently. Not much recently either way. But my heart is still with GF even though the are a lot of things still buggy or not working with GF. This forum and the people is another major reason to stay with GF.
But this forum is also a confusing place. You read something bad but then it was a year ago …did that get fixed yet. A running punch list and/orbug report and road map would be a wonderful way be calm my troubled mind.
100% agree if there is any way the 
works for you this is a big reason to stay. I am in a lot of groups, some take a whole 5 min. out of my week, as there is nothing happing, this forum is different than any other I have been on.
But yes, you do need to pay attention to the date when you search something as search results will go all the way to beta units.
@jamesdhatch
i am looking at the cooling differently. If you add an external chiller you should never have to worry about the temperature of the workspace being a little too hot or a really long job overheating the GFpro. The woodshop that I will be putting is different that I had planned since my filter is months away. It was going into the the metal shop which is heated and cooled but I can not cut holes in the wall in there.
1 Like