Calibrate on a partial Draftboard?

Community Support
1

I need to calibrate my Glowforge but the Glowforge Store is out of their draftboard. I have a medium 12x20 draftboard that has around ¼ cut out. Would this be able to do for calibration? Or is there some other way I could get a hold of a similar material to calibrate?

2

You could really use any wood 1/8" thick and cover with some masking tape. I have a board of basswood that I just keep using by removing all tape and re-masking.

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3

Thanks! Is the masking tape to cover the part I already cut up? If so, I think I might have some other ⅛ inch plywood boards I haven’t used yet

4

You need a full 12 x 20 sheet of something absolutely flat. You can even use cardboard, but I think it needs to be a full sheet without cuts.

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5

Try your best to use scrap or scrap worthy. This is all it’ll be useful for when done. I used cardboard as @dklgood mentioned.

6

I buy white cardstock to use for my calibrations ( and many other things). I get it from a local paper company and have it cut to the same size as a full sheet of PG, I just take a sheet with me and they do the rest. I have a few hundred sheets that I bought for less than $20.

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7

I’m terribly sorry that we don’t have the materials that you want in stock! Due to a combination of challenges with inventory due to COVID-19 and unprecedented demand, we’ve had a hard time keeping Proofgrade materials in stock.

Though I know my colleagues are working hard to replenish, I don’t have any information about when materials will be available. You can sign up to be notified when we have them by clicking “Email Me When Available” on the page for a material at shop.glowforge.com.

In the meantime, if there’s a Joann near you, they may have the Proofgrade materials you want in stock, and many locations are offering curbside pick-up.

In addition, your Glowforge can print on many materials, as long as the supplier can confirm for you that it is laser-compatible. We’ve heard of customers purchasing at Inventables, Johnson Plastics, TAP Plastics, Lowes, and Home Depot. Please confirm with the supplier you choose to ensure it’s laser-compatible, though, as we aren’t experts on other companies’ products.

10

I’m just popping into agree that any very flat sheet of material will work – having part of the material cut away will not work properly. We do have acrylic in stock, and that should work well.