Calibrating and glowforge made an awful sound

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So first off I had a run using :proofgrade: materials which weren’t cutting through on the far left of the bed. I checked for warpage, bed level, etc. but everything checked out great. I decided to clean the lenses and windows, still not working consistently. I then forgot all about the inside left window! Perfect, cleaned it and there was quite a lot of mung that came off from it, which would explain the inconsistent cuts. Closed the lid and the :glowforge: started to calibrate and did a few moves then “Brrrrrbrbrbrbrbrr!” I swung over to see what the racket was all about and the head was trying to go farther than it’s intended path to the bottom right corner. Sounded like a belt grinding or slipping. Has anyone else experienced this? Gonna try to cut something. Hopefully it’s ok.:grimacing:

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Mine does the from time to time. I turn it off, turn it back on, let it (try to) recalibrate. Repeat until it eventually does without the racket.

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I get that, but usually in the left center. Power everything down and then gently move the head to just under the lid camera in the center. See if that helps.

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Ok, did a 2.5" test square. Though if I put a lot of teeth in it it would put the cut setting to the test. Worked perfectly. Thought my :glowforge: was possessed for a bit with all that racket.

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It has happened to almost everyone that has had the unit for any length of time. Have had it happen on my Pre-Release a half dozen times though it’s likely it has happened much more. Usually I turn it on, go upstairs to finish a design and don’t stick around for the calibration process. Doesn’t seem to affect anything since the unit is operating quite well after 7 months. I’m sure they will eventually come up with a calibration patch for that. The calibration routine has changed many times.

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Thanks for letting us know that happened. If it happens again, please:

  • Turn off your Glowforge (this is important to avoid damage to your unit)
  • Open the lid and, using both hands, gently move the laser arm to the center of the bed
  • Gently move the head under the lid camera
  • Turn your Glowforge back on

If your Glowforge has trouble calibrating again, please let us know. Thanks!

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