Cleaned My Glowforge Pro, now camera won't take photo

My Glowforge was working yesterday until I cleaned it and now it says the camera can’t take a photo. I have checked all the connections and nothing is working. My machine comes on but the head doesn’t move. I try loading an image and it just shows it’s scanning but nothing else. Hope someone can please help me get it working again. Thanks in advance

Overcleaning can do that. Check the ends of the black cable and the cable to the lid camera. Make sure cleaning stuff did not short something out.

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Your first step is obviously to call and/or email Glowforge support.

Did you use any liquid cleaner inside the Glowforge? Do you hear the clicking sound of the focus procedure when you power on the Glowforge?

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If all the cables/connectors are secure, then it’s possible some liquid caused a short damaging circuitry. The head not focusing or moving is a bad sign.

You could try leaving the lid open and possibly having a fan blowing inside to see if that makes a difference.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of threads here that begin “I cleaned my machine and then…”. Wipe the optics as prescribed, then done - but that doesn’t help you now.

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I wiped everything with a cloth and simple green. When I turn it on, it sounds like its going to work, I hear clicking noise and then nothing. The computer shows it’s scanning and then a box pops up saying Camera could not take photo.

Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is a water-based cleaner with a pH of 8.5 to 9.5.

Simple green works well with a spray washer on your car that you can hose down any remaining soap, inside a Glowforge? Not so much :grimacing: Water and a strong acid or alkaline solution is really a bad thing inside of a Glowforge.

I think it likely that your machine may need a ride to the mothership, If you can get your machine outside and spray stuff down with the recommended Novec where you cleaned and the electronics are not already fried it might get rid of any soap and evaporate without leaving a film. Do so outside however as the fumes are nasty.

I use a vinegar / water (50/50) to clean the unit, and its worked out great, but never / NEVER spray onto a circut, always spray on rag / shop towel / etc and then wipe clean!

leave power off, and Blow all things with compressed air, to remove moisture, let laser sit fully opened for 24 hrs, hopefully it didn’t drip onto any live circuit

GOOD LUCK!!

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