It’s just saying, “Be sure you know what you’re doing.” This restriction would be true of any laser, but other models assume that they’re being used by businesses or risk-aware DIYers.
Epilog’s not going to replace your crumb tray if you use a dense, dark wood that catches fire. FSL’s not going to clean your lenses if you vaporize a bunch of PVC. The only difference is that GF is telling you so in advance.
Chances are, the leather’s fine. But since there’s no encoding on it, GF doesn’t know what it is.
It really is only the necessity to cover liability. Think of the “Do Not Eat” warning on those little desiccant packets.
Understanding the legalese in product warranties can be daunting, bit you are not locked into anything, other than understanding if the material you use is not Proofgrade and it’s use results in damage to the machine it’s not covered under warranty.
The whole idea of Proofgrade was to supply a proven, consistent material that the user doesn’t have to worry about looking up MSD (material safety data) sheets on, or explore settings for to experience a desired result.
For inexperienced users (like me) that are part of their target market, Proofgrade contributes to the ease of use design.
So now you can stop worrying about that and start enjoying your glowforge!
Legal parsing aside, I understand how warranties work and that Glowforge needs to protect themselves. The main point I was making is that the machine was advertised to cut materials that are not “safe” to use without risk of damaging the machine or voiding the warranty.
In the example of trying to cut on leather, the warning states that you could be releasing toxic fumes. It says if you’re unsure to consult with an expert. Regardless of possible warranty issues, I would like to stay safe while using the Glowforge. Is there someone at Glowforge that handles these requests to act as an expert?
At the very least, it would be nice to have a list of materials that have the Glowforge staff has extensively tested and to not pose a danger to yourself or the machine. Of course, Glowforge can’t test every material out there.
I’m not trying to be alarmist or start a flame war. I’d like some clarification on the materials I can use safely in the Glowforge. Bottom line is that I cannot print on materials that were in the promo video without risking damage or warranty voidance, according to the dialog box that pops up.
I would like more clarification on this issue from Glowforge themselves. I just want to be able to make cool stuff with materials as advertised, without risking damage to my machine or myself.
P.S. If I’m not mistaken I cannot print several things in the promo video without this risk.
The cult is just giving a friendly reminder that participants are free to do what they want. And the motives behind the way the message is presented are clear.
As has been said you are free to interpret the manuals, warnings and intent as you wish. Your issue has been answered with what is normal practice in the laser industry. The only difference is that GF has gone a step further to provide materials that are guaranteed to be laser safe. They are also warning people who have no experience with lasers that using other materials have risks. They have risks in every laser made. The lawyers are simply not willing to put in writing what is and what is not safe beyond the Proofgrade. You can find this info through a simple Google search and asking folks in this forum.
That said, your concerns are valid since you are laser inexperienced but the title seems to be inaccurate and inflammatory. So you should expect push back.
I see they have come up with a new warning splash. I hadn’t seen it yet.
It’s very pretty.
It’s a warning to proceed at your own risk. So proceed at your own risk.
There are a lot of the customer base that have never used a laser before, and haven’t bothered to do any research on what is and isn’t safe to use in the laser. It’s just a reminder to do some research. (As good a way as any to get the message out as any I guess.)
If you are cutting leather, you probably want to check to make sure it was vegetable tanned, and that it is real leather, and not pleather, which looks like leather, but actually can contain vinyl. Vinyl is not always safe to cut with a laser. It can create a corrosive gas that will EAT the machine.
The Beyond the Manual section of the forum is where we discuss things that we cut that are not Proofgrade. You can ask there if you have a material that is not Glowforge supplied, and a lot of people who cut other things will be happy to help and offer suggestions. But you will be doing it at your own risk. Damage to the machine by cutting something that is going to corrode it is not going to be a warranty covered replacement.
Using non-Proofgrade materials does not void your warranty, but if there is a problem with your materials that damages your Glowforge, the damage caused by your materials would not be covered under the warranty.
