I’ve been a GF user for several years now, but I’ve run into a persistent problem over the last several months: the Set Focus feature almost always produces an error that states I should reload my browser/restart my GF.
I keep my machine clean (no “deep” cleanings, though, which might jostle wires), and my lenses are all wiped. Also, my browser (Chrome) is up to date.
The strange thing is, the problem is not consistent. Set Focus sometimes works (about half the time) when I try my first print after turning the printer on. After the first print, it almost never works.
When cleaning there are two windows on either side of the lens on the bottom that can have issues that relate to the Set Focus specifically. If you can watch it shine the red dot that measures the angle from the other window you can get a clue like a fuzzy dot etc.
Not related to set focus, but when I had an issue yesterday, I simply closed the tab with the app open, opened a new one, and it was resolved. In my case, a job I’d submitted to print was stuck endlessly on some precision movement ™ thing, it was a simple circle cut. After a minute, I closed the tab, re-opened, clicked print on that job, and it finished that process in less than a second.
Browsers mess up. The cloud messes up. The machine messes up. They’re all software, that messes up now and then.
With the printer turned off, you can remove the head to take photos of its bottom. This will allow us to review the focus windows more thoroughly.
Since this is an intermittent issue, it can be harder to isolate the exact cause and solution. Support will usually request the serial number from the back of the printer and photos of the printer,
I wanted to mention those items since having them on hand can make support troubleshooting faster if needed.
Thanks! I sent a bucket of photos to support regarding this issue, including one of the bottom of the printer head. For what it’s worth, here’s a photo of the printer head. There might be a little glare on the lens, but everything is wiped clean.
I have been having this problem for days, I have called customer care multiple times, and was on hold with them for over 1.5 hours yesterday, and promised a call back from a manager first thing this morning … its afternoon where I am located. My frustration level is escalating and none of the reps that I speak to seem to understand the investment that these machine are and how frustrating it is when they do not work. If anyone has any ideas on how to resolve this issue it would be greatly appreciated.
I would guess they do understand, as they would be informed several times a day as they tried to help folks. It would be easier to help if folks had a clue with details and photographs what that problem was. This is where the community tries to help, and there is a lot of knowledge, but we are also just Glowforge owners ourselves, and not employees of Glowforge.
Hi all, I’m here with an update. After discussing this issue with GF support, they recommended I purchase a replacement laser head. Unfortunately, the exact same error is occurring, even with the new laser head. This really hurts, particularly given the cost of these machines.
Then the white cable maybe has gone bad/is going bad. Or the board it plugs into. The white cable does in some cases wear itself out as it is a moving part and runs on itself and other areas. Even just the rolling back and forth it does will be enough after long enough to break the metal traces down.
Just a guess. I think the white is not sold by GF as they don’t consider it user replaceable but you can find it some places and it minorly tricky to get threaded through the machine.
