Continuous feed

Hi all,
Does anyone have advice/tips on the continuous feed function? I just got my GF a couple day ago and have been running tests like the everyone else and like everyone else, I realized that the camera does not line up with the actual cut. So, I decided to see if the continuous feed function would work and if the cuts would line up. However, I can not seem to get my gf to acknowledge that I even have art work in the q when it is larger then the cutting area…??? Any info will help! thanks

3 Likes

You have to break up the image into areas that fit within the Glowforge’s addressable area, larger for only vector cuts/scores, a bit smaller if there are engraves that go out to the edge.

So if you have an 18x18" sign you would like to make, the design would need at least two parts, divided up into colors. Neither section can be higher than about 11.5 give or take a bit depending on your other design elements.

1 Like

Thanks Marmak3261, I will run a few tests doing as you suggest. Thanks for the help.

Here is an SVG of what I would do. Others might have a better workflow since I don’t have a pass through, but it works the same for material that is taller than the crumb tray but still fits in side the Glowforge.

You’ll have to figure out alignment stops, jigs and positioning, but that is a separate issue.

PassThroughSlotConcept

Note there are four colors at work, two for the stroke to indicate the two sets of cuts and two for the engrave to indicate the two sets of engraves. You ignore the other half when processing one.

It’s a challenge too in making the design fit into the workspace and not get lost in the grey area, but this should give you a sense of things. You can also just stack the two halves on each other, necessary if you are doing much longer design files.

2 Likes

Thanks for the drawing and the description marmak326. I was able to run a test exactly as you suggested with my continuous feed tray and everything worked as you said it would. Cut was great, engrave was great, however, it seems almost impossible to line a continuous line up correctly. The cut is always off the mark by about 1/4". I think I can adjust for the problem by running a very light engrave into the transfer tape first to make sure things are lined up but I would like to avoid that if possible. Any solutions for the camera problem? thanks

2 Likes

Until the camera improves, the only other choice is some kind of a jig, along with the 12x20 canvas so that the image appears at a fixed position.

Thanks paulw! I was afraid of that. I think I can overcome this problem but it would be nice to have the camera working correctly:(

Yes. That is a good way to ensure the second one lines up. @cynd11 has done some demo of that. It’s a little more work, but does produce results. You can use a jig for the horizontal positioning, but it is a bit harder to get the vertical correct. A light trace of two registration crosses on either side of the design would work.

I am wondering if we could make a saw tooth jig that sits in the machine and progressively cut a saw tooth on the blank to allow it to be moved forward a set amount.

I.e. each pass adds a new section of saw tooth that allows it be moved forward an exact amount to engrave / cut the next section that has a new section of saw tooth.

Probably need to draw it out to see if it works but drank too much free wine tonight.

4 Likes

Your next project?

You know you want to!

1 Like

Yes the GF software is so contrary to what I want I will probably need to write my own from scratch and augment the hardware with limit switches, twisted belts and shaft encoders. Fortunately even if they don’t release the opensource firmware I am confident I now know how to install my own and will be able to reverse engineer the existing hardware. In the distant past the company I worked for paid me to reverse engineer competitor’s products so I am sure I can dust off the cobwebs and do it again. I used to write my own dissassemblers for strange processors and work from a binary.

Not scheduled to get my machine until Feb and on holiday till then anyway so it won’t be any time soon.

2 Likes

Did you catch this post?

Here’s a link to a post I made to explain how to use a pin indexing system (vs a scored “align by eye” fiducial approach as outlined in the first post). This is what I was referring to in some of the posts in the first thread I linked.

Awesome! thanks jamesdhatch! This will help.