I’m in Southern California & I keep my A.C. at 73 degrees & have not had any problems.
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If it works within its advertised design specifications, it’s not a design flaw.
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I’m in Chicago metro area and venting through the roof without a baffle (backflow preventer). Haven’t used my GF as much until a couple of days and the vent allowed hot muggy air back into the machine which threw my first cooling alert ever. Lifted open the door pointed a 20 dollar fan at it for about 3 min, set up my job, closed door kept fan pointed at machine. Ran 3 jobs for about 25 min total without interruption. All that to say if you live in California I’m hoping you have constant ac. If so maybe just air movement is all you need. Hoping you get to experience the awesome powers this machine has to offer.
I’ve not really given these problems too much attention because I personally have never experienced the issue.
HOWEVER, I’ve finally come to realize that I too am “right on the edge”, as it gets a tad warm here in Atlanta, and my GF is in a part of my home that is typically in the high 70’s during the day, when I typically am running it. It gets a lot warmer as well, while I’m running it, because I don’t have a way to vent without opening the door nearby and putting my filter, at the end of the 25’ hose I have, outside.
So since I had that realization, I’ve been thinking about it, and I have to wonder if perhaps my extraction setup is making a difference that might help others here.
I have posted the setup before - I have a fairly strong inline duct fan connected to the GF exhaust by the provided cheap duct. From there, I have a reinforced duct, about 25’ when fully expanded, running into a popular carbon filter that looks like an exhaust muffler. The filter would not be needed if I had a permanent vent to outside, but sometimes when working with materials that don’t invoke a gag reflex, I don’t bother opening the door, and the filter is looking pretty grungey from the OUTSIDE, so I know it’s helping keep my lungs alive at least a little longer.
So, if you’re keeping up, you might realize what I’m thinking. Having a strong fan on the exhaust side might be - probably is - help draw enough air thru to prevent heat buildup.
Specifically, and I have experience in this concept too complicated to explain here, the MOVEMENT of air helps prevent heat build up, not the actual temperature of the air. So having a bit more air forced into, or drawn thru, the enclosure might be all that’s needed to keep the GF running in “borderline” temperatures.
I’d be interested in hearing from folks with temperature problems if they have any forced-air in the system and, if someone with those problems was willing to spend the $40 to try it, see if that makes a difference.
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The Ford Pinto also operated within it’s advertised design specifications. That doesn’t mean it didn’t have design flaws.
Not sure what part of SoCal you’re in, but we’ve been 95-115 degrees for the last two months. Heck, it’s 11:00pm now and still 80 degrees out. AC is usually set to 78, but as high as 82 during flex alerts. It doesn’t seem reasonable (or even very responsible) to have to make my house an icebox just so the GF will run.
But really, the climate of my house shouldn’t even be a question - or - GF should be more clear that your device will be bricked if the temp goes above 76 degrees. I have just about every other type of maker device imaginable - they all have their quirks - but this is the only one that actually refuses to work.
I don’t think Ford ever actually made a conscious design decision to have Pintos explode when rear-ended. Design decision <> Design flaw.
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Ford made a conscience decision to place the fuel tank filler in the rear of the car which could predictably break-off under common conditions.
GF seems to have made the conscience decision to utilize a system that would limit the functionality of their machine under normal and common use conditions.
Feels like apples-to-apples.
It was a selling point for me, too.
I just don’t think GF was clear that they brick the system if it falls a hair outside their prescribed operating range.
I understand and agree that this is meant to prolong the life of the machine, but as previously mentioned, I had a much cheaper machine that lasted 4+ years (which is remarkable for a high-use laser cathode tube) and would cut through just about anything. If I’m now going to be forced to have an external cooling apparatus retrofitted to the GF, then I’m not too sure about how much of an advantage the GF is over the $300 workhorse laser cutter I’m replacing.
A “flaw” is an unintended weakness or failure in the design (e.g. exploding when rear-ended). A design decision to limit operating temperature ranges is not a flaw. You may consider it a poor decision, and you’re entitled to that opinion, but that doesn’t make it a flaw.
GF made a conscious decision to build in hardware that could support a defined range of normal operating temperatures while staying within the design and cost parameters they had chosen. That range is clearly spelled out in the specifications so that buyers can determine whether the machine will work for them in their current operating environment. If it doesn’t, they have the option to not buy it, or to add an external cooling system to bring the environment within the specified range.
If you disregarded the listed specs because you assumed you would be able to operate outside them, maybe the “flaw” is in how you interpret specs.
Regardless of the semantics, hopefully you have the option to return it, now that you’ve found the specifications to be more accurate than you anticipated, or else are willing to maybe point a fan at the front right corner and try it out to see whether it might be worth it to you to adjust the environment a little.
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I am in Florida and so also have issues with overheating. I had set my AC to 80 degrees just to keep the bills down and now have to hold it to 74 so it has run my power bills up. I was not happy to discover the 80 degree limitation, and even now it may stop for cooling off several times during a heavy cut. When I am running at less than full power the problem occurs less or not at all; so more passes at 70 power or choosing such work during the day, and the really tough work at night helps out that issue.
As noted above a fan assist in the exhaust moves more air through improving not only the temperature, but makes a cleaner cut as well as even if the smoke catches fire that is blown out it makes more marks on the work than when the smoke is whisked away more smartly.
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Fair enough. I do think that they need to make the fact that it’s a hard limit more clear. I’m not sure that would help most people as I don’t think folks read the fine print as often as they should with large purchases.
While I feel like I would be capable enough to use a system that requires a lot of fiddling, I have no interest in doing so. It could just be that the ease of use is not worth other drawbacks for you. I don’t know that calling it a design flaw is fair, but your opinion about the hard limits is certainly valid (and common). You would have fared better with a pro unit (I don’t even understand the allure of the plus model), but a small AC unit would be cheaper. Location of my unit has been a saga as my office houses a hedgehog who not only shouldn’t be inhaling fumes, but really should be kept in a warm climate!
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Just an FYI: there are a bunch of sensors in the GF for the pump, coolant temp etc. If an external cooler is planned it may be a lot more involved than just tying into the coolant lines.
Your personal frustration is understandable, so I hope that you don’t take this as some sort of personal attack. You have the right to be frustrated about where you are. If you’re not using the machine within the Glowforge specified ambient temperatures and have issues, your frustration with the Glowforge management makes less sense. Let me explain, since I too have had a career designing products.
The GF team evaluated options to deliver a self-contained device (a design choice they made). They selected this set of specifications and features to fit the model that they outlined. Maybe they were influenced by size, cost, reliability, noise…
They published those specifications for us to evaluate with regard to fitting our wide-ranging, individual needs pre-purchase. From what I read, the Pro (which is what I have) fit your temperature needs, but maybe not your price point.
I think that we have a better argument about a cutting area restricted to 11 x 19.5” when we were told 12 x 20”. However, given what this machine can do, I’ll overlook that for now.
If we want to go down this, “they told me that it couldn’t do this, but I want it to do it anyway, so they’re wrong” path, then this would be my short list:
- 1/4” passthrough height too narrow.
- 1/2” focus restriction too narrow.
- Bed height should be adjustable without using lifting blocks.
However, the Glowforge team was up front about what it could do, and I decided to give them my money and I’m thrilled that I did.
There is ample evidence on this forum, Instagram and elsewhere that this is a remarkable product. I hope that you will find a way to love what it CAN do. I do.
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I just wanted to pop on to thank you all for the dialogue. We’re in communication on an email thread, and are leaving this thread open in hopes that the community will be able to discover an optimal solution!
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You might want to see if it is a cooling issue at all.I thought this was but it turned out to have nothing to do with cooling.
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I imagine that if I ever cheated on my wife, I may consider it a poor decision, but she’d consider it a flaw. The only difference is perspective.
But splitting hairs over vernacular is not the least bit helpful. Moreover, I find your assumption about my “disregard” for and “flaw in how [I] interpret specs” to be curious. Below is what GF has posted for anyone considering buying a machine:
Please help me understand how anyone could interpret “Recommended Operating Temperature” as “Machine will be inoperable above 76 degrees”.
Actually, don’t bother.
I posted in this forum frustrated and looking for help - not to have a jab taken at my ability to understand the simple technical specs provided by the manufacturer.
I have seen several people here trying to genuinely offer help - to the point that I was softening on my frustration and actually looking at building one of the cooling systems suggested. For those people, I appreciate their input and advice.
Unfortunately, I’ve seen just as many people offer a “too bad, so sad” tone, that just kinda sucks. As if I am somehow unreasonable, ill-informed, or otherwise deficient for expecting this machine to work out of the box, in normal environmental conditions, without additional modifications.
I think that speaks volumes for the health of this community.
Thanks for the suggestion. It was actually something I hadn’t considered, so I double checked. Unfortunately it did not solve the problem, but I do appreciate the insight. It gave me a momentary shred of hope 
Thanks for your insight. I think the difference here (and one of the sources of my frustration) is the difference between “Recommended” and “Mandatory”.
GF’s published specs - the one’s consumers are most likely to review when considering a purchase - outline the “Recommended Operating Temperature”. It says nothing about the machine becoming inoperable if even narrowly outside this range. That would be like your car shutting down the minute the Check Engine light came on.
Had GF been more clear about the extremely narrow and restrictive operating environment of their machine, I absolutely would not have made the purchase.
Truth is, I haven’t seen anything produced on the GF that I couldn’t (or haven’t already) produce on my $300 40w Laser, so the “remarkable product” argument doesn’t really resonate with me. It’s a 40(5) watt laser. They’re all going to be able to cut and engrave the same types of materials. What did sell me on the GF was the larger cutting area, plug-n-play interface, and closed system. Until my GF will actually operate, I obviously can’t take advantage of the larger cutting area or the plug-n-play interface. Worse, the best suggestion for getting my machine to work is to create a modification that essentially negates the benefit of having a closed system. A modification, mind you, which I am not entirely certain will not void the warranty.
This is not my first laser, nor is it my first purchase from a company who began on Kickstarter. As an early adopter, like you, I am willing to make concessions with the final product design. The other features that you describe, imo, do not limit the use of the machine - just some of your flexibility in doing so.
But bricking the machine at 76 degrees…?!?
I think your experience here is a little atypical, you came in like a thundercloud (understandably) and seem to be taking out your frustration a bit by interpreting things people are saying in a negative way (also understandably). Granted, some people are less gentle than others, but we’re a community of individuals – of course that’ll happen. You don’t seem new to this sort of forum, so I’m sure you understand this, even if it’s currently really irritating.
I promise we all hope you work out your cooling issues. We might have occasional clashes of personality and tone, but it’s a pretty supportive bunch who rally behind each other, cheering good work and offering help where we can.
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