Has anyone else been waiting for longer than 3 years? We ordered our Basic with Air Filter in October of 2015 and now the adjusted delivery is not until the end of July 2019. Any further back and it will have been 4 years!
We are a small school and our students are pretty discouraged (not to mention graduated!)
Where are you located?
The Air Filters are holding things up as you could have had delivery a year ago of just the Basic. I would still be waiting if I had opted for both only.I bought this early on to have something and it will clean out a large room even aside from being fed directly from the Glowforge.
A box with a 12 " hole in one side and 4" on the top would move all that air through and solve your problem now and be useful for a wide variety of other needs later even if you kept all three parts
Los Angeles
Los Angeles (Pacific Palisades)
Hi again,
Sorry, I am a little new to air filtering. We can not do ventilation to outside as we are leasing our building. Are you saying that we could make a safe, makeshift one from a box as you describe?
Yes, I believe so as it has big charcoal filters and a HEPA-filter that it moves air through at twice the volume that the Glowforge puts out. So it would do at least as well as the official filter. Fitting a 4" hose to the intake that is 10 inch on the inside and 12" on the outside has been my biggest problem that I have not built that box as yet. However, when the previous machine exhaust broke down and filled the room with smoke the machine cleared the room in a couple of minutes just sitting out in the room. Even the popcorn popped in the kitchen was cleared before it could cross the room.
It is designed to clear much more than the output of the Glowforge so it can do a very good job. Of course, you have to keep the filters up etc. but it can be at least as good at cleaning, though maybe a bit noisier, but not terrible, or much more than the machine.
You can also accept the alternative filter they are now offering.
Yes, I’m surprised no one has mentioned that one yet…it should be available sooner than the GF filter.
Information on it and sign-up for it here. You do have to sign up for it though:
Can you explain? What does the fact that you’re leasing have to do with putting a hose out a window (or something similar)?
It’s not that much difference to someone waiting on the official GF filter. They get to sign up to maybe get picked to buy one to be delivered at some other unknown future date.
Could be tomorrow or next month or three months away - no commitments have been made by GF. So the only difference to someone waiting (if they get selected after signing up) is that there are compact filters actually in the wild (for the betas). If they’re looking for a solution now, the only options they can count on are another manufacturer or a d-i-y build.
I know they’re farther along with the Compact Filters…they are already ready/tested. What they’ll likely do is wait until they have enough people sign up for a production run, and from that point, the delay would be short indeed. I received one about 3 weeks after I volunteered to test it. It might be a little longer than that, but we’re talking a month or two, not however long it’s going to be for the Glowforge filters to arrive.
The Glowforge filters are going to be a lot more difficult to manufacture, they require a specialty mold for the case, and they don’t follow a standard design, so yeah, they are going to take a lot longer. And if they discover any problems along the way, they have to start over, so it could be significantly longer.
So i don’t think it’s the same kind of delay that the final filter will suffer. All that folks are waiting on for this one will be the production run. Definitely quicker than the final GF filters. 
Hi Tom,
We don’t have any accessible windows, nor can we build a ventilation/extraction system that leads outside. We are an urban school with very limited real estate.
Sara
Ah. That explains it! 
I use a long hose and put it out my door. You have to make sure nothing is able to crawl in it and moisture does not get in but it works (they also make an additional fan you can add too it if you need more sucking power). I attached a stocking to it to cover the opening when not in use. Make a table with wheels and have class outside or be able to push it closer to a door when in use (this is what I do). My husband made me a table out of some doors / metal tubes / casters. Have your class learn to build a filter! Lots of info online for homemade filters (I tried some but they blocked the airflow to much - probably needed an extra fan). I am waiting for a filter too and I don’t have room for the freestanding one…its going to be a while! The rolling table and long tube work for me.
Thanks! These are all good ideas! I had queried about being outdoors, but I was advised not to do that. I don’t know if it had to do with the fact that we would have to carry the GF up 2 flights of stairs to get to a deck? Do you think that it is too fragile, that something might get out of alignment were we to do so?
Sara
Actually, a long spring as is inside the 4" hose with an actual stocking over it would catch all the larger bits and be able to change easily.as it filled up it would make a good prefilter. As a box in front of the Blue Monster, it would work out pretty good I think and not leave any smell or smoke.
Yeah…2 flights of stairs might be an issue. Just shipping mine in a very nicely packaged box seemed to mess mine up. Being outdoors in weather, not great either. That’s all I have for ya…sorry. Hope you get a filter soon.
Unfortunately, we have encountered delays in Glowforge Air Filter production. We had to make significant changes to get the performance we know you want and expect.
As @jules mentioned, we have been able to source a new option while we finish the Glowforge Air Filter. It’s called the Compact Filter, and it’s a floor-standing alternative that is designed to work perfectly with your Glowforge. The first production run is now available exclusively to customers like you who would like to receive it instead of their Glowforge Air Filter.
You can read more about it and sign up to switch your order here Jan 2019 Update (Latest)
I’m going to close this thread, but if you have more questions please post again or email support@glowforge.com.
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