I’ve made a puzzle or two before… even with a perfectly aligned passthrough, I think it would still be easier to just break the puzzle up. I’d be very surprised if the passthrough software automatically broke up vector designs - maybe it will… but, I’d be surprised.
Whether it does or doesn’t… the bigger question in my mind is how are you going to get all of those pieces out? Push them through the passthrough? Pick them up off the crumbtray and transfer them to a holding container? I’d be very leery of doing both. Puzzles pieces like to jump. And bounce. And hide under things when they do those previously mentioned things. Maybe they could all be pushed through the back passthrough slot, but I’d say the chances of pieces getting lost are fairly good.
Yes, I purchased the Glowforge to make puzzles (some small and others large). I have experimented making other things to get used to using it, but the primary reason for purchasing was to make puzzles. Hopefully the software for using the pass-through slot is up and running while the unit still is under warranty!
ROFL! No, I was totally joking. Mine is working just the way it always has…I’m not anticipating it going kablooie anytime soon. (Guess it will be black karma if it does actually go out around then, won’t it?)
No…I knew you were joking…and mostly so was I. But, I have known a few times when 2 days or so after a warranty has expired that something has gone wrong. One time it was a big time thing…our brand new and expensive refrigerator…and it was only 2 days past. Fortunately, there was a workaround and we were taken care of…but, it can make one a bit leery.
Oh, I hear that! As a matter of fact, part of my current storage problem stems from buying two of whatever I really like, since I expect most things manufactured now to crap out on me after a few months. (It’s really aggravating.)
On the other hand, we bought a used Sub-Zero when we got married. (We wanted the best and we didn’t have the money for new at the time.) That thing is still running like a top. We’ve had it serviced twice since. So quality is possible. That’s kind of how I feel about this laser, it’s a quality build. Parts might wear out, and I expect a certain amount of broken or bad parts these days, but they can be replaced, and I don’t see Glowforge trying to screw us over. (If they are, they are really bad at it.)
I would just like to share my frustration with lack of pass-through updates as well. I have tried the work arounds and have had some success and also burned up a lot of valuable materials with some failures. It requires a lot of extra work and is not very reliable in my case. Maybe I am just not skilled enough to pull it off reliably but the reason I bought the Glowforge was largely due to the promise of an easy user interface and the only reason I bought the pro model was to do larger work. Sigh…
The lack of updates worry me. Wondering if there is a roadblock or if resources are being used elsewhere. Really would just appreciated some insight and to know that this feature will someday arrive as promised.
Drop the front door down and just slide everything forward (back? Whatever, out the front) onto an extra piece of material that is pushed up against the front of the machine.
@jbmanning5 and @webguy1012000 a useful tip for puzzles, if you have masking tape (aka transfer tape), use some to gently restick all the pieces back together to lift them out in one piece. I have made some acrylic mirror puzzles with irresponsibly tiny pieces (1/4"x1/4") and didn’t lose any using this method ;p
No update for May? Is there any point in waiting for the “official” Glowforge air filter, or has that been abandoned and is everyone just going for a compact air filter? @dan?
Nope. Happily waiting for the GF filter without need of monthly reminders that they’re working on it and will let us know when it passes muster. It was true of the GF itself, so I have no doubts it’ll be true of the filter
So…May 2019 Update
GF filter not yet passing muster. When it does GF will definitely post an announcement. If you need something sooner go check out the Compact Filter thread
…but with an uncomfortable ring of truth to it. Seems to be a Murphy’s law thing, doesn’t it?