I am also pretty sure there is nothing changeable once the tube is made, so it will be characterisation of the tube producing calibration data that goes into the Glowforge. So they have a couple of years to work out how to do that remotely.
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Exactly. I have no expectation that they have ANY part of this figured out just yet. But I expect they will in a year or two.
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thatâs how i was viewing it as well.
I have not seen how the tube is connected, but the thing that makes the most sense to me from a maintainability standpoint is that the connector has a small ROM on it into which the calibration parameters are burned. Then when the tube is installed, the Glowforge has the data it needs.
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Yes if it was always the intension to do per tube calibration.
This reminds me of a little quirk of a very successful startup that I used to work at:
They would always ship new products without having the billing system completed. They charged in arrears and always knew theyâd have the first 30 days to get it ready so it didnât make sense to hold the product back.
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Definitely not. The full power setting is optimized for both maximum cutting ability and maximum tube life.
No, we just had very stretched limits that would allow the cut quality to suffer and some risk of long-term loss of tube life. If they were critically overtemperature, theyâd shut off.
Itâs in the hopper to allow for you to opt for an older version, but itâs not a capability weâve implemented yet.
I was struggling for language to give a sense of where we took your Glowforge without providing a roadmap for other people to get there. [quote=âoctopusfluff, post:178, topic:8865, full:trueâ]
How long did it take to weed that window replica? I donât see any bits of paper still in spots they shouldnât be.
[/quote]
No weeding. It was just paper, no protective coating. Just lifted the design off the bed. Then dustbustered up all the paper bits from the jet-black tray. 
Indeed. That will be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective.
I actually thought of you as we were working on it. [quote=âChristopher, post:198, topic:8865â]
this look-up table is what I assumed Dan was saying was worth $25k, but now I think he actually meant a physical table filled with equipment and sensors that is used to calibrate the laser tube
[/quote]
Correct, the physical table, equipment, etc.[quote=âChristopher, post:198, topic:8865â]
With this all said, I donât see why the laser tube couldnât be calibrated at the factory, mailed to the user, and in the mean-time, that calibration look-up table is being uploaded/downloaded onto your Glowforge so itâs there ready once you receive and install the laser tube.
[/quote]
Makes sense to me.
Hey Matt! No, weâll only be doing calibration at the factory.
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The Trotec website is slower than a 15 year old basset hound.
For example:
Trotec
Material: Solid Wood Maple 11.75" x 3.9" - 3/16" (pack of 20)
Surface area: 48.825 sq in * 20 = 916.5 sq in
Cost: $148.39 CAD + GST = $155.81
Shipping: Included (>$100)
Inventables
Material: 6" Ă 12" Ă 1/8" Hard Maple (singles)
Surface area: 72 sq in * 20 = 1440 sq in
Cost: $49.80 USD
Shipping: $39.74 USD
Converted: $89.54 USD * 1.33 CAD = $119.09 + GST = $125.04 CAD
To summarize:
- Trotec wood is 50% thicker, but offers a smaller laserable surface area.
- That was priced for USPS shipping, but if you go for UPS courier it can add up to the same price.
- Inventablesâ pricing has dropped on a number of common woods in recent months, by as much as 50%.
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I see what you did there, and I like it!
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cheers, thanks! iâm honestly quite surprised to see that they charge so much! might be worthwhile to keep them in mind, i suppose, but.
also, 11.75 x 3.9? what a strange sizeâŚ
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A shade less than 300x100mm. Perhaps by the kerf if they cut up larger boards with a saw. You would think Trotec would use a laser though.
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for sure.
i wasnât really referring to the specific numbers so much as the general shape (long, narrow rectangle); iâd figure the most popular pieces would be larger things for projects or that you could cut many things from. i suppose the rectangle is a good size if you wanted, say, a 100x100 square engraved, though.
Thatâs cool. Got a rough ETA on draftwood and/or florescent acrylic availability?
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Iâm honored! Canât wait to try this and start experimenting!
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I second being able to use old software, if we choose. While not the exact same situation, I like being able to continue using the old âbuildâ of firmware and software on my Form 2 while I am working on a given project, since changes to either can change how I prepare files or how they come out. âKnown goodâ and all that.
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Literally made me LOL which received some strange looks from co-workers! 
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No kidding. My son and I were browsing a couple weeks ago and we simply had to stop because it was too painful to keep going.
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They also sell a 23.5*11.75 size in most of their hardwoods for a very similar price when calculated on a sq in basis.
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good to know; i assume you mean a similar price to the $/in2 for their weird board, right, not in comparison to shipping from the states?
Yes the actual product.
Solid Wood Maple 23.5" x 11.75" - 3/16"
In stock
$34.32
Provincial and Federal Sales taxes will be added to the order total in accordance with Provincial sales tax requirements.
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