That screen…kinda feeling the non-Pro regret again…
Okay, breathing normally again – thanks for the update Dan!
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please name a laser cutter on the market that “supports” any material. nobody else gives you settings they guarantee to work for any specific materials that i know of.
the proofgrade is a plus. not using proofgrade is the equivalent of what happens on every other laser cutter.
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I think the confusion is on the word “support”. Glowforge will indeed cut and engrave anything that can normally be cut and engraved by a 40W.
Glowforge I believe does have a warranty on Proofgrade working “right”, with automatically loaded values and no testing necessary. “Non-supported” materials require you to do your own testing to make sure it works correctly.
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Glowforge has said they will not give material advice for non-Proofgrade material. The reason being that they can’t control the quality and can’t guarantee it will cut the same every time. Therefore, they are giving a space where the community can post suggested settings for non-Proofgrade material.
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That’s the bit I missed Joe. Where was this said? I haven’t been scouring the forums, but I try to keep myself up to date. I rely on monthly updates to keep me in the loop and try not to fret about delays.
My goal isn’t to be a troll. It’s to understand what I bought and what I can expect it to do when it hits my doorstep. My “NEW INFO ALERT!” radar was flagged by this simple statement and I’m seeking clarification on what it means for me.
Thanks for the responses. I’d hope if I try cutting something not supported, I’d be able to reach out and get some guidance from the company. I know you guys will be there to help out.
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The company, no, but the community is full of tons of people who’ve done that kind of thing (or are actively doing that kind of thing), so there’ll be community-maintained resources (there already ARE some).
But Glowforge really can’t do that kind of thing themselves; it gets into complicated liability territory if they say something too close to potentially being a guarantee, and it’s really important to understand the sheer immense variety of material compositions out there. Even if they were willing, it’s not really possible.
Take the ‘simple’ example of plywood. You could go to the same hardware store, buy the same thickness/size of plywood four times over the course of four days, and need different settings each time, because the composition of the plywood stock can change each time they get a shipment. It really is that uncertain.
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Yep. 
Albeit having the thing for an extra couple months is also nice.
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I had a guy from a moving company deliver a baby grand piano all by himself and a handtruck. He was a BIG guy. He put down wooden planks everywhere there was a step.
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No problem. They said this early on. I forget where.
Most other laser companies give a list of “Suggested Settings” for some materials. However, they always have the caveat that the settings might not work and testing is required. They have no guarantee that the material will come out nice or how you want it.
Glowforge decided to make Proofgrade instead, where they control the quality and provide settings that they can guarantee you will get a good cut/engraving every time. However, they will not guarantee that a non-Proofgrade maple plywood (for example) will cut the same as a Proofgrade maple plywood. They are similar, but the non-Proofgrade might use non-laser compatible glue or have interior knots or something. You will need to experiment if you want to find out if it works.
The good news is people here have cut all kinds of weird things (I’m looking at you @henryhbk and @Jules). If you have any questions, we’ll gladly help out. @jamesdhatch already posted a Cut Calibration Template in the Free Laser Designs section.
Also, this is a pretty nice material template from Thingiverse. You will waste more material with that, though.
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Those privacy screens came out great!
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As everyone has said so far. All materials are supported. What can damage the machine (or you) is at your own risk. And up to you to research what is safe and unsafe. Hence the reason why proofgrade exist. These are materials that are guaranteed to work with predictable results. Anything else you will have to figure out the optimal settings for that material and if it’s safe.
As for non-proofgrade tests, the links below are all the non-proofgrade materials that have been tested/experimented with and have been posted on the forum.
https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=%20tags%3Anon-proofgrade
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I already was a little jealous, but now, I’m pretty sure I’ll be a lot jealous.
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Thanks for, once again, being so responsive to your customers - glad to hear the packaging is improving. 
High Five and a pat on the back to the whole GF team. You guys rock.
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Two ups employees delivered my glowforge. Maybe that is uncommon?
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One would think it should be mandatory above a certain weight but most people have reported it was delivered by one person. In the UK I have never seen a two person UPS delivery despite regularly receiving 48kg packages.
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None of them will replace your materials that do not behave as expected. You are on the hook for scraps and ruined projects if something does not cut all the way through or some other issue.
ProofGrade is material of known consistency and make-up, with tried and true tested settings. If you are using PG material and PG settings and have an issue, GF is there to back you up on it. No other laser company will do that.
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OSHA nor the UK’s HSE have anything on the books regarding max lifting weight for an employee. The US NIOSH has recommendations and I’m sure the U.K. has similar recommendations but they aren’t enforceable by themselves. Enforcement would fall under some other regulation, likely concerning not mitigating risk. To which they would say, well - every driver has a dolly.
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“Cooling
In the past, if your Glowforge got too warm, it would abort and potentially ruin your print. Now, it will just cool off for a bit and continue. The head will stop moving, but everything else will be the same. Coming soon: the UI will update to let you know this is happening, and we’ll lower the temperature limit to improve your performance. (In the interim, printing when it’s over 72 degrees or so may result in the laser not cutting through consistently - right now it only pauses when the temperatures are critical).”
@dan - I’m a little concerned by the lowering of the temperature limit. I live in Phoenix, AZ with summertime temperatures reaching/exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I keep my thermostat at 75 degrees and at times I feel like even that is a big ask from my A/C unit. Moreover, I planned on installing an A/C unit in my insulated garage, and turning it into my workshop.
It would be a real shame if the Glowforge won’t operate for 6 months out of the year. Am I reading that correctly? With a future update, the Glowforge will just sit there waiting for the temperature to drop to 72 degrees? In AZ, that could be a very long wait. Maybe that temperature limit is a tad too aggressive.
Having said all that - I’ll happily do some hot climate testing for you if you want to ship me my pro unit now!
Thank you!
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By “support” they mean able to give cutting speeds & powers. GF has no way of knowing exactly what you are cutting even if you say 1/4" plywood. The 1/4" plywood you buy from Lowe’s today can be different from the 1/4" plywood you buy from Lowe’s next month or next week. Differences in glues, presence of knots, etc.
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I’m in Lake Havasu, AZ and my thermostat is usually set at 80. I personally can’t tolerate it much cooler than that LOL but I’ll let you know if I have any temperature messages pop up. I’m expecting my unit to ship any day now.
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