No news to share at this point, but we’re learning a lot from the beta users who are giving us feedback right now.
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Not exactly what I had in mind. The result would be that for $500 more I would get a lesser machine, after waiting for over three years.
I sincerely do appreciate the response and the offer @dan but I guess I’ll just hang on until the end of May. I will hope with all my heart that you and the team can somehow convince the Canadian powers that be that grown ups are capable of not blinding/incinerating themselves through a 1/4” slot that is 90 degrees perpendicular to the path of a laser that would be so defocused by the time it escapes that it would likely be less harmful than pinching your fingers in the lid! (Where is the heavy sigh emoji 
)
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Amen.
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I have been a big defender of production delays during the initial R&D phase, but the air filter slips are pushing even my patience.
It’s been nearly a year since I received my GF (after over a year delay), and now my air filter is scheduled for end of August (from end of March a few weeks ago).
I appreciate that you’ve worked to create an alternative offering, but honestly if it’s taken you 3 years to get this far with an air filter, why should I believe that one you’ve created in 6 months is of any consistent quality? And how it is you’ve managed to design and manufacture an incredibly complicated machine like the GF but an air filter schedule slip adds an additional 6 months? There’s no electronics in here, what on earth is causing these massive slips.
I’m stuck because I have my GF and I love it, and in general I feel you guys have done a decent job communicating on slips and explaining why, but the explanation here is really lacking. It’s a vague “things aren’t as good as we want them”. Your communication quality is slipping.
So this is more of a “I’m annoyed, get your act together” post. And I need to figure out whether I want to switch the filters.
He did say they went to someone else who was already going and I’m assuming they just altered a pre-existing design…though I don’t recall if anyone has said who the partner is.
@dan I have an external fan (https://amzn.to/2W6IBYX) that I use to help the exhaust out the window. Typically I spin that up before I turn on the Glowforge. Will this cause any issues or false positives with the new fan monitoring?
Hmmmm You are in Seattle, Correct? How hard would it be to create a Warehouse just over the border and ship from there? You would still have Bureaucracy but it could work on a shipping crate full at a time and a personal connection locally to help smooth the way. Even a build and repair shop there so those problems would be reduced.
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Did you have any questions about the Compact Filter that I can answer for you that isn’t already discussed on the Air Filter thread? 
(I’ve been hanging around on that thread since the announcement to answer questions about it. I got one in December, and so far I’ve been perfectly happy with it. No smells get through while it’s running.)
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@rbtdanforth I’m actually in Vancouver, BC, just north of Seattle. The real problem is the certification of the Pro not necessarily the shipping/distribution aspect. Glowforge is shipping basic and plus units now without issue (other than the crazy shipping costs) but they can’t seem to get the Class IV Pro through the certification process.
If I could get a container of Pros across the border I’m sure there would be a bunch of happy and grateful Canadians to welcome me 
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With an aluminum plate across the passthrough a pro is a class I. If someone removes the bolted on platesor switches out the Plus door for a Pro door that would not affect the shipping as it would have already arrived. Or perhaps is you bought a Plus and then ordered a Pro door…
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The shields don’t change the classification.
I’m not sure. I glanced through the description of the compact filter so I need to review and then consider my options.
One question about the replaceable filter, was the GF filter also going to require a replacement part? I didn’t pay too much attention since it was always off in the future.
I’m not sure what you mean by replacement part…you mean the paper filter that will need to be changed out? Yes, it’s going to have to be changed occasionally for either device.
I thought it was a Class I with the shields in place?
You can operate it like a Class I with the shields in place. The underlying classification of the machine remains a Class IV. For commercial entities they need to have laser safety and management and training procedures in place (in the US anyways - an OSHA thing). But they do let you operate it with shields and no glasses, access controls, etc. I expect Canada has similar regulations but possibly not a way to deal with the pseudo-Class I characteristics when the shields are in place.
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@jamesdhatch is correct. the possibility of operating it with the shields removed makes it class 4.
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Perhaps all the gaming I have seen like the semi-automatic weapon you can make full automatic with a needle file and so many similar cases. and folks that cut out the bottom or other mods. the line that should be a sharp one, is so rarely so.
people can cheat safety mechanisms. and any one who does so turns a basic/plus into a class 4 laser.
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I suppose if I was in Canada an X-Carve and a Plus would be the way to go and not even a huge price difference nor a huge difference in what you can accomplish. The frustration of trying to have a Pro would drive one over a wall. As noted above the safety points are not so much an issue about actual safety under the specifics, and thus “cheating” the safety is not like having a home built phaseras someone noted in another thread a while back
I’m not sure. The alert is pretty explicit so you’ll know if that’s the cause.
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