I had a pretty lengthy conversation with one of a guy at the booth. I let him go thru his whole speal about how easy this laser is going to be to use. And how everyone will have one. Then I asked him bluntly, ‘This looks like the Muse from Full Spectrum?’ And his response was, ‘There is no secret that we are working with them to bring the easiest to use laser cutter to the market’
So I asked a couple key questions.
) Are you using the same mechanicals as the Orginal Muse?
) Are you using the same motion controlling platform as the original Muse?
) Are you going to keep everything local on the device or will there be a cloud component?
) How are you handling the exhaust and cooling?
5.) How Much?
I got a long explanation but basically, the answer to 1 & 2 are yes. The only change most likely the Dremel branding in the UI. All the feature sets will basically be the same. (For now it seems)
The answer to number 3 was interesting. He didn’t say no nor did he say yes. ‘The cloud has its advantages.’ End of line.
The answer for 4 was my favorite as he actually showed me how they are doing it. They basically have the same (basic) setup as the Glowforge Basic but externally. A passively cooled setup with a reservoir (As in a heat transfer manifold with a BFHS on it and room temp air being ‘pushed’ thru it). And a small airbrush style compressor for air assist. Pretty cool.
This takes what the Muse had and compresses it (ugh sorry) into a small external chassis.
And for answer 5. ‘Nothing to talk about today’ But then offer me to enroll into a contest to win one.
Edit: I asked if they made any changes to the stock Muse hardware. ‘We added some needed safety mechanisms, (a safety interlock for the lid) and UL listings. We also added some additional things that we can’t talk about today’
This is great. Competition is awesome for the end user. And Dremel as decided to join in the fun. I didn’t really care for FSL and pretty much counted them out. But Dremel?
Agreed. It sounded like a lack of support was one of the Muse’s biggest problems but I have a lot more confidence in Dremel. I’ve always had good luck with their products.
Ah nice! Can always count on you to get the scoop on the needed tech info. Thanks for sharing! Super jealous that we could t make it and hang with you guys.
It has so many bullet point items the Glowforge is missing!
It has SAFE, METAL CASE!
It has UNIT TOUCH SCREEN!
It has COOLING AND AIR SOLUTION! (External)
It Has USB ports!
It has RELIABLE BRAND! (Although I’m sure Glowforge will do well after this production thing is over)
I know it’s a rebadged MUSE with some UI tweaks but, Dremel! TAKE MY MONEY!!!
I can’t wait till Summer 2018
Not sure what forum it was but I remember someone mentioned that a GF competitor was coming out and that it was being made by a Chinese company… but the guy did not want to mention who or what perhaps this is it…nice but I already have 3 k40’s…Granted they may put the machine together in US but the some of the parts may or may not be manufactured in the US…so I wait for my GF and that camera feature that I really like
To most non-value, non-industrial laser makers, that means they sorta plan to have camera integration, maybe, but if cameras are never integrated then it’s because cameras are for nerds and please don’t bring it up again.
Kinda pointless as its literally the same thing that’s already in the Basic.
If it was active cooling (how the Pro works) maybe. My only reservation on not doing anything with the cooling right now is due to the coolant itself. Since for one, we have no idea what it is and secondly, they have sensors that checking for things like flow rate, before and after temps and more importantly levels. Adding a 3rd party cooler will increase the tubing length which will in turn drop the coolant levels in the reservoir. Last thing I want to see the ‘We detected something wrong contact support’ message in the UI.
The only real solution would be to flush the system and use a 3rd party coolant. But even with that and from what we have seen (specifically with the Basic) the coolant system is a like a bonsai plant. And changing it (the unicorn tears coolant) may cause other unforeseen issues.
Not saying it can’t be done. But if you are going to swap the system out, it’s going to have to be custom. And something that would fit in the Basic. (the basic chassis has the mount points for the Pro cooler)
I optimistically believe that the coolant isn’t some super-complex formulation, given the general availability of laser tubes. It probably wouldn’t be difficult to send a sample off to a laboratory (1|2|3) if it really came down to it.
As you mentioned, just drain and store the factory coolant. If you need to revert back, flush the system and replace everything back to what it was, including the original coolant.
I don’t know about now, but a few months ago, search results for the Muse would return just an army of angry video reviews. Did it finally come to some sort of competency or are folks hoping the Dremel sticker on the side will fix the previous issues the Muse was having?
I’m aware that the internet can be mean and most reviews are generally negative, so the thing could be just fine.
This might be a sign that FSL has realized they are weak on support and customer service and getting to that final 10% hurdle of making a consumer friendly product. They can either leverage Dremel’s expertise to help them with their own products, or sell off the product line completely for a nice sum, wash their hands completely and move on to the next product development.
Then if this laser cutter project works out well, I could see the potential for Dremel to help with the SLA 3D Printers that FSL can not support. They abandoned their own support forum and have not updated their Rentina3D software in two years.
Engraving Area: 12 x 8in/300 x 200mm
Laser Power: CO2 Glass 40W rated an estimated 1,000 - 1,300 hours (cuts up to 3mm wood / acrylic)
Material Capability: Organics / non-metal - can mark on treated metals: wood, stone, leather, crystal, paper, and film
Machine Dimensions: 36.6” x 24.8” x 15.6”
Motor Type: Stepper Motor
Vent Attachments: Air Exhaust fan w/ vent pipe
Power Supply: Standard AC 110V
OS Compatibility: Windows 8, 7, 10 (64/32 bit), XP, 2000
Laser / PC Connectivity: USB
Resolution: Up to 1000 dpi
Item Weight: 59.6lbs
Color: Blue & White
FEATURES
Pre-drilled installation holes to accommodate many engraving tasks
Capable of engraving or cutting almost any non-metal materials
Can accommodate a cutting thickness of up to 3mm
Digital electric current display panel ensures simple operation & control
Universal USB
they mention available end 2018.
I know that dremel’s web site has a “request a quote” button, I am not interested in comleting that form but perhaps someone else has done it and has info.
