Hello all! I’m brand new to the Glowforge and am wrestling with to put my laser long-term. I’d love to put in this my woodshop, however, I’m concerned about dust getting to the Glowforge. I’ve noticed folks with XTool lasers on Youtube and they have their laser in the woodshop, seemingly just entrusting the case to protect the machine.
Has anyone else just put their Glowforge in their woodshop? If so, did you have to do extra dust collection? My shop gets pretty dusty.
My take is the belongs in a controlled environment as free from dust and temperature extremes as possible.
I have my indoor fabrication/office and out in the shed wood and large stuff. I guess if your wood shop is big and temperature controlled you could put it in a enclosure.
Mine is in my shop and dust doesn’t hurt it at all. Just remember to clean the lenses on the print head, the lens that is on the left side that points towards the head and the camera lens. Your laser will also create dust inside from use.
There are three different options in this thread for dust covers to use when it’s not in use - and when it’s in use you’ve got your fan going (if you don’t already have an external fan, that should 100% be your first modification!)
If anything I might consider trying to figure out how to put a filter on the air intake so you’re not pulling dust into the machine. I don’t think it would cause any sort of safety issue; just as a matter of keeping the internals clean.
Of course air filters are eventually get clogged which slows down airflow which would be bad… So maybe it’s best to just let the dust do what the dust is gonna do.
belongs in a controlled environment as free from dust and temperature extremes as possible.
Sewing is such a useful skill!