Engraving glass - larger and not aligned

Problems and Support
#1

Having an issue. Trying to engrave on a whiskey bottle. Crumb tray is out. Did the camera alignment right before starting so my image would be placed appropriately.

Uploaded my image and placed it where I wanted. It ends up printing about 25% larger and about a 1/4 - 1/2 inch higher and to the left.

First 2 times, it printed an out a half inch lower. Then I moved the file way up, and it printed there! But larger.

I’ve attached another image on the back of the bottle and you can see what it’s doing.

What can I do?

image
image4032×3024 5.88 MB

#2

How thick is the bottle? Are you using Set Focus, or entering the thickness manually?

What you’re describing is it not being able to successfully focus so the image you’re getting in the GFUI is based on it thinking it’s (probably) shorter than it actually is.

#3

I’m using set focus

#4

How thick is the bottle? What you describe is an out of focus issue, in my opinion.

#5

You need to make sure that the top surface of the bottle falls at least 1.4" above the metal bottom of the machine (when the tray is out). If the top of the bottle isn’t above that height, the focus will be off when using Set Focus on it.

So measure the thickness of the bottle, then place it on top of something to bring it into correct range. The prop and the bottle need to have a total thickness of about 1.5" - 1.75".
(Also, you’ll get the best focus on it if you place it right under the lid camera.)

4 Likes
#6

Hello @fotografer,

Thank you for reaching out to us. I just took a look a the logs from this print and it looks like the material was too low in the printer bed, which caused the camera on your printer head not to focus correctly.

The advice that @Jules provided is correct and your next best course of action. Please let us know how it turns out after raising the bottle up a bit and using set focus.

Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you!

1 Like
#7

Hey there @fotografer, its been a few days since we heard from you, so I wanted to check in. Are you still having trouble with your prints? Were you able to try the advice that was provided here in the forum thread?

If you’re still having trouble, please let us know and we’ll be glad to continue troubleshooting with you. If the issue seems to be resolved now, please let us know and we will go ahead and close this thread. Thank you!

#8

Hi! This was my weekend project and didn’t get back to it til today.

I doubt that it was too low in the printer bed. Just measured the bottle last night after work and it measures 2.1" thick. So I’d imagine that it is too high in the bed?

To my thinking it would end up being rendered too small by being too high as opposed to too large. Trying to wrap my head around still being able to print this even though it is out of spec. The client didn’t mind it being too large, but just wanted it centered - i.e. in the spot that I’d had it set showing on the computer.

#9

In thinking, of course after I hit reply , for the size issue I can start it out smaller. Just to figure how to get it in the place that I want. I’d tried it on the previous one - the bottle became a testing ground after the first misprint. 3 times it printed in a different location. The last one, I moved according to the measurement offsets that I figured the printer was doing, but then that one printed in the place where it actually showed on the screen.

#10

If you know it’s too big, then your best bet is to ignore the Set Focus, put in a .5 measurement into the individual engrave command - and run it first over your masking at like 2 power. Move the bottle if it doesn’t end up in the right place, and run the 2 power again. Once it’s good you need to mark that spot, put on new masking, and hit go. By entering the focus in the individual command it will automatically override any sort of either Set Focus/Automatic reading and never adjust.

#11

Hi @fotografer. Thanks for the responses and added information. It looks like @deirdrebeth had some good suggestions to help. Could you let us know if that was able to help, or if you are still running into any trouble? Thanks!

#12

It’s been a little while since I’ve seen any replies on this thread so I’m going to close it. If you still need help with this please either start a new thread or email support@glowforge.com.

#13