I removed the carriage plate, belt, and successfully cleaned everything. However I am utterly stuck at the " Re-attach the driver belt" stage. Trying to follow the somewhat unclear instructions on getting the belt back onto the pulley and getting very frustrated not being able to “roll the belt onto the pulley” as instructed. Is there any advice how the heck to get the belt back on???
You need to remove and re-install with the crumb tray removed to have room for your hand & fingers. It rolls back on just as easily as removing it. If you are struggling with it, you might want to enlist the help of someone with more dexterity.
I know it can be frustrating, but you can do this. The following link is to a video prepared by a long time Glowforge user. I hope the last minute and the camera view will help you.
For most people, this may be a relatively simple task. But I have been unable to reconnect the belt after working on it for hours. I am unfortunately very frustrated. I have my crumb tray out. I do not have anyone I can enlist to help. I have watched the video. So far, this solution has not worked for me. I am generally a fairly tech-savvy person and this is the first instance where I have found myself unhappy with the guidance provided and unhappy with the ease/difficulty of use.
I had hoped the video would help since it shows a different angle. All I can say is, you can do this. Here is the link to the Glowforge instructions just in case you didn’t read it. The key is to squeeze the belt with your left hand and then guide the belt onto the wheel as you slide the carriage plate to the left with your right hand.
Someone else was able to reconnect the belt for me. For now, problem solved. But I don’t have the physical strength to make this work. I appreciate the video and the positivity. My point is simply that not everyone truly can do this.