Files for Making Tools You Will Probably Need

Helpful Free Files for Beginners.docx (187.8 KB)

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Oh hey, thanks for this! Reminds me, I need more honeycomb pins…

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Awesome! :grinning:

Thank you! Have bookmarked for easy reference (until I’m back at my computer connected to my GF to download).

Me too. Reminds me of socks in the dryer, where do they go?
“They come back as a Tupperware lid that has no match”.

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Good idea - these should be free in the standard catalog shouldn’t they?

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Great stuff! Thanks for pulling it all together.

Great info, but any reason it’s in a Word doc that some people may not be able to open, as opposed to just putting into the post?

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No, I tried just copying the document, but then all of the links opened when I posted. That produced an unwieldy post. I would be happy if someone got the document with the links (not opened) to post. Discourse and I are not friends.

Got it.

Welcome to the Glowforge Community. Consider this a Welcome Wagon basket of helpful files.

To download files referenced here, right click on the file and select “save as” an SVG on your computer. To use the file, either upload it into your library, or drag the file onto the bed of your Glowforge in the interface.

(edit - you need to open the thread first, then save the file from there)

Securing Material

The material that you are cutting/scoring/engraving needs to be secured to the honeycomb tray so that the surface is uniformly flat. Here are some links to files you can use to make items to help hold the material flat:
https://community.glowforge.com/t/what-to-do-with-precious-proof-grade-scraps/18631
https://community.glowforge.com/t/warp-wedges/22217
https://community.glowforge.com/t/corrected-square-gf-magnet-hold-downs/28190
https://community.glowforge.com/t/simple-material-holder/16389
https://community.glowforge.com/t/new-material-holder/27867

Using the Glowforge without the Honeycomb Tray

If the material you are trying to engrave is thicker than .5”, you must remove the honeycomb tray. The surface to be engraved must be within 0”-.5” from the focus point of the laser, so you must elevate your material to that position.

A quick tool you can make to guide you to the correct position of your material is here: No-Math Focus Ruler

A second file that may be helpful is here:
https://community.glowforge.com/t/no-crumb-tray-set-up-jig/31034

Although you can elevate your material with anything handy, users have provided files for making some material risers that are quick to make and easy to use.

https://community.glowforge.com/t/x-risers/20863
https://community.glowforge.com/t/another-take-on-the-riser-stand/26102
https://community.glowforge.com/t/material-risers-in-medium-draftboard/18997
https://community.glowforge.com/t/another-set-of-crumb-tray-removal-jigs/40563/10

Once you have elevated the material into the proper range, use the set focus tool under the settings tab to focus the camera correctly before placing your artwork on the material.

Honeycomb Tray Security

When using the pass through, it is essential that the honeycomb tray remains completely stationary. These boots take the wiggle out of the tray.

https://community.glowforge.com/t/give-that-wiggly-gf-tray-the-boot/28329

Cut Shapes and Lines Template

The Glowforge User Interface does not include any design elements. Often is it helpful to have a file available in your library that includes lines, circles, squares, etc. that can be added to your own file. Here is that helpful file:

https://community.glowforge.com/t/cut-shapes-template/7423

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Thank you. I gave up after one try.

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Here’s something I’ve been using, based on an idea from one of the posts above. basic shapes to add to existing designs or to drop in around an engrave file to make a keychain or similar. They were messy so I just cleaned them up and centered them on the bed. All are about 6" so they’re easy to grab, move, then resize as needed. There are separate files for:
lines (vertical and horizontal)
a circle
a square
rectangles, both landscape and portrait, in 6:4, 4:3, and “golden ratio” aspect
elipses, in the same aspects as the rectangles

If you’re using a design program, obviously you can just include these shapes in your design. These are just for convenience to add to an existing design without editing.

Edit - for some reason, I can no longer break apart overlapping shapes in files like this, so I edited the files to ensure they work with the current version of the UI:
shapes.zip (6.3 KB)

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