Finished: Tell us why you bought a Glowforge

I happened across an article about it the morning the preorders started.

I have long wanted a laser cutter for myself. However, there were a number of issues which prevented me from being able to get one. Most laser cutters are extremely expensive compared to the Glowforge. Further, a lot of the options at the time required a lot of space and a lot of additional parts (air compressor, external coolant reservoir, etc…). The Glowforge did not require any sort of change to how my workspace was wired. It basically only put the load in a microwave. Lastly, and probably most importantly was the focus on usability. The drag, drop and cut workflow was huge. It is a complete departure from basically every laser on the market at the time.

It really took me no time at all to decide I wanted a Glowforge. I did call my wife and double check with her first though :stuck_out_tongue:. I had already done a lot of research and recognized the value of what the Glowforge offered.

My goal with purchasing a Glowforge was mostly centered around two reasons.

  1. I am a maker and I enjoy making all kinds of things. I really like to be able to take an idea to a physical object quickly. It helped to flesh out a set of digital fabrication tools that currently include a 3d printer (self-built Prusa i3), a small 5 axis CNC machine (PocketNC) , and a CNC router (Shaper Origin).

2, I wanted to have a complete set of prototyping tools for my own business. My goal is to be able to do prototyping for usability testing. Both physical and in software.

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it!
Overall, I have really enjoyed the Glowforge! Once the lead time on orders gets to the point where it is only a few weeks from a unit being ordered to being at the door I think it will be a market leader. I think the focus on usability is probably the most important part of the Glowforge. A lot of digital fabrication products are only focused on the engineering solutions and that makes one of the biggest bottlenecks for many users.

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How did you see it?
Pretty sure it was a Facebook targeted ad, or possibly a share from a friend.

What did you first think?
“I WANT THIS!” The Glowforge looked like the answer to an artistic problem I’d been struggling with for a long time: how to make the process of cutting leather (and some other delicate materials) goofproof, so that I wasn’t spending dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars on a bookbinding or wall-art project only to have a tiny slip of the knife create a bad edge on my leather that could never be fixed or hidden. I had tried using a super-high-end robocutter, the Black Cat Cougar Pro, and it was totally unreliable on the variable consistency of leather and on tiny, delicate curves on paper, the two materials I was working with most. I also instantly saw the possibilities for etching and cutting a huge variety of other materials for other purposes, including clothing and jewelry design, tilework, glass etching, etc. It seemed like a path to putting some of my designs on durable materials in an economical, reliable, immaculate way, which is pretty darned exciting for a visual artist and designer.

How long did it take you to decide?
I think it took about three weeks. I probably saw the ad in the first few days of the crowdfunding campaign, and bought in on the third week.

What, if any, reading did you do or discussions did you have before deciding?
The most important discussion I had was with my fiancee. I definitely would not have spent the money (which was more than I’d spent on anything in my life except one of my cars and my college education) had he not strongly encouraged me to do it. I had plenty in savings to pay for it, but my job at a startup was feeling insecure, so it was a big risk. My partner really wanted to use it, too, though, and wanted me to have the happiness that he saw that I could have with the Glowforge, so he not only strongly encouraged me to buy it, he gave me a fairly large chunk of money as a gift toward its price. As the deadlines for delivery were missed over and over and I lost my job, he also encouraged me to not ask for a refund.
Prior to purchasing the Glowforge, I also read up on Dan and his partners, and I also personally knew Brad Feld and knew he/Foundry were unlikely to have invested in a fly-by-night venture.

Was anyone else a part of the decision?
See above answer about my fiancee.

What do you hope to get from your Glowforge?
I’d like to realize some of the more complex and challenging artist visions I’ve been sketching out over the past few years. I’d also like to continue enjoying the incredible ease and creativity it allows me to engage in, whether I’m making a simple part for a household item or a quick party favor or a truly astonishing gift.

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it!
My Glowforge, Longclaw, is certainly the most amazing object in my toolbox, next to my Macbook, beating out my Cintiq, and competing nicely with my partner’s 3D printer. Its ease of use, especially with Proofgrade materials, is astonishing. Learning to use my robocutter, a machine with a similar purpose and much less power and grace, was far, far harder. Even though I’m VERY busy mothering my one year old son and running my consulting business, I constantly think about my Glowforge and the projects I have planned on it. Even the littlest things I make, like sample chips, make me excited, and the bigger things I’ve been working on are amazing. Its functionality was summed up this weekend when I took my party guests downstairs to watch me make a quick acrylic cake topper for my baby’s first birthday cake. From opening Illustrator to having an adorable cake topper was no more than ten minutes, and as my artistic sister-in-law said as the laser beautifully cut the Proofgrade acrylic, "It’s the dream."
I’ll also say that the Glowforge community has been amazing and inspiring. Being part of a troll-free online environment where people are incredibly generous with their time, expertise, and friendship has been wonderful. The Colorado Glowforge User Group (GFUG) is a delight, and I look forward to seeing them every time I have a chance.

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I saw the Glowforge early in the initial fundraising, but it took me almost the entire campaign to decide to back the product. I’m an avid hobbyist working in leather, foam, wood and photography. I have friends with commercial laser cutters who make a living from their art. I’ve always loved the precision and intricate detail that a laser tool provides, but the price was always out of my reach and borrowing time on someone else’s laser hasn’t been practical. I had no plans to profit from my designs, so it was hard to budget thousands of dollars. I was also very concerned about the cloud computing and need for good Wi-Fi in my shop. Many of my friends suggested that a 3D printer or CNC was a more cost-effective entry point. However, when I saw the cake toppers and trace features in the video my imagination ran wild.
As a father of two small children, it’s very difficult to balance hobbies with parenting. There are sharp knives, heavy tools or little pieces to keep track of in nearly every craft. The Glowforge was the first tool I felt I could easily share with my kids without safety concerns or boredom. I set to work making a list of projects that I wanted to accomplish: household items: like custom drawer inserts in the kitchen, personalized frames and art for my kids, jewelry, wallets, travel items, holiday gifts and more. When the list grew to over thirty items I shared it with my wife and we planned to back the Glowforge.
My Glowforge arrived last December and I’ve started down the list. I’ve made storage units, personalized gifts for everyone and I’m working on a wallet right now. My two favorite experiences have been making a puzzle with my daughter (we peeled back the masking from some proof grade and she colored a picture with crayons before we cut it into a puzzle) and staying up late making personalized valentines to the delight of her preschool classmates.
Since receiving delivery of my Glowforge, I have seen the market on hobby lasers boom. I’ve rarely had any issues with the cloud computing that weren’t user error and any issues with the early software were resolved quickly by support. I was however very intrigues by the competitor which had a removable bottom to allow for etching on pieces of any size, but when I saw the barebones features, rudimentary cooling and venting equipment those lasers were packing underneath their workbenches, I knew I had made the right choice with Glowforge.

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How did you see it?

I had been a member of TechShop before moving in 2012. I made lasered goods to sell on Etsy, and enjoyed a modest success. After the move, I toyed with the idea here and there about getting a laser for myself and found the kickstarter campaign in my Googling and internet browsing.

What did you first think?

Sweet! If only I had even $2k… maybe one day.

How long did it take you to decide?

To decide I wanted a laser – immediately. Then I was busy getting married, changing jobs, buying a house, having a kid…

To decide to pull the trigger and fork over the money – apparently two years. I bought during the two year anniversary period of the kickstarter after checking in on it a couple more times. When I saw things were actually starting to ship, I decided to go for it.

What, if any, reading did you do or discussions did you have before deciding?

I bought the Glowforge before really deciding. For a while I was saying “I bought a laser and may reboot my Etsy shop, but I can cancel at any time.” Then I dove into the forum and spent as much time as I could learning about it, seeing projects, thinking about the potential. It slowly went from “I can cancel any time” to “this really excites me and now I can’t imagine canceling!” It’s this amazing group of users that really sold the machine in the end.

The only major discussion was with my husband about exhaust and fume safety, but we have a plan that we’re both happy with (and it doesn’t involve the spider-filled garage).

Was anyone else a part of the decision?

Other than informing my husband that I bought a laser, and the ensuing conversation about fumes, it was all me.

What do you hope to get from your Glowforge?

I’ve been desperately missing a creative outlet for about 5 years now. I hope the Glowforge gives a tool for creating again and to re-open and expand my Etsy shop (without ditching the day job… for now). Plus, if I can make a little money doing something I enjoy instead of housework, then I can pay someone else to do the housework!

With an engineer for a husband and a little one, I’m sure we’re bound to find all kinds of fun things to do on the home front as well. The forum is a bounty of inspiration. I especially love the “practical cuts” threads and ideas for personalized gifts – cutting boards for everyone!

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it!

Ask me again soon – only a few more weeks until my email date!

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Sometime back it has been widely noted that robots being more productive will outperform humans at many tasks, and it occurred to me that those who owned a robot would be able to produce results at the same level as other robots, but increasingly the creative part will be ever more important as Robots cannot have the same creative ability, and masses of robots even less as the creative part will take the same time no matter how many robots can be turned to production, and so will be the limiting factor. In this, any human can and still will create at individual to individual levels, and as the robots get ever more flexible the power to create in a widening sphere will fall to the individual.

I was looking for something. the 3D printers were not productive enough taking days to make large things and then you had only one, and then days for another etc.
Lasers looked really good at first, but the dangers and technical trickiness of the software made it likely to be more problem than profit. I had spent $7k on a very heavy brick that was claimed to be a cnc.
Wandering the Web I came upon Glowforge and Dan,s long tale with the leather cutting etc and noted that the point was to have it be for the artists and not only geeks could manage them. It was Unique compared to what was out there. It was at the start of the wave instead of after everyone else had come and gone.

The Cloud programming meant that buying or updating to the latest was not an issue. The ability to produce even a complex product in hours and not days meant that there could be reasonable productivity, and lesser stuff printed in minutes meant that experiments would not take the hours. The price of materials per pound was far less than 3d printers, and many like leather and some other stuff I already had. the idea that it worked in the office desktop like inkjet printers was also nice as I have little room.

The filter that was supposed to be there would allow it to work inside and even now I am slow setting up for not having it, and it is in the Dining Room and not the back office that was planned for it as that is the only window to shove a hose out of. Even now It is limited by the exhaust issues but I am chomping at the bit to get going.

I have far more places to go design-wise than time to do it, and the range of the Glowforge is a good start. No matter how big there will be a need for bigger and the passthrough slots are also a good start in that direction but much of my design efforts have been how to make big things from smallish parts.

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So there I was, innocently going about my day doing the stuff I always do at work – namely, trying to avoid said work. I always feel guilty about this, so since I work in IT I try to relieve my guilt by wasting my time on tech sites like Ars Technica. It was there that I stumbled across an article (this one) about this laser cutter thingy that sounded like vaporware but wasn’t. I’ve always wanted a laser cutter, but last I checked they were upwards of $10k which no-way, no-how was going to happen since this would just be a hobby toy to me. This article, though, said I could preorder this unicorn for only $2k and it honest-to-god actually worked. I watched the video on the Glowforge website with the chant “WANT! WANT! WANT!” going through my mind. Discussed with the wife, pulled out the credit card, and boom! – I owned a frickin’ laser (well, preordered a frickin’ laser, at least). Article to video to drool to conversation with wifey took 1 day tops. Done.

As time passed and my Glowforge failed to appear on my doorstep, my confidence that this was a good decision was tested. More than once I came close to cancelling. I mean, $2k may not be much for a laser cutter, but it’s still a lot of money, right? Somehow I held on and lo, my faith was rewarded. The Glowforge may not be perfect (yet), but that creative bug that bites me from time to time now has a wonderful way to express itself. It’s hard to explain how cool it feels to have an idea, whip up a design, and actually hold something in my hand that I only envisioned an hour or so ago. It’s a lot like creating and printing something on your 3D printer except (a) it isn’t made of plastic and (b) it didn’t print for 8 hours and then decide to turn into spaghetti. (Bitter? Nah, not me.)

While I still dream about the day I can quit my corporate job to make a living creating things, right now I’m happy enough to consider this an investment in my personal well-being. Sounds overly dramatic, I know, but I’ve needed a creative outlet like this for years. The Glowforge made it happen.

Edited to add: I completely forgot to mention one of the biggest reasons I held out to the end – the community that has grown around this incredible machine. It wasn’t just the beta users or the pre-release users posting their creations, either. The amount of creative talent that lives here is unbelievable. Had this just been your average, ordinary forum I probably would have cancelled long ago. This forum has become part of my daily routine, has been an invaluable resource to me, and is quite literally a major reason why I’m now a Glowforge owner.

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How did you see it?
A Friend of mine told me about Glowforge. He saw it mentioned on a Tech-Blog. Then I searched you via google and came over your website.

What did you first think?
Holy cow, that’s a huge amount of Features in one machine. I’m really hard in woodworking so the Glowforge didn’t let me go anymore. I was really impressed by features like the camera alignment, the double-sided cut / engrave, etc.

How long did it take you to decide?
First I ordered the basic, that decision took about 1-2 weeks, I don’t remember the exact time anymore. Then I updated to the pro, when I heard that there will be some more Features included and that it will have a better cooling included. This decision took about 1 week to take. Of course I thought about upgrading many times before, but not that serious.
Know I’m still not sure if I really need the airfilter. This decision is still pending.

What, if any, reading did you do or discussions did you have before deciding?
I watched your introducing-film several time and read all the technical data on your page many many times. Then (I’m a metric guy) I had to sketch out the dimensions, because I had no Idea how big the machine or the work area / maximum material-thickness will be.

Was anyone else a part of the decision?
Not really for the first purchase. I wouldn’t have purchased without the promise to be able to cancel and get a refund until the golden email. Then afterwards I would have canceled many times if the stuff and dan were not so present here in the forum.

What do you hope to get from your Glowforge?
The ability to integrate it in my shop to ad fine engraves or litte pieces to my work. Also i hope to get continuous improvements and new Features in the software - as promised.

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it!
At the moment I can just hope, that the purchase will be a success. I haven’t got my GF yet, I’m one of the nervous but patiently waiting international customer ;).

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65 Years ago (when I was six) I was trying to decide, with all the stuff I could learn, what I should put my energies to. In the first instance what was, if not a waste of time, an endless trip down a hundred rabbit holes (not everything as I see it now, as context arrived long after). That if there was some scheme that was someone’s conjecture, no matter how smart they were it was just that, opinion, and a thousand opinions were as one. You would not really know, so anything that fell into that category, if not ignored at least was not a focus.

The Second area I thought of as Fads, that you might know it well but in a few years nobody would care, and again the effort would be wasted. I did not realize until too late that most computer programs fit this description, as anyone with great skills in Fortran can attest. or my own abilities in LISP

The one area I really liked even then would be called Scientific understanding, though I did not think of it that way at the time, only that everything learned would still be true years later, and understanding some things gave insights into other seemingly unrelated things.

Over time my simple way of dividing things got more complex, and much that I did not care about knowing I learned anyway. But the start till molded the rest. (bear with me a bit as I try to say where I am going with this)

Economics always seemed to be the ultimate case of opinion, just shy of astrology, but much was needed to think about just to get along in the world. However, where Economics as I badly understand it looks harder at the people and gets very generic about the products, I got to looking at the products and more generic about the people. and in doing so came to several kinds of product.

The Financial folks hold and operate the Capital and think themselves very if not most important, but what they hold is POWER that they can make the decisions, and they charge dearly for the grace of deciding in your favor so all the wealth that flows to them (and gives them still more power) must be paid off the top of all production they decide to benefit. In the net, they cost Society far more than they produce.

At the next level, you have the service sector, that is necessary maintenance to keep everything running but the value to Society is ephemeral, like getting a haircut, certainly needed but next week or month will be needed again.

Food and other commodities are a similar case as they are a necessary cost but equally ephemeral as they are used and gone.

At the next level is actual useful “stuff”( some discretion is needed as the costs of maintaining it even to physical location and the overall value favors quality over quantity) but even an umbrella stand could be doing its job with grace and beauty for a hundred or more years and many generations far beyond the expense of creating it

At the highest level (and here the Glowforge comes in) is the machinery to make the stuff of value. While an item of value might provide service for many years, The Glowforge is a Font of things that each can provide value for many years.

Thus while Classical Economics tends to add up the price of everything, giving each thing equal weight, at the end of a period of time, the combined wealth of the society will have very different outcomes depending on which end of the list is favored

So the point I set out to make is that the Glowforge empowers creativity to make ideas real and make the world a richer place than if they did not exist, and a hundred years from now, things made on a Glowforge will still be cherished treasures, no matter what else happens in the World.

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As a small business owner, artist and, all around tech nerd, I am always looking for new things that can minimize the frustration that can come from trying to prototype a design. We’ve worked pretty heavily with 3d printers, CNC Routing Machines, molding, and plain old hand fashioning, and all of them were time intensive, costly, or prone to error. We had purchased a 40 watt laser previously and dealt with the significant learning curve that a 40W laser can come with (difficult software, struggles with aligning material, the trial and error associated with power levels and speed) and were looking for better options. When we saw the initial pre-order Glowforge video displaying all the amazing and wonderful things it could do we were hooked. I instantly showed it to my wife, who is also my business partner, and she was blown away. Immediately we were able to imagine all the possibilities for projects and rapid prototyping. Having some familiarity with lasers we did do some additional research, looking to see if what Glowforge was offering was better than comparable brands in that price range, and after some deliberation decided it was our best bet based on the innovation with the camera system and trace capabilities. Our initial struggle was financial as we are a very small business. After finding outside financing through a private investor, whom we were able to get as excited about the Glowforge as we were, we decided to place our pre-order. After patiently waiting (ok, maybe not patiently), the day came and we got our anticipated Glowforge! Right out of the box it worked like a champ and met our expectations! We’ve had a blast trying new things and putting it through its paces and it has made rapid prototyping easy! As easy as 1-2-3 and we have a new and amazing thing to touch and interact with in our hands! We are glad we stuck through to the end with the Glowforge and are happy to have made the decision to make this life changing purchase!

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Hi,
I have seen glowforge for the first time in a facebook video that somebody shared. And my first think was : wwwhaaawwwww!!! I want this but I can’t afford it… But I want this so much! But, it’s too expensive and it’s a great risk… But I want this!!!

So 15 days later, I was on the boat to the long road to Glowforge. I’m single so the decision was my own and it was certainly easier for me not to have to convince anybody else than myself. I’ve searched on the internet informations to try to know if this was a serious projects and many sources seems to pont that this was an ambitious but great project.

I’ve always construct stuffs and Glowforgeseemed to be an extraordinary extension of challenges and opportunities to do things. At this time I was on recovery because of an craft accident that costs me some fingers and I was thinking about how to continue my passion to do-it-yourself in another way than with blade tools… So it was a perfect timing for me to discover digital manufacturing.

I was totally ignorant about this type of crafting, 2D and 3D CAD softwares. But I had dreams about things to do, especially upcycling wasted things. And why not have a small business with those projects.

Glowforge gives me the good motivation to enter int his world. I have bought a 3D printer to practice. I’ve learned 2D and 3D software with the help of the glowforge forum community. Thanks to them! That’s also a great point on this compaign. I’m not sure I will still be on the boat without the forum to see what wonderful things that people does and to discuss and debate freely about Glowforge issues and delays.

Aaarrhh, delays and the lack of broadview on some points (for my international point of view) which are the minus point of this aventure. Because, it is an adventure. I could also say it is a love story with periods of blind unconditionnal love and violent periods of argueing near divorce. Just a life human story.

But dreams and projects are still strong so I’m impatient to have my machine soon. Less enthusiastic than on the first days but more prepared and skilled. So Thanks to Glowforge to that.

Marketingly speaking, I don’t bought Glowforge like another things. Less reflexive buy with price, specs comparaison and more a call from the heart and then a group membership feeling. That’s not just a tool.

Hope that can help you

Marc from France

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How did you see it?
It was either on fb or Kickstarter. I watched the promo video on loop for about half an hour :rofl:

What did you first think?
I couldn’t believe the endless possibilities it offered! All these ideas of what I could make with it, from wedding invites to lamp shades, just started flooding my mind. I knew I wanted it, but I wasn’t sure if I can afford to make such an investment.

How long did it take you to decide?
A few days. Buying it meant emptying my savings account, and at that moment I just started my MA programme abroad. I was also worried about the customs charge which would in my case increase the cost significantly, but in the end I decided this would be an investment into my future and possibly a way to start a family business.

What, if any, reading did you do or discussions did you have before deciding?
As I said the customs charge was a big factor in deciding. The shipping charge was also a bit discouraging, but it turned out shipping to Greece (which is where I was doing my MA) was half the price of the shipping to Serbia (which is where I’m originally from). Unfortunately, I moved back to Serbia in the meantime, so now I’m facing that extra charge again.
Anyways, I spent hours on Glowforge website, reading all about it. I also did some research on laser cutters I had access to at uni, but quickly realised they don’t measure up to Glowforge.

Was anyone else a part of the decision?
The decision was completely mine, as it was my own money that I invested. I talked to my parents about it after I made the pledge on Kickstarter, though, and they were supportive. Tiny bit concerned that it was a preorder, but still supportive.

What do you hope to get from your Glowforge?
I hope it will be a foundation of my own creative business. Opening a shop, running it alongside my brother and sister, being able to make a living out of making stuff alone - that’s the dream :wink: I also hope it inspires me to create something every day. I often get stuck working non-stop and the creative part of my brain suffers because of it. Sometimes it can be weeks between I draw or make something, so what I hope will happen is that with Glowforge being n the same room with me, I just won’t be able to resist the urge to create :smiley:

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it!
I’m still waiting for my Glowforge, so I can’t really tell, but I honestly do hope it turns out to be wildly successful :smiley:

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I love making stuff, so I love YouTube channels about making stuff, so I love the Tested YouTube channel. This is where I first saw the Glowforge and it was love at first sight. Many kids from my church come to make stuff at my place. I have a nice workshop and a lab for electronics and 3d-printing. I live in a rural area and there are no makerspaces close by. The idea was born to transform my workshop and lab into a true, small makerspace for local people to use. To make this happen, I was searching for a laser cutter within my budget for quite some time now. I don’t have the money for a serious laser cutter like a Trotec, so I was checking out the cheap cutters from China. There are two ways of getting a Chinese laser cutter; Import it yourself or buy one already imported for at least twice the price. No matter how you do it, you would still end up with a Chinese machine, with the risk of questionable quality, Chinese or badly translated software and difficult or no service. So when I saw the YouTube clip from Tested, I’ve read everything on the Glowforge site and ordered one. The fact that Adam (the famous Adam) trusted this company made that I trusted it. They already had a working machine so they should be able to deliver on schedule. I expected them to be a couple of months later, because this is not my first crowd funding and I know that there will always be some unexpected hurdles along the way. The price to order out of the US was seriously higher due to extra shipping costs and there will probably some 700,- euro added for taxes and customs. But still it seemed like I would get a laser cutter with a much better quality than anything else that I can get for this money. So I ordered without thinking twice about it. As soon as I ordered, I started designing robots and other stuff to cut on it. I really couldn’t wait to get it. Every time the delivery date moved, the plan for the makerspace moved. Today I saw that the European orders will be send out soon. I hope that I will get the Glowforge soon and I can’t wait to see what the kids will make on it. I have many plans for it, to make mini sumo robots, nerdy necklaces, led displays, puzzle boxes and so many more stuff.

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I had taken an intro to laser cutting class at my local makerspace a while back and had just requested some information from another major laser cutter company. When I saw the price for their smallest unit I gave up any thoughts of being able to own a laser cutter. My local makerspace had since closed and I didn’t know of any other laser cutters I would have access to. (cue sad music)
But then I saw an ad somewhere online (Facebook maybe) for Glowforge - this was the coolest thing ever! I had backed previous crowdfunded campaigns (although not at this $$) and felt comfortable doing so - what a great opportunity this was! I talked it over with my mom, she’s also a maker, and confirmed that this was not a crazy idea. I had thoughts of starting out by making things for local art/craft fairs and then maybe on to small business. I took a day or two to think it over and then decided to go for it. When else would I have the opportunity to get in on the ground level of a fantastic product like this? Once I assured my credit card company that yes, it was me authorizing the sizeable charge on my card, I was good to go. Shortly thereafter I discovered the Forum and all the kind and knowledgeable folks that contribute there. The Forum was a great source of engagement and learning during the 2 year wait while the Glowforge was being refined and built.
So far the major limitation to making things with my Glowforge has been my design skills! I’m still learning vector and 3-D modeling software - I’m very grateful for the Matrix of tutorials on the Forum. The Proofgrade materials have made it very easy for a laser newbie to jump right in and make things. If I had to sort out all the setting variables by myself from the get-go I would have had a much more frustrating experience. Having a good place to start and be successful and then do experiments has been great.
So far I’ve made items as gifts and all recipients have been suitably impressed. Next step: make items and photograph them to enter a juried craft market. After that, who knows?

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I first learned about Glowforge when a friend (@mad_macs) posted a link to the launch video with the caption “So this might happen”. I was immediately fascinated. I had considered getting a laser but expected it was years away before I could justify the price of a quality laser. Glowforge looked like it would do most of what those other lasers can do at a fraction of the price. I immediately started scouring the Internet for any information about Glowforge. I watched every YouTube video and read every article that mentioned Glowforge. I re-evaluated other laser options to see how Glowforge measured up. I made a list of all the cool projects I could do with a laser to see if I could justify the cost. I had a few discussions with my friend and countless discussions with my wife.

When I bought my CNC router, the justification was to make some cool things for around the house and for gifts and maybe earn some money. When I bought my eco-solvent printer, the justification was it had to pay for itself within x years and I’d also get to print some cool things for myself and for gifts. With the Glowforge, the goal is half and half. I have a long list of personal/gift uses for it but I also have some business uses in mind that should allow it to pay for itself in 5 years.

So far, that balance has held. I have made some gifts and some products to sell. I have also used it for marketing my business. I’m getting ready for my first wholesale trade show and have used the laser in a few unique ways to give my booth a little extra polish. I’m working on a separate post to show those uses.

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How did you see it?
A friend of mine who works at a 3d printing company told me about a freaking laser and recommended buying it. He probably wanted also a laser but did not have the budget

What did you first think?
“I want that drone” - Basically i had no usecase in mind, it was just a toy for me and the video did a good job in getting my attention so my inner child wanted it. I was really impressed about how easy it seemed to create art or even make products who had the potential to be sold somehow. All in all i would say it was emotional attached.

How long did it take you to decide?
2 month. Because i never buy toys with a 2000 dollar price tag immeadiatly. But after this period i still wanted a laser and so i decided to buy it. During the 2 month i did a little research what alternatives are on the market and how easy they are to setup and how solid they are. Of course i discoverd the china lasers which are too risky for me to set up. On the other side there were the very expensive professional lasers with a shokingly high price tag. so all in all i convinced myself hat it is a good deal and worth the money.

What, if any, reading did you do or discussions did you have before deciding?
Do i really need/want it? is it just a mood? What else can i do with a laser? After finding several cool usecases beside building ruber shooting drones i finally bought the laser. the discount on it in the pre sale phase was also a motivation to order. i do not think i would have bought full price

Was anyone else a part of the decision?
No, i pay it, i decide :slight_smile:

What do you hope to get from your Glowforge?
Express my creativitiy, making nice cool gadgets, laser everything with my name and face on it. Just have a good time, i ve no intention to make money with it.

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it!
Still waiting… but there is hope that international shipping will progress fast

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@michelle, I hope you like this post. It’s from the heart.

How did you see it? Sorry to plug another company, but I saw it in the sidebar of Facebook and watched the video. But, I can happily say that the GF community forum has surpassed my social need. These people are fantastic, helpful, giving, and don’t post inane things about where they are every day. I haven’t been on that other site since my first GF arrived a month ago.

What did you first think? I thought the video was amazing. I may have pressed “buy”, right then and there. The gatling gun drone was cool, but the Trace function really got me. This is a significantly shortened answer from a story that starts in 1926 when my Dad was 12. He was born in 1914 to a businessman and a mother who was always striving higher. She was one of the first women graduates of her high school in Plainfield, NJ and went on to spend considerable time helping others. My Dad’s grandfather was a entrepreneur. He had the first radio station in NJ, a blacksmith shop, a mill working shop and other “maker” spaces of the time. In approximately 1935, the Plainfield electric company raised my great-grandfathers electric rates. Why not, they probably thought. What can he do about it? Well, he told them to cut the power, he wasn’t paying. He built a large diesel fuel storage container out of concrete and bought diesel motors and generators. He was off the grid. But back to my Dad. When he was 12, he started a woodworking shop in his parents attic. His grandfather probably had a hand in that. Soon after, he was inspired by a Singer sewing machine base, and started making coffee table legs with similar grace, and wood tops out of cherry. He advertised in Good Housekeeping and shipped over 1,500 tables across the country. These tables were the staple of his first business in 1946, that became a well known and respected furniture store in northern NJ, called the Valley Furniture Shop. They sold a lot of high end furniture including Stickley, Henkel Harris, and Hooker. The store outlasted my Dad and only closed a few years ago.

For that company he built a two story warehouse and needed a freight elevator to the second floor. The prices were crazy from I assume Otis, so he built a hydraulic platform outside to get the furniture up. There are two of these and they are still in operation. He retired when I was 12, and that’s when I began to learn about his never ending desire to build a better mousetrap. He inspired me to become an architect because he required me to make a drawing of anything I wanted to make in the shop, and he general contracted our houses, and during my college years, other peoples houses. He built floating docks, boats, furniture, widgets, etc. And, not just in wood. He designed and built Franklin stoves, cannon, jewelry boxes for sale, maple building blocks for kids, and more table legs. He went to the local foundry in 1980 or so to have more legs made, and didn’t like their prices. So, he built his own foundry by the side of his house, bought aluminum ingots, and poured them himself. Last example: When he was 74, in New Hampshire, he was on a board that was going to build a tall ship from scratch. (It was a famous one, I just don’t recall whose.) The ship had twelve, 5’ cannon on board and he volunteered to make them. The board scoffed, and he set out to prove that he could do it. He didn’t want them to be cast iron - too heavy, but if they were aluminum and someone decided to test it out, it would explode and kill someone. He settled on aluminum with a thick wall stainless steel pipe core. He again went to a foundry to have the barrels made and they told him you couldn’t mix metals. He said that he would show them how. Now, they make reproduction cannon barrels.

So, this is still a shortened story of what got my wheels turning about all the possibilities of having a laser. I could see the future… My work life needed a significant shift and this could be it. I live across the street from a gift shop that sells mostly items made by the local artists. I have written two books and they are sold in that store as well as online. When I go into the store, the owner is always asking what else can I make that she can sell. And, now… I have a LASER!

I still send friends to the GF link to show them how amazing this machine is, and recommend that they buy one.

How long did it take you to decide? It probably took under an hour. I started a company due to the above book sales and a separate bank account. I also do historic preservation consulting and that money is separate. I had been thinking about what business expense to use that income for, and the GF was the answer. BUT, I only went for the Basic. It was still kind of a lot of money to spend on an unresearched dream. Ultimately, over the next year, after thinking about all the things I could do with a pass-through slot and MORE POWER, I upgraded to the Pro.

Three weeks ago, another buyer posted that he couldn’t use the Basic that he bought without the air filter and wanted to sell it - unopened. I jumped at the chance to have another of these fantastic machines. He lives in Manhattan, and my girlfriend’s house where I spend about half my week, was only an hour from there. We made a deal and two weeks ago, I drove into the big apple, and bought a second machine. He was heartbroken to sell it. It’s as if this community has known each other for life and have a shared mind. I absolutely knew how he was feeling. I told him that “his” machine would be a mere 40 minute ferry ride due south if he wanted to come down and make things. That seemed to brighten his day, and get his wheels turning.

What, if any, reading did you do or discussions did you have before deciding? Before, not much. I did a lot of web surfing over the next two years about what I could make. And, after getting the golden email, I read up about lasers more, and I’m fully sure that I did the right thing… twice!

Was anyone else a part of the decision? Not literally. But, I could see in my mind the creativity that it would inspire in my kids, (ages 14 and 17.) And, that has come true. They have already done some things that have inspired them to do more.

What do you hope to get from your Glowforge? I hope to start a new business near my girlfriends house, to taper off architecture and follow in my Dad’s footsteps to “make” for a living. There is a little store downtown with some garages behind it. I’ve thought of buying the building, having a shop in front and small makerspace in the back. I’d like the shop to sell items from local makers, and maybe the space behind it is a co-op of sorts where we share knowledge and machines, and sell our wares in the store and online. Something that maybe singularly we wouldn’t be able to do.

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it! I think this answer is mixed in with others above. I bought a second one… although in hindsight, I wish it was a Pro, but now the price is just a little too much for an as-yet unrealized dream. Maybe in a few years after I’ve recouped my outlay, I’ll sell the Basic and get a Pro.

Lastly. The community and the GF support are phenomenal. The Glowfolks I’ve interacted with to learn their background, the responders and the beta testers are all an amazing group of people. I look forward to the evolution of the software and the knowledge base as we all make together.

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How did you see it?
I first saw it in a link from my then fiance. She pointed it out to me and said something along the lines of, “Hey you know all those things you have in your head? This can make them!”

What did you first think?
It was cool, I could see the utility and had a TON of ideas for it. Which I’m still fleshing out.

How long did it take you to decide?
About a day or so, we talked over the logistics of the inital cost and looked around comparing other laser cutters that were currently available. Or under development.

What, if any, reading did you do or discussions did you have before deciding?
I can’t remember specifics, but I perused several forums, read reviews, horror stories, and looked at what others had already made on various other laser cutters.

Was anyone else a part of the decision?
My wife was, we were buying it together. We didn’t have a lot of money as we were just getting started in life and figuring out our places in it.

What do you hope to get from your Glowforge?
Honestly I’m not certain, mostly a way to make things real. Perhaps to help provide another source of income, or a wedge into a more satisfying field of work for myself.

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it!
I’m very happy with the purchase, I’ve only gotten to use it a handful of times and I feel like I’m learning something new each time and there is so much more potential. The initial setbacks were a bit of a scare, I won’t lie and say I didn’t consider pulling out of the investment, there were times where I could of used that money back but ultimately we made due. Ultimately I am happy with the way things turned out, and the wife is too. I’ve been the one using it the most, for her projects, since she is busy with our newish child but she also wants to get on it as soon as she can.

Finding my way in the world of design software has been a hurdle, but one that I’m happy to spend time doing, since ultimately I hope that something comes of it. As a hobbyist maker I’m not exactly skilled in everything, I’ve dabbled in most things, leatherwork, chain mail, wood projects, and metal smithing, But by and large the glowforge has been the quickest turn around from idea to product I’ve been able to achieve. And that makes me a happy maker, as my ADHD doesn’t always allow me to spend a ton of time refining processes.

I’m pleased I waited for the glowforge, There are improvements to be made, of course as with anything but I’m happy to see that they are being made, in leaps and bounds. Compared to other projects I’ve seen, where the creators seem to go, “Its out!” then a few months later, “Here are some fixes. Now don’t bother us, we’re working on this new thing.” The glowforge staff seem to be sticking with improving the software as fast and as efficiently as possible. I’m just hoping they eventually reach a point where they are comfortable removing it from the cloud. But I can see the value of having it there for now as it allows them to collect data in real time to refine the process, and beam any upgrades directly to us as they become available.

I’ve read the complaints, and I do have a few of my own. But I also understand that this product is new, and will have growing pains. Heck even rudimentary home C&C routing tables are super new technology, and now we are doing it with lasers. Ultimately I’m happy with my tame house laser.

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I first stumbled across one of Glowforge’s online adds. The video just reached out and grabbed me. My first thought was, “man, that would be a fun toy.” I watched it again, showing it to my wife and that time what I thought was, “That has some real potential.” My brain started to buzz and soon I had a whole business plan. I had been looking for a way to make a little money on the side. Every time I saw the video my vision would become a little clearer. We waited a couple of months to make the purchase–we originally saw the video while on vacation at the coast, so we needed our bank account to recuperate.

Granted I’ve had lots of (crazy) ideas, but with the Glowforge and it’s abilities, this was a vision my wife saw as clearly as I did. Let me just say that was a first.

From the day it was delivered the Glowforge has been a hit. My only real problem is all the little projects that keep getting in the way of ramping our little side business up. The possibilities with this machine are endless. It’s early in the game, but the initial response to our business has been great, my little business may not stay little long thanks to the ease of use and ability of the Glowforge. My only complaint is that I can’t cram more hours in the day to spend with the Glowforge!

**And as a bonus, you won’t find a better, more helful, more inspiring online community around any product anywhere. It almost makes me feel like I should pay for the Glowforge twice, once for the machine, and once for the community–Don’t get any ideas @dan :smile:

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I was first made aware of the Glowforge via a note from a buddy of mine. We’re coworkers from four jobs ago that became tight friends, but we live on opposite sides of the country and so communicate mostly through online gaming and notes to each other that start with “OMG, check this out. You should do this…”.
After years on the road for work, my life had a more stable base of operations, and I’d been trying to make up for lost time. What, I would ask, can I do now that I have some space to operate? Easy, I wanna make stuff. I bought some Arduino kits, a circular saw, a Dremmel, and a bag of landscape rocks. And other stuff. And dove in. And played. And made stuff.
Right about then, Tom sent me the Glowforge link, I watched the video, and that thing that clicks in your head clicked. I wanted something to expand the possibilities, a launchpad to stuff I didn’t know how to do yet, a new playground. This Glowforge thing could be that. I was excited.
I mulled it over for about a week, read some posts, and discussed with my wife. It was a lot of money for something for which I didn’t have a firm plan, but we could manage it and so made the order. I did check out some other options to see if this was the right way to go: other laser systems, CNC machines, 3-D printers, an Erector set. In the end, this looked approachable and I could think of more things that I wanted to do with it, so Glowforge won out.
OK, full disclosure, I also got the Erector set.
I would say that the purchase was very successful; not one that I regret in the least. But, here’s the kicker: I haven’t really done much with it yet.
Received it around Thanksgiving, a month after a house move. Started getting set up in the garage; too cold! Change plans: build a shop in the basement; too messy from the move! Cleaning up required storage shelves, they required a workbench for my tools, that “required” building out a wood shop in the cold garage… one thing leads to another and THAT is why the Glowforge has been great for me. Wanting to get set up (the right way) and have a place to work on stuff that’s as cool as the Forge that is its centerpiece has driven me to do stuff I’m already, before really lasering anything, Really happy with. I love my basement fabrication shop. I love my garage woodshop. I’m crazy excited about next steps and what I’m going to build next. It will probably be stuff on the Forge.
And part of me is pretty sure that, without getting the Glowforge, I might not be this far along. Maybe the shops would have gotten built this coming summer. Maybe I would have played more video games or watched more TV these past few months. But the focus that getting this tool has given me has changed what “entertainment” means for me. “Fun” means designing what I want and going out and making it. Some people need the right incentive and getting the Glowforge has been mine.

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How did you see it?
I honestly don’t remember. It may have been on Facebook or Kickstarter - I frequent both. Once I saw the video for the :glowforge:, I forgot where I came from.

What did you first think?
Wow! This thing is amazing! The video sold me on wanting a Glowforge. Seeing the cool things this was advertised to do, like cutting chocolate rockets, the Settlers of Katan board (although I didn’t know what it was), the quad copter, and the sushi rolls. This thing represents the freedom to utilize my creativity.

How long did it take you to decide?
I pretty much decided by the end of the video. A bit more reading helped me to decide on the pro model due to the capability of the pass through, and the advertised auto-align feature. The things I want to accomplish with it were running through my mind fast. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted it.

What, if any, reading did you do or discussions did you have before deciding?
I read just about every corner of the Glowforge website. I read everything I could find on the web about Dan in order to evaluate the likelihood of this device becoming a reality. I read up a little on other lasers, and then watched all the Glowforge YouTube videos I could find.

Was anyone else a part of the decision?
Well, Dan was. Reading up on the great things Dan has done in the past, solidified my decision. Other than that, no. I’m sure all of my friends got tired of me talking about it and showing them the video.

What do you hope to get from your Glowforge?
I’ve already been able to easily express my creativity with the Glowforge, which is a requirement for life fulfillment for me. The next step is to begin prototyping a few products I have floating around in my head.

If the purchase was wildly successful, tell us why and how you feel about it!
The Glowforge has allowed me to fulfill many of my creative needs! I get excited when I get to spend time making things with it. Prototyping is much easier when I can try something out, quickly make changes, and produce my changes all in house. As a toy, it was worth the money. As a tool, it will pay for itself quickly.

A personal note
@dan - The road has been long, but you have kept us informed of the challenges and wins. Receiving a copy of The Hot Seat was helpful in filling the gap, and further inspiring me to develop a plan for a nonprofit I’ve been planning for years. Thank you Dan.

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