I got the dreaded broken carriage wheel of doom, and gee golly gosh is this not frustrating. I did email support about factory supplied ones, but tbh, I need them right now and waiting 24 hours for an email let alone new parts isn’t really cutting it. I would have bought spares, but it doesn’t look like spares are something you can just order from the GF store. I have tried the 3d printed ones but they don’t seem to be supporting the load correctly. I think the bearing is a 126-2Z and I will check this morning as I was able to get them overnighted.
So the question I need answered is where can I get replacement wheels in under 24 hours.
Also, I get that metal ones are louder, but will they really add anything over the current noise of any of the fans attached to it? For the love of science machine these out of aluminum.
It’s a little more than just noise. Aluminum under pressure and wear will gall, literally welding itself together. You would end up with damaged wheel and a damaged rail. The wheels need to be made from a softer material than the rail to avoid damaging it. If the rail were hard anodized with soft aluminum wheels, the wheels would end up sliding more than rolling and would eventually wear out on one area. The plastic wheels both provide a softer material to avoid damage to the aluminum rails and provide enough friction to keep things rolling instead of sliding, ensuring smooth operation.
If you are using the GF as a business tool, please keep in mind that you will have breakdowns and you need a backup plan. The Glowforge is a great machine and I have more than paid for mine with work, but it is still a hobby level machine with hobby level support and the biggest effect that has is in the wait for support and parts.
I didn’t think about the galling. But even a coated metal would be more resilient.
Despite all the marketing to the opposite, I realized a long time ago that this wasn’t a business tool. I lost my job a few months ago and this became a life saver in terms of making it through the holidays. Once I realized that I would have to make this a business I ordered another laser. It should be shipping in a few days, but right now I am kind of screwed. I am 3d printing another set using an fdm and not a resin printer, so I will see how that goes. I really need another week out of the machine and then I will be selling it.
These are 2 separate issues. I need wheels from the factory and I need wheels now. I don’t think the factory can get me parts tomorrow morning, so I need a solution that works right now. I am hoping someone can get me on the path get something that works
It is one issue, you need the wheels, asap. If they were available any faster by another means they would have all come from there. I am not privy to how they are special but I am told that they are. That is probably why a recent batch is falling apart, and the ones over a year old are not. Covid has messed up a lot of things and traveling to oversee every part of production is certainly among those.
Hello @craigbutrick, I see that you’ve also emailed us about this issue and I’ve just sent a response to you there. To avoid duplicate communication, I’m going to close this thread and will continue working with you over email.
