Congrats!!! I am curious what date did you order Glowforge and you received yesterday. I order Glowforge Oct 21, 2015. So I need to know how long to wait you and I order between date. Thanks!
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This is not the final unit. I am testing one for Glowforge. (It is like a Beta Tester.)
I still do not have my own machine yet. That will happen in July.
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Oh I see. Thanks Jules
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You can use a quick wipe of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) on a sponge or scrubbie to clean the smoke residue off of most masking. I would expect Proofgrade’s masking would allow that too. Then your Gorilla tape should grab 
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On that piece I probably would have used an eraser or something rubberized. Sometimes I use the rubber handle of one of my files.
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It does! Thanks!
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Thanks for the quick reply! I get what you’re saying now. Actually, I would’ve arrived much sooner if I wasn’t so sleep-deprived! (8 hours sleep spread over 3 days. Ugh.)
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So happy for you @Jules! I can’t wait to see what you do with this, your experience with the cricut and 3d printing will put you in a good place to learn this thing VERY quickly. I really hope to be able to do as well when I get my own machine…soon?
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That is because the 3D tool chain is split in the wrong places. I.e. Slicer, host and firmware have the wrong roles. The slicer and firmware do too much and the host does too little.
The slicer doesn’t know what the firmware speed limits, accelerations and heater warm up times are, so can’t give an accurate print time estimate.
In my own software tool chain I devised for HydraRaptor I split the problem in a different way:
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I only use a small section of Skeinforge to give me the filament paths. It only knows the layer height, filament width and the infill pattern / density.
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My host knows everything about the plastic and the machine. It manages the warmup and does the motion planning, so it can give an accurate time estimate.
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My firmware is tiny and only does the real time stuff - trapezoidal motion and heater control. It doesn’t know anything about the printer or plastic and has never changes for years.
Because the gcode from the slicer is only used for the paths it is machine and plastic independent. I can print it on any machine with any plastic subject to physical limitations. I.e. it has to fit in the print volume and has to be a layer height and filament width that will work with the nozzle and plastic combination. For example, many years ago I printed a cap for a broom handle on HydraRaptor in PLA. It broke recently so I reprinted it in ABS on my Mendel90 prototype. I was able to use the same gcode file despite it being a very different machine and plastic.
My Mendle90 kit machines use Marlin and OctoPrint but I will return to my own tool chain in the future and bring it up to modern standards.
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Congrats, couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.
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Forgot to ask - Does it have a name?
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I keep returning to your post to look at those hedgehogs. Beyond cute! Do you have any specific plans for the hedgies?
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These are the kinds of tips that complete newbies like me will eventually stumble over, but haven’t yet.
You guys with the laser experience should try to put some of those tips together in one place. We’re doing it for the external software, but there really needs to be a “Handy Tips for working with Lasers” section as well.
There have been so many great tips given on the forum…I hate to see them get lost.
Quick! Somebody volunteer! 
The Forgerie.
(And that’s a different spelling than the one that means “fake”. This one means a place where things are created.)
No, those were just test cuts. They’re smaller than they need to be to make a good trivet, and little too large for a coaster. (I’ll think of something eventually.)
Actually they might not make a bad pot trivet.
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The best way I can think of to say how I feel about this is it is like when your besty tells you they are getting married.
Super happy for you and want to help how ever possible but on the other hand, well, I’m not even seeing anyone…
Seriously though, I’m could only be more excited if it was at my house. As we have gotten to know you we know that you will up everyone’s knowledge to no end.
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GOD BLESS!!! Can’t wait to see all you make…
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CONGRATS JULES !!! I could imagine how loud you 
you deserve it, we will be impatient to see all the thinks you make
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I love it!! I talk to our unit too! I peek in and say “Hi Forge” and usually apologize to him for having a day job to get back to 
excited to see all the fun things you think up!
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Thanks you guys! It’s bittersweet from this end too. I don’t like getting one before everyone else, and I have to keep reminding myself that:
- This one isn’t mine.
- I can do some good for those still waiting by testing the ever-living daylights out of it and letting Glowforge know about any problems I find, so that when we all get the final units, they’re the best that they can be.
- I can write up anything that needs clarifying from a learning to use the software standpoint…
So I’d better get to it, I’ve got a PDF to load up and test this afternoon, and some feedback to shoot off to GF.
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Congrats!
You got one before the rest of us because you already do so much for us and you will undoubtedly prove yourself worthy.
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