Hi everyone. I just purchased a glow forge aura off of a family member. I am trying to get it set up but have run into a few issues. First my fan on the cutter wouldn’t get up to speed. The laser head was filthy due to using it to cut cattle tags. I had to disassemble the tool head to clean it with alcohol and a cotton swab. Once I put it together again and put it on the printer. It started trying to home and hit the left side made a loud buzzing noise then went back to the center and gave me a something went wrong message in the app. I’m honestly at a loss and have attached pics and have a video but can’t get it to post here. I also have put in a ticket with glowforge but anything helps!
4 Likes
Welcome to the community. What are cattle tags?
3 Likes
Thank you! It’s the ear tags that are put on cows ears for identification
5 Likes
Hopefully they cut those out of acrylic and not plastic? I made several for my husband out of acrylic.
3 Likes
It appears it was some rubberized plastic or something. I’m at a loss on what to do here. When it homes it hits the left side and buzzes
2 Likes
Acrylic IS plastic. Maybe you meant PVC or something like that?
3 Likes
It looks positvely ‘gooey’. If that stuff, whatever it is, got into other moving parts, into the lens, or any mirrors it could cause massive problems.
4 Likes
Yes sorry! I believe it would be pvc if I had to bet
3 Likes
Oh it was everywhere. I used 91% alcohol and a q tip and cleaned it. Then it started the current issue like hit hits the end of the x access and tries to go farther. Im not sure what I would have done wrong.
2 Likes
You haven’t done anything wrong and have tried your best to clean it up. Chances are, if that black stuff is…or contains vinyl….your entire machine has been destroyed. Vinyl just slowly eats away at all the parts and is killer on optics. No way to know for sure unless you find out what those cattle tags were made of. I’m sorry.
4 Likes
So is this total machine a loss or can it be fixed with support by replacing parts?
2 Likes
I am by no means an expert, so really can’t answer that for you. Since you said you contacted support, I think it’s best to wait until you hear back from them. Did you send them the photos, as well? I’m sorry I can’t help you more. I really hope you get a good outcome.
6 Likes
PVC ‘is’ what I meant 
thanks!
3 Likes