Can someone please help me, because clearly trying to reach out to Glowforge is like finding snow in the Caribbean. Using the same exact materials that I’ve always used, machine is completely clean and still my printer isn’t cutting all the way through. I even tried to recalibrate the machine but every time it kept saying there is a problem with my wifi. The machine is the only thing connected to my wifi. I have orders to fulfill and Glowforge has been of no assistance for the past 3 days.
You can skip the camera calibration since your lid camera is just a human aid for you to decide where to place a design on your screen, it’s not used by the machine itself to do anything. It can’t help with this problem.
What material is it not cutting through? Have you cut this sheet before? Is it possible it’s thicker or different from other sheets you’ve cut in the past? What settings are not working, and have you tried anything else?
When you clean, are you getting all 7 optical parts, and the air assist fan on the carriage plate behind the tube? It’s not uncommon for someone to say they’ve cleaned but not realize they’ve been missing one of the things that needs cleaning for months.
Finally, how old is it? The laser tube is a consumable and it will start to lose cutting power after 2+ years. You’ll gradually have to lower your speeds to cut the same materials when it’s nearing its end of life.
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Have you not tried adjusting the settings? A little more power or a little less speed until it cuts through. Do a test piece.
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Hi Dan85
I’m trying to cut two materials using the following settings
1/8" Acrylic - from Houston Acrylic- Medium Black GF setting
1/8" Baltic Birch - from Woodpeckers- Medium Basswood Plywood GF setting
I normal use these settings for these particular materials
By chance do you have any suggestions for me? The materials are listed above.
@beerfaced already suggested that you try adjusting the settings – if it’s not quite cutting through, you can go slower to cut deeper. Test with a small 1" square or circle on some scraps, so you don’t waste material while dialing it in.
I also gave you a number of things to look at beyond your settings. Did you read those parts of the message?
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As you watch, are you seeing any “candle flame” fire while it is cutting? Is it cutting better on the left side of the crumb tray than the right?
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For the black acrylic, is it close to cutting through? If so, slow the speed slightly - like by 10. Maybe sharing a photo of one of the failed cuts would help us help you.
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Cutting problem aside…
The fact that it always used to work, or that everything else on wifi works fine, doesn’t mean anything. The Glowforge uses a crummy wifi module and interference that other devices don’t mind will cause trouble. And that kind of interference can come from outside your home.
My GF worked perfectly for years until one day it did not work at all, and it was the wifi. Something changed nearby. I had to change the wifi channel on my router to fix it. If you keep having a wifi problem, try that.
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I have a new technique I use for thicker material —- It should work with your 1/8 material.
Take a piece of 1/8 material that is 2” X 18” put it in the middle of your honeycomb tray. Now lay your material on top of it. This technique is just lifting up your material so the laser beam is closer. You do have to experiment with settings or pin down your material.
I use Woodpecker’s 1/8 birch and I use the medium draftwood setting. Cuts with perfection.
Lens isn’t upside down! What’s the cut look like?
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