I previously cut a design with settings of 157/Full/1x. Now, using the same wood (Baltic birch 1/8" from a local plywood store), that design won’t cut all the way through. I’ve gone up and down on settings, adjusting from 200 down to 135, and from 1x to 3x passes. (I’ve started a few fires in the process.) I can’t find the sweet spot I used to have to reliably cut my material. What could have changed?
Things I’ve done:
-Adjusted settings as described
-Cleaned the camera
-Cleaned the laser lens
-Clean the vent fan/outlet
One thing that’s happening now that I’ve never seen before is the plume of smoke is on fire nearly the whole duration of cutting. When it’s not, there is a lot more smoke than I remember. This smoke and burning plume happened when I cut another design on the Home Depot hardwood (white surface, 1/8") that, again, I previously cut just fine but suddenly had to slow everything down to get it to engrave.
In summary: I’ve tried multiple designs using two types of wood I’ve previously used successfully, and with both types of wood I’ve had to increase my cutting time and still get burned up results. Any suggestions?
A clear case of insufficient air movement. Every time you see that flame, it will not have cut through as the infrared cannot shine through fire. I had been using magnets that were affecting the fan. but anything else messing with the carriage fan will cause that. Also, anything in the cut area disturbing the airflow.
There is also the window on the side of the head, and its match at the left side of the gantry.
When you see smoke trails, you can read them to see what is happening at that point in the cut. If straight to the front they are working, if wandering left the fan is weak, if just curling generally left, there is no fan.
The fan cleans easy enough. I have a trick nobody else uses of putting a vacuum hose to the fan exhaust, and hand sanitizer in the top (all with the machine totally off). With the vacuum eating 100% of what is poured in the top and left running to make sure it dries, managing to not allow the liquid to be anywhere else as liquid in the Glowforge can free the magic smoke in circut boards that keeps the machine running.
In addition to thoroughly cleaning the air assist fan, clean all of the optics. You mention cleaning the lid camera lens and the lens, but you don’t mention the mirror or the multiple windows that also need to be clean. If you are having excess smoke while cutting, your optics need special attention. Pay special attention to the window on the inside left of the machine and the window on the left side of the printhead.