I’ve seen this problem multiple times in my search and it never ends in a true solution (the topic is either closed or glowforge says it’s not something they can fix from afar and they close it). My Basic of like 2 or 3 years will just stop printing mid job. Sometimes it’ll get a minute in and now it’s getting nowhere and the timer keeps going. No codes AT ALL. Count down timer keeps going like nothing is wrong. Not overheating. Not too cold. Not fans; those are clean and running. No magnets in or on my machine. Not mirror. Not lenses. Not the pins; those are perfect and plugged in. Tried that multiple times. Hoping someone who has actually experienced this has gotten a solution and can record it here for posterity.
Does the machine ever resume printing? Does the printhead return to the home position when this happens? Does the machine work if it is immediately turned off and back on when this happens?
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Most of those posts are closed because the next steps involve replacement units and private information.
When it’s hot outside my Glowforge, in its air conditioned room, will stop in the middle. Hang out for 5-30 minutes, and then start right back up without a hitch…if I leave it alone. There are no error messages.
When it’s within operating temps outside then it doesn’t do this…which is why I’m pretty sure of my reasoning.
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No. No. And no. The first time or two it happened, I hadn’t realized it stopped as the timer kept going.
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So you are not near the Glowforge when it is printing? How long after you turn it off will it work again?
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I’m running 3 glowforges, either sitting at my computer, about 3-4 feet away from it or at my laptop for shipping which is like 6-8 feet away from it. I kept thinking I hit pause as I was moving around in my office doing all the other things I do while a machine is running.
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When I turn it off, it does the same thing.
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Do all three machines have the same problem with that file? I have seen a tiny crack in the white ribbon will sometimes connect and sometimes not which is crazy enough but it gets worse over time. I would connect with a support agent live Monday - Friday 8am - 3pm PST at +1-855-338-2122 . They can look at information the rest of us cannot about those things to let you know what happened and possibly offer a refurbished machine in exchange for yours. As that price includes two shipping costs it will seem high, but far cheaper than new.
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I’ve tried numerous jobs, new and old. The other 2 are not experiencing the problem and I’ve been cutting the failed jobs on those other 2. I’m about to try the machine again today as I got about 5 good minutes out of it yesterday and the day before, before it quit on me. At least I can get a tiny bit done.
I’m actually trying to avoid the support since I will need hours of time plus days of back and forth to convince them it isn’t my lenses or pins or whatever else I’ll have to do first before they decide I have a problem.
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I did put some of that special tape I got for this sort of thing on the one spot I saw on the ribbon. It has been there a long while so I didn’t think it was the problem.
Just the movement back and forth can cause micro cracking within the ribbon itself, not just rubbing raw through the cable sheathing. I think that’s @rbtdanforth is getting at. As the cable bends and shifts, the cracks will disconnect and connect again randomly, getting worse and worse until it simply never works again.
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I actually have the same problem with one of my oldest machines. It has happened with a couple of different files, and these files work on my other machines, so I know it’s the machine itself. Countdown timer keeps going and when the countdown timer finishes the laser head stays in the same place it stopped at and does not go back to home even after lifting the lid. I have to turn it off and on and it will recalibrate like nothing happened. Sometimes I restart the job and it will stop in the same place again. If I delete the parts of the file that it cut and only leave the portion that it has not cut yet and let it resume from where it stopped, it will work and cut the rest of the file. Very strange glitch but I would like to solve it because I cannot trust that machine.
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It’s a very weird situation that I’m sure will have some people completely up in arms. heheheh I can cut all these files with no issue on both other machines, the 1st of which is a year or so older.
Here’s another strange addition to this problem! I can cut the GoGM and other stuff on proofgrade and then I move a non-proofgrade sheet in there and STUCK. If anyone understands this issue, it would be amazing to hear this answer.
And then, it’s stuck again. And I’m about to print the same job on the same piece of material in the other machine with no issues. This is on proof grade material, Medium Cherry Plywood.
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Do you have a spare print head you can switch out to test? They were going to send me a whole other machine until my husband asked if I’d tried switching the print head out for the spare that I have from my very first glowforge. The machine is currently cutting and well. Hasn’t stopped yet. Not jinxing myself by saying it’s solved, but this may help.
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I actually have 6 machines so I can swap one with another and see if it works and I will update here on what I find out. Thank you!!!
Violetta Talley
Photographer/Designer
Fire & Earth Photography & Design
708-217-0986
www.fireandearthphoto.com
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I swapped print heads and I am still dealing with the same issue, unfortunately.
It worked for me for 1.5 days lol
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