Great idea!

I’ll try to not pat myself on the back too hard, :upside_down_face: but while trying to manage my first really big project order that has my GlowForge running nearly all day, I have found myself unable to really do much else besides hang out around the machine.

Then it occurred to me that I have a nanny cam! I purchased it before the pandemic when we would occasionally leave the house and leave my doggie for occasion stretches. We haven’t even used it because we do t go anywhere now!

I now have a new use for it!
I can officially roam about the cabin again.

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Handy to have that cam around.

Lots of people have bought small cameras to do this with, but the best camera is the one you have in hand already.

If you would like to see other people’s takes on this, search for “wyze camera”, and I’m sure you’ll find a few discussions. :slight_smile:

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“Necessity is the mother of invention” – Aesop’s Fables,
:stuck_out_tongue:

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I knew I couldn’t have been the first! I’ve hit the ground running, learning as I go - I am looking forward to getting to taking some time sitting with everyone’s posts and tutorials! There so much to learn!

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Very handy! Mine is called ‘Garage Cam’ because that’s where I stole it from! :joy:

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I did go a ‘little’ bit crazy with mine, I can watch the ‘feed’ from any (and when I say I mean ANY) room in the house!!!

(giggle)

Jonathan

The problem is getting back in time to save your Glowforge… Don’t roam TOO far.

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I try to stay < 45 seconds away, operative word is… try…

:slight_smile:

Couldn’t help but giggle when I saw ‘save your :glowforge:’ as opposed to ‘stop your house burning down’ :grin:

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Well, it takes a lot less time for the ribbon cables and head to get toasted, and the GF cabinet itself will try and stop your house from burning TOO fast

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Lol! Very true :slight_smile:

I hope you have good insurance. We have seen Glowforge units pretty much completely ruined in as little as 30 seconds of a fire while cutting acrylic.
While engraving will be less danger, we have seen print heads, belts, and cables ruined with masking fires.
Don’t trust the camera. Be there with the unit. The time spent is worth the piece of mind to me.

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We, the users of this forum whom have been around for a while, have seen posts of fires. We have seen both videos of fires as they have occurred and pictures of the results of those fires. There is one especially illustrative view of someone using a camera to monitor their Glowforge while cutting the Eiffel Tower. The user gets distracted and the video shows about 30 seconds or so after the user stops paying attention to the Glowforge the first flame starts up. About 30 seconds later, the user is alerted to the fire by the glass top shattering due to the heat, if I recall correctly.

I have lost count of the number of belts, heads, fans, and cables I have seen photos of after a fire. From little flare-ups that aren’t so little that char the belts and fans and coat the lenses with soot to full out melted crumb trays, broken lids, and melted cases.

This unit isn’t the toy that a lot of users like to think it is. It is only as safe as the user and leaving the unit alone isn’t safe. I won’t even leave it alone while engraving stone or glass, even though that is about the safest one can get for fire danger. If I am cutting or scoring I am watching it the whole time. If I am engraving something flammable I have eyes on the contact point at least every 5-10 seconds. For slate, I am in the room and looking at the unit every 30-60 seconds. Just to make sure everything is OK.

https://community.glowforge.com/t/i-joined-the-fire-in-my-laser-club-today/77869

https://community.glowforge.com/t/yikes-fire/60175

And that is just some of the results.

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Some reading for you.

GLOWFORGE LINKS

Massive Google Docs Link— MAKE SURE AND GO INTO ALL THE TOP HEADINGS

Glowforge SETTINGS - Google Drive

Glowforge Customers Training Center - Tips and Tricks, Handy Links - Google Sheets

A. Making boxes with the Glowforge

Make A Box: Generate Laser Cutter Templates for Enclosures!

MakerCase - Easy Laser Cut Case Design

Box Designer

Boxes.py

Online File Generators for Laser Cutting - Maker Design Lab

B. FREE SVGs

Laser cutting designs | Craftsmanspace

Free SVG Image & Icon. | SVG Silh

Free Laser Cut Templates, Download Laser Cutting Designs

SVGCuts.com Blog

Ponoko

C. Free Clipart

D. 40 Places to get free SVGS

F. Different blogs and websites

Made with Forge - Tips, Tutorials, and Freebies for Glowforge

Make CNC DIY Projects & Products | MakeCNC.com

Hacker Factor: Glowforge Notes

Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers |

G. Converting websites Farwest makes it easy to convert inches to decimals.

CloudConvert

Zamzar - video converter, audio converter, image converter, eBook converter

DXF to SVG (Online & Free) — Convertio

H. Supplies

Ocooch Hardwoods - Thin Wood for Scroll Sawing, Laser Engraving/Cutting, Woodturning, Intarsia and More

Glowforge SETTINGS - Google Sheets

I. Learn to design

Glowforge Training Center - Raster Design - Google Sheets

Glowforge Customers Training Center - 2D Vector Design - Google Drive

J. Online Classes

Online Classes by Skillshare | Start for Free Today

Online Courses - Learn Anything, On Your Schedule | Udemy

K. YouTube Channels

Lady Crockett Crafts

Troy the Maker

Fresh Start Customs

ToolMetrix

WayofWood

Panthera Press

ThinkLaser Limited

John Kuiphoff

When Geeks Craft

L. YouTube Channels to learn Inkscape

TJ Free

Logos by Nick

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Many, many of us.

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I decided it is easy to ignore the person who offends, then to challenge.
since I don’t really value their opinion anyway.

As far as my comments “YMMV” - laser = fire / on flammable material
it’s remarkable that the glowforge works as well as it does for keeping flare ups
at a minimum, and proper caution is needed when using it. - as far as keeping an eye on the job, a camera is easier then popping out of your chair every 5 mins, and walking across the room to look at the status, a constant feed makes me feel a lot more ‘in control’ [Editors note: the ‘worst’ security, is the feeling of security’]

Jonathan

1 Like

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