Just wanted to know as I haven’t kept the time logged on my own machine so could do with knowing then the 40 hour cleans and 120 hour cleans are due.
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Months ago I suggested they add a counter–as have many, many others. Some even created their own tracking system.
But 40 hrs is the recommended MINIMUM. Cleaning more frequently is always better, and the interval will vary pending materials you work with. If you seem to lose power, clean. And be sure to clean ALL lenses and the camera cover too.
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No user accessible counter. But, it’s quick and easy to take a look at the window on the left side of the head. In my experience, it’s the first to get dirty.
If you notice any difference in normal cutting behavior, it means it is time to clean.
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Any recommendations for the mirror inside the head? Seems like the trickiest part and what I’m least looking forward to doing.
Nah. It’s easy. Don’t fret it. It’s also the last thing to get dirty.
The head just lifts off (it’s held by magnets). Inside is the mirror with a little teal blue handle. Pull the mirror out, check it, wipe it if needed, and put it back in like it came out. The handle will be parallel to the head. Give it a little tap to feel better about it being seated and put the lid back on.
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I have to respectfully disagree with one of the replies… Don’t hesitate to carefully clean when needed, but over-zealous and/or too-frequent cleaning increases the risk of scratching the optics. Lesson learned after three decades of maintaining telescope optics. YMMV, of course.
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I had a tough time getting getting that mirror seated on my first unit so I’m hesitant about it too. (Let’s just say I it may led to me getting “BOB 3.0” 
) I finally broke down and cleaned BOB’s mirror yesterday and before taking it out I clicked a cell pic of the mirror. It’s not like it was really necessary, but it did make me more confident in getting it seated correctly again.
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The Support page now has a nice step-by-step with photos:
https://glowforge.com/support/topic/cleaning-service-and-moving/cleaning#wiping-the-mirror-in-the-printer-head
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Thanks for the suggestion, I’ve passed it along to the team. And thanks for the link @dwardio. I’m going to close this thread - if there are other questions you can email support@glowforge.com or start a new topic.