Hello, GlowForge Owners!!
So, and please correct me if Iām wrong, but the Ā« Automatic Kerf Compensation Feature Ā» would NOT work in the case I want to make a tight fit puzzle ā¦ or a box. Is that correct? I would then have to do it all manually? WOW!
Thank you for your input. I donāt have the GlowForge as of yet, but expect it in early June (2018).
@Uncle_Dan, as of today, 3 feb, 2018, the auto kerf comp is not in place for anything. It is one of several features we are all waiting on.
That said, just how tight do you want your puzzle? The total kerf is around . 7 mm on most things and I have made jigsaw puzzles that are every bit as tight as commercial.
Kerf adjusting a puzzle means cutting each piece separately. Since itās a lot easier to use shared lines when cutting them, most folks choose to just live with the small kerf created by the laser beam. 
(And if youāre cutting something with an image on itā¦that would be pretty complex to kerf adjust.) 
The box is no problem to kerf adjust in a step or two in Illustrator, so no biggie.
Hi Mark! Thank you for your quick reply.
I find 0,7mm a lot ā¦ are you sure itās not 0,07mm? I read Danās comment/reply that its nominal kerf is 0,008 in. Could you have misplaced the decimal on this one?
Iām new to all this CO2 Lasing. Iām presently using a 8W 455nm blue Laser to do some parts of my small parrot toys. This GlowForge addition to my shop will be a game changer, I can tell you that! Hahaha! Just canāt wait to pay my hands on it.
Thank you for your time and patience. Yours truly, Dan ā¦ aka Ā« Uncle Dan Ā»
Thank you, Jules! Nice to read from you.
Boxes are the very first thing I wanna try when getting my GlowForge. Small lantern, picturing a small parrot, with an acrylic-etched Budgie or a Cockatiel will sell like crazy in my area. Also, I intend to engrave pictures a lot. Have you tried it? How did it go?
I mainly use Inkscape for my work, since itās easy to use and not a big deal transferring SVG files to the small Laser plotter I use (cheap EleksMaker DIY Laser). I replaced that 2,5W laser by a 8W Russian Laser, and ā¦ well ā¦ it does the job ā¦ for now! Hahaha! I wonder if Iāll have to account for that kerf, but I assume Iāll have to do some tests. That might be the reason they supply wood samples with the GlowForge.
Are you using their wood (proof grade) or other woods too?
Thank you for your time and patience. Best regards, my friend!
Iāve done a couple of small acrylic edge lit items - they are pretty slick. 
Iāve done lots of experimenting with different materials, woods, acrylics, veneers, foamcore, fabrics, paper, cardboards, slate, an egg or two, riceā¦ and my favorite by far is the Proofgrade stuff. Mainly because Iām lazy (just ask anyone, they can verify) and I donāt like having to wait for finishes to dry. (Thereās a reason the phrase is ālike watching paint dry.ā) 
You can adjust for kerf in Inkscape too. Generally I find itās not worth messing with for most boxes - a dab of glue is quicker overall, but for inlays and stuff it can make a difference.
Sounds like youāve got some experience - youāre going to love this one once you get comfortable with it. Particularly using Proofgrade - itās just so consistent compared to other woods.
AKA āgoofgradeā. 
The better box making programs/extensions have an entry for kerf width and the option to specify if the measurements are inside or outside. I have found .007 to be snug enough to hold everything together until I run CA glue down the inside of each joint.
Since you use Inkscape, there is an Extension for laser tools for it that works well.
Yup, .7 is a lot, I slipped a digit. .07mm. This will vary a considerable amount with material and settings though.
Anyway, I find single line puzzle cuts completely usable but as always, your mileage may vary.
No kerf adjusting for me!
Morninā Jules!
Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate having help and feedback from the Group. Really makes me feel like a member of the Family. Hehehe!
Egde-Lit acrylic design must really look good, indeed. You just gave me ideas, thank you. Iām not an artist, but making wooden toys for small parrots is somewhat an art in itself.
Correct me if Iām wrong, but Proofgrade material sounds expensive. I do not have yet access to the GlowForge Store, but if I can save a few bucks on material, my toys will be less expensive and Iāll sell more. Parrot owners are weird sometimes. They are willing to spend thousands of dollars on a parrot, but they are looking at a few dollars saving on a toy. Ā« Sigh! Ā» Mind you, youāll say Iāve spent thousands of dollars on a GlowForge Pro, and Iām looking on saving few bucks on the material ā¦ and you would be right too! 
However, Oak and Maple wood are toxic for parrots ā¦ and most glues contained in plywoods, so ā¦
I take for granted CA is Cyanoacrylate glue, aka Ā« Crazy Glue Ā» So very true. a small amount of white glue could also be used. Experimenting is needed on that. I think Iāll have a barrel of fun trying things. Too bad I donāt have access yet. I could browse the library for projects ā¦ and ideas. Maybe you can tell me ā¦ does one have to pay for simple layouts like boxes and stuff? Iām in Canada and all is more expensive due to the exchange rates that are ā¦ outrageous these days.
The iMac I planned to use for the GlowForge just died yesterday. Iāll have to use the Ā« Big Mac Ā» to do so, now. Since itās Wi-Fi, this is a big PLUS for me, however, itāll have to be in my shop, downstairs, since I gather itās prettty noisy. My parrots will freak out on this!!
Sorry for the long comment! (Iām known for these!) I thank you for reading me to the end ā¦ most people quit before! Hahaha!
I hope to read from you soon! Have a nice day, Friend!
Hi, my friend.
Thank you for the comment. Iāll go and see if I can install those extensions. Here again. Iām not super familiar with Inkscape, but I manage. It could save me time ā¦ and money to compensate for the kerf.
Have a nice day, my friend.
Thank you for your input.
I plan on using cardboard for new toys. I imagine the kerf is minimal on those materials ā¦ Balsa wood is also in my project, since parrots come in all sizes and beak strengths.
Have a nice day, my friend.
Depends on perspective. Buying less expensive raw wood either hardwood or ply will require you to sand, stain and finish your product, so a lot of time involved.
The proofgrade is ready to go, down to the masking, so you peel the mask and youāre done.
I bought a standing desk, and rather than spending the $100 for the top they offered, I decided to save some money and do it myself.
Ikea butcher block top, half a day sanding and sealing. Two more coats and sanding in between, and Iām done.
By the time I finished it, I saved about $12. The time it took was the big difference.
I did two jobs of 1,000 tokens each, and the time savings using proofgrade was enormous. All depends on what your time is worth.
Glowforge also sells 6"x12" hardwood blanks. The price is comparable to other laser supply sources, and for the woods they sell oak, maple, (not good for the birdies), but also cherry, walnut, basswood and poplar. Not sure if any of those would work.
Their plywood glues are engineered specifically to be laser safe, so youāre not going to have a toxicity issue when burning themā¦not sure about ingestion, and having seen the beaks on parrots, they would probably rip it apart too soon anyway.
Unfortunately, they havenāt worked out the shipping to Canada yet, (I donāt think), so itās a moot point anyway. Youāll need to stick with a local supply for a bit.
But youāll have a ball with it when you get it! Hope itās soon! 
Thank you for your reply, my friend. It his well appreciated.
Well, to let you the truth, if I plan on doing nice artwork to expose, I could use Proofgrade material for sure. As for toys, and for the reasons explained further up the thread, I plan on using plain pine wood off the store.
Being retired, my time is worth next to nothing, but I like to work for at least minimum wage, that is 11$ (CAD) an hour. Hahaha!
Have a nice day, Sire! Iām up for shovelling some snow, today! Bwerk! Hahaha!
Iām in that position as well, but that frees us from something being prohibitive from a time-sink perspective.
I bought this thing purely for self indulgence, so time spent is all fun. Thatās worth money! 
Be careful with that shoveling!
Hi again, Jules.
Iāll have to check on those woods you mentioned. I believe walnut is not safe but hey! Iāll check 'em out. Thanks!
Thanks for all the info. Iāll try to source local for a bit. Here, there is a supplier that is called Ā« Langevin Forest Ā» and they are experts on fine woods from all over the world. They are not cheap, but hey! If you want quality and refinement, it has a price.
Thank yo for all info you supplied here. It was of great help.
I hope to read from you soon, and meanwhile, I wish you a great day! Take care, now!
Hahaha! Donāt worry ā¦ itās fluffy snow ā¦ and only 3 or 4 inches. Peace of cake! Hahaha! I only have a few steps to do and sidewalk to the driveway ā¦ the rest is done by the Condo admin.
Have a nice day, my friend!
I expect my GlowForge Pro in June! Long winter and spring ahead!
Thanks!
You have a great attitude my friend, I look forward to what you do with your glowforge.
Good afternoon, Ā« PrintToLaser Ā».
Thanks for noticing. My attitude reflects my way of life. Easy-Going and Steady as she goes.
Thanks to my education, at the age of 65, I can now benefit of that way of life. My late father and mother always thought me two things ā¦ Ā« Donāt do to others what you wouldnāt like them doing to you Ā» and Ā« Treat others like youād like them to treat you Ā». Since the day I was born, that had been my way of living.
Furthermore, I am a member of several Public Facebook pages and YouTube channels, on several subjects. Everywhere I go, politeness and good attitude are a rule of conduct. We are just like a big family, and this is, to me, the way it should work ā¦ everywhere. Open Mind, Respect, and Courtesy. If you have these three, youāll go far in life. If you donāt, people will discard you and treat you like sh___. Thatās a known fact.
Thank you for reading me. Always appreciate it, mu friend.
Oh! Iām looking forward of sharing my work with you and this Community.