So I was just using my glowforge, casually making some really neat mid-century modern boomerang style light switches out of 1/8 inch birch to match some broken originals that are from our 1964 home.
About 80% through the 3 min cut the laser seems to have stopped firing leaving some of the cut uncompleted. My back was turned to the machine so I didn’t observe anything, but I did hear a weird noise about a 30 seconds before the machine turned off (from “completion”). At the time it didn’t process as a glowforge type sound at all and I thought something has fallen or shifted on the other side of my shop and didn’t think much of it. I now find myself wondering if that sound was my laser tube breaking.
I’ve tried running a couple prints on other settings to see what happens and the laser definitely isn’t firing, no light travels through the tube at all like usual. The top of my tube had the usual haze and after just now wiping a bit I think I’m seeing a couple small pieces of broken glass inside the tube.
How does this happen?
Am I going to have send the machine back or can the tube be replaced at home yet?
How expensive will this be?
I have to say, there’s almost nothing sadder than a broken GF when you are really rolling on a protect!
