Lens removal tool failure

I just received my replacement lens removal tool. I followed the instructions and put the Remove side into the laser head and it clicked when it attached to the magnet. This is where things went south. The glue joint apparently failed on the metal ring, so now the ring is stuck to the lens and I’ve can’t get the lens out. I went from not being able to calibrate my GF to not being able to use it at all.

Now that the ring is off, it looks like very little glue was used to secure it in place on the blue part. See below. Only one spot in the entire ring had glue.

2 Likes

Turn the head over, remove the lid on top, remove the mirror (carefully by pulling back at a 45° angle), get a Q-tip and push the lens out from the top. Make sure you do that over a folded towel to keep from scratching the lens.

Removing the Mirror Instructions

Put the mirror back in the correct orientation and you can clean the lens and get on with it. (Couple of drops of superglue will reattach the magnet ring to the tool, but be careful…neodymium magnets are fragile!)

9 Likes

Thanks, Jules! I’ll give that a try. I hope GF double checks the removal tools in the future so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

2 Likes

Oh, it happens a lot…neodymium magnets will practically fracture into shrapnel when you breathe on them, and these are very thin rings. (Seriously, don’t drop it. I set a package of strong neo magnets down on the desk…they leapt across the desk to meet up with another package, and they exploded into shrapnel, cutting me. You’ve got to be careful with the blasted things.)

2 Likes

You’re right – there’s a hairline crack in the ring. Maybe they should ship these things in a box instead of an envelope! $15 + $10 shipping, it should at least be boxed. USPS flat rate small boxes only cost $7.90.

4 Likes

I’m so sorry to hear about the trouble with the lens tool. Thank you for letting us know about this, I’ll pass your feedback about the packaging of the magnet along to the team. I’ve gone ahead and ordered you a replacement lens tool. You will receive an email with the shipping info for your new order. Please let us know right away if you have any issue with the replacement. I’m going to close this thread. Please start a new one if you run into any more trouble, or email us at support@glowforge.com

2 Likes