List of materials that should NEVER go in your Glowforge?

Community Support
1

Hello.

I’m new here and have looked around a bit to see if anyone had made up any lists of materials that should NEVER be used in your Glowforge? Is there such a list and I’ve just not looked in the right place? And if there isn’t a list, any chance one could be created?

I have some leather pieces that are already tanned with oil, but I don’t know what type of oil. Is it okay to use this? I think it said somewhere that the leather is buffalo.

Thanks!

2

Here’s a link to a previous discussion on that topic:

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3

Have you read the Material Safety section from Glowforge? Safety – Glowforge

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4

I usually Google “laser safe [material name]” and that usually comes right up with some makerspace’s safe/unsafe list. For example

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5

Thanks for the response. I had a laser prior to my Glowforge, but I knew nothing about it and didn’t do too much with it because I didn’t have specific guidelines and it was a diode laser, which I don’t have enough knowledge to know or understand the difference between the diode laser and Glowforge. Maybe some people here can start a list that could be a quick reference for those of us that aren’t very experienced. :wink:

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Hi. I believe I did. That just discusses proof-grade materials, doesn’t it?

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It doesn’t. Scroll down to the sections titled “What if I’m not certain whether my materials are laser-compatible?” and “Using unidentified material in your Glowforge”.

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Thank you! I just don’t want to do anything to potentially damage my laser. :grimacing:

9

Great! Thank you! :slightly_smiling_face:

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No, it does not just discuss Proofgrade materials. Take a second look.

11

Thanks everyone, for providing these great answers.