Lowest safe temperature for storage of glowforge (coolant, does it expand.. freezing point)

[evansd2]

Hey, how well does that blast gate seal? I thought about installing on but was worried about gaps and smoke.

[shop]

i have a similar blast gate in mine.

just don’t be foolish and forget to open it, like i did a couple of times, smoke will start pouring out of the crevices.

[julybighouse]

+1

[gmckayca]

The GLOWFORGE USER MANUAL states the minimum temperature where the GF can be kept is 40 degrees

[gmckayca]

The minimum OPERATING temperature for the GF as stated in the manual is 60 degrees

[brokendrum]

From the Manual…

Temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 Celsius) or over 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48 Celsius)
Extreme humidity conditions (below 10% or more than 75%)
If venting outdoors, ensure that changing conditions do not cause extreme
temperatures or humidity to enter the Glowforge unit through the exhaust hose.
Disconnect the hose from the outside air when the Glowforge is not in use.

Another forum link.

Heat Issues? Basic and Pro comparison?

So we have at least 1 Pro in the wild now as well as a bunch of Basics. Have there been any more Heat Issues in the Basics since the recent firmware update from Glowforge? How are the Pros handling the heat? If you can also comment on the ambient temperature you are working in and whether you are using an external cooling source (Air-con, cooler) that would also be appreciated.

[cbarker]

I used the provided GF hose clips on both the GF exhaust outlet and the inlet of the blast gate . The blast gate is Gorilla-glued to a plywood insert that goes in my basement window while I’m running, and the “male” Louver unit is Gorilla-glued to the “female” socket of the blast gate. No leaks to speak of.

[cbarker]

I’ve never done that before…

Thinking of automating it with a current sensor and a servo.

[subatomic]

So I want to separate the humidity concerns from the temperature concerns

Within temperature, I then want to sub-separate the concern of storage/shipping of the unit, from the temperature while operating

• Humidity

  • precautions like venting, exposure to humidity from outside
  • min/max humidity in the general air

• Temperature

  • storage / shipping of the unit
  • operating the unit

Some of the guidelines are ambiguous whether they exist because of humidity or because of some temperature concern.

My main concern is of storage and temperature

[nathan_p]

I put an electric blanket over the top of my GF when things got chilly here last week, in order to keep it above the 40 degrees listed in the manual.

[subatomic]

I suspect the low point for temperature will be defined by the coolant. As long as the changes are slow and within proper humidity

But I’d like some official word on what the coolant is made out of ( or brand, if applicable), so that I can better understand the actual minimum

[jbmanning5]

They give a minimum recommended storage temp?

[caias_ward]

There should be a Material Safety Data Sheet for the coolant, and being as we already had one person’s tube crack and the coolant escape, it would be reasonable to request GF have the MSDS available to the end user.

[gmckayca]

It’s in the user manual. Must be between 40 degrees and 120.

[subatomic]

The minimum stated temp of 40deg F is problematic. Aren’t they shipping during the winter? So… it’s going to be less than 40… I’d like to know what that is.

If it really is 40, then that implies water. If that’s true, there will be problems shipping in the freezing weather. Unless they’re shipping with both laser & coolant tubes completely empty, with room to expand in the tank…

Water as a coolant just seems like an engineering mistake given the diverse locales around the globe, and unknowable shipping temperatures

[jbmanning5]

Only if hazardous and Dan has stated normal clean up and disposal if required.

[caias_ward]

MSDS still exist for it, mind you, even if not hazardous. Curious what they are using, myself.

[jbmanning5]

I’m sure that it does and I’m sure that you are!

[caias_ward]

Well, that was dismissive…

But you be you, I guess.

[dwardio]

From the US OSHA website… Emphasis mine.

MSDSs that represent non-hazardous chemicals are not covered by the HCS. Paragraph 29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8) of the standard requires that “the employer shall maintain in the workplace copies of the required MSDSs for each hazardous chemical, and shall ensure that they are readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their workarea(s).” OSHA does not require nor encourage employers to maintain MSDSs for non-hazardous chemicals.

From an MSDS auditing firm…

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a safety document required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that contains data about the physical properties of a particular hazardous substance. MSDS sheets are created for a variety of hazard[ous] materials including compressed gases, flammable and combustible liquids, oxidizing materials, poisonous or infectious material, corrosive material and dangerously reactive materials.

I am not a lawyer (and refuse to use the acronym for that ), but unless the coolant contains a substance known to be hazardous to the end user, GF is under no obligation to provide an MSDS.

If there are non-hazardous additives to the (presumably) water, GF has every right to protect their trade secrets.