So here’s the question: which lenses and windows have you been cleaning per the instructions?
That statement makes me think you’ve only been cleaning the lid camera, which won’t affect cutting performance either way. It will help the system calibrate, give you a clearer view of the bed image in the app, and recognize QR codes better.
The laser is for all intents and purposes invisible but it’s taking a fairly long path before it shoots out of the head at the material.
There is a window hidden on the left side of the gantry, underneath the machine top (have to poke head in to see pretty much), a window on the left side of the head, then a mirror inside the head (beneath a removable top), and finally the lens on the bottom side of the head that has to be removed (with the lens removal tool) to be cleaned.
I have been cleaning all of them. Someone had suggested to clean the lid camera more frequently to help with focus, which I have been doing. But in addition to cleaning the lid camera more frequently than the manual says, my question was simply - should be cleaning ALL lenses/windows more frequently as well for better focus/cuts/etc…
I always clean all of them starting with the left side mirror and the the head window, a wipe under the head and then the camera. Probably once a week even if I haven’t been doing much just to get into the habit. Then if I’m doing a bunch of dirty work (Draftboard for instance) I’ll do it during the week if I notice the bed image getting fuzzy.
Yeah, it’s way more than 40 hours but then I change the oil in my car before the manual says to as well Cheap insurance.
I can see accumulation (that needs to be cleaned) on the left head window after a day (6-10 hours) of cutting chipboard and / or Baltic birch. Very material dependent. Someone that cuts acrylic all day, every day might never notice anything.
It’s the kind of thing you can visually inspect and determine if it needs to be cleaned or not. If it looks like it has stuff on it, clean. If not, don’t.
I appreciate everyone’s tips and tricks and different insights! Definitely useful! Glowforge support did end up finding an un-fixable issue with my machine though and my new one just arrived yesterday! Can’t wait to see the difference!
Cheap insurance.