Not cutting all the way through proofgrade materials

I have a glowforge at school but it is not cutting all the way through proofgrade acrylic and wood. It cuts fine in some places but not others. I have cleaned it as recommended herein, but have no laser remover tool. And this is out of stock for purchase. All else was cleaned well & recalibrated. Please help.

You can remove the lens for cleaning by removing the printhead top and the mirror. With a q tip carefully push the lens down and out of the printhead. Make sure you are ready to catch the lens or that it will drop on something very soft so that it is not damaged when you remove it that way, Carefully clean the lens and then you can put it back in the printhead.

If this doesn’t help with the machine not cutting through, here are some other things to consider.

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The lens removal tool is currently in stock if you think you need it.

Oh no, I’m sorry you’ve hit a snag.

Could you send us photos of the front and back from the most recent prints that didn’t cut through? Please include the approximate date and time of the prints as well.

For our next steps, please perform the following test print.

  • Print the Gift of Good Measure on Proofgrade material, using Proofgrade settings.

  • When the print finishes, leave the lid closed and wait until the fans stop and the picture updates.

  • If the Gift of Good Measure fails to cut through, take a photo of the front and back of the print and attach these photos to your reply.

The above test helps us determine whether or not your Glowforge is performing within specifications.

In regards to cleaning your lens without the lens tool, we have a support article that walks you through the steps here.

Let us know how it goes!

It’s been a little while since I’ve seen any replies on this thread so I’m going to close it. If you still need help with this please either start a new thread or email support@glowforge.com.