My unit came back to me yesterday after having the lid replaced. I am trying to print many copies of a small keychain. The first 10 printed perfectly and the outside cuts were great. All of the sudden, the laser is not cutting through the material. I have tried several materials and files (including the earsavers) and no cuts go through the material. I’ve removed the crumb tray and nothing seems to be in the way. Everything seems to be sitting in the bottom of the machine correctly. Help!
Now that I look further, it seems like my camera is out of focus. The QR code on my materials seems blurry.
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The lid camera is not going to effect the cutting ability of the GF. It is just used so that you can place your artwork onto the material you want to cut and read QR codes of PG material. I would suggest that you clean the lenses. Make sure you get the one on the side of the head, the one under the left side, the two small lenses on the bottom of the head as well as the main lens inside the head and the mirror in the top of the head.
I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve hit this snag! I’d like to take a look at a specific test to ensure that your Glowforge is performing within specification.
When you have a moment, Could you please do the following?
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Turn off your Glowforge, then turn it back on
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We included an extra piece of Proofgrade Draftboard with your materials shipment for troubleshooting. Place Proofgrade Draftboard in the bed and load the Gift of Good Measure design.
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Set the score and engrave steps to ‘ignore.’ Print the Gift of Good measure using the default settings. Allow the print to finish.
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When the print finishes, leave the lid closed and wait until the fans stop and the picture of the bed updates.
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Check the completed print:
If the Gift of Good Measure fails to cut, please let us know the date and time of the print
If the Gift of Good Measure cuts successfully, please try another print of the design you saw the issue with, and let us know the results.
If the issue still occurs, please let us know the date and time of the finished print.
Let us know how it goes!
The gift of good measure failed to cut through the material. May 6 at 1:05 pm.
Thank you for working through those instructions. I’ve extracted the log files from your Glowforge to review this print. Based on the logs, it appears the material may have been positioned to far to the top right of the crumb tray, causing it to incorrectly detect the material height. Would it be possible to repeat the same test, aligning the material to the bottom left of the edge of the honeycomb, and see if the same trouble occurs?
Also, I would like to check over just a few more things. Could you do the following for me?
Please send photos of all your cleaned optical components, with special attention to any damage you might find:
- Both windows
- The printer head window, on the left hand side of the printer head
- The laser window on the inside left of the Glowforge
- The printer head window, on the left hand side of the printer head
- The printer head lens
- Both sides of the lens, top and bottom
- Both sides of the lens, top and bottom
- The mirror inside the printer head
- The bottom of the printer head
Once we have those pictures, and the results of the adjusted print, we’ll follow up with next steps.
Did you wipe that lens? It might need to be replaced, it looks like it has a burn spot.
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I did wipe the lens. It looks like the center is a bit discolored with two small dots off center, one on each side, but I don’t know. I don’t know what a lens might look like after some use.
When was the last time you cleaned it? It should be crystal clear.
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Well let support take a look at it, they’ve got more experience seeing burn spots. Fortunately you can pick up a new lens in the Spare Parts section of the Glowforge shop, so that’s an easy fix if it’s what is causing the issue.
The mirror doesn’t look real shiny either, but that might just be the angle of the photograph.
I just cleaned it before that photo using a lens wipe.
I mean, prior to now.
From the pic, that lens looks to be destroyed, which can happen when it is not cleaned and debris/deposits are continually hit by the beam.
All optical surfaces need to be as clean as (for example) a glass just removed from a dishwasher.
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Just like it did when it was new.
Try soaking it in isopropyl alcohol for a bit. It may be residue that wouldn’t come off with a wipe but will dissolve with a little time.
Thank you for the detailed photos of your optics. The information our other community members shared is correct. If the residue and spots on your lens and mirror don’t come off with additional cleaning, they’ll need to be replaced as their current condition is likely contributing to the issue cutting through materials.
I’m going to close this thread, and I’ll be in touch via email with details about how to get a lens and mirror.
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