Seems like I could throw a blanket over the whole thing and address lung and eye protection…
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Ummm…that means you would be working blind…and things could go very wrong, very quickly…
If you want pass-through capability, I would suggest getting a machine like the Pro that was actually designed to do that type of work…
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There is a a bit of a challenge here. In the FAQ the “Beyond the Manual” category seems to allow for discussion of modifying your Glowforge unit. In the TOS for the Glowforge though there is some interesting language about modification that seems to discourage if not disallow it.
It can be done. You are in the right ballpark, but haven’t quite gotten there with defeating the safety feature, which is there for good reason.
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This reminds me of the old usenet days, when there was a newsgroup about hacking. It was moderated, which meant that all posts had to be approved before going out, but there was no moderator to send them to for approval. So you could only get your posts to appear if you had a certain minimal level of knowledge and skills.
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Somewhere in Seattle the FNLs are having a litter of kittens. 
I’d suggest cutting a piece off of the material so it fits.
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Maybe I’m not being clear about what I’m trying to do. I am trying to engrave an image on a piece of wood. The size of the image I’m trying to engrave is 11.5". OK. The piece of wood is 14"x18". Also OK.
BUT, if I were to simply put the 14"x18" piece in there, I can’t CENTER the image on the wood, because that would require the margin of the 14"x18" piece to stick out the front.
So, I’m not worried about working blind. I can place the piece and leave it for the duration of the cut.
But maybe this is a test: if I can’t figure out how to trick it, I’m not advanced enough to deal with the consequences. Time to level up with magnets!
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That alone is a good reason not to do what you are trying to do.
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That alone is a good reason not to do what you are trying to do.
Nope
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This is literally one of those times where if you have to ask how, you should not do it.
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Yeah. Coming from a K40 that had no interlocks I’m sometimes frustrated by the magnetic pair for the door but then I’m a guy with no blade guard on the table saw 
The K40 taught me to wear laser safety glasses though (all of the sketchy shortcuts they took gave me a healthy respect for the potential for injury…as did lasering my thumb once when I was aligning the mirrors 
).
I’m also a big fan of neodymium magnets too.
You learn a lot with Chinese lasers that turned out to be useful with the GF.
I was surprised Support sent him here with the question though. Probably because of Dan’s comment about how to do this last year 
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You got solid steel blankets? Lasers, fire, and smoke get through fiber-weaves pretty easily.
You would not, however, be able to keep an eye on it for things like potential flare-ups, or thrown sparks. Which could light your blanket on fire.
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Smothering with a blanket could lead to serious heat issues. That would, in effect, block the air intake, which is a big no-no.
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Thank you – exactly what I was trying to get at it, but you did it much more clearly.
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Well kind of. You suggested it and support said you were right soooo not sure whose right here. Anyhow I vote bad idea
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Especially if you pew pew your eye out…
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I’ll throw in my two cents…
It’s a crazy idea. This isn’t a harmless toy; it can burn down your house and cause significant damage to your eyes and lungs. Throwing a blanket over it won’t render it safe.
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If you have the correct laser goggles for CO2 and you are lasering untreated wood, so the fumes are just wood smoke, I don’t see a big problem. Obviously you need to keep your hands out of the machine.
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Or a child’s.
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Yep no children or animals or adults without glasses in the same room. Similar to an unguarded table saw.
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You know that video of that Japanese streamer who was filling lighters and then caught his fuel-soaked rags on fire, and then sprinkled the fire around his apartment, and then tried to smother it with more flammable things, and then burned down his whole apartment?
Just… Don’t do that. Surely covering a burny, burny laser with a blanket is just a terrible idea? If you’re going to do it, build that thing a moat or something.
Although I feel pretty strongly there’s probably a better way to accomplish your goal. Maybe if you post what you’re trying to accomplish, people could help you troubleshoot some solutions that maybe don’t involve overriding safety features.
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