Pass through slot help with

[margaretrgriffith]

I am looking for any simple instructions for using the pass through slot. I am cutting mirrored plexiglass, approx. 12 x 24 inches and I need it to align perfectly. I have read through past instructions, but they seem complicated to me and I do not use illustrator. Any suggestions for a beginner?

[rbtdanforth]

I would use the right side of the crumb tray to sett the angle and if you have a used tape measure to glue to the rim on that right side and you will have a pretty accurate measuring device. Set a pin at the 11.5-inch mark and running the board up against it, you can then cut a hole ten inches below that and move the hole up to the pin and you have a pretty accurate measure base

[margaretrgriffith]

thanks, any chance you have a photo of this set up?

I am a visual learner…

[rbtdanforth]

@margaretrgriffith

I am a visual learner…

I am also a visual learner but most of the pictures are in my head
This will make such measurement as you need, and you can apply it as you need.

Oops forgot the link…

Two sticks to rule the world

Well, the world inside a Glowforge anyway! Having some scrap plywood I thought to make a 20-inch ruler that would define the space available and set accurate measuring points, I set Inkscape with a 1/10-inch grid and a snap-to-grid so they were dead on accurate and as I was doing it realized that I could not engrave or even cut the full length, so I measured a horizontal line as close as I could get to the max cut area, and cut the rulers down to that. I could not decide which side to put the i…

[Jules]

@margaretrgriffith…if you’re not using Illustrator we have a tutorial for using the passthrough with Inkscape as well. (Pics and everything.)

Using Inkscape with the Passthrough

Notice to new owners looking for instructions on how to use the Passthrough: Glowforge has now developed their Passthrough software and it is much easier to use than the method described below. The link to the Glowforge tutorials for using their Pro Passthrough software can be found here: Using Inkscape with the Passthrough I got a private message for some assistance in creating a file for Passthrough use in Inkscape. (A caveat up front, I’m not an Inkscape expert and there might be an…

Be sure to note the suggestions from the Private Message as well for working with the acrylic. Other than that, the tutorial thread explains the concepts.

Supporting material going into the machine with a wood support stand.

[margaretrgriffith]

THANK YOU! I will work on this tutorial. I do have illustrator, I am just not proficient on it. Which do you recommend?

[margaretrgriffith]

Thank you! I am going to try this when I get back to my studio!!!

[Jules]

Well, I prefer Illustrator because I’ve been using it for years. @johnse has a good tut written up for that one.

Passthrough Alignment Tutorial with Manual Indexing

I wanted to test some theories about pass-through use and to create a tutorial about how we can work around the camera alignment inaccuracies in the current state of the Glowforge software. To spoil the ending, here’s the final product: [final] I’ll be using Adobe Illustrator CC 22.0.1 (current version) primarily because I have a subscription via work. However, I am a total newbie with AI, so please feel free to point out other/better ways to do things if I end up doing them the hard way. I w…