Print inexplicably stops

Community Support
1

Ok, new problem from yesterday… now my prints are stopping mid-engrave for no reason. I’ve tested with a stripped down file, print time is at 42 minutes, uploads fine and I can hit the button; a few minutes in and the print stops.

The only thing I can think of is if temperature is an issue as it’s relatively cool right now (52 degrees) in my garage?

2

Might be too cool…the lower end of the operating temperature range is 60°F.

1 Like
3

Gotcha… I’ll give it another shot in the afternoon when it’s warmer.

4

Seems like you should get an error message for out of range temps…I’ve only ever had it be too warm, in which case it pauses to cool. I’m not sure what it does for “too cold.” Still, it should tell you what’s happening!

5

Agreed! It’s annoying that there’re no errors or anything… I’ve also had the too-hot thing happen, at least the pause doesn’t stop the print, wasting a $16 sheet of wood. ಠ_ಠ

6

We’ve seen both “too warm” and “too cool” messages. So they’re definitely part of the system. So temp may not be the cause of this issue.

3 Likes
7

Has the preview finished rendering before the button is pushed? That’s know to start the print prematurely cutting off the data feed from the servers.

1 Like
8

According to a somewhat recent support post, that bug has been resolved.

5 Likes
9

I’m so sorry for the trouble.

Thank you so much for the details. I’m looking into it now. As soon as I have more information I’ll update this thread.

10

Thanks and happy new year! I’ve not had a chance to test in warmer than 60 degree temperatures yet… it’s been pretty cold in my garage lately.

11

cool. must have missed that one then.

12

I’m so sorry to hear you’re having problems. Could you do the following for me?

  1. Power off your Glowforge

  2. Open the lid and front door of your Glowforge

  3. Remove your crumb tray

  4. Check for and remove any debris that may prevent the front door from closing properly, particularly the area underneath the front door

  5. Close the front door and lid

  6. Power your Glowforge back on

  7. If you’re still receiving the Lid Open message without the crumb tray installed, please take a look at the following photos and let me know anything looks different. If you see anything that looks different, please take a picture and send it to us. Also, if the lights on the lid of your Glowforge are not lighting up, please let me know.

01 Front Left
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02 Front Right
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03 Door Open Left
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04 Door Open Right
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05 Door Closed Lid Open Left
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06 Door Closed Lid Open Right
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Thank you!

1 Like
13

I’m not getting an open lid message, the print just stops. I’m assuming it’s the temperature, but I get no message about it as mentioned by someone else earlier and it’s been consistently cold in my garage, so I’ve not had the chance to test the cut again.

14

Thank you for the additional details. I extracted the logs from your Glowforge to investigate further, and noticed you haven’t printed since you reported this issue. Can you restart your machine, try another print, and let us know when you do? Thank you!

15

I tried a smaller print and it went through and finished. I’m gonna try the full file now to see if it’ll finish… will let you know how it goes. I haven’t done any prints since reporting the problem 'cause I don’t wanna waste another $16 sheet of wood (running low on scraps that can fit a complete piece, heh).

16

Looks like the bigger burn went through as well. It didn’t stop, though some of the cuts didn’t cut all the way through… what causes that? I’ve notice it happen at random. Not a huge deal, but just wondering if I should be aware of anything.

I’ll try the bigger part of my file tomorrow and make sure it also goes through.

17

To cut successfully, there are three important things to check. First, your material must lie flat. This requires a clean, properly installed crumb tray and flat materials. Second, there must be no obstructions, dirt, or damage preventing the laser light from reaching your material. Third, your design must be set up properly - for example, with lines that are fully on the material and that are set to cut. It’s hard to know which issue might be affecting your print, so please thoroughly inspect your unit and design according to the suggestions below.

Crumb Tray mispositioned or holding particles

If the Crumb tray is mispositioned or holding bits of material from packaging or printing, it could keep your material from lying flat. Even a millimeter difference in height could affect your laser’s ability to cut.

  1. To remove the crumb tray, lift the lid, then swing down the front door. Lift the crumb tray slightly and slide it towards you to remove it. Be careful not to tilt the crumb tray up, or it will knock into the printer head and rails.
  2. Remove all dust and debris from the bottom of your Glowforge.
  3. There are four dimples for the feet of the crumb tray to sit in. Wipe them with a damp tissue or cloth.
  4. There is a slot in front of the crumb tray, under the handle. Point it towards a garbage and shake the tray so that debris falls out. If debris is stuck in the honeycomb, gently push it out. Debris can force the honeycomb to be uneven, or prevent your material from resting flat against the honeycomb.
  5. Replace the tray. Make sure that it’s facing the right direction and that the tray’s four feet drop into the small dimples. When the four feet drop into place, the tray will no longer slide freely.

Material not lying flat

Even when the Crumb Tray is clean and flat, the material may not be lying flat on the surface. Some materials can develop a curve (called ‘warp’), and warped material may not cut through consistently. The problem is especially likely to occur if the print is large.

  • Soft materials, like Proofgrade leather may need to be smoothed into place. Any lumps or bumps will affect the print quality.
  • Read our troubleshooter on warped material for ideas on how to take care of your materials.

Lens or Windows are Dirty or Damaged

Your Glowforge unit’s laser is powerful, yet it can be stopped by a tiny amount of dirt or damage to the lens or windows. If something gets between the laser light and your materials, they won’t cut through. Here’s how to check for damage and clean your lens and windows at the same time.

1. Remove Printer Head
Turn off your Glowforge. Grasp the printer head as shown, and pull gently up and back to disengage the magnets and remove it.
2. Remove lens and check for scratches or dirt.

  • Gently insert the lens tool into bottom of the head with the “Remove” arrow pointing in. When you hear the magnet click, withdraw the tool and the lens.

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  • Look at the lens on the tool. It should be resting on top of the tool like a bowl, with the top open and with the orange-colored optics on the bottom. If it’s upside down, it won’t work properly.

  • Gently slide the lens off the lens tool. Be careful to touch only the metal ring to avoid fingerprints on the lens.

  • Check the lens for fingerprints, dirt or scratches. If you see a scratch, you can order a new one at shop.glowforge.com.
  • Wipe both sides with a Zeiss lens wipe.

3. Put the Lens Back In
If the lens appears clean, you can put it back.

  • Flip the lens tool until the “Install” arrow points up.
  • Set the lens down on the lens tool. The open side goes away from the blue plastic, so it looks like a bowl on top of the tool.
  • Slide the lens tool up into the printer head until the magnet clicks, then remove the tool.


4. Replace Printer Head
Review instructions for snapping in your printer head, then put the head back on.

5. Inspect the Head Window and the Laser Window

  • Check the windows for damage. You can find one window on the left side of the printer head, and another just over the left rail. Shining a bright flashlight at an angle onto the window may help you to see more clearly.
  • If you see damage, write support.
  • Otherwise, wipe the window clean with a Zeiss wipe.

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Once you’ve inspected and cleaned, please try another print. We included an extra piece of Proofgrade Draftboard with your materials shipment for troubleshooting. Please print the Gift of Good Measure on Proofgrade Draftboard and let us know the result. If it doesn’t print well, please let us know the date and time of your print and send photos of the front and back of the print.

Thank you!

18

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.