Pro Extraction Tip for Pro Users šŸ¤”

Okay Pro users, you know how the Passthrough slot is actually a passthrough slot? The flap goes one way - itā€™s designed to pass the material through the slot from front to back. Trying to back the material back out the front is problematic at best.

My machine is up against a wall, and I can pull the whole thing out away from it if I must, but Iā€™m generally too lazy or in too much of a hurry to move the stacks of leftover sheets out of the way to do it. So I need to be able to quickly back the material out from the front.

And I figured out how to do it pretty easilyā€¦
I use a thin flexible cutting mat to slide in on top of the material when itā€™s finished, and then hold that in place while I just slide out the material underneath it. I need to find one thatā€™s a bit wider, but this is working pretty well for now. Any thin, flexible yet sturdy, material should do it.

(Oh, and if you donā€™t want to be bending over to pick up a lot of bits, remove your cuts from the material before you pull it out. AMHIK.) :wink:

Update: Dug into the stash and found something that works just as well, and is actually long enough to cover just about the whole bedā€¦itā€™s a sheet of Extra Thick Template plastic for quilting. 12" by 18", by ā€œEZ Quilting by Wrightsā€. I picked these up at either a Michaelā€™s or a Hobby Lobby for a lot cheaper than you can get them at Amazon, but they do have a few available there if you need it.

https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Extra-Plastic-Quilting-Template/dp/B01C6FLG4A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518721844&sr=8-1&keywords=EZ+extra+thick+template+plastic

34 Likes

HDYK?

6 Likes

BTDT. :smile:

5 Likes

I use cardstock, myself. A cutting board might have more heft, maybe Iā€™ll get one for that. Good idea!

4 Likes

Finally, a use for those silly color-coded cutting mats that I got for the kitchen and never use because theyā€™re too thin. Thanks @jules!

9 Likes

Oh I bought those too thinkign they would be great. :frowning:

I wonder if one of those tyvek mailers could slip in and make removal easier

2 Likes

You need something a little stiff. (Insert your own joke here.) :smile:

7 Likes

Thatā€™s what Iā€™m using - I got them from the Dollar store. They had a 4 pack & I use the other 3 as clothing separators in a packing envelope in my luggage.

4 Likes

This tip is exactly what I needed. Thanks!

3 Likes

Well that should work way better that a spatula :wink:

5 Likes

I have been using them as cutting mats because they work, for s thin as they are I have not yet cut through one.

2 Likes

Sure beats my ruler method. Good idea!

2 Likes

Donā€™t forget this gem:

2 Likes

Unfortunately for me I canā€™t use that one - it sits about six inches back on the table. (Dang thing is heavy.) :smile:

Great idea if youā€™ve got the clearance though.

In theory, you could put moving sliders on the forge to move it in and outā€¦

Iā€™ve been toying with the idea of putting mine on a heavy duty lazy susan base. My table doesnā€™t move, so is I want to pass something long through the machine, Iā€™ll have to rotate it 90 degrees.
They make lazy susans that are rated to 1000 lbs, I thought I might make a giant one that can be locked down. IDK, weā€™ll see if I ever get to it. So far, no need.

(something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Capacity-Bearing-Turntable-Bearings-VXB/dp/B0045DV04I)

Use one underneath as well. Then pull the bottom one out with the work, and hold the cut pieces in place.
Might need a bit of a wiggle to get it under without snagging the cuts, but worth a try I think.
:upside_down_face:

1 Like

Excellent idea!

The Sliders are a good idea and I may even have some for another purpose, but either case you would need to lock them down when the glowforge was running as the action/reaction physics could interfere with your results. You could make your own lazy susan with a pair of engraved circles and some marbles but for the price, I would be to lazy to build that.

2 Likes

I use that principle for those plastic ties so they can loosen rather thas be cut as well. After cutting all that plastic ā€œstringā€ from those soda bottles a bunch arrayed side by side can be as wide as you want or even whole sections of soda bottle :wink:

FYIā€¦donā€™t attempt to cut those plastic quilting templatesā€¦Iā€™m pretty certain they have pvcā€¦rust colored edges and very smelly. :roll_eyes:
Personal experience from many years backā€¦pre forums and even facebookā€¦when you couldnā€™t just hop on the internet and get immediate adviceā€¦lol. You all have it easy! Lol.

5 Likes