As you’ve seen/heard, we’ve got some Glowforge Pro printers here in the office (!!!) AND beginning to ship to you (!!!).
This means that I get to start working on a concept for a Pro video. Y’all have given me some great video feedback these past few months, and Pro is relatively new territory for me, so I would be remiss not to consult all of you before diving in.
So, if you have a moment to help me out…
If you ordered a Glowforge Pro, or you’re considering upgrading to one, what made you choose Pro over Basic?
What are you going to make that requires, or is made much better/easier with, a passthrough slot, or the other advanced features like accelerated speed/upgraded optics and cooling?
Is there anything you think really captures what’s great about the Pro?
Better cooling was first priority. Pass through second (had initially hoped on a larger slot to get 1/2 inch boards through for engraving, but the cooling needs kept me in the pro range).
Upgraded optics and pass through, 12x20 just isn’t big enough.
I originally wanted to produce things for my gallery but in the wait for the Glowforge the building has closed down and I no longer have that space.
I have been trying to get ideas for combining my photography with cut pieces. I have one project I would like to revisit that would used images face mounted to acrylic and cut by laser. After that I expect I will start exploring stacked shapes and possibly kinetic sculptures.
I bought the pro mostly for the passthrough, but I already understand how that will work.
The second reason was the higher power/speed you can achieve. That I know less about. I would love to know more about the difference in speed/power between the pro and basic.
FASTER CUTTING - Cut the same file with both. How much faster can we cut it with the higher power of the pro?
MORE POWER - Cut the same material at the same speed with the pro and the basic at full power. How much thicker can the pro cut vs the basic? What percentage deeper did the pro go?
I know this is very dependent on the material you are cutting, but picking a couple of proofgrade examples and running them through the paces would be great.
I ordered the pro mainly for passthrough but also because I didn’t want to ship a basic to the UK and then realise I really want the extra power etc.
The reason that I wanted the passthrough was to try to make Leather playmats. I operate a game shop and sell many play mats to our customers. I also manufacture the normal neoprene ones for bigger clients.
Being able to make some one off leather mats seemed like a great idea.
And for those wondering what a play mat is, it’s like a big mouse mat that you use to play card games on like Magic: the Gathering or Pokémon TCG.
Didn’t order a pro, but I think demonstrating the machines ability to re-register to the material and continue an engraving on a pass through would be impressive.
As it happens, expounding on the extra cooling ability might be called for.
Which begs the question, what are the dimensions for pass through proofgrade going to be?
I’d love to see a gigantic flexiable cut. Open to a scene of kids complaining about the heat, in comes the glowforge, cut a huge board and form into a giant circle, throw a tarp over it and fill with water. Glowforge Kiddie Pool. Ha.
I’d like to see them race. Same complex file something in the order of an hour. Really show what the power difference is. As well as some way to show us the temperature difference
I upgraded to Pro due to the extra power, less cool down time, and passthrough. However the extra warranty was also a bonus that helped me justify the extra cost.
If I’m knocking out a number of the same item then the extra speed will be beneficial. As far as the passthrough I’ll be using the extra length for signs.
The pass-through slot was the major draw for us, since that opens the door (literally hehe) to working with larger pieces of leather (for clothing/art) and other materials.
More power was also a feature we liked - having worked on lasers of various wattage at our local makerspace, we know that every little bit helps - both to get the job done faster and to do a better job (cleaner or more defined lines in certain cuts and etching).
I’d like to see videos that demonstrate how, and how easy it is, to use the pass-through slot to make a larger piece. I’d also like to see videos that show off (and demonstrate how-to) the more powerful tube. Materials it can do that a basic might not, for example, or tips on how to leverage the Pro to reduce the cut time. Point out the need for, or show off the capabilities for additional cooling too, if that can be done easily.
For me the passthrough was important for a specific project that was a driving force for having a laser. And obviously, more power is always better, right? Knowing I’d have the ability to handle larger materials opened the door to so many other ideas, too. I think all of us Pro owners (pre-owners?) are dying to see the passthrough in action. Can’t wait to see the vid! And that magic machine in my shop!
Faster job time - I’d also love to see a comparison to the Basic
Better Cooling - My wife would kill me if I cranked the AC just to run the laser
Pass-through - The possibilities are endless but just seeing this in action would be awesome! How about a 6’ long golden gate bridge cut out of one large piece and engraved also.
Oh ya, those spiffy glasses are on the list now too!
Besides what has already mentioned (and were all the reasons I also wanted a Pro), there was FOMO at play here. That is, the hints that Dan has dropped from time to time indicating there were great things coming for the Pro and I feared that some of these things (whatever they are) would have me kicking myself if I went for the Basic.
I mainly upgraded for the improved cooling and higher pew power.
But…It will be nice to be able to cut drawer organizers and dividers that are not limited to 20 " wide. I can get the deep drawers organized a bit better. Customize some dividers for them. Build tray racks for the kitchen and store them upright instead of having to dig for them. Pot lid racks. Shoe racks. 3D Printer enclosures possibly…it was why I bought this thing in the first place. That sort of thing.
It’s also going to be handy to have the ability to trim down the standard 12" x 24" non-PG stuff without having to run out to the garage and the table saw. (Makes me nervy when hubs cuts the larger sheets down so they will fit in the Basic.) I’ll be able to cut down boxes without a box cutter…yay!
Besides the Basic PRU has been so cool, I didn’t want to get left out of the Pro action. Shame on you for letting me play with one. The upgrade is all your fault.
I’m sure I’ll discover other Pro coolness once I get to playing with it.
I upgraded to the Pro mostly because I was worried about the cooling. I live in Los Angeles in a 60-year-old house that has no insulation in the walls, so it’s hot in the summer. Even with the A/C running full blast, it’s hard to get it down to 78 in the summer.
The higher power and better optics is exciting, as it means it should be able to cut through tougher materials and finish engraving operations faster.
I don’t expect to use the passthrough slot often, but I’m sure it’ll come in handy! (If nothing else, for cutting larger sheets of material down to size to fit into the bed. It seems that most non-ProofGrade material comes in 24" sheets.)
