QOTD from Glowforge: First week with your Glowforge-- What does it look like?

Problems and Support
#80

Where it will live: On a table near my desk at home

Who will use it: Mostly just me but hopefully I can convince my wife to draw some cool stuff that I can etch.

What will get made the first week: I would really like to cut out a bathymetric chart that I have been designing of the lake that I grew up on. I would also like to try making a cardboard layered 3D design using 123d Make. I’m also excited to make some custom boxes for stuff I own (my pipe collection, board game box inserts, magic cards, etc.) I think mostly the first week will be spent doing small experiments trying to get comfortable with it’s capabilities and trying to get a solid understanding of what it can and cannot do.

#81

Where it lives: My laundry room/shop is getting reorganized to make space. I have two windows I can use initially; but another dryer vent isn’t a bad thing.
Who will use it: My husband and I. We showed it to a dozen people that looked like they wanted to order their own, but then didn’t do it. Bummer, because a dozen times $100 would have been nice on our purchase price. All those people will probably be in line with their ideas.
What is first: Everything. We’ll test a lot of things. The iPad will probably get engraved pretty quick. We’ll test on wallets and belts before we start in on the holsters and journals. Catan pieces will probably happen just before we start in on parts for a board game developer that lives around the corner. We have a stack of wood projects.

#82

Where it will live: Initially my desk due to easy access to a window and easy access to myself. Long term I may setup a workstation in the basement if I run a vent.

Who will use it: Myself -geek/techie, my Fiancee -artist, and probably a few friends in limited amounts.

What will get made the first week: Random containers and fun things in wood. Then prototyping some business ideas in leather to help pay for the forge itself. Eventually Casey (Fiancee) will want to use it to make accents for some of her jewelry creations, wood and leather bits, as well as some etched stones and things yet-to-be-determined.

#83

What does the first week of your Glowforge look like?
I am a complete beginner to lasers. As I am currently unfamiliar with 2D and 3D software programs. Hopefully, GF will provide some simple prints that I can practice with. I will most likely use cardboard.

Does it live at work or at home?
The GF will be in the family room.

Who uses it besides you?
I am the only tech savvy person in the house, so I don’t think others will have the nerve to touch the GF. It will be more like, “Hey, honey. Can you laser me a ___________?”

What are the first projects that are made with it?
After trying out a few sample GF prints, I plan to try to make practical things. For instance, I’d like to make some cool wooden buttons (for costumes, bags, and sweaters) and some garden tags (that look like the veggies planted).

One big project for the future is to try to create a 3D model of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. A Professor of the Philosophy of Physics at UC San Diego wants one. I saw a cool visual image of one on the Nova special: Inside Einstein’s Mind (http://video.pbs.org/video/2365615918/ ). I dream of using clear acrylic and some soft, almost gooey, multicolored substance that can move and twist as the model is manipulated.

Start small, dream big, eh? :grin:

#84

Where will the Glowforge live? I will house the GF in my home in my work studio
Who will use it besides me? My fiance
What are the first projects that will be made with it? Goodness, I don’t know what to try first, I have so many “first” projects. My fiance is dying to do leather engraving/cuts. He is a watch fanatic and would love to design and create watch bands, bracelets and wallets.His dad has requested a leather apron. As far as my projects, I would love to do some wood engravings, like for cutting boards, acrylic projects and glass etchings.I currently have cutting machines and do a lot of personalized projects, party and home decorations. I can’t wait to get my hands on this!

#85

Where it will live
It is going to sit on my ancient treadle sewing machine in my office/shop next to the PC.

Who will use it
Me, a cosplay prop designer, board gamer, and stay at home mom. My wife who isn’t exactly the maker type but is super excited about this. My teenage daughter who is also a cosplayer like me and talks about how to use it about daily.

What will get made in the first week
I have some bare metal Altoid type tins I want to engrave for gifts. I have the leather and plans to refine my plague doctor mask. I need to make another steampunk apothecary kit as well. We could use an in box organizer for Space Alert as well.

Planning shop location for the Glowforge
Halloween Plague Doctor Mask
#86

Where will it live
Right where my paper printer is now - such outdated technology!

Who will use it
At first I thought only me, but now it looks like the whole family.

What will get made in the first week
I am going to be spending time while I wait for it to arrive creating some things, but the list will surely include so model airplane parts - like 1/32" ribs that are really hard to cut by hand. Also, some coasters, a dice tower, some lego model stands, and a box or two. Oh, and I want to find a really awesome picture to engrave and make a 3d paper picture of.

#87

Where it will live:
I have a work table for a few of my production machines in a corner of my workshop/office where it will go, so I can stare at it all day, and watch it cut everything.

Who will use it:
Im gonna use it a ton. My girlfriend is going to be using it a lot as well. My prop making friends are itching to get stuff made as well, so we gonna have workshop nights. My family members are all pretty crafty as well, so when theyre in town, they want to use it.

What will get made in the first week:
The first thing I want to do is run a materials test on everything I have on hand, just to take notes and have a visual reference for everything. Cutting, engraving, and defocused passes on each material. I will probably create a test template file to use on each material so they are all run under the same design. Fine grain patterns, imagery, a gradient cut, veritcal lines with growing distances between each other, and defocused areas. After that Im going to get started on some catan sets for presents, and then on to a sword for my zer0 costume.

2 Likes
How will you become familiar with your Glowforge? (step by step)
#88

That reminds me, I have a google sheet that has almost every laser job I’ve ever done, what it was, what machine it was on, what the settings were and how it worked. It has proved invaluable!

I use a google sheet because, I had access to 7 machines in 3 locations. If you only have the one, a notebook and pen is probably fine! :wink:

2 Likes
#89

What does the first week look like I have an idea that it will live in the kitchen where it will be very accessible to my wife (and to easy venting). This may be short lived depending on how it interferes with minor things like cooking.

Who uses it besides you? It’s really for my wife. She does paper needlepoint work (holes cut in paper with patterns stitched between holes).

What are the first projects that are made with it? I think she will do some existing projects on it to get the settings dialed in. I’m hoping that the fact it’s always available to her will make it possible for her to create some really complicated and beautiful multi-layered designs. They are wickedly hard to design if you have to ask your husband to go try this or that but should be EASY if you have a laser right there!

1 Like
#90

Great idea on tracking every build’s settings. Setting that up now…

#91

Where it will live:
Home, probably in my hobby room.

Who will use it:
Me, myself and I. The wife will want things, but won’t want to use it herself.

What will get made the first week:
I have a local shop owner who is already counting the days until I get it so I can engrave some leather dice bags and make some wooden deck boxes for his store. As for myself, I’m going to grab a bundle of scrap material and try out as many things as I can think of. I think the very first non-test item will be a wooden version of the decoder wheel that came in the Gold Box D&D games from the 80’s. I re-bought this a week or so ago and the PDF for the wheel is really bad.

#92

Wall art. Lots and lots of wall art! I’m very excited to see what I can do with fabric - burlap, canvas, etc. We recently bought a huge amount of thin plywood underlayment for building floating shelves. We have a good deal left over and I’m excited to make something intricately cut out of it.

2 Likes
#93

I just looked at your site. Really great work!

#94

Hey thanks, really appreciate that. Haven’t really updated it with any of my design and illustration, but perhaps I should! Cheers :slight_smile:

Glowforge Mascot ideas for the hopper
#96

Where it will live: In our warehouse shop area

Who will use it: Employees . graphic designers, leather workers, wood workers, glass workers and metal workers.

What will get made the first week: Leather knife rolls, wood handles, etched glass backing plates, steel blades, aluminum backing plates. … And other material we can test on it.

#97

Where it will live: In my home office, right next to the window so that it is well ventilated.

Who will use it: My wife and I will be the primary users.

What will get made the first week: I have an old filing cabinet that I’ve been dying to build wood inserts for as storage for my Magic cards. I have to design tray inserts with angled slots for dividers that are to be engraved with each set’s name and symbol. That’s a pretty big project, so we will probably do a bunch of testing first… get the lighter “oohs” and “ahhhs” taken care of, testing the trace feature and some engraving, etc… Then we’ll get into the heavy stuff!

How will you celebrate the arrival of your GF?
#98

Where it will live: On my desk in the basement (basic version with air filter)

Who will use it: Primarily me. Knowing my wife, she’ll want me to put together the designs for her. I’m extremely excited to get my kids using it—they’re gonna go nuts over this thing! I have a feeling my brother will drive over to use it on occasion as well (he’s an architect and loves his 3d printer).

What will get made the first week: OH MAN!!! I’m praying I don’t kill the thing or burn my house down from overuse the first week! This is why I’m kinda glad the production timeline means I won’t have one for a little while still—plenty of time to solidify my starting line-up. Gonna start small though: earbud holder, engrave a journal cover, coasters, custom lettering projects, etc.

#99

Where it will live:
I have a loft space above my garage - when at home it will be stored and used here - this is a 670sq ft workshop space with tons of light and power. I started a company in that loftspace two years ago. It did well.

I will also occasionally bring it to the Newport Robotics Club (Bellevue, WA) where we have a full on metal, wood, and electronics shop to build robots for the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Who will use it:
I will use it and there are 130 high school students in the Robotics Club and I’d love for them to be able to take a swing at the Glowforge.

What will get made in the first week:
I would imagine the first week will include lexan cutting and etching for the shell of a robot, marking on metal for the robot and cutting of thick cardboard and wood for the marketing/cheerleading team for the robotics. We have a gagillion uses for it and I can’t wait for it to be in house. Our prime time for builds is Jan - March - if I don’t have mine then we’ll have to wait and use it to help craft / bedazzle the robot for next year’s competition.

#100

Evidently, the cloud computer is going to get a trial by fire the first week when we collectively unleash our pent up ideas upon it!

where- In my shop/studio on a 4’x3’x1/4" steel table under a window with power ventilation.

Who- I am alone in my home of being afflicted with the curse/blessing of creative urges.
Besides, I am fairly possessive of my tools, especially the expensive ones… however, any friend or neighbor who desires it will enjoy a supervised session.

what- the first week will be entirely consumed with indoctrination.
Materials, power, focus and limitations. Dedicated notebook to document results, and several sample reference sheets in different materials for cutting/engraving vector and raster settings.
Exploring the unit, and its comstruction with an eye toward possible modifications such as tube cooling and airflow once the warranty turns into a pumpkin.

It’s going to be a very busy, exciting week… and beyond.
I anticipate frequently reflecting with gratitude on Dan and the Glowforge team for presenting me with the opportunity to experience a new direction in my creative expression!
I will rock that Glowforge.