Congratulations on your engagement, @ray716!
1 Like
Hopefully not a mixed-marriage! After 22 years, the CNC, the 3D Printer and I imagine the GlowForge get a āmehā shrug. Itās not that she couldnāt learn it, sheās a surgeon and even uses a laser scalpel sometimes, but just has 0 interest in modern tech stuffā¦ Iāve tried to covert her to the true faith, but I really only got as far as successfully getting attachments sent correctly in emailsā¦ 
3 Likes
Professionally, I run my own business which sells laser engravings and other laser-cut products. My current laser cutter is an upgraded Shapeoko II. Iām a former computer programmer/DBA who is an endless tinkerer.
In my spare time, I like to play/build musical instruments and create artwork. My latest project is an Arduino-based electronic bagpipe. As much as I love the bagpipes, Iāll admit that theyāre hard to practice while my wife is sleeping. Building an electronic version that I can plug into headphones should increase the quality of everyoneās life around me. 
2 Likes
Professionally I work at Autodesk as a Business Development Manager helping get a new product off the ground called Fusion 360. I have been at Autodesk for almost 13 years and was a Product Manager for Inventor for +6 years and about 5 years ago moved over to a new team to kick off Fusion 360. This year I worked a lot with Microsoft and the HoloLens team to build a proof of concept with Fusion 360 and HoloLens as well as a host of other things. I love new technology that makes it easier to be a maker and bringing ideas to realityā¦hence my excitement for the Glowforge team.
I am a bit bias but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Fusion 360 and use it a lot in my personal time. I have a X-Carve and a PrinterBot and usually working on some project with my kids. To round out my suite of toys I purchased a Glowforge and canāt wait to get my hands on it. I think my first project will be to build a nice leather case for my iPad.
3 Likes
Hey, coincidence I am reading this WHILE working in Fusion360ā¦
2 Likes
Same here. Gotta learn something other than just photoshop. Or CorelDraw from the 90s. or MSPaint.
Hi Everyone!
Professionally: Iām a project manager for a software company. Our product is an ERP package for the clothing and footwear industry. Weāre a relatively small company so Iām an implementer, business analyst, trainer, tester, documentation-writer, etc., etc. My specialty is working with our customers who have in-house factories (yay for US and Canadian-made clothing and shoes!!!)
Personally: I live in the Philly suburbs (yo!) in a historical building (built in 1846 as a hotel) which my husband and I are doing our best to preserve/restore. We have a 4 year-old daughter who is incredibly smart and requires regular infusions of creative tasks (she has just mastered the 10yr+ lego kit she got for Christmas!) When Iām not tied up with her or the house I have a general rule that if it doesnāt move, it becomes part of my crafting efforts. Silversmithing, glass fusing, weird found-object art (Iām still not sure about that bottle-cap-circuit-board-windchime thing), sewing, quilting, crocheting, paper crafts, photography, and generally anything else that is dangerous and/or threatens to burn down the house. We have 5 cats (mostly failed fosters) that move enough to NOT become part of my artwork.
4 Likes
Absolutely - the announcement is Jan 9th. My son is super pumped working on the robotics team - the kids in the club are all very very very motivated and fun to be around as a mentor too.
Professionally:
After working as a software engineer in the banking industry for a number of years I decided it was time to get my hands dirty. I went back to school and got a degree in Manufacturing Engineering. I am currently a partner in a small product development firm where I am the Principal Engineer. Weāve designed and built things from medical devices to industrial manufacturing machinery The breadth of my interests are wide and I have a thirst for learning. My passion is building/making/designing and using that skill-set to find elegant solutions to complex, real world problems. In a way, I get paid to play with really cool toysā¦ errā¦ tools. Sometimes, I am so excited to go to work the next day that I canāt fall a sleep at night (truly). I am one of the lucky ones, I love going to work everyday.
2 Likes
Was just digging through these again and donāt know how I missed this one. Am a huge fan of your work-- you guys do gorgeous stuff!
Hi Everyone,
Professionally I am a Mechanical Engineer/Designer working for a company that makes Laser Diodes and Sensor Arrays for Medical, Automotive, and Military applications for over 30 years.
Fluent in SolidWorks, Simplify3D, PhotoShop, and Illustator.
On the side I am a maker with a Makerbot Dual, Kossel Clear Delta, NextEngine Scanner, Fuel3D Scanify, an XBox hacked full body scanner, and finally a 100mm X-Carve Router. On order is a Flux Delta printer with interchangeable heads for routing, laser engarving, drawing, and even routing. I also have an Epson 9880 which is a 44", 8 color, inkjet printer.
Of course letās not forget my ultimate buy a Glowforge Basic with Air Filterā¦ Canāt wait to get it !
I live in New Jersey and my wife, Johanna, is a CPF (Certified Picture Framer) which I apply the aforementioned equipment to make very customized items for people and companies. I have so many new ideas of how to use my new Glowforge along with other equipment to make some really cool stuff.
1 Like
Awesome! Thanks for the kudos. This past month+ weāve been saying how nice it would have been to have a 2nd laser going. Weāre definitely looking forward to the Glowforge this year - especially in Q4 when things get crazy.
Professionally: Iām and electrical engineer working on radar hardware for Google [x]'s self-driving car program. (I mostly live in FPGA land now, but also do a lot of hardware bringup/test) Iāve been quite a bit of a professional nomad, and my careerās had me in Silicon Valley, Denver, Seattle, LA, and even a winter at the south pole. Previous career lives focused primarily on digital communications hardware development, so radarās an interesting new twist!
Personally: Father of a wonderfully curious and energetic 3 1/2 year old (for whom I hope to make many nifty things with the new GF!), and husband to a wonderful wife who plays piano and maintains a comfortable (but close enough to remain amused) distance from the āmad-science man-caveā to which the GF will be an addition. In the spare moments between work, family, and sleep, I work on fpga, digital photography, and random engineering projects (sometimes in twisted combinations), or just try to get out and go for a nice, long run.
1 Like
Real job: Airline pilot. Fitness guy at http://beachfitrob.com. Geekery etc. at http://theroblog.com
Iām in that very narrow intersection of jet pilot/muscle guy/nerd.
In the past I:
-retired from the Air Force
-worked on M1 Abrams Turrets in the Army Guard
-repaired arcade cabinets. Woodwork, electrical, down to the boards and power supplies
-got a B.S. EET with some post-bac in Micromanufacturing
-flight instructed, owned a Cessna 182
-was a military Nav on AWACS
-rode motorcycles, scuba dived
1 Like
Professionally: I am a not so starving Artist. Iāve ran my small business A Grimm Design and Grimmsister.etsy.comfor the past 5 years selling my charcoal art, clay sculptures, and custom leather goods (Flasks, Pocket Watch Cases, Messenger Bags, Masks). 2 years ago I went full time with my business. Before venturing out and starting my own business, I was a Graphic Interface Designer working for companies building graphic designs for Websites and interfaces for software and games.
Personally: Iām a Jack of all trades and a Master of none. Married for 13 years to a wonderful Montana man. I was born in Texas, but Iām Montanan at heart. I have dabbled in all things creative since a very young age and my hobbies include : sewing, sculpting, drawing, digital painting, charcoal (my personal favorite medium), leather working, venetian mask making, costume making, writing, graphic design, games, table-top RPG, and the list goes on. Iām always up for learning new things.
I was lucky enough to have my skills as an artist to fall back on because I am plagued with chronic migraines (15-20 a month), although I am now on medication that cuts that number down, but I still have to deal with the side effects. I love being my own boss and working my own hours because sometimes those are the only hours I have to work.
Also my husband now wants to join me in my business and start creating things to sell in the shop. He has been a Carpenter by trade for the past 20+ years and he has made the most beautiful things Iāve ever seen and he is very talented. We canāt wait to get the Glowforge Pro.
2 Likes
Professionally I am a retired Electrical Technician. Spent my entire career fixing things and designing ways to make them work better. (self proclaimed lazy geek, since the better things worked the less I had to fix them).
Personally, I still work with computers (not work if it is fun ā right?), fiddle with electronics, carve, gamer, and always poking at CAD to make things on the 3D printer.
Best part of being retired is everyday is Saturday.
I can wake up and say What Am I Going To Do Today? (Hesitate too long and the Wife will see to it that I am not bored). Itās all goodā¦
Really looking forward to expanding my vistas with the Glowforge.
So, thanks in advance to you and your team for the Glowforge. - DRUM
Professionally: Well, I was a lawyer, doing mostly large-scale IP litigation for the past decade or so. And then the Glowforge was announced and I gave notice. I am now in the process of opening up my first Etsy shop, making laser cut jewelry that will hopefully stand out as unique in what is already a crowded field. Iāve been using the Universal lasers at TechShop in SF and am very much looking forward to having my own to mess around with. Itās hard to really experiment when I can only book three two-hour blocks a week.
Personally: My husband is keeping the lights on as the co-partner of a tenants rights law firm in San Francisco (lots of work there these days). We have two little guys who are gleefully breaking our house bit by bit. Despite my lawyering interlude, I have always been drawn to creative endeavors. I made commissioned necklaces in high school and worked for a jewelry-maker in Camden Town when I was studying abroad in London. I was also a documentary filmmaker for a bit. I have been known to knit and crochet and make costumes. A fellow Burner caught this video of the stick figure men costumes my husband and I made a few years back for ourselves and some friends (Iām the mummy!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_-qmOIuNDg
I havenāt been posting much here but have been following all of the different forum topics and am so grateful for all of the info everyone has been so generous in sharing.
2 Likes
absolutely beautiful!
Professionally: I have had my own laboratory since I was six years old. After graduating from Purdue with degrees in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, and Biochemistry, I worked as a research chemist in a fortune 200 company, developed a superior composite decking product as VP of Product Development for a startup and secure first order for 150 truckloads worth $13 Mil before company was shutdown due to our CEO pulling a Bernie Madoff. Started my own R&D company which focused on conductive plastics, new solar technologies, and developing raw materials for infrared sensor manufacture. I currently manufacture selenourea for lead selenide detector manufacturing, selenophene as a new solar cell raw material, and diethyl selenide as a fuel enhancer (19 ppm in gasoline increases fuel economy over 30% simply by slowing fuel combustion). I created a glow stick with 18 times the efficiency of any existing product and 3 times the 3 year maximum shelflife, all for one cent more. I am always seeking new ventures. I am most successful at things others deem either impossible to achieve, or practically unobtainable. When equipment is too expensive, I build it. When raw materials donāt exist, I make them. My four most ambitious goals are :1. Develop a single treatment for over 95% of all human disease, 2. Develop a plastic as conductive as copper wire., 3. Utilizing NRAM ( negative resonance absorption of a medium), show that solar cells with efficiencies of 180-200 times the efficiency of silicon solar cells is possible., and finally 4. Prove that coherent fields alter spacetime. While progress has been made on each of these seemingly impossible goals, one of them is functionally complete, except for convincing the world at large. Want to guess which one and how?
Personally: I am single and seek the right woman. I love children and live vicariously through my friendsā children. They are a source of great inspiration. I love the outdoors and spend time helping local craft brewers to solve problems with their production. I am writing two books, one a scifi adventure and the second a book on my medical discoveries. I diagnosed and treated my own lung cancer. Although I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe treatment, 14 out of 17 of my friends that came to me with terminal cancer were free of any cancer by established medical testing in under 60 days (all but 4 were under 30 days). I have successful treatments for Alzheimers, chrohns, arthritis, gastric reflux, lupus, epstein-barr, hepatitis C, etc, etc, etc.
The glowforge allows me to make things like gaskets for the lab, construct metamaterials that are functional invisible/ or nearly perfect absorbers of certain light frequencies, and build new test equipment like portable gas chromatographs. It also aids in my solar cell development by allowing me to construct flow channels for conductive, transparent electrode materials, quantum dot chambers, etc.
2 Likes
Jack of all trades - master ofā¦
it has been my experience that a person who is good at one thing, is usually good at many.
2 Likes