One thing I hear a lot from glowforgers is how nervous they are on removing the carriage plate. Glowforge has a good write up on how to remove the carriage plate and there are other good videos. One trick I do that really helps me is that I use a mirror to get a better view of what I am doing. If you’re like me and seeing the mechanics of something really helps you understand it then you might find a vanity mirror to be helpful. I also use one with on LED frame so it lights up and I can see better. The glowforge is of course off when doing this and so the pocket mirror can be really helpful with adding light.
Note that these images are just for showing the view you can get with the mirror. The belt is still on the pulley in this photo because I was not actually removing the plate at this time. Make sure you read the glowforge instructions and the mirror tip is mainly just helpful when you get to step 5 of actually removing the plate.
Also, for reference, here is the instructions from glowforge on removing the plate:
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If only you knew how much I struggle the the Left hand belt screw under the carriage , I never thought about using a mirrors to see that allen screw. Life changer for me.
Thank you
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Can you post a link for the Mirrior with the Led , looks perfect . Or the name of it.
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Awesome! Do you know what kind of screw is used to tighten and loosen the belt?
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You need an Allen key to remove the belt tensioner
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Hi, Yes I mean the screw. I may have stripped it.
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Try unscrewing the opposite side if u stripped that screw or u need a torque driver that will fit around the perimeter of the screw u stripped
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I can take it off fine, but I’m not strong enough to put it back on.
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You will be able to with this YouTube video. I took my carriage plate off for the first time several months ago. I watched a certain YouTube video and it helped me. Hang on I will go find the link and come back here.
1.08 in the video is Extremely important.
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thank you. if only I had a working GF
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What is wrong with your GF?
Last Friday, I sent an E-mail to support about a broken acrylic wheel cover. My GF can not be fixed by me. Support offered 2 options.
Options 1- Ship my GF to them it gets repaired in 8 weeks. I will have to pay shipping to and from and repair. Cost $1100.
Option 2 — Glowforge sends out replacement for $1100 shipping included. My current GF is sent back.—shipping included.
I chose option 2. My replacement arrives today.
This will be my 3rd Glowforge Pro in less than 3 years.
Support has ALWAYS BEEN beyond fast and awesome for me.
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My GF was not cutting through material so I did a clean up and discovered a scratch on the lens. This was on 4th of July weekend. I had purchased a new lens - well, both the focal one and the side one- so I put them both in. To my surprise, after that it still didn’t cut through, but it was (I estimate) 30 - 40% hotter. I couldn’t use full power at all- every thing just charred and flamed to the point of being useless. No support on holiday weekend so I tried not to use it, but when I hadn’t gotten a reply by Wednesday I went ahead and played a little , reducing the power to 70 or 80 % of PG. I did a 4 hr long deep 3D engrave and it went fine until I had to cut the acrylic. Then it just caught on fire and by the time I could get it out the heat was so intense it had melted the stuff inside the head that holds the lens. I sent new messages …and, finally - after 3 or 4 rounds of photos and a reaction to a new med that swelled my feet up so much I had to stay in bed for 2 days I got a reply that I was going to need a new printer head. (Which I knew the day of the fire!) That was sent on the 18th but I didn’t find it until the 21st because Apple decided randomly to put everything from GF in the junk folder.so effectively Ive been w/o my GF most of July. Today I got mail that I was sent a bill for about $520 for the new head so when I pay that it will be shipped and hopefully by August it will be working again. I’ve always gotten great service before, I don’t know what happened on their end this time. The one thing I can’t get is an explanation. Why would a new lens cause this?it wasn’t a knock off - bought from GF ,put in properly and carefully, and it was PG acrylic that caught on fire even though I had the power reduced from full down to 75 or 80%. I’m just grateful I don’t need a new GF.
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This would be the exact moment I would open a bottle of Scotch!!!
You have great patience. I have a nuclear meltdown if an engrave is more than 5 minutes!! Someone would have to pay me $8000 to do a 4 hour engrave. I am not joking.
I am sending positive thoughts your way.
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Everyone is always telling me I’m patient. So not true. Just no life to interrupt! I’ll tell you what - you ever want a 4 hr engrave done, I’ll do it and you can drink the Scotch for me!
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I love that trade-off but are you going to charge me $8000?
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I can’t even imagine $8000. I still can’t believe I have a Glowforge!
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Early summer 2019, I viewed my first GF commercial on YouTube. It looked very interesting so I went and visited the GF website. Within two or three minutes I saw the prices and immediately left.
Three months, later the pro arrives. I have been having a torrid affair since its arrival . I go to sleep thinking about the GF — I wake up thinking about the GF.
Almost 3 years, and I still can not believe I own this incredible piece of technology. I am on my third pro. The first one died after 10 months it was an electrocution and the 2nd one broke an acrylic wheel covering that could not be repaired by me.
