PLEASE HELP is there anyone that can repair a BRAND NEW GF PRO? I can’t get support to give me a straight answer or even respond in a timely manner. To-date they have completely stopped answering my emails. I have been in “cooling mode” for over (3) weeks. I have my machine in a 70 degree room AND while I am printing I run a fan. This is the second time this has happened. I don’t use my machine often. I haven’t even printed/sold a fraction of items to cover the cost of the unit. It has been about 6 months since I purchased the machine and I cut on average 1-2 jobs per month.
The first time the machine went into “cooling mode” I shut it off for about two weeks and came back and it was no longer in cooling mode. This time I cut it off and it has been three weeks and customer support has stopped answering emails. After I received an email stating that “unfortunately I have to replace this $7000 machine due to corrosion“. Corrosion? I only cut acrylic and wood for the most part the wood was given to me by Glowforge in my initial purchase package. This assessment was made based on photo I sent in. I always use masking over the items. If corrosion does exist in the machine, Can someone please explain to me how it is that my machine being stuck in “cooling “ is a direct result of corrosion? And /or how the corrosion sent the machine into “cooling “ mode? More importantly can someone contact me if there are repair companies or options. GF support did not offer repair ONLY REPLACE. There has got to be a better solution than to just throw away $7000.
I’m sorry I can’t help with any repair advice. It sounds like support has offered the only resolution allowed in a case like this. Corrosion, by it’s very name, corrodes the electronics inside…which is pretty much the basis for the entire operation of a laser. Wishing you good luck.
There are no repair companies or options. Glowforge has provided you with the options that are available.
Corrosion in a Glowforge usually results from either not caring for the unit correctly or from cutting something that you shouldn’t have. If your Glowforge isn’t working properly and Support needs you to send it in for repair or replacement, that is your only option to get a working unit.
Thanks for contributing everyone! I am still at a lost. I NEVER cut anything unauthorized, only wood and acrylic. I still don’t know how support concluded there was corrosion. I was never given an option to send the machine back in. I am just so distraught about this. and cant understand why support just stopped communication
It doesn’t sound like your problem was vinyl - but this guy managed to clean the corrosion from that off his boards, so there’s a chance - but you’d have to know what was in there. Is your room humid? What cleaning products did you use? Is there a salt water pool nearby? There are SO many thing that can cause corrosion I can completely understand them not wanting to guess from a distance.
I am sorry to hear that your GF Pro is down because if corrosion…
perhaps, if I may ask, what kind of tape were you using? it is possible…that some masking tapes have PVC…
please see the following link to determine if your tape has PVC or not…
…yes…even PVC in the tape will take your machine down…
know your materials and what is going to be cut/burned with the laser…and know what kind of gases that are going to be produced by cutting said materials…because GF will not tell you.
you have to figure it out…and hope you don’t trash your machine in the process.
It might be possible to misdiagnose corrosion based on a photo but looking at use logs could add extra weight to that. Wood and acrylic can create nasty and smelly crud everywhere but it does not corrode metals.
Unfortunately, you can “throw away” a Glowforge (or any other laser) in just three minutes by cutting PVC even if you thought it was some other plastic. That is why folks are so paranoid of cutting anything that even might remotely contain PVC.
You might keep an eye out for someone selling their Glowforge, but anything that creates such corrosion will be damaging everything
First, I’m an owner like you, I don’t work for Glowforge. Additionally my GF has worked from day one so I have never needed a repair so my information is just from reading the forums but my understanding is that currently if a GF needs to be repaired Glowforge sends out a replacement as that is much faster then having an owner sending in the faulty GF, having it repaired and then returning it to the owner. So by sending you a replacement they are helping us owners by keeping our downtime to a minimum.
Second, corrosion. One of the most common causes of corrosion is cutting, scoring or engraving vinyl or some other material that is non-laser safe. And no, one does not have to cut it for hours, ANY use of a non laser safe material can kill a glowforge/laser. Another possibly cause of corrosion is moisture in your machine. Do you vent to the outside? Do you close the vent when your glowforge is not being used? Has it been raining lately? Big temperature difference between the inside and outside? Live near the sea or ocean? Very humid where you live? Just all things to think about. Anyone spill anything in your GF?
They only do this when the damage is covered under the 1 yr. warranty that is offered with the machine.
If it is corrosion related to “unsafe” materials…you will have to pay…you will pay to send the machine back, you will pay for the repairs (which is not a set amount) and you will pay to have them send it back to you…
Believe me…I learned the hard way and was forced to do what I did to repair mine…because GF attempted to extract more $$ from me as an inexperienced user…
Please note: this is just my experience and my opinion as to what is happening…this is what it looked like for me…I don’t know about anyone else’s experience.
and cant understand why support just stopped communication