Aztec Calendars must be the “Stanford bunny” of the laser world. Epilog sends them (engraved into leather) out as part of their free sample pack.
Here’s a couple of 3D printed bunnies of the Stanford variety…
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I was really wondering they were going to surprise us with internal cooling.
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I am assuming most of the people who say this is a Glowforge knockoff just don’t have much experience with lasers yet.
The tube is stationary, unlike Glowforge. No filter option. No included cooling and air assist.
This is very much a standard laser + camera.
Initially I was onboard with the idea of it being a glowforge knockoff, back when it was just an image and a name with mention of the camera.
But now… it is just a small form factor laser. I like the drop-away floor with the option for expanding the Z height while retaining some degree of air containment with the expansion sleeve. We even suggested such a thing on here for the GF 2.0.
Anyway… if I had a school asking me which laser to buy, I would have to carefully think about it, and likely wait to see how the software plays for each of the two systems. There are some things about the Muse that the Glowforge lacks, but fortunately there are some thinkgs the Glowforge has that the Muse lacks as well.
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It looks like it could be a decent machine, depending on what you are looking for.
Here is my rough assessment.
Pros:
Ethernet connection
Expandable Z axis
Rotary
Cons:
Separate water chiller
Separate air pump?
Exposed Optics
Potentially a Class IV laser
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Probably not. Just because the floor can be removed and a sleeve added to give added height doesn’t mean there are any exposed pathways - it’s not an open door. If there were no floor, then that’d be different. But a removable one that allows the top unit to sit on a form-fitting bottom unit wouldn’t be materially different than being able to unscrew the floor of the GF or take the lid off.
What makes the GF Pro a class 4 laser is that when it is operated as intended there is an exposed pathway by design - you can’t use the pass-through without having some pathway exposed no matter how well managed & shielded - you can’t physically allow for sliding material in without having some room around it.
Comments like this made me think that if it can be opened up and ran in any way then it would (after being certified or something) be a class IV. I’m certainly no expert, though. And, we don’t know what kind of safety stops there are on the Muse. So, maybe there is a way. At this point I still think no, but I don’t have a problem being wrong sometimes.
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The Glowforge Basic would technically be able to be run while open, if one tricked the sensors using magnets (or some other means, but I believe the door open/close sensor is magnetic.) But that doesn’t make it a Class IV.
Pro is class IV because the pass-through is designed to be opened while in operation.
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What did you think of the FSL Aztec engraving? Did it have multiple depths?
Just got notice that my sample shipped so I should find out for myself next week some time.
Hmmm… that looks like the wrong quote now that I am reading it again. There was one, maybe in the thread about modding the case, that said something about “if it could be made to open, then it couldn’t be classified as a class I enclosure.” It was in reference to Glowforge selling upgrade cases to add pass through to a Basic. Ah, well. Either way.
Edit: and this from their site makes me think class IV
Break out of the box with a
removable floor for bigger projects
such as engraving doors.
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My thoughts exactly…could well be a K40 in a pretty new package with a camera.
Lasers are, well, lasers…its the extras that make Glowforge different…the internal cooling and onboard air assist, the trace function, the software and UI just to name a small few…its not the laser part thats remarkable…its what it makes the laser do that is…
I hate to keep saying this but its hard to appreciate the wonders of a smart phone if you’ve never had to endure the basic only functions of a dumb phone…
Thats how I feel about the Glowforge.
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Nope. It has to do with how it’s designed. The Muse (& GF Basic) are designed without an open pathway. The floor has to be removed on the Muse and replaced by the expansion unit.
The GF Pro is a Class 4 due to the designed to be open slot. With that designed, it doesn’t become Class 1 with the door slot taped over or closed - the classification is set at manufacture. If you cut a slot into the Basic it would still be a Class 1 officially although it would now have an open pathway and operating as a Class 4.
The Muse is the same - it’s designed as a closed box. The matter of safety stops is irrelevant to the determination of classification. Safeties fail so they don’t factor in on the laser device class determination.
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One of the biggest reasons (not the only) I bought the GF is the autofocus, and the many things that helps you do. I did not see that feature advertised for the Muse…anyone see that (maybe I missed it)? I only know of one other laser manufacturer that does that near this price point. - Rich
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I just have to say though - I’m so glad to see that the AOL running man finally found employment !!
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That is one of the driest ads I’ve seen. Holy cow. His voice almost put me to sleep. Ha if your sales rep isn’t excited, it’s a bad sign for overall project.
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It reminded me of those old infomercial ads from the 90’s.
“Just 300 easy payments of $19.99 (plus S&H) and this could be yours!
Ask your parents before ordering.”
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Yeah, it’s pretty clear the dude doesn’t have much voiceover experience. One thing I had to get used to when making videos was to avoid just reading a script, because it’s totally obvious in the end product.
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I burst out laughing at that first scripted line and totally missed the rest of the vid. Guess I’ll have to go watch it again to see if there’s anything in there worth seeing.
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From what I think I understand, possibly incorrectly, their 40w Co2 laser is class IV all by itself. Put it in the right enclosure and you get rated class I. They say you can take the bottom off of the Muse to engrave a door. I’m not sure how a regulatory guy could look at a laser that can run with the bottom off and say that is the same safety level as a fully enclosed Glowforge basic. Weirder stuff happens all the time, I suppose.
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Every 40W CO2 laser is Class 4. The device (laser cutter/engraver) is rated by the ability to harm people in normal use. If you’re told to keep the lid shut then it doesn’t matter if there are safety interlocks in place to keep it from lasing with the lid up. It’s designed to be used closed. All of GF’s safety sensors & interlocks are not what makes the Basic Class 1 - it’s the enclosed laser-impenetrable box that does it. (OSHA may have different requirements for commercial use, but that doesn’t apply to the laser class rating.)
I agree that FSL suggesting that you can take the bottom off and laser a door would imply that as designed there is a potential pathway for laser light escape and thus make it Class 4. However, if the instructions for that feature state that the door must be larger than the bottom and flush with the sides so there can be no leakage, then maybe they make the claim that the door is simply a replacement for the base and it remains Class 1.
They’re not responsible if you don’t follow the instructions and use a narrower door or one where a gap exists between the machine & door. Just as GF is not responsible for someone defeating the interlock on the lid with a couple of magnets and running it with the lid open.
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I suppose that may be an indication of Glowforge’s decision to be very cautious when it comes to safety. That fits with the new laser user target market that they seem to have originally gone after.
I’m just not quite grasping Muse’s target other than the customers that they’ve seen attracted to the Glowforge. It could be that they are just not being as thorough in their thinking. By that I mean their commercial said their machine would give “a new generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and artists” a way to use this type of tool. I hear that as new laser users. Seems like an abundance of safety thinking might be in order for a group of people like that. But, if their single goal is to get some of the customers dissatisfied by delays and what have you here, then they might have spent their energies mostly on getting a pretty box and an internet commercial.
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