Since the possibility of the delivery looming over our heads, who has ordered a brand new ABC fire extinguisher for those ‘experiments’ you plan on (or don’t plan on) doing in your glowforge?
With my recent move, I will sadly be commissioning one of the bedrooms as my office/workspace since there is no shop, and city regs that will not allow me to build a shed in my backyard. Every time I have setup a shop space, the first thing I do is buy a few new ABCs.
we moved our space around so i canceled my filter…but that has ironically made me start checking local prices on fire extinguishers, haha!
If you have the money, a Halotron extinguisher is much better on your laser, should you have to use it. I’ve had this one bookmarked to order when my Glowforge ships:
oh nice, i didn’t know they put that kind of suppressant in these hand extinguishers; thanks for the heads up.
Fire extinguishers for the GF have been on the forum many times. An ABC type from local stores is good to have around, but not the best option for inside a GF or any laser. You should have a small spray bottle of water, but other extinguishers for fire inside your GF, search the forum and you’ll get lots of good answers. - Rich
…does it have the same ill effects as a halon extinguisher? Because, though I would like to keep my laser safe, I value my life just as much 
Yes, same effect, but using a handheld extinguisher on your Glowforge is a very different thing than the situation I used to be in, where I worked in an office that used to be data center space and the whole place was outfitted with Halon sprinklers. If you heard those things go off, you took a deep breath and ran for the doors.
I don’t think it would be an issue. If you were to have to use it you would want to make sure the glowforge is off (otherwise the fan will suck out all of that fancy extinguishing gas) and you’ll want to quickly open a window.
Some good stuff here:
https://community.glowforge.com/t/source-for-co2-fire-extinguishers/2044?source_topic_id=6415
That’s good to know… I used to have a boat where we had these down in the engine compartment. Shared the hell out of me, because they were in a confined space, that was not easily escapable if something went down. I would likely still take the non-halon path due to children in the home, and risk the laser and file a home owner’s claim, if that would even be covered… sounds like I need to have yet another talk with my insurance company 
Halotron is a clean fire extinguishing agent intended to replace Halon 1211 in streaming applications. … Halotron is a safe, effective, environmentally acceptable replacement for Halon 1211. It is discharged as a liquid that rapidly evaporates.
Halotron - Clean Fire Extinguishing Agent Replacement for Halon 1211
So… if we have to spray this magic fire extinguisher, it extinguishes the flame and then evaporates so there’s nothing to clean up? I mean, besides smoke and whatever was burning, probably.
I have never had the pleasure of using one, I’ve only ever had to use standard ABC extinguishers.
Found this though:
That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. Here’s more info: http://www.halotron.com/pdf/halotron_one_brochure.pdf
Just remember, the use of CO2 and Halotron extinguishers in closed rooms, and especially in basement areas, is very dangerous because these extinguishing agents are heavier than air. A pet or infant near the floor is in danger of asphyxiation long after your fire is out because it stays there until sucked out.
Good advice, thanks for the reminder!
We can’t buy Halotron in the UK.
Have to make do with CO2 and powder.
Interesting to know! That’s pretty important info. I wonder if @dan will want to include that in any documentation anywhere.
i doubt it’s necessary, as if they make recommendations about what kind of fire suppression system to use then they could potentially be liable if it doesn’t work and someone is injured / lets their house burn down. better to just recommend something general and the typical fire risk imo.
…but i don’t want to go to far into the safety question lest we summon the thread lock bear
I’m thinking some/many/most fire suppression systems can damage the Glowforge and they may recommend a type that does little/no damage and Halotron would be one of them. There’s always the caveat to use whatever you purchase as directed by that manufacturer.
Anyway… Not getting into safety. Just thinking that the fact that Halotron isn’t available in the UK is something many buyers might want to know. Not saying it should be included in safety documentation, per se, but worth a sticky at the very least I’d think. 
i’m pretty sure that since sales have been banned there for fifteen years or more, residents probably don’t need us to tell them their regulations. the same chemicals that would damage a glowforge would damage most other appliances, too