What cleaning products are safe to use?

Beyond the Manual
1

I have been engraving clipboards for people at work lately, and I’ve done about 22 hours worth of engraving so far total with them. The clipboards have put off a lot of dust into the machine and on the laser tube/ glass/ other parts inside. I was wondering if it is safe for me to use things like windex or lysol wipes on the glass and laser tube. I’ve been using lense wipes for the laser lenses, however I’m afraid to use anything else inside the machine lol. Any tips or known methods would be helpful

2

Is necessary, however every other surface is less relevant or even needs be cleaned at all save perhaps the glass on the lid. For that and everything else I use the clear hand sanitizer (thick alcohol) as it hangs on surfaces and evaporates cleanly, and dissolves an amazing range of goop. I buy it in the larger quantities and use it also cleaning the gunk off work, and the fans, making sure to allow plenty of drying time.

3 Likes
3

You use it one the fans too? I was going to use the compressed air can. However, if you have a better way, then I am all ears! Thanks for the response

1 Like
4

Compressed air moves whatever is not welded on, and can be a good intermediate. Unfortunately distilled wood is like black ooblik and welds to everything. eventually building up enough to keep the fans from working, In the case of the larger head fan I had my Shopvac connected to a used C-Pap hose, and with the machine totally off, was able to have that rubber end hold on to the part that directs the air forward. So with the shopvac running I could squirt the sanitizer into the fan and get it spinning if it was not doing so already and blast away the dissolved crud. Leaving the shopvac running at least another half hour to be sure there was no residue left. As everything was sucked up into the shopvac it left no mess to clean up.

1 Like
5

Please also see this support document from Glowforge (which you can always access from the menu at the top of your screen):

3 Likes
6

See cynd11’s link for cleaning the exhaust fan. Zeiss wipes for the optics.

Vinegar and water seems to work fine for the lid glass, outside of the laser tube and general cleaning of the inside.

1 Like
7

for gunk not on the optical path, simple green safety wipes are great.

8

Thank you for all of the advice. I am curious as to how you got that c pap mask on the inside side of the fan

9

Not the mask. only the old hose that fit inside the shopvac and with the rubber end able to just stretch around the blower shroud.