What is this part? (photo attached, w/ inch ruler for scale)
I hadn’t used my Glowforge for quite a while, and when I opened the lid recently, I discovered this broken piece inside, on the bed. I have no idea where it came from, or what it does. It’s a black plastic ring, about 1/2 inch in diameter.
Probably unwisely, I went ahead and used my Glowforge anyway, and everything seems to function, but I worry that something that should be secure inside is loose and that I’m risking damage by using it.
What’s this part? How did it break? How can I replace it? How can I prevent it from breaking again in the future?
That is a piece of a wheel aligning the head carriage to the gantry. I would avoid using the Glowforge until support can get you a new one to install. Pictures of the back and front of the carriage will narrow down which one it is.
The wheels are a common failure point. I haven’t had one break in 4 years but there have been many posts with this problem. A broken wheel will significantly affect the accuracy of the print. Identify the wheel, take a picture and add it to your post. Support will contact you via email and send a new wheel as a replacement.
Thanks! I was able to find where it came from – it’s the front side of the carriage (opening side, not hinge side). I will await contact from support to get a replacement.
Thank you for verifying your shipping information with us via email. Now that we have that information, I’m going to close this thread and we’ll continue to coordinate with you via email to get your part shipped.
