Can anyone tell me the actual or technical reason why I can’t use draft board in my Glowforge Spark? It seems like a lot of the catalog projects use draft board, and it looks like it would be a lot smoother surface to paint than just basswood or something else.
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It’s because Draftboard is extremely dirty to cut, and will clog the surfaces faster than you are able to clean them, resulting in a botched job. The head will stick to the rails and cause the job to go out of alignment. Even the Performance machines have to be cleaned significantly more often when Draftboard is used, but the different head transport design makes them less vulnerable to the gummy residues of Draftboard.
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Thank you for that information! Do the higher end Glowforges have better fans that pull more of the dust and debris out? I don’t know much about them, as the Spark is my first GF.
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So I have never seen the inside of a spark other than picture so take this with a grain of salt.
But here is a picture of part of the drive system of the performance models. The belt with notches makes for a fairly strong movement system not subject solely to friction like the rails on the spark.
Comes from this support article if anyone is curious
Hope that gives a bit more info for the curious
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Yes the mess plus it is harder to cut to the point that I do not use it in my Pro either. If you are running a filter it will also pack the filter to the point of needing replacement impossibly quickly.
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I’ve run into the same issue with my Glowforge Spark. I think the main reason draft board doesn’t work is because it’s optimized for the original Glowforge, and the Spark might not have the same settings or power to cut it properly. I’ve also found that certain materials like basswood or other types of plywood are easier to work with on the Spark. If you’re looking for a smoother surface, maybe try medium-density fiberboard (MDF) – it’s pretty good for painting and gives a nice finish. It might not be exactly the same as draft board, but it could be a solid alternative.
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It’s my understanding that draftboard IS just that…MDF, so that won’t solve the issue at all. And, although GF proofgrade draftboard is one of their own products, it still leaves a lot of residue no matter what model of Glowforge you have.
Cleaning the rails on the Spark and on the Aura is such a finicky thing already, that I would never consider trying to use any form of MDF.
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