So, about a month back, you’ll all remember the announcement of the Glowforge Maker Faire grant. That post, along with my infinite love for all things maker, inspired me to apply for the World Maker Faire in NYC in September. Many moons later (and ten days beyond the promised date) I finally heard from Maker Faire and was accepted. (YAY!) I built a small website just to showcase my leather work which was the discipline I used to apply. (https://arkansasbespokeleather.squarespace.com/) You can hover over the images for descriptions.
I have no previous experience with lasers, other than desperately wanting one and seeing the potential in them (and especially the glowforge with its user friendly interface).
This week, I moved on to the next step and applied for the Glowforge grant with Bailey, which I was lucky enough to receive. (YAHOO!) I got the email from Bailey yesterday which was promptly followed by the golden email. To my surprise, my Pro is being shipped. (WHAT!!!) I assumed I would receive a pre-release unit to work on a bit before the show and to travel with; though, I do recognize the folly of shipping me two separate units in short order, and since pros are shipping…… I’m still a little in shock.
The email was pretty straightforward leading to a four page online form.
Page One - Do you want your pro? What’s your address? Remember your filter is coming later.
Page Two – Here’s all the cool stuff we’ve done that you’re going to like. I skipped ahead of this page in my haste to complete the form. I tried to open it in another browser tab first to review later but found that it didn’t work. Luckily, you can page back to it after completing the form, which I did. And now I’m afraid to close my browser.
Page Three- Getting your glowforge now is great; however, we are in the early stages of pro manufacturing and a lot of things might get better. If it’s a big deal, we may ship you new parts, etc… This section gave me pause, albeit not enough to delay shipment. The note specifically pointed out that the door might close more easily on future units and that cosmetic enhancements might be made. It reminded me of those first basic units that didn’t get the black crumb tray. I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous about how the door will close. I can’t help wondering if that was a random example or a specific planned improvement. There is a definite advantage to being a few weeks into the pro shipments with respect to order date, especially given that the delivery time will only vary slightly in the great scheme.
Page Four – Legalese. You have to scroll through (ahem), I mean read, all of the legalese before you can accept it.
I also got a good look at the proofgrade shop. It’s a little more basic than I was anticipating. For one thing, I was expecting a few designs to be available for purchase. Perhaps they are in the user interface somewhere? The proofgrade shop is materials only (draftboard, plywood, hardwood, acrylic, leather, and veneer). I haven’t really shopped for price comparison and things like that as I thought I’d experiment with the proofgrade in my shipment first. I did get a notification of my credit in the proofgrade shop as a result of delay, and when I add items to the cart, it subtracts the price from a store credit, but I haven’t yet found a place that tells me what’s left after purchasing. Little things that will probably be evident at a later date. My 10% founder’s discount did appear in the cart. (Yay!)
So, now I just have to learn how to use the machine, get a little more proficient in Corel Draw, Make a lot of cool stuff, plan a trip to NY, figure out how to ship a glowforge to and from (eek?!?!), and attend WORLD MAKER FAIRE!!!
Headed to Harbor Freight today to buy that Yukon table.
will save in cutting, plus all the coll extra stuff you will be able to do!
Oh, and, YOUR GETTING YOUR GLOWFORGE! 