Glowforge release

[Chris Neal]

You could have been up and running a year ago for the same or less money.

Here's why I was one of those people: Like Mr Sheldrake mentioned, the GF guys are very good at advertising. While I was watching their ad the first time, seeing all the things they claimed their system could do, my brain was imagining that machine making life easier for me in a few ways. I manufacture accessories for skydiving, and part of that requires cutting lots of small textile parts. So I had these glowing images of being able to change designs on the fly and having new parts cut instantly, all exactly the same. Til now I'd been using a local service to die cut parts.

This system in the ad looked simple too. Kids can do it! I didn't have any knowledge of standard laser cutters at the time, so it was all new to me. And I'd been surviving without a laser machine for years, so I wasn't in a rush. Also at the time my CAD skills were lacking, so the simplicity portrayed in the GF ad seemed like it would make up for that.

While I was waiting for the promised product I found this site, did some reading, and realized I'd rather have a full size, more powerful machine, and get the ball rolling. In my case Weike benefitted the most from GF's adverts, because GF got me interested but GW got the sale.

[John Blazy]

In my case Weike benefitted the most from GF's adverts, because GF got me interested but GW got the sale.

Chris, You have perfectly fulfilled my prediction from my earlier post about GF "spreading the gospel" of lasers, which can only benefit all the other laser suppliers.

Copied from my earlier post:

I think it will be interesting to see what this Glowforge does to the entire low cost laser industry. Anyone selling low cost CO2 lasers wants them to be a household word, because once the general public gets a taste of the abilities of what a laser can do, they will want more, better, and bigger machines.

Seems like Glowforge will either go through serious growing pains (imagine their tech support fielding questions from the dumbest of the dumb about why it didn't engrave in the same colors of the photo they used), and survive to sell for several years after paid warranties, or they will go under due to tech support problems, or whatever we all on this forum speculate. Bottom line is that more people will be AWARE of laser cutting / engraving.

Lots of folks on this forum have lasers in their garages, and I should have had one fifteen years ago - so many uses.

My prediction is that the mainstream laser companies will benefit from any outcome of Glowforge - successful or not - in the long run.

For example, one of the major plastics suppliers did a mass marketing campaign of dichroic (color-changing)laminated acrylic. Made the stuff common knowledge. Got a lot of architects and designers hooked on it. Then they discontinued the product due to technical issues and raw material cost increases. Those architects, designers and public artists scrambled to find an alternative (my product).

[Dave Stevens-Vegas]

It's yet another tangible demonstration of how fantastic GF are at selling but don't have the mix of staff that actually understand laser technology.

Most of the core startup team had software/app background. No one really had much hardware experience, at least for something of this scale. That's changed over the last 8-9 months and they've gotten some people and contractors that do know CNC and lasers specifically. Their focal point is the interface/toolchain with the mechanical bits being the lump that does the heavy lifting. Once they scaled they saw they needed real manufacturing and hardware engineers.

Like I said in the other thread that was apparently zapped, I see this as the folks here not understanding how the current start up culture works (for better or worse) where designs and products are now fleshed out in the public eye using in large part money from "backers" which are in effect pre orders regardless of whatever the crowdfunding legal teams say in the fine print. Like it or not the reality now is that is how startups and low volume manufacturers are starting these days.

I can't believe that people paid 2000 dollars and are waiting around 2 years to get a product. Seems pretty silly to me. You could have been up and running a year ago for the same or less money.

Bert, you need a better calendar buddy... For the first batch it will only be about a year or so late, for the rest, probably about 18 months late from order. That's if they get the first batch out in time. For many it's a long time (too long for me) but in an era of crowd funded products that's not out of the ordinary for those types of projects. Like it or not, that's how a segment of the market operates. I know I wouldn't tie up my dough that long. In fact, unless it's someone I know from the maker scene that has a proven record I don't back those sorts of projects. Many do, though.

They've just completed a US$22 mil round from an established VC. They have more than enough capital to ship. It just needs to work properly. They'll ship, maybe even on the revised schedule they've posted. They've been pretty transparent about the project, are backed by known quantities and if the backers get tired of waiting they will gladly refund your money.

Bottom line is that more people will be AWARE of laser cutting / engraving.

My prediction is that the mainstream laser companies will benefit from any outcome of Glowforge - successful or not - in the long run.

I think that's an upside once the machines ship. It's similar to what happened when 3D printing became open source. I don't know if the projected price point is right for mass market hobbyist /prosumer at $3500. If they could stick to the pre sale price of $2k or so I think it would have more legs. What many here don't see is that they aren't selling a machine, they are selling a solution. The old school woodwork/shop types aren't what they are after. They are aiming at the maker/crafter scene and based on what I read here I don't see that many from that segment. Most of the users here see machine when GF is marketing an end to end platform.

Right now in the maker/hobby space a modded K40 has become popular. Buy a cheapie K40 on ebay, replace the controller, firmware and software with a Smoothie/LW3 open source combo and you are on your way for $600 or so. The downside is the conversion and mastery of the toolchain isn't something that most entry level users can do without assistance.

[John Lifer]

Not to hijack, but announced this week that cost will go up to $3k for the base model after September. So the mid-level should be about $4. I think I'll wait till next year and buy one that will be for sale due to smoking up the house. I'll bet you there will be a bunch up for sale... That is if the vaporware ever gets shipped.

[Bert Kemp]

Hey for 4 bucks I might even buy one NOT

Not to hijack, but announced this week that cost will go up to $3k for the base model after September. So the mid-level should be about $4. I think I'll wait till next year and buy one that will be for sale due to smoking up the house. I'll bet you there will be a bunch up for sale... That is if the vaporware ever gets shipped.

[Scott Marquez]

That is if the vaporware ever gets shipped.

That's the beauty of not shipping these things close to a year from originally promised. These people are buying a dream and my guess is that it won't live up to their expectations, but they will never know for sure until they start shipping.
Enjoy, Scott

[Bert Kemp]

cheap machines in a plastic case that will in all reality burn down homes. if of course they ever get shipped.

That's the beauty of not shipping these things close to a year from originally promised. These people are buying a dream and my guess is that it won't live up to their expectations, but they will never know for sure until they start shipping.
Enjoy, Scott

[John Lifer]

Hey for 4 bucks I might even buy one NOT

HA!!!! Missed adding a K in there did I? Well, I'd for sure buy one at $4, but not putting my money down on them keeping their shipping schedule. If I were to 'buy' one today, or really just spend the money today, I might have it this time next year. Or not!

[Kev Williams]

If the prices are going up, even after the mad-rush of orders beyond their wildest dreams, seems someone didn't factor in enough R&D costs. Or R&D in general.

Regardless if it works or not, 3 bills is too much money for a 2 bill machine...

[Ken Bloch]

I am one of those waiting for the GF. I am not counting on it being delivered this year and I am under the assumption it may be sometime in the first half of 2017. From everything I have seen they have never been truthful of when they would actually deliver. I am sure that they new when the initial purchase was announced that it would not ship in 2015 as they only had three months left in the year.


And as far as John Lifer's signature for the 22TCM I will stick with my Colt model 1911 that was made in 1913. Still fires and looks great even though it is 103 years old. Was my great great uncle's who earned the DSC in WW1 for taking out a German machine gun nest using this pistol.

[Gary Hair]

I will stick with my Colt model 1911 that was made in 1913. Still fires and looks great even though it is 103 years old. Was my great great uncle's who earned the DSC in WW1 for taking out a German machine gun nest using this pistol.

That is an awesome story to go along with an awesome firearm! I've always been a 1911 fan but to have one with that history would be incredible!

[Margie Novak]

A friend of mine actually ordered one and she was told before the end of the year. She has kept me updated, as I want to see if it does what it says, when she gets it!

[Dave Stevens-Vegas]

Good to see the GF love still strong here at the mill...

The price was always an introductory price that was going up after the initial batches sold. The big holdup has been the redesign of the PSU. They say they have it nailed now. It appears the PSU was redesigned from scratch by someone that knows laser PSUs. It's not going to burn your house down any more than a toaster oven is going to burn your house down. Here's a clip from Makerfaire Bay Area https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkGDIwUE6io

One thing I didn't know was that it's duty cycle limited. (it can only operate for a time before it has to stop and "rest") At 2-3k that's one thing, a 4-6k price is quite another. The sub 5k price point for the desktop size maker type CNC machines is pretty brisk right now. In fact Wazer is about to launch a 5k small format waterjet. If they can keep a machine with enough of the advanced features and the price point in the 3-4k range they might do OK. At 5-6k for the high end, that seems to be a big ask.

[Klaus Madsen]

How come I can't see the latest answers in this thread?
I can see there have been made comments today, and when I go to the last page the newest post I can see is from May???

[Klaus Madsen]

And an update, I can't even see my own post, even that it says that the last post is mine????