Glowforge release

[Jacob John]

Can these machines not be water cooled?

[Dave Sheldrake]

Can these machines not be water cooled?

They are but it's a closed loop with a specialist cooling medium (similar to the stuff full size industrial lasers use) so no way to pump coolant in our out. The pro model is thermo electric using a type of peltier cooler but as yet I've never seen thermoE's work well with such low efficiency systems (DC tubes are at MOST 15% efficient) so for every 10 watts of cutting energy you are getting roughly 100 watts of latent heat (give or take) pumped into the cooling medium.

Heat variation is the biggest problem with DC tubes, it causes beam profile problems and beam power problems, too wide a range can cause early tube failure as well

[Keith Downing]

Everything is roses right now. It's below 20 degrees F in a huge part of the country. I said it once before, they'll get as much shipped as possible when it's cold because the machines will run. Wait until this summer when it's 90 degrees across the country and 75% of their customers can't use their machines. It wasn't a problem this summer because people started getting them at the tail end of the heat, and you'd see issues popping up about it, but right now, those issues are almost non-existent because of the weather situation. Just wait. There is a huge mess coming, about June 2018.

Guess we'll find out pretty quickly how many people bought these to play with in the living room versus how many bought them to use in a shop environment.

[Art Mann]

I don't think many people will be willing to put up with the burning smell in a living room, no matter what time of year.

[Mike Henry3424]

With customers who cancel their forum access is removed instantly, the words "Closed Ideology" spring to mind

AIR, my forum posting rights were terminated within a few hours of my order cancellation. Not only that, but the thread where I mentioned my cancellation was "disappeared" for a few hours and I'm still not sure if there wasn't something nefarious going on there.

Anyway, there was an interesting post today by the guy who has been digging into the GF software:

https://community.glowforge.com/t/we...ew-gf/17068/27

It's the last post in the thread as of this moment and suggests the possibility that section(s) of the GF code appear to have been stopped in mid-development and as though the one person responsible for the code left GF before it was finished and those trying to finish it up are still trying to figure out the logic. Were there any key software developers that left GF a few months back?

[Scott Shepherd]

Were there any key software developers that left GF a few months back?

If you mean the co founder who managed that part of it then yes.....

https://www.geekwire.com/2017/glowfo...inter-startup/

[Dave Sheldrake]

Not unusual Mike, many years ago I used to do quite a bit of assembly coding and we were always getting given a hard time about commenting code in case one of us left, the last job I did was a driver for a GFX card (the whole GFX card causing Creative Labs soundcards to click problem) and much of the code wasn't commented, great till the next guy takes over and you have to essentially re-write the lot. It's harder to follow somebody else code than it is to re-write from scratch in most cases

GF is a closed ideology that functions as an echo chamber...dissent is not welcome unless it can be excused away with some promise of action later

[Bert Kemp]

Very smart women, she saw the light

I have finally lost the war with my wife.
Originally, getting the GF was her idea because she had seen the amazing things I had made with the laser at work. We took out a loan and pre-ordered a pro unit with a filter right away.
Then came the delays, and with it my wife’s doubt that we had made a good decision. I tried to get her to read the forums and stay positive, but it was a losing battle. Eventually, she made the claim that we needed the money and that by not canceling the order I was being selfish and not putting the family’s needs first. (We are perfectly fine financially, and had the machine arrived there would have never been an issue)
But boy, she sure knows how to win an argument eh?
Needless to say, I am sad (and even a little bitter) that I couldn’t wait out the storm long enough for it to just arrive. I held on as long as I could, but it simply took too long.
My dreams of a glowforge are dead. I’m sure it will be awesome.

[Bill George]

For a second Bert I thought that was you did the ordering. Sad because they had to take out a loan to purchase, pay interest and have nothing to show for it.

[John Lifer]

the OP didn't see the light..... He is still in Egypt at the Nile. And guess will remain there.
His WIFE Did! And I can't imagine paying on a Loan, OR a Credit Card for OVER 2 years with NOTHING but broken promises for your trouble.
And they haven't built the first production (or for that matter beta) FILTER!

[Scott Shepherd]

You might want to read that whole post. His wife told him to cancel it, he told her he did, but he didn't. When she followed up, he said he had tried to cancel it but couldn't get in touch with them. Then he got the shipping notice, so it's headed his way. I wouldn't want to be at that house the day it shows up. That's for certain. You tell your wife you cancelled it and you actually didn't? WOW. Better build a dog house with that new GF that's coming.

[Gary Hair]

Better build a dog house with that new GF that's coming.

and make sure it has A/C or the GF won't work...

[Doug Fisher]

Nice one, Gary!

[Bert Kemp]

I read this morning that many buyers are getting notices that their shipping is being delayed again. How do they put up with this. ?

[Michael Henriksen]

How do they put up with this. ?

Because they are waiting for the first 3D laser printer the World has ever seen and know it will change their lives forever because of all the fantastic things they can make with it