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Thread: Glow Forge

  1. #16
    Now that you guys, Jerome, Bill and Gary, have posted up to this thread, go to YouTube and pick ANY subject to watch- loud Mustangs, old cowboy covered wagons, laser fires, whatever- chances are, the commercial before the video will be a Glowforge ad...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  2. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Suwanee, GA
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    3,686
    Yep, the bots are alive and well on SMC...

    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    Now that you guys, Jerome, Bill and Gary, have posted up to this thread, go to YouTube and pick ANY subject to watch- loud Mustangs, old cowboy covered wagons, laser fires, whatever- chances are, the commercial before the video will be a Glowforge ad...

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Georgia, USA
    Posts
    394
    >> the commercial before the video will be a Glowforge ad...<<

    Kev, why aren't you using an ad blocker yet?! "Ublock Origin" (not the plain Ublock because it now actually controlled by an ad-related company!) works well for me. Haven't seen an ad during a Youtube video in years when using my Windows machines. Sucks when I watch on one of my Apple devices though because (last time I checked) the software does not work on iOS devices. I know there are ad blockers for iOS but so many of them are not above board regarding how they use your data and they actually "serve" you their own ads.
    700mm x 500mm Ke Hui KH-7050 Laser
    80W EFR F2
    S&A CW5000 chiller
    Chuck style of rotary attachment

  4. #19
    I have my ad blocker turned off. Many of the sites I visit (I shop online a lot) won't let me browse their site unless I turn OFF my ad blocker. Catch-22... It seems to take less time to deal with the ads than it takes to turn off the blocker, so I just leave it off
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  5. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
    Posts
    4,514
    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Hair View Post
    Yep, the bots are alive and well on SMC...
    I don't watch many youtube videos so no ads

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Suwanee, GA
    Posts
    3,686
    I recently started playing guitar and there are tons of instructional videos on youtube so I'm there a lot.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jerome Stanek View Post
    I don't watch many youtube videos so no ads

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    I have my ad blocker turned off. Many of the sites I visit (I shop online a lot) won't let me browse their site unless I turn OFF my ad blocker. Catch-22... It seems to take less time to deal with the ads than it takes to turn off the blocker, so I just leave it off
    You should be able to "whitelist" certain sites. With ublock origin I can whitelist a website in 2 clicks- one to open the menu and one to whitelist the site. Ctrl-click will whitelist just that page.

  8. I purchased a glowforge (basic, the $2500 one) to try out a laser cutter. Here are my thoughts:
    I run a 4x8 CNC router (precix with linux based UI) and have been CNC machining for 2.5 years. The actual glowforge hardware is gorgeous. It is well designed and the fit and finish is superb. The downfall of their hardware is that the smoke path goes across the circuit board and rails, which could prove fatal to the machine with heavy use and poor maintenance.
    The cloud based UI is the worst piece of garbage I can comprehend. There are literally NO drawing tools, as in you can't draw a square around something to cut it out. Every piece of artwork needs to be created in another program and imported. My Silhouette vinyl cutter has an amazing little program that runs it that is full of features, but the Glowforge UI has NOTHING. Also, it is all completely camera based with no absolute positioning system, so lining things up to engrave in the correct spot is a nightmare. There is no red-dot indicator either so you line things up by camera and pray. If you don't have a fast internet connection, you are unable to use it. A lot of people put them in the garage and have poor, or no, wifi access.
    All of this said, the real benefit to this machine came when I taught my wife how to use it in 5 minutes. She is not very computer literate and she is able to design and cut/engrave items no problem. This is the target market. Not everyone wants to learn complicated software, laser alignment procedures, lens focal lengths etc to be able to have fun with these impressive tools.
    I have since ordered a 100W redsail 1390 that will arrive in about a month. I was speaking with a Trotec Salesman (I really want one but can't, at this point justify the $$$ for a hobby business) and he told me he has sold several machines to people that bought a Glowforge and wanted something faster with more features. Much like X-Carves and Shapeokos were game changers in the CNC world, I think the glowforge will be a game changer in the laser engraver world as it will introduce so many people to this amazing tool. Those who are satisfied with a hobby machine can stay at that level, and there will be a huge emerging market for the "next step up" machines like Boss. If you own a "real" laser, I wouldn't be too threatened by "Forgers" entering your market. The machines are way too slow for any sort of profitable production work.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NW Arkansas
    Posts
    1,951
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Alex Campbell View Post
    I purchased a glowforge (basic, the $2500 one) to try out a laser cutter. Here are my thoughts:
    I run a 4x8 CNC router (precix with linux based UI) and have been CNC machining for 2.5 years. The actual glowforge hardware is gorgeous. It is well designed and the fit and finish is superb. The downfall of their hardware is that the smoke path goes across the circuit board and rails, which could prove fatal to the machine with heavy use and poor maintenance.
    The cloud based UI is the worst piece of garbage I can comprehend. There are literally NO drawing tools, as in you can't draw a square around something to cut it out. Every piece of artwork needs to be created in another program and imported. My Silhouette vinyl cutter has an amazing little program that runs it that is full of features, but the Glowforge UI has NOTHING. Also, it is all completely camera based with no absolute positioning system, so lining things up to engrave in the correct spot is a nightmare. There is no red-dot indicator either so you line things up by camera and pray. If you don't have a fast internet connection, you are unable to use it. A lot of people put them in the garage and have poor, or no, wifi access.
    All of this said, the real benefit to this machine came when I taught my wife how to use it in 5 minutes. She is not very computer literate and she is able to design and cut/engrave items no problem. This is the target market. Not everyone wants to learn complicated software, laser alignment procedures, lens focal lengths etc to be able to have fun with these impressive tools.
    I have since ordered a 100W redsail 1390 that will arrive in about a month. I was speaking with a Trotec Salesman (I really want one but can't, at this point justify the $$$ for a hobby business) and he told me he has sold several machines to people that bought a Glowforge and wanted something faster with more features. Much like X-Carves and Shapeokos were game changers in the CNC world, I think the glowforge will be a game changer in the laser engraver world as it will introduce so many people to this amazing tool. Those who are satisfied with a hobby machine can stay at that level, and there will be a huge emerging market for the "next step up" machines like Boss. If you own a "real" laser, I wouldn't be too threatened by "Forgers" entering your market. The machines are way too slow for any sort of profitable production work.
    You haven't said anything that we haven't said before. But for the money, one could buy a half dozen K40's, or a smaller chinese machine that actually will be worth using. Yeah, I see the market, but when Suzie sees that it takes 8 hours to engrave a little item, she's going to get really frustrated. And when the internet glitches, and she gets garbage and ruins a $10 sheet of stock, it will continue to frustrate her.
    I will say I didn't think they would ever ship any, but I've been proven wrong. Now did they make money on them? Maybe. I still say if they can't keep churning them out at decent rate, they will ALL be garbage when the company folds.
    (no way to control it at all other than over internet through THEIR programs_) Biggest problem
    Woodworking, Old Tools and Shooting
    Ray Fine RF-1390 Laser Ray Fine 20watt Fiber Laser
    SFX 50 Watt Fiber Laser
    PM2000, Delta BS, Delta sander, Powermatic 50 jointer,
    Powermatic 100-12 planer, Rockwell 15-126 radial drill press
    Rockwell 46-450 lathe, and 2 Walker Turner RA1100 radial saws
    Jet JWS18, bandsaw Carbide Create CNC, RIA 22TCM 1911s and others

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
    Posts
    4,514
    They complain about the same things over and over. Stuck on calibration, Lost wifi, waiting to cool down broken lid hinge, bad ribbon cable, and so much more. Well worth the money right It seems that the K40 has less problems then the Glowforge. And they big one is that people that have solutions are not allowed on their forum.
    Last edited by Jerome Stanek; 09-04-2019 at 6:40 PM.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
    Posts
    4,441
    Nothing to see here folks move on..... Yup you saw it all here first was it just two years ago? What happened to the guys who were on here defending the GF?
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  12. #27
    I don't remember anyone defending it oh oh yea Matt Loved it forgot
    If the Help and advice you received here was of any VALUE to you PLEASE! Become a Contributor
    Rabbit RL_XX_6040-60 watt Laser engraving/cutting machine Oh wait its a 3D Printer my bad LOL
    Lasercut 5.3
    CorelDraw X5

    10" Miter Saw with slide
    10" Table Saw
    8" bench mount 5 speed Drill Press
    Dremel, 3x21 Belt Sander


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