We picked up a GlowForge about two years ago now, and Missus has been happily cutting away with it since. But GlowForge has its problems. For a long time, the materials they offer have been very high priced, and often out of stock. They have very proprietary parts for the machine. Also, they have the software to run it on the cloud, rather than local. The user gets put into a queue just to process a project and run it on their own machine. Internes Access totally required. I could also add that the camera never lined up properly, so when they advertised on the outset that one could laser etch the case of their MacBook, I can tell you I would never have tried it because I could not be assured of proper alignment.
We resorted to using big box store materials and reduced the cost of a single sheet of plywood to put into the GlowForge from around $8.00 for a 11″ x 19″ to $1.00. That is a pretty compelling savings! One can put up with lesser materials for that difference.
So, yesterday a new laser machine came into the house, and we have spent today finding it a home. We did not put it into the exact same place as the GlowForge, which we expect to retire soon as we doubt they will be in business much longer as their model seems to be utterly failing, but had to clear it out, and the cabinet it sat on, as the new machine is able to cut materials of twice the size or larger if you use the passthrough ports. And it cost less than the GlowForge did! As I have been setting it up, I have observed that unlike the GF, it is built with off the shelf parts that look like they will be easy and cheap to replace! We are not quite ready to start it up yet, but so far, I am pretty impressed with what we have got to take the place of GlowForge. We still need to get the software for it, which will be downloaded to the local computer, and easy to use without going through company servers. Yup, we will be able to work offline! No delays due to server lags or ISP disruptions.
We are eager to get it running finally and see how it stacks up to GlowForge on an operational basis. But the features I have seen so far, including the much larger cutting platform and the much deeper height as well, allowing the etching of thicker objects, the local software, and the nonproprietary components has given me greater confidence in this platform. Oh, and did I mention we are upgraded from a 40-watt laser to a 100-watt? Yeah, that’s also a thing!
Missus will be putting products into her little shop as soon as she opens up and intends to take custom orders as well. Watch her space at Antiquary Artisan.