Glowforge laser cutter $500 off a Pro, $250 Plus, $100 Basic discount coupon

[mikeselectricstuff]

So wraper, how did you decide to get the Glowforge?  What do you get for the extra money compared to a regular Chinese laser cutter?

Having had one of the latter, I'd think the main benefit is having something you can just plug in and use, without dicking about with crappy external water cooling, flaky motion controllers that crash randomy & set fire to the work, hard-to-align optics and appallingly awful Chinese software.

[wraper]

So wraper, how did you decide to get the Glowforge?  What do you get for the extra money compared to a regular Chinese laser cutter?

First of all precision as cheap Chinese ones seem to be making very crude cuts/engravings. Also ease of use, I don't want yet another tool another tool which needs a lot of fiddling. I'd better use my time for something else.

[Kjelt]

So only the cameras are new? What else differentiates this between the already available prooven laser cutters on the market?

[Ribster]

Now the most important thing - will it cut copper on FR4? I mean making fancy leather pieces and cutting through perspex is great, but I want some freakin' PCBs here!

Never.
It's a CO2 laser. Those work at 10600 nM.
You need a green laser for PCB's. There are some pcb lasers around, although expensive.
They use a fiber laser i think, or maybe an Nd:YAG laser..

[Ribster]

So wraper, how did you decide to get the Glowforge?  What do you get for the extra money compared to a regular Chinese laser cutter?

Having had one of the latter, I'd think the main benefit is having something you can just plug in and use, without dicking about with crappy external water cooling, flaky motion controllers that crash randomy & set fire to the work, hard-to-align optics and appallingly awful Chinese software.

Can second on that. It's the ease of use, interface and the camera system.
They do surface mapping, adjust the height of the laser, with presets for different materials...

[wraper]

They raised the price but coupon still seem to be working. Got 7 referrals so far  , 3 short to the maximum.

[veatei]

As the other links have been posted over two years ago, it's important to note there's a limit on the how many refferals a person can give, so in case the others are used up, mine is still available. I would appreicate it and I'm sure if you're purchasing one, you would too.

$100 off refferal link 

If you want $100 off, please use my link and you will get $100 of the total amount.

Link:
https://glowforge.us/OFRNXLRX

[aargee]

I'd love one of these but don't have the real estate or executive permissions.
Has anyone actually got one? Just curious.

[wraper]

I'd love one of these but don't have the real estate or executive permissions.
Has anyone actually got one? Just curious.

They started shipping only recently after big delays. According to emails from glowforge 1 referral of mine certainly got it and 2 another just received it or will receive very soon. I'm supposed to receive it a bit later as US orders are shipped first. As I posted referral link in this tread only, quiet likely they are forum users.

[mairo]

Will this be useful for depanelization of PCBs - ~1.6mm FR4 with no copper?

[wraper]

Will this be useful for depanelization of PCBs - ~1.6mm FR4 with no copper?

It should be able to cut FR4. But I guess edges will be burned and will smell awful. Also without using protective tape, smoke products will likely deposit around the cut. Once I get it, I could try cutting FR4.

[mikeselectricstuff]

This technology is called Q-switched laser, or more commonly improperly called fiber laser.

Fibre/fiber lasers are a specific type of architecture that use an optical fibre as the lasing cavity, and are replacing many older types in high power applications.
Q-switching is a technique applicable to most types of lasers to increase peak pulse power.

[taydin]

Even if you manage to configure the laser so that it doesn't char the FR4 substrate, how is this going to give the 0.1mm precision that many modern high density PCB's would require? What is the beam diameter?

[mikeselectricstuff]

Even if you manage to configure the laser so that it doesn't char the FR4 substrate, how is this going to give the 0.1mm precision that many modern high density PCB's would require? What is the beam diameter?

You can't use CO2 lasers for PCBs directly.
ISTR a few people have managed low-res work using a CO2 to burn paint resist off, but it's way cheaper, easier and more reliable to use toner transfer or UV and traditional etching

[trevwhite]

This fella seems to have had some success with lasers and PCBs.

[wraper]

Has anyone actually got one? Just curious.

I finally sort of got mine a few days ago. Sort of because it was delivered to UK address of my sister as shipping to Latvia was exorbitant $1k which was twice as much as to UK. Will get my hands on it in around 2 months once she drives to Latvia by car during her vacation. Not that I currently have a space to place it anyway. If anyone needs a discount coupon, seems one in the starting post should still work. Although now it says -$1500 on pro version and nothing about basic  .

[tpowell1830]

Has anyone actually got one? Just curious.

I finally sort of got mine a few days ago. Sort of because it was delivered to UK address of my sister as shipping to Latvia was exorbitant $1k which was twice as much as to UK. Will get my hands on it in around 2 months once she drives to Latvia by car during her vacation. Not that I currently have a space to place it anyway. If anyone needs a discount coupon, seems one in the starting post should still work. Although now it says -$1500 on pro version and nothing about basic  .

When I click on the 'Coupon' link on your first post, it just takes me to the Glowforge website, no coupon.

[wraper]

When I click on the 'Coupon' link on your first post, it just takes me to the Glowforge website, no coupon.

Fixed that, ref ID in the link remained the same but link itself changed a bit. As I clicked on similar looking link in recent email before, it appeared as if this was working.

[tpowell1830]

When I click on the 'Coupon' link on your first post, it just takes me to the Glowforge website, no coupon.

Fixed that, ref ID in the link remained the same but link itself changed a bit. As I clicked on similar looking link in recent email before, it appeared as if this was working.

Okay, the link works now, but it says Regina gets $500 now.

[wraper]

Okay, the link works now, but it says Regina gets $500 now.

It was $100 both ways back then and worked for any model, and those were much cheaper than now. Although it was sort of gambling and in the end I waited for 2.5 years. Now it's 1500/500 for pro model.