I title this post with the word “free” with the meaning that the designs are freely available. You still have to make each of these using material that may not be free. A couple of these also require access to a 3D printer to make. However, all of these tools are essential in my workflow, and I thought I’d share where you can find these free tools. Only one of these designs is mine, but all are easily downloadable with the links to the specific resource below.
Unless you plan on only cutting thin 1/8″ or 1/4″ materials, you’ll eventually want to take your crumb tray out and engrave something thicker, like a cutting board. Unfortunately, you can only use materials that fit inside your glowforge that are less than 2″ thick. But, you cant just take out the crumb tray and lay your material in the bottom of the machine. The top surface must be within the focal range of the laser, within about 1/2″ range. This means you have to prop your stuff up. I recommend using these 3D printed standoffs, which come in 3 different sizes. The STL file for these standoffs can be found on Thingiverse, and you’ll need access to a 3D Printer or a site that you can pay to print them for you. They are titled Glowforge Laser Cutter Risers, and are invaluable to anyone who has a Glowforge.
So now you have the standoffs, here is a super easy way to ensure that you are within the acceptable focal range of the laser. Yes, you could use math to figure it out, but this will make you life so much easier. The no math focus ruler, as designed and posted by @dwardio on the Glowforge Forums, gives you a visual peek to see if the top of your material is in the acceptable range. Use this in combination with the Set Focus feature in the Glowforge UI, and you’re set to print! Here is a link to the original post on the forums. Head on over and download the tool and thank dwardio for sharing.
This should really be the #1 thing you make after setting up your Glowforge. The pins help hold your material flat to the bed. Unfortunately, not all material you want to cut or engrave is perfectly flat. Many sheets of plywood have a slight warp to it. These hold down pins will secure your material. Having a gap underneath your material can also cause a fire in your Glowforge. Think of using these Pins as a safety measure!
There are a couple of different options posted on the community forum, but these work best for me. I cut a bunch of these on scrap wood pieces.
Honeycomb bed holdown pins by eljefe4
You can also use magnets to help secure your material to the bed of your Glowforge. Obviously, the magnets are something you’d have to buy, but the 3D printed border is free. The lip on the edge allows you to pull the strong magnet up easily. I created the STL file for your 3D printer, and have the download link posted on the community forum.
Your Glowforge crumb tray sits nicely on some indents in the bottom of your Glowforge. However, it does have a little play and can move slightly. This isn’t a good thing if you’re printing multiple step projects and cannot have your material move at all. These clever little boots basically wedge your crumb tray into place. Good news is that you can cut these from scraps on your Glowforge!
@timjedwards is the mastermind behind these slick boots. Head over to the forum to check these out.
So you want a Glowforge more than ever. I’m happy to answer your questions, and I’ve mentored a number of new Glowforge users to help get them started. If you’d like to use my referral code, I’d be delighted and use the credits to buy more Proofgrade materials for future creations. I’ve added a contact form here if you’d like to ask anything I haven’t covered. You’ll love owning a Glowforge!
Here is my Glowforge referral code and link: TBPLHPFL
