thank you so much for this clear video. I have had my glowforge for many years and my husband always has to put the belt back on because I couldn't figure it out. Your video made it so easy!!!
Great video and I was able to get the Glowforge squeaky clean. However, I had trouble putting the belt back on. Everyone in our family tried getting the belt back on following the official Glowforge instructions, and we were all unable to replace the belt. Finally found another video that shows you can get the belt back on by loosening the right wheel with an allen wrench, replacing the belt, and then tightening the right wheel again. That step can save a lot of headaches if you just can't get the belt back on after cleaning the fan. Otherwise, your video was great and gave me the confidence I needed to clean my Glowforge.
That's a method many people use also! If you ever have issues with your lines looking squiggly be sure to recheck that wheel to make sure it is keeping the right tension on the belt. That's the only issue I've heard of using that method. Whatever method works for you, it's such a relief to get it back on! 😅
Thanks for the detailed process. Doing our first clean and exhaust upgrade. Might not be needed with the GF, but when cleaning fans in general it's good practice to block them from spinning to prevent possible damage to the bearings and current being induced back into the driver circuit.
Just wanted to let you know that I just made these and your tutorial was easy to follow... and the result is amazing. Going to make these for all the family this year! Thank you!
I am so glad to hear that feedback! I always wonder if I make sense to others 😆 haha I am not sure how this comment ended up on my cleaning video but I know you're talking about the pretty snowflake ornaments ❄️ 😁
Awesome Job. I just got my Glowforge and haven't even hooked it up yet but this is a great walkthrough of everything! They should make this a staple for all owners!!
Fabulous video! I really appreciate the detailed explanation. This has made me feel so much more comfortable with cleaning my GF. Can you please tell me - you mention to be careful of print head when removing and re-inserting the crumb tray. Is there a reason why not to remove the print head first?
I like to go ahead and remove the crumb tray so that I have a place to put my print head once I take it off and also so that I can continue from there to go ahead and remove the platform to get to the air assist fan. That was the order of the glowforge manual suggested so I've continued to do it that way. Of course there are times when I just do a quick clean of the print head lenses and for that I do not remove the crumb tray. I hope this answers your question! 😀
You Rock !!! thanks for putting out this video , quick question so are we suppose to keep track of the usage for every cut so we know when 4j0 hours is ?
If you follow the 40 hrs they recommend, then yes you have to keep up with it on your own because unfortunately there is no feature currently to see your runtime. I usually do it when my cut fails to go all the way through or otherwise every few weeks.
Very helpful video. Thank you! Also, wondering what you primarily cut in your machine? Mine is so dirty and I'm thinking my GF was long overdo for a clean!! Amazing how well it cuts, now that I've cleaned the lenses. Thanks again!
You're welcome, glad it helped you! I cut a mix of plywood, mdf, and acrylic, pretty equally. It certainly does cut better when it is clean. My first sign to clean is when something doesnt cut all the way through.
Great video. Instead of removing the print head, what about just moving the print head , etc all the way forward and then you can see the fan in the back and use your compressed air on it?
If I understand your question correctly, the print head could not be pulled forward off the arm without removing the belt anyway, tension holding it on. Moving the whole arm forward won't help because the fan is still under the arm and laser tube. You could get creative sticking the nozzle under there, but you'd be going blind and can't see if it's getting cleaned. I recommend the GF instructions of taking it off 😁
@@LadyCrockettCrafts I can't thank you enough for how easy you made this for me. Thank you for all of your time for these videos. They are a lot easier to understand than the GF ones.
Congrats on your new toy! The manual linked in the description gives the recommended cleaning schedule. Otherwise, whenever you are having difficulty getting materials to cut all the way through is a good indicator that it's time to clean!
haha well at this point it hadn't been used that much is the reason it's so clean :) I don't have a good method to recommend unfortunately. I know there are several methods floating around the GF community though. The chore is in cleaning it without causing rust and I don't want to recommend anything that I haven't tested multiple times.
I wipe mine down gently with a warm damp rag to get most of it off the outside then clean as in the video for the internal parts. I will also wipe down the outside of the head again if needed at the end with an alcohol wipe.
Great video!! How do you keep the inside of your GF so clean, like on the left side where the lens is? Mine is super dirty, so I was just wondering how you do it?
It is definitely dirtier now! I just got a small handheld vacuum off Amazon with a flexible hose and nozzle attachments. Next time I clean that area I am going to carefully try to suction up the dust. I haven't worried about it much, just have been checking to make sure there's no debris in the belt and the track the wheels follow
Mines uber dirty too! I was just thinking the same thing. I have so much dust on the sides, even with a vacuum, it looks dirty. But all the videos I’ve seen about cleaning, their machines all look like this. I’m curious if it’s a venting issue. Are there good videos about ventilation? Preferably without venting outside. I am unable to do that at the moment 😔
Similar items of a different brand should be fine. I think most people use Zeiss because one comes with the GF, but once this box runs out I think I'll switch too. The Zeiss dry out really fast causing me to use so many during a cleaning session.
@@LadyCrockettCrafts Thank you so much for the quick reply. A box of 200 Zeiss lens wipes costs 30€... And I'm actually from Germany. It's ridiculous. My lens wipes have a camera symbol on them, so I'm guessing they're safe to use. Thanks so much!
Prying the timing bet off the wheel is not a good idea. It will eventually lead to stretching the belt. It is better to use an Allen wrench (2.5 or 3mm) to loosen the wheel and let it slide toward the left to remove tension and allow the belt to fall off. Reverse to put the belt on.
Yes, that is another way of doing it that users may want to consider so thanks for the detailed information. My instructions are from the Glowforge user manual but other methods, such as the one you mentioned, are often used with success too. Some people have issues using the Allen wrench method and not being able to get the belt taut again, for anyone considering between the two ways. I have not damaged mine with the videoed method in the 4 years having my GF fwiw. It slides off rather easy because it isn't really prying, it's just getting the belt off track as it turns naturally.
I was scared too, but turned out to be not even close to what I'd built it up to be. Read the cleaning instructions from Glowforge and do a familiarization walk through first, without taking anything apart, if you need to. Take it slow and careful and the GF and you will be fine! 😁
How do you know it’s better? I’m happy it works for you but that’s a once sided comment Without the experience needed to make it. Good luck. Great video. Very detailed.
It isn't that hard, you'll be ok 😉 take it slow, read through the manual first and follow along with it. You got this. After the first time jitters, it's a piece of cake
![GLOWFORGE - How to Clean it and make it Quiet [When Geeks Craft]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I_YOYIt4byM/mqdefault.jpg)
![GLOWFORGE - How to Clean it and make it Quiet [When Geeks Craft]](/img/tr.png)
thank you so much for this clear video. I have had my glowforge for many years and my husband always has to put the belt back on because I couldn't figure it out. Your video made it so easy!!!
Love to hear it! This reminds me, mine is due after this Christmas rush!
I watch this every time I clean my GF. Thank you so much for this!!!
Oh yay! Love to hear it 😁 I have one more Christmas order before I can give mine a good deep clean, looking forward to getting mine cleaned up too!
Great video and I was able to get the Glowforge squeaky clean. However, I had trouble putting the belt back on. Everyone in our family tried getting the belt back on following the official Glowforge instructions, and we were all unable to replace the belt. Finally found another video that shows you can get the belt back on by loosening the right wheel with an allen wrench, replacing the belt, and then tightening the right wheel again. That step can save a lot of headaches if you just can't get the belt back on after cleaning the fan. Otherwise, your video was great and gave me the confidence I needed to clean my Glowforge.
That's a method many people use also! If you ever have issues with your lines looking squiggly be sure to recheck that wheel to make sure it is keeping the right tension on the belt. That's the only issue I've heard of using that method. Whatever method works for you, it's such a relief to get it back on! 😅
glowforge should hire you seriously very very well put together video.
Thanks so much for the compliment! 😊☺️
Thanks for the detailed process. Doing our first clean and exhaust upgrade. Might not be needed with the GF, but when cleaning fans in general it's good practice to block them from spinning to prevent possible damage to the bearings and current being induced back into the driver circuit.
Yes! That is a great point that I picked up on later as more tips and tricks get shared in the community. Thanks for sharing!
BEST Glowforge cleaning video ever! Amazing details and instructions. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for the kind feedback 😊
Thank you! I also watch this with every cleaning.
☺️ Glad you find it helpful! Thank you ☺️
Just wanted to let you know that I just made these and your tutorial was easy to follow... and the result is amazing. Going to make these for all the family this year! Thank you!
I am so glad to hear that feedback! I always wonder if I make sense to others 😆 haha I am not sure how this comment ended up on my cleaning video but I know you're talking about the pretty snowflake ornaments ❄️ 😁
@@LadyCrockettCrafts oh hahaha... yes I was talking about the snowflake ornaments but was watching this video at the same the :)
Thank you so very much for this instruction. I will go back to this when I get ready to clean my Glowforge.
Great video. Everyone calls the ”blue thing” the blue thing. I never noticed the arrow on the lens until this video.
It's kinda the running joke when people ask "what's this blue thing that came with my GF" 😆
Awesome Job. I just got my Glowforge and haven't even hooked it up yet but this is a great walkthrough of everything! They should make this a staple for all owners!!
Thank you! I hope it gives you confidence when the first time to clean it comes. 😊 Welcome to the Glowforge family!
Super glad I found your video. Absolutely exellent! No my machine is spotless once again.
Love to hear it! 😁
You are the absolute best! I’ve learned so much from you. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos.
GREAT VIDEO! I am new to GF and saving this for future. What a great community and thank YOU for doing this!
Thanks for watching! The GF community is a fantastic one for sure, welcome! 😁
Thank you for this tutorial! You made it so much easier for me!
Glad to hear it, thanks for watching! 🙂
Thank you so so much! This was very helpful and I got my glowforge all cleaned :)
😀 happy lasering!
Great tutorial ... this will be my go to for cleaning moving forward!
OMG your the best..Thank you so much ..i was able to clean mine after watching how easy you made it ..
I love to hear that because that was my goal! I was so afraid when I was new, only to find out there was nothing to be afraid of! :D
Fabulous video! I really appreciate the detailed explanation. This has made me feel so much more comfortable with cleaning my GF. Can you please tell me - you mention to be careful of print head when removing and re-inserting the crumb tray. Is there a reason why not to remove the print head first?
I like to go ahead and remove the crumb tray so that I have a place to put my print head once I take it off and also so that I can continue from there to go ahead and remove the platform to get to the air assist fan. That was the order of the glowforge manual suggested so I've continued to do it that way. Of course there are times when I just do a quick clean of the print head lenses and for that I do not remove the crumb tray. I hope this answers your question! 😀
Thank you for the video! I jut got a good deal on a used Glowforge and it’s super dirty! I’ll be giving it a deep clean before I start using it.
Oh how exciting! It definitely works a lot better when clean 😁 hope you enjoy your new toy!
Great video!!! Very helpful! Now I'm not scared to clean mine!!
Excellent! So happy to hear that and for others to read it from someone else to reinforce it's not scary to clean 😁
Nicely done! Just what I was looking for!
no need to use chemicals to clean. Free and clear baby wipes works amazing! :)
Excellent video. Clear, concise explanations and great info. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
Thank you so much!! This is def the best video on cleaning the Glowforge!
Thank you so much for the compliment 😊
This was great! Added to my saved videos for when I need to clean mine.
So helpful! Thank you for doing this video.
Wow! You are so helpful. Thank you!!!
Thank you for this awesome video! I followed along and you made it so easy!
So glad to hear that! See, next time it won't be so scary ☺️
Thank you so much for this tutorial it was beyond perfect and I so appreciate it!
Great job! Thank you so much!
Thanks for making this informative video.
Thank you for watching!
This was perfect! ...Exactly what I needed! Thank you so much!
Love to hear it! Thank you 😁
Awesome video thanks for the tutorial.
I saw you had masking tape do you mind sharing where you get it?
Thanks for watching! The masking I have is here: www.amazon.com/dp/B07DF7TDSF/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_7xSmEbYM62RQ3
Super awesome...!!!! Thank you for sharing!
You're welcome!
Great video! I'm feeling confident in cleaning mine now :)
Great! I am on a mission to change the bad rep the left belt gets lol
Nicely done. Very helpful.
Thank you ☺️
Thank you!
You're welcome 😀
Thank you so much your video made it so much easier!
Glad to hear it!
You Rock !!! thanks for putting out this video , quick question so are we suppose to keep track of the usage for every cut so we know when 4j0 hours is ?
If you follow the 40 hrs they recommend, then yes you have to keep up with it on your own because unfortunately there is no feature currently to see your runtime. I usually do it when my cut fails to go all the way through or otherwise every few weeks.
@@LadyCrockettCrafts thank you for taking the time to answer
Hello I tried it and it worked thanks
Love to hear it!
Where is that blue thing for removing the lens?
It comes with the Glowforge
@@LadyCrockettCrafts thank you,even after cleaning the whole thing,the camera isn’t taking pictures.
Very helpful video. Thank you!
Also, wondering what you primarily cut in your machine? Mine is so dirty and I'm thinking my GF was long overdo for a clean!! Amazing how well it cuts, now that I've cleaned the lenses.
Thanks again!
You're welcome, glad it helped you! I cut a mix of plywood, mdf, and acrylic, pretty equally. It certainly does cut better when it is clean. My first sign to clean is when something doesnt cut all the way through.
fantastic video.. thank you
Very nice video. , thank you
THANK YOU!!
You're welcome!! 😁
Great video. Instead of removing the print head, what about just moving the print head , etc all the way forward and then you can see the fan in the back and use your compressed air on it?
If I understand your question correctly, the print head could not be pulled forward off the arm without removing the belt anyway, tension holding it on. Moving the whole arm forward won't help because the fan is still under the arm and laser tube. You could get creative sticking the nozzle under there, but you'd be going blind and can't see if it's getting cleaned. I recommend the GF instructions of taking it off 😁
Outstanding video. Thank you. ♥️
Fantastic! Thanks.
Thank You! Is there any difference between cleaning the Pro and the other Glowforges?
I believe they are all set up the same. The back of the machine where the exhaust comes out may look different now.
@@LadyCrockettCrafts I can't thank you enough for how easy you made this for me. Thank you for all of your time for these videos. They are a lot easier to understand than the GF ones.
how often do you do this? We just got ours this week and I was wondering when we needed to clean this video is super helpful
Congrats on your new toy! The manual linked in the description gives the recommended cleaning schedule. Otherwise, whenever you are having difficulty getting materials to cut all the way through is a good indicator that it's time to clean!
how do you get your crumb tray so clean?!
haha well at this point it hadn't been used that much is the reason it's so clean :) I don't have a good method to recommend unfortunately. I know there are several methods floating around the GF community though. The chore is in cleaning it without causing rust and I don't want to recommend anything that I haven't tested multiple times.
This is my first time cleaning because I’ve been scared to do it with Christmas orders. My print head is covered in Mdf dust. How could I clean that?
I wipe mine down gently with a warm damp rag to get most of it off the outside then clean as in the video for the internal parts. I will also wipe down the outside of the head again if needed at the end with an alcohol wipe.
@@LadyCrockettCrafts ok. Thank you so much!
Great video!! How do you keep the inside of your GF so clean, like on the left side where the lens is? Mine is super dirty, so I was just wondering how you do it?
It is definitely dirtier now! I just got a small handheld vacuum off Amazon with a flexible hose and nozzle attachments. Next time I clean that area I am going to carefully try to suction up the dust. I haven't worried about it much, just have been checking to make sure there's no debris in the belt and the track the wheels follow
Mines uber dirty too! I was just thinking the same thing. I have so much dust on the sides, even with a vacuum, it looks dirty. But all the videos I’ve seen about cleaning, their machines all look like this. I’m curious if it’s a venting issue. Are there good videos about ventilation? Preferably without venting outside. I am unable to do that at the moment 😔
Do I have to use Zeiss lens wipes? They're pretty expensive...I have others at hand as I wear glasses.
Similar items of a different brand should be fine. I think most people use Zeiss because one comes with the GF, but once this box runs out I think I'll switch too. The Zeiss dry out really fast causing me to use so many during a cleaning session.
@@LadyCrockettCrafts Thank you so much for the quick reply. A box of 200 Zeiss lens wipes costs 30€... And I'm actually from Germany. It's ridiculous. My lens wipes have a camera symbol on them, so I'm guessing they're safe to use. Thanks so much!
@@Kazuyo89 Holy cow they are less than half that here in US. You'd think Germany would be cheaper! 😆
What if the blue thing doesn’t snap? Mine is not snapping 😭
Check to see if the silver rim is still on your blue piece. Sometimes it can magnetize to the lens and get stuck on there instead. Let me know!
How can I get the files for the slding vent for glowforge?
I have a video for that too! The link to the files is in the description th-cam.com/video/2z7bww9fjAk/w-d-xo.html
Prying the timing bet off the wheel is not a good idea. It will eventually lead to stretching the belt. It is better to use an Allen wrench (2.5 or 3mm) to loosen the wheel and let it slide toward the left to remove tension and allow the belt to fall off. Reverse to put the belt on.
Yes, that is another way of doing it that users may want to consider so thanks for the detailed information. My instructions are from the Glowforge user manual but other methods, such as the one you mentioned, are often used with success too. Some people have issues using the Allen wrench method and not being able to get the belt taut again, for anyone considering between the two ways. I have not damaged mine with the videoed method in the 4 years having my GF fwiw. It slides off rather easy because it isn't really prying, it's just getting the belt off track as it turns naturally.
Very well done and comprehensive video. Thanks. What is your referral code? I am going to buy a plus next week. :)
How often do you use your laser?
Just about every day
OMg I really do not want to clean my laser--- I feel really worried about it// even with your video...
I was scared too, but turned out to be not even close to what I'd built it up to be. Read the cleaning instructions from Glowforge and do a familiarization walk through first, without taking anything apart, if you need to. Take it slow and careful and the GF and you will be fine! 😁
I am so glad I did not get a Glowforge. I got one of the big red lasers from Ebay for $1700. So much better.
I am very happy with my Glowforge. Glad you found something that works for you too.
How do you know it’s better? I’m happy it works for you but that’s a once sided comment Without the experience needed to make it. Good luck. Great video. Very detailed.
I had more anxiety watching this then the John Wick trilogy!!! Yikes ..not looking forward to this!!!
It isn't that hard, you'll be ok 😉 take it slow, read through the manual first and follow along with it. You got this. After the first time jitters, it's a piece of cake
@@LadyCrockettCrafts thanks... just getting to know it... your video is awesome!!!
Fantastic! Thank You.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!