I’ve had a blast with my Glowforge Aura this past month. It’s been a fun journey learning how to set it up (tip… take your time or it will take twice as long), cutting my first project, figuring out the nuances of the Glowforge web app, and learning how to design my own projects in Canva. Take a walk with me as we go down the rabbit hole into the Glowforge world.
What Is a Glowforge?
Glowforge is a brand of laser cutters that will take ordinary raw materials and turn them into amazing creations. I currently have the more economical model, Aura, and it’s been a fun addition to my maker setup at home.
A few of the materials you can cut include:
- Leather
- Acrylic
- Wood
- Paper
- Iron-On
And more!
Not only can you cut, but you can also engrave on a variety of materials. The Glowforge can engrave on all the above plus glass, coated metal, marble, anodized aluminum, titanium, some phones, tablets, and laptops, and more.
You might have seen the commercials where someone sticks their iPad into a machine and it comes out with a cool engraving on the casing. It’s pretty awesome and a fun way to kill time.
What Is Setting Up the Glowforge Like?
Setting up the Glowforge from unboxing to cutting your first project takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how fast you go. I recommend taking your time, knowing where it will live before it arrives, and doing all your research on your first cut before you venture into the real hardware.
Thanks to watching all the Glowforge videos ahead of time, I was able to save myself about 30 minutes of setup time. Unfortunately, I’m also very impatient and I went through a screen too fast, which set me back by about 15 minutes thanks to having to troubleshoot what I did wrong.
Once it was up and running, my first project was a set of keychains that I put my family’s initials/names on. These turned into markers on our door hooks to mark whose keys go where.
Materials and Glowforge Proof
My favorite materials to cut has been wood because the cut and engraving both come out super clean. I’ve learned that there is a difference in strength between the different wood materials.
Acrylic is nice, but in order to make the engraving stand out you have to use paint or, my personal favorite at the moment, a super thick Sharpie. I cover the piece in Sharpie marker and then wipe it down with alcohol to remove the excess that doesn’t get into the engraving or score marks. It works really well, but it can be a pain.
As for materials, I’ve only used Proofgrade materials, which are specifically made to be used with the Glowforge laser printers. Proofgrade materials have a QR code on them that the software reads and then sets the laser settings for you without any trial and error. They are pricy, but in my opinion, it’s worth it to not have to worry about fidgeting with settings and wasting material trying to figure it out
You can use non-Proofgrade materials, but you will have to dial in the settings, which could mean a waste of materials while you try to figure it out.
Premium Subscription
You can’t talk Glowforge anything without talking about the premium subscription that you need to access some of the tools and designs.
The Glowforge premium subscription gets you access to faster servers to cut your projects, tools such as outlines, shapes, and text (as well as others), and a whole catalog of designs. You can purchase some of the designs without a subscription, but the subscription gets you access to them all without that extra cost.
When you purchase your Glowforge, you get access to the premium subscription as a trial for 14 days starting the first day you log into the app. Make sure you test out all that the subscription has to offer during that time because, at the end of the 14 days, all the projects and tools will be locked down.
As an added tip, I would suggest doing a simple project and marking down how long it takes. When your subscription runs out, do that same project again and see how long it takes. This will help you see if those faster servers are really faster in your area and for what you are going to be doing.
What Have I Used Glowforge For?
Over the past month, I’ve used my Glowforge for projects pertaining to the holidays. I’ve also made a lot of keychains and earrings because they are small and quick projects that I can use acrylic or wood to make.
For Christmas, I always give my family an ornament, and this year, instead of buying them, I made them with the Glowforge. I really like the design I found on Etsy, and importing the files was easy as pie.
I’ve also made my family keychains with the theme of “adventure” since they are all travelers.
For my son, I found this cool Christmas tree money puzzle that doubles as an ornament. I printed four of them out and I’m putting his Christmas money in them and hiding them in the tree for him to find on Christmas day. He saw the first one and loved it, so I figured this would be an additional piece of fun for him. The best part is they are reusable, so I can put them away for next year and just change up the combination of the pieces to unlock it.
Likes and Dislikes of the Glowforge
First, the Glowforge Aura has the perfect footprint for what I enjoy making. I’m not a big wood or acrylic project person or someone who has the patience to do larger projects. I enjoy small projects with some engraving and detailed cuts. I also like the fact that, for the most part, it’s pretty quiet. (I measured it at around 66 db standing next to it.) I run two fans on top of my Glowforge because I’m super sensitive to smells. (My husband and son don’t smell anything around it, so I know it’s a me thing.) Those fans make it a little loud but not loud enough that when I run it at 5 AM,which I frequently do, it wakes up anyone in my super small home.
My biggest complaint about the Aura is the cost of the premium subscription. At the time, when my trial ran out, it was going to equate to about $50 per month for me to run the software with all the features unlocked. You can pay $600 for the year and save a little money, but that is still a lot of money for something that already costs $1,199 to purchase. I understand someone has to pay for the servers, though, so if the price was down to maybe $30 a month, I could see more of a justification to purchase it.
What’s Next for My Glowforge Aura?
This is not the last time you will hear me talk about the Glowforge. Thanks to them sending me a machine, I’m going to be writing up more about projects, tips and tricks, and my journey into this side of the maker space. I’ve seen some amazing things done with the Glowforge Aura, and I’m excited to try some of them myself.
The Glowforge Aura retails for $1,199 and can be purchased from Glowforge’s website, Joann Fabrics, and Michaels. If you purchase from Glowforge using my link, you will get a $50 gift card with your purchase!
Disclaimer: GeekDad was sent a review sample.
