Delivery of the Glowforge

I last updated stating I received my Glowforge in this blog post here. 

Glowforge is currently focussed to shipping to their Amercian customers.  As a Canadian and who also works in the same industry as FLEX, I anticipated this and had mine shipped to a US mailbox and hoped the exchange rate stays towards my favour when I need to pay the taxes

The past few weeks, there’s been dozons of complains of how the shipments seems come in with surprisng amount of damage beyond the expected wear and tear of gound transit.  When mine arrived, I was releived that the package actually came in good shape

UPS delivered or the mail post box stored my box upside down.  It’s upsetting that those ‘This side up’ stickers was obviously ignored.  I was pretty worried about it.  There’s an internal cooling system and what if that leaked?   What if that put pressure on the internal parts, especially the tube?  Nothing could be done about that then so off we went back home.

Funny though, when we returned to Canada, the officer seemed suprised when declared “Laser Cutter”.  I was a little worried, but he sent us in to pay the taxes and we were on our way!

I’m not going to bore you with any unboxing videos as there were equally excited owners out there who already took the time. There’s two good ones so hyou get a sense of the size

From Tom Stringham.  He recorded with a headband camera

Or from Zach Malloch. 

Since the machine was delivered upside down, the warning note inside stating to read the manual first got shifted and fell into the box where I didn’t see it.  Please note, please:

Read the MANUAL

There’s a specific order to unpackage and set up the unit.  Had I not watched those videos before hand, I’m pretty sure I would have broke something.  The Glowforge in a temporaty home in the family garage.  Due to restricted living quarters, I wasn’t able to set up my studio.  I’ll take those photos when she’s moved to her final place.   

Thoughts about the GlowForge

Recall back in 2015 how excited I was to invest in the crowdfunding campaign to purchase a Glowforge.  By Oct 11, 2017, two years to the day I placed my order, I still haven’t received my machine.   During this period of time, the company has delayed shipping several times due to parts, design, logistics issues and many other reasons.  Each time resulting in disappointment.  Review the forums, many owners are simply fed up, some cancelled, some complain, many hanging on.

I’m in the group who stayed with it for the long hual.  Admittingly, I needed encouragement to avoid cancelling.  However, I try and remind myself that it’ll be worth it.  Here’s my personal reasons:

We can afford to wait

The money did not come out of the family budget, it came out of my profits out of Cindy Ho Designs. Even if I did use family funds, my husband would have supported the purchase.  He always say thatI never spoil myself.    Some owners took out loans or sold personal posessions in order to get into the initial crowdfunding.  Many took on embarrassment and conflict from friends and spouses.

Glowforge has a Business Plan

Startups are always poise some risk, especially when they have to rely on crowdfunding.  Look what happened to TIKO3D, who ran out of money as a result of the founder’s inexperience and arrogance. 

I researched the founders and the investers before placing my order.  I felt confident they will produce as promised.  I also researched TIKO3D.  I invested feeling that was a good chance I wouldn’t reap the reward. 

Disclaimer: I was one of the lucky few who actually received the TIKO3D.  It’s a nice product, it’s too bad that they failed their venture.

The Glowforge is still a really great deal

A similar machine was $5000 to $8000 in 2015.   I purchased this machine for just under $2000 with shipping included.   Even with the delays, the Glowforge is still a great deal.  Also with the purchase if you can get 10 new customers sign up through your referral link you’d get $100 discount for up to 10 new customers.  I was lucky enough to get 10 (so far).  If they don’t cancel before they receive their units, the machine will only be $1000 plus import tax

Production Units are Shipping

Owners has been posting their feedback online and in the forums.  Most are loving their machines and sharing their experiences.  When you see the potential and hearling people using their machines reignites my excitement as I know the machine exists.

Glowforge are Quick to Resolve Issues

There were a few machines damaged during shipping, one actually had the glass lid and tube smashed.  That’s the fault of the courier but Glowforge were quick to jump to replace or correct the problem

Was there a moment that I wanted to cancel?   

The only true time I was angry after waiting over a year.  Glowforge announced users had to return their machines to them to replace the tubes when they wear out.  After the warrently period, the shipping cost is on the customer.  If outside the USA during the warrenty period, all shipping cost are on the customer.     There was no way I was going to ship my 32 kilogram (70 pound) machine for tube replacement.  Anytime you move anything, there’s always risk of damage and the shipping cost would have been at least $300-$500.  In one announcement they shut out all International customers as the cost was too high.  This caused enough uproar thath Glowforge resinded and will figure out how to instruct the users to replace these tubes themselves.

Do I still think holding out is it worth it?

When I wrote the above, it’s been in draft for a few weeks as I haven’t had alot of time to write.  Guess what, I received the machine!  After all the heartache and negative emotions:

YES IT IS WORTH THE WAIT

I’ve only been using it for a couple of days now, however, so far, it’s been great!  I will be writing more on my experiences with this machine as my time allows, however, if you want to see projects on the go, please follow my Instagram account: @CindyHoDesigns.  If you have any feedback or suggestions, please let me know. 

For any of you are holding out, please hang in there

Tips You Should Do At the Start of Every Work Day

The first few hours of your have a significant effect of your level of productivity.  It sets the pace of the day and how my morning starts usually direct or derails my focus.  Having a good productive start gives you greater control of critical tasks, achieving better results and ultimately greater success to both your career and well being.  For me I don’t like ending the day feeling unproductive and distracted.

Arrive on Time and Keep it Consistant

You’d think it’s obvious to most of us to show up and work your expected hours.   Many don’t have a consistent start time.  This affects how your peers or managers who were already in the office perceives you.  You can feel they are silently judging you.  Worrying about your reputation is mentally draining and can affect your day.  If your routine or commute requires you to arrive later then your peers, keep it consistant and try to leave after you served the minimum 8 (ish) hours.   Peers are more forgiving when they know your set hours and it’s obvious that you need to come in later.

Take a Deep Breath and Relax

Seriously.  Take. A. Deep. Breath.  Many come into work stressed due to the terrible morning commute or running late due to morning errands.  As soon as they arrive they dive in to the issues of the day.  Slowing down and taking a moment before you start does wonders.  In the morning, I actually meditate with a cup of coffee.  I try not a tackle anything work related.  I savour that cup.  When I do start the day, I’m not starting it in a harried state that probably affects the quality of my work

Be a Morning Person

(or at least pretend to be)

I’m a hard core night owl.  I regularly work on my small business at night since that’s the only time I have to give it attention.   On average it’s 4 hours a night so I go to bed at 12:30AM and wake at 6:00AM the next day.  I still have a day job that still deserves my 100%.   If you are not a morning person, you need to “suck it up” and at least have the façade of having a positive attitude.  You don’t need to be the extreme and come in singing the days praises.  A politer “Good Morning” without the tired grumpy tone in your voice will suffice.  After practicing for a few years it actually became part of my professional personality.   Your attitude has a direct impact on its effects to others

Organize your day

That first hour is the best time to assess your priorites and focus on what you absolutely need to accomplish.  To my earlier point, that is why I savour my first cup of coffee.   I don’t dive into the never ending new emails.  Sometimes I write a top 5 to do list after thinking of what I left off the previous day but only if I have alot on my plate.  90% of those emails are not true priorities.  If it was that important, I’d have an phone call, voice mail or a post it note on my monitor.   My take is if someone take the time to pick up a phone or write a note, that task is extremely important to them.  Those are the people that I will break my ‘savour my coffee’ rule as it doesn’t happen very often.  Their gratitude is usually more motivating and still sets a positive tone to my day.

Inktober 2017 Challenge

 

It’s amazing how life just derails you.  Things has slowed down the last months as I needed to take a break from Cindy Ho Designs.  I wasn’t enjoying it anymore.  I still love the making and designing, but the business side I lost the passion.  When one starts dreading the mundane side of entrepreneurship that is necessary to build a successful business, it’s best to take a break.  2017 has been a little dismal in sales, but a wonderful recharge to the passion.  

Now that I’m trying to “bring it on” again, I’m not sure how to go about it. I want to design, but I want to learn someting new but I’m not ready to dive back into being a business woman again but I want to showcase what I can do to any audience who may like my work, even though I’m always a work in progress.

Then I realized it’s the fall and it’s an opportunity for me to give this a shot. This year I’m going to attempt: 

Inktober was a personal challenge by a great artist, Jake Parker, in 2009 so he could improve and develop his drawing skills and he started posting his work on social media. I first learned about it in 2015 when I started

Technorati Tags: Inktober

to follow illustrators on Instagram when they were taking on the challenge that year.  I tried it in 2016 but failed miserably as I just gave too many excuses not to draw each day. 

I’m going to attempt to draw at least once every other day and see how much I improve from Day 1.

I admit, I’m not following the rules as you are supposed to be drawing something in ink on paper.  The traditional way.  However, I really want my develop my skills on a digital canvas.

Wish me luck!  Please follow my attempts on my Instagram account user name @CindyHoDesigns

Fireside Chat with Dan Sharpio, CEO of Glowforge (Ubiquity Dev Summit 2016)

Recently, I thought what was the last thing I really got excited about.  It was preordering a Glowforge during its original crowdfunding campaign .  Alot has happened since that preorder.  The most devestating was when they made the decision to push back the shipping date due to major issues with their power supply. 

My background is in supply chain in the electronics industry.  Trust me, it’s an extemely critical component.   Any of you who were upset over the delay:  You do now want your investment to fail you within 24, 12 or even 6 months after you started to rely on it?  It’s always better to be late and disappoint your customer then to ship a poor quality product. 

People will alway remember poor quality, they will forgive and forget.

I haven’t been following the progress or the forums so started to search found this insightful interview with Dan Sharpio, CEO

Fireside Chat with Dan Sharpio, CEO of Glowforge (Ubiquity Dev Summit 2016)

It’s worth the the hour long interview!   It wasn’t really about the product but more of the business around managing and working a start up.  There’s so many backers who are still eagerly awaiting this product, so much so, I was shocked to hear statesments of backer sacrifices:

• This is the car I sold to buy my Glowforge 
• Oh yeah me too, this is the car I sold to buy my Glowforge
• I took out a loan against my 401K
• I already let my boss know I will give my notice when I get this so I can go and start my company

As a CEO owner, the risk is more then just releasing a product, it’s also on his  and the company’s reputation.  He absolutely cannot allow a subpar product to be seeded into the market.  If it fails, there won’t be any future business and support for any of us.

This one statement resonates with me:

Realignment of where some of the skills that made you successful at a large company may in fact contribute to your failure to a small company. 

Then summarized an example of how to manage a beaucracy effectively.  How that is a core skill in a large company to manage your career motives, agendas and directions to make everyone to know how much value you give to the company.  In a smaller company, you create you value for yourself by making your company valuable.

After listening to this interview, what I realized was that I lost passion because I chose not to continue learning and trying to grow.  I was waiting for something to happen that’s completely out of my control.   

Sometimes you need to listen to a innovator who is walking the path that you want to take.  I hope to meet Mr. Sharpio one day on a professional level.    

(Actually maybe I shouldn’t.  I’m sure I’d have illogical geek fangirl moment)

Economical Alternatives to Canada Post

If you are a Canadian running a online business, I’m sure you heavily relied on Canada Post like I have when fullfilling orders for Cindy Ho Designs.  The threat of a union strike this past summer literly struck fear in my professional being. 

What the hell am I going to do now?

Using alternative couriers like UPS and FedEx wasn’t really an option as the prices for the package types I have would have been 5 times the cost.  If I’m shipping a light weight print that normally be $5.00, would you really pay $50 if I shipped it by FedEx?

I didn’t want to stop just because Canada Post Union wanted to hold us hostage to their dispute.    I did alot of research and found two companies that would suite my business needs.  Click on the company name to access both their company websites.  Below is just a short summary of comparisons:

	Canvus Express	Chit Chat Express
Location	Only serving the Vancouver area Drop off location is not on the website but it’s close to corner of Chales Street and McLean off Commerical Drive	If you don't leave near Richmond office, they offer fullfillment services They will pick up your packages and ship for you for a fee
Shipping Prices	Shipping prices are not on the website The quotes I received is nearly the same as the US Post	Shipping Prices are same or less as US Post
Fees BC, Canada Only	It varies but the average is: $1.00 for parcel $0.50 for letter and rigidmail	It varies but the average is $0.25 to $1.00 for letter & rigid mail $1.00 to $12.40 for parcels - price dependent on weight
Availability	Call - they seem to accept packages on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays Didn't get an answer if open on weekends by time this post was written	Monday to Friday Closed Saturday and Sunday

 

Which did I chose?

I do most of my shipping with Chit Chats but it’s nothing against Canvus.  It came down to the following three reasons:

• Location: 20 min drive on highway, less on gas.  Canvus is closer but paid parking
• Weight of most of my products are less then one pount (500 grams)
• Convience: They are open every day with set hours

This is the right decison for me.  However, when I have packages that weigh more then 1 pound (500 grams), Canvus looks to be more cost effective.  The Canvus sales representative is helpful and professional. 

Ask a Manager!

My intention in 2016 was to write more often.  As you notice, the last time I wrote to you was in January 2016!    Not knowing where to start, why not start small and write what I know based on that last few months?  Maybe you might be interested.  If not, let me know!

It got extremely busy at my career job.  For those who don’t know, I do have a current career in supply chain and a high tech contract manufacturing firm.  I buy the raw materials to build circuit boards.  It can be a very stressful job and that’s what happened the first 8 month of this year.   I did take a break from Cindy Ho Designs for a few weeks to avoid the burn out.

The past few months, alot of my focus is working with people and co-worker relationships.  Anyone who works in an office understand that things that will affect yoour performace.   This year it has been tough and it wasn’t about the work.  It was about the people I worked with:

• chews snacks with mouth open
• prides to be an expert in everything
• oversharing information
• many hours of personal phone calls
• negative attitutes
• pawning off work to others
• bullies

My list is really much more extensive than this but it’s a range for minor annoyances to issues that affect my performance. 

So what can I do about it?

I consider myself a professional level headed office person.  (some of you might snicker if you know me personaly).  I often give advice and coaching myself who reach out to me. However, for some reason, I couldn’t follow my own advice.  I just kept my head down and worked.  This went on for weeks until I was so annoyed that I was unhappy.

There’s lots of ways to deal with these behaviours but I really didn’t want to since all of this isn’t serious enough for me to bring to HR or the boss.   At the same time, it doesn’t make sense to be  frustrated when you spend one third of your life at the office.

So here’s the thing, I really didn’t know what to do (I always knew what to do)  I was so overwhelmed with these people and I didn’t have a mentor or anyone in similar sition to confide in.  So what would anyone probably woudl do:

I googled it

It let me to this great blog of Alison Green whose experience where people ask their work related issues and she will respond.  Boy I’m so happy to find this blog.  Just reading the blog reminded me that of course these issues are common and put my problems into perspective.  The renewed perspective took the feeling of burden off my shoulders literally overnight.  I thought:

You know what, I can handle this.   I can do this.

I thought to start, at least share the blog that reset my thoughts on dealing with issue with the workplace for anyone who might be similar to my position.

www.askamanager.org

If you ever read this, thank you Alison!

Cindy Ho Designs – Year Two

Still a full time mom and still have my full time career but Cindy Ho Designs has gotten busier.   In order to keep organized, in the first quarter of this year my shop was split into three categories.

1. Foils and Artwork – www.cindyhodesigns.com
2. Decals and Stickers - cindyhodecals.etsy.com
3. Craft Supplies – cindyhosupplies.etsy.com

This also helped me service my customers better since each store offer very different things.  Also I’ve been freelancing making handmade greeting cards which developed my designing skills.

It’s been a great experience so far.   The profits from my shop has paid for all my tools without dipping into the family budget.  Back in October, I preordered a Glowforge laser cutter without hesitation.  This has been my largest investment yet and I didn’t few it as a ‘toy’.  I viewed the unit as opportunity to expand on my dream.  I’m a little nervous as it’s a whole new learning curve, but I know this is perfect stepping stone toward my goals.

For those who like my work or ordered my designs,

Thank You! 

Jewel – Husky Digital Cutting File

A couple of years ago,  Ana asked to make a custom family Christmas card for her.  She’s one of the most vibrant ladies I’ve ever met.  She had a sweet husky named Jewel.

I generally prefer designing my own cutting files, however, she didn’t give me a lot of time to design her and her son. So I purchased some ready made files from SVG Cutting Files and made some adjustments to suit so they represented her family well.  This site is a great for any owner of a desktop digital cutter.    Their files fully editable so you can customize your creations. 

Jewel, however, I wanted to make my own cutting file as I couldn’t find cutting file that matched the SVG ones purchased.  I took heavy reference to a cute husky drawing done by a talented artist with the handle Gingalengendamterasu on Deviantart.  It was a frustrating but wonderful challenge to recreate the husky as a paper cut project.  The project ended up wonderfully.

Buying Handmade Cards – It’s Only Paper!

I’m writing my own take on what you are really paying for when buying handmade.  If you happen to follow my Instagram account, lately I’ve been posting handmade greeting cards.  Contrary to popular belief, I don’t sell handmade greeting cards.   I enjoy making them and pride goes into each one, but not to include in my Cindy Ho Designs product line.  I don’t enjoy making them for other people.  The time and the money spent on materials, I’d want a minimum of $10 to $15 for custom card work, which 80% of those who ask are caught off guard with sticker shock and try to negotiate! 

“It’s only paper!”

“I can buy that from Walmart for $3.00”

“I can make that myself!”

“What?  I should get a discount, I’m your friend!”

I’m the type of person who can stand firm and move on if the project doesn’t happen.  Offended, yes, but try not to show it.  For many sellers, these comments hits them in the heart like an insult and they can fester.  

“How could these people trivialize the heart and soul put into this piece of art?”  

These customers are not in your target market anyway.  I do admit when these people react in a way that my art has no value and calling it ugly that stings like someone throwing sand in my eyes.

Side note:  There’s many artists out there who make really nice handmade cards that are much nicer then mine.  Okay, on that note, I’m plugging  Lucky Charms Card Collection.  Her cards are nicer because that’s her passion.  Tell her ‘hi’ for me!

Back to the topic.  When buying handmade, take into consideration the quality of materials, expertise, time and love spent for the artisan to create an original and unique work of art.   For a one off custom design by me, it takes at least an hour, hence the $10 to $15 price tag.  That’s barely minimum wage.

If you wondering why I even take on cards orders at all?  Honestly, it’s good seed revenue for the shop and helps build up a indirect portfolio to showcase my style.   I also love the designing step, transferring it into a cutting or illustration design.    If I choose to take on a project that pays me way below living wage, it is to design for future products.

Busy is a Sickness by Scott Dannmiller

I recently read this article written by Scott Dannemiller about how being busy is a sickness and it really resonated with me.  I’ve fell in this trap myself a few times in my lifetime, but I know so many who insist of trying to cram in too much in a day that life just passes you by:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-dannemiller/busy-is-a-sickness_b_6761264.html

A really good read!

Random Thoughts on Social Media

Social media gives us the power to share parts of our lives out onto the Internet.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  For most out there, it’s in the range of the Good and the Bad.  I like that range, it shows the human.  However, I just got the taste of witnessing the Ugly.  I recently unfollowed someone I really liked on Twitter because of a juvenile twitter war between two estranged sisters.  What it comes down to they both think they are defending themselves because the other is wrong, but there’s a lot of curse words in it.   This got me thinking, what’s with people who decide to feud over their social media accounts. 

It will Hurt your Career or Prospective Jobs

Twitter is a public social media forum.  What you say is out there forever even if you delete your twitter account.  One of the first things some companies do is research their candidates to see if they are on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.   A couple of hires my company was considering lost their candidacy just because of what they posted on Instagram publically and it was a bad reflection of who they are.    I hear you, what you do in your off hours is your time.  I feel the same way.  However, it’s one thing to shot gun that beer while doing a handstand, it’s another bragging about it in photos for everyone to see.

No One Really Cares

When the feud is between regular individuals, no one really cares outside your circle of your actual friends and family.  On Facebook, I witnessed a niece doing the passive aggressive statements to one of my friends.   It got bad enough that I unfriended my actual friend until that period was over before re-friending him.  There was no chance, I was going to allow being sucked into that conversation.  (this was before I figured out how to mute).    I have my own personal issues to worry about.  Unless someone is going to confessing the intention to breaking a law, I do not care if both of you feel that she is more successful or better then the other.  If you start to stress out, you’re already too emotionally invested in the feud.

Tweets are Buried Anyways

Tweeting works.   When I was promoting my referral link when I purchased my Glowforge, I know many of the referrals was from posting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter because I didn’t know any of the users personally.   When you tweet on something that doesn’t really add value, just like in a feud, no one outside your follower list reads them with the billions of tweets sent out the moment you send yours.

Which Vinyl Do I Need?

For awhile I was experimenting with vinyl cutting with some scraps that I was lucky to rescue from the recycling bin at my work.  When I purchased my BossKut Cutter, it was originally intended just for paper and cardstock.  Sticker cutting was not part of the plan.  When I decided to get into producing and selling some decals, then it became research to finding the best vinyl to use for my customers.   I found that this flowchart created by a great blog Clever Some Day easily sums up what is the best vinyl for your application.  If you follow the link, she has a PDF that you can download and print for your reference. 

Wake UP. Kick Ass. Be Kind. Repeat – Excellent reminder to work at your best!

 

This is one of my favourite prints!

Learning to Work in an Open Environment

For those who know me very well, I’m a extremely introverted person..  I try to portray a friendly open extrovert at work but for the most part, I rather just go to work, do the job and go home to my family.  

I work at a 3rd Tier Electronics Company Manufacturer and the culture style is an open environment.  The primary purpose of offices who adopt an open environment workspace is to make is easy for team members to have open communication and easy collaboration of ideas.  This isn’t for everyone.  There are more distractions, noisy and more transparency between colleagues.  However despite the potential drawbacks, it’s an environment that works for my company and most of us thrive in this culture.

As a introvert, I had to adapt and developed a few things that helped me focus at the tasks on hand

Develop a ‘Invisible Wall’

People chat more in a open environment and often a lot longer then talking about the weather.  To get out of these conversations, these often work:

• Wearing headphones
• Put up a sign
• Block it out on your calendar (to avoid people booking your time)
• If you use intercompany communicator – set yourself as ‘busy’
• Close your email software – if it’s an emergency, they’ll find you

Step Away from the Desk

None of us are chained at our desks.  For more in-depth conversation with details that shouldn’t be shared, have it at a coffee shop or a spare meeting room.  Sometimes I borrow a company laptop and I work in spare room from time to time.

Personalize Your Work Space

Since we are at work 30% of the time 5 days a week, it’s natural to want to enjoy our space.  Bring a plant, small aquarium, pictures or decorations, things that that are acceptable for your company.

For me, I have a Lego mini-figure collection based on the Marvell super heroes.  Yes, I do play with them

Work During Quieter Times

Adjust your hours when it’s more quiet, maybe earlier before most people arrive or later when most people left for the day.  This ensures interruption time to focus on your projects.  Or once in a while and if you have work that flexible enough, work from home.

Banned Laser Cutting and Engraving Material

* Jumping on Soapbox *

One of the first things we need to know before even using any laser is what material you can or shouldn’t engrave or cut.  When you receive your Glowforge or any other laser cutting machine, the temptation of “playing with your new toy” is so tempting. 

This is NOT A TOY. 

Anyone wants to play without reading the manual and understanding the hazards are at risk for self injury, injury of others and danger of a fire

* Jumps off the Soapbox *

I apologize, this is in response after reading the community forums on both Etsy and Glowforge citing how excited they are about their machine or rejecting it because of how dangerous they feel it is.  My fear is people not reading the manual and cut material that will seriously harm them, children or even burn down their homes.  I don’t want to project my paranoia to you, but I rather make us novices stop and think.  As devil’s advocate, if you follow precautions, a laser machine will be very safe as long as you keep an eye on it while it’s running

On to the subject of this post:

I thought I could do is cut my decal designs and replace my BossKut machine if I figured out not cut past the liner.  The decals will be much more precise and could sell much more complicated designs.  Unfortunately, it’s not going to happen.  I read on the forums a big warning from more experienced users not to cut PVC.  PVC will emit chlorine gas which will damage your lungs and corrode the machine.  

So since vinyl cannot be put into a laser machine, I wanted to know what else couldn’t.  Below is a list summarized after finding these repeated among many different laser services and manufacturers as extremely hazardous to humans and the machine

Material	Health & Danger Issues	Material & Machine Issues	Examples
PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) Vinyl Pleather Artificial leather	Emits pure chlorine gas	Ruins optics Corrodes metal damages motion control system	It’s the most widely used plastic.  Good list of examples on Mommy’s Footprint Blog
Polycarbonate / Lexan	Catches fire	Absorbs infrared radiation Cuts Poorly Discolors	Water Bottles Greenhouses CD, DVD, Blue Ray Safety Googles
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)	Emits cyanide gas Melts	Cuts poorly Melts doesn't vaporize Melted material deposit will burn inside the machine	Lego Some 3D Printing Filaments Toy instruments Pipes
HDPE (High-density polyethylene)	Catches fire melts	Melts doesn't vaporize Melted material deposit will burn inside the machine	Milk bottles Water Jugs Household cleaner bottles margarine tubs
Polystyrene Foam	Catches fire melts	Melts doesn't vaporize Melted material deposit will burn inside the machine	Foam packaging, Styofoam takeout containers and cups craft pompoms reusable bags
Polypropylene Foam	Catches fire melts	Melts doesn't vaporize Melted material deposit will burn inside the machine	construction insulation
Fiberglass	Emits fumes	Glass cannot be cut Epoxy emits the fumes	pools boats car parts insulation
Carbon Fiber	Emits noxious fumes	Carbon fiber cuts poorly	car parts pools bathtubs

Learning about Lasers: Laser Categories

Ever since pre-ordering the Glowforge, I’ve been obsessed about learning more about laser cutting and etching equipment.  It’s the largest expense made to date so I wanted to ensure I know how to take care of it.  Since Glowforge is so new, they haven’t finalized their design yet.  No online manuals yet for us.  The internet contains a wealth of information.  The Glowforge machine is really a scaled down version of the industrial machine.

Since I’m reading up on it anyway, why not share some of the knowledge with beginners just like me.  If you have any feedback and / or comments, please let me know!

Glowforge offers a Class I laser and a Class 4 laser

• Class I (Basic model) means you don’t have to take additional safety precautions to be safe
• Class 4 (Pro Model) means you have to take precautions like posting warning signs and wear proper safety glasses

I’m looking forward to reading Glowforge’s safety precautions about it when it become available.  However, it’s good to know about all the classes so you know where your machine fits in the industry.  So I copied and pasted this excerpt that I found very helpful from the Ackland’s Grainger Website. 

Disclaimer: I’m not an expert and you must always refer to the guidelines from the manufacture or your machine or their website for your safety and safety of those around you.

Laser Categories (Excerpted from Acklands Grainger):

Vision damage can occur from directly viewing the laser source or if the laser beam hits the eye. Damage is usually severe, and may result in blindness, which is why direct viewing of the laser source and its reflections should be avoided. A laser's reflective beam intensity may equal its direct beam intensity; therefore, no reflective objects or surfaces should be in the area with the laser.

Light is radiant energy and is defined as electromagnetic radiation. It is measured in wavelengths and described in nanometers (nm). A laser produces an intense beam of light of a single wavelength (or color) and frequency. Laser intensity varies from low power (Class 1, 2, and 3A lasers), to medium (Class 3B) to high power (Class 4). The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) classifies lasers into categories and gives guidelines on laser safety in the standard Z136.1. Following are laser categories as outlined by ANSI.

Class 1: Cannot emit laser radiation at known hazard levels. Users of Class 1 lasers are generally exempt from radiation hazard controls during operation and maintenance, but not necessarily during service. Most Class 1 industrial lasers consist of a higher class laser enclosed in a properly interlocked and labeled protective enclosure.

Class 2: Low-power visible lasers. Emit laser radiation above Class 1 levels and radiant power not above 1mW. The human aversion reaction to bright light will protect the person from this low level. Example: a supermarket laser scanner.

Class 3A: Intermediate-power lasers. Only hazardous for intrabeam viewing. Some limited controls are usually recommended. Example: a helium-neon laser used in the construction industry.

Class 3B: Moderate-power lasers. Not generally a fire hazard and not capable of producing a hazardous diffuse reflection, except in instances of intentional staring at distances close to the diffuser. Specific controls are recommended.

Class 4: High–power lasers. Hazardous to view under any condition (directly or diffusely scattered). Potential fire hazard and a skin hazard. Significant controls are required for Class 4 laser facilities. Example: an Excimer laser operating in the ultraviolet.

A laser's danger varies depending on which area of the light spectrum it is generating. The ultraviolet radiation laser (180-400nm) causes corneal burns. Lasers in the near-infrared region (780-1800nm) cause retinal damage. These are usually Class 2, 3A, 3B and 4 lasers. The high-powered lasers, Class 3B and 4, can also cause electrical shock and skin burns. A skin cover, like opaque gloves and tightly woven fabrics, and or a "sun screen" may be recommended.

A laser consists of a resonant optical cavity filled with an active medium. The medium is acted upon by some source of excitation energy. The media could be one of three types: a solid state, a gaseous state, or a semiconductor or injection-type. Solid lasers use a crystal, e.g., ruby, glass or a semiconductor (argon) as the light amplifying substance, producing a pulsating laser beam. A gaseous state laser (helium-neon) produces a continuous beam.

For information on the laser’s wattage or power of the laser, refer to the instruction/maintenance manual.

Thank You for the Support for a Glowforge

Over one week ago, I announced I preordered Glowforge laser cutter.  For those who helped me out by purchasing through my referral link,

Thank You!

As a small business, even the basic model is a huge investment and each of you made a difference.    Much of my spare time was focused on learning on what I was really getting into.  All the previous research showed meant a lot of tinkering with a low cost offshore machine and learning new software.  After hovering in the forums and watching more videos, I’m convinced that this machine is the right one for me.  I admit one concern the machine is completely wireless – meaning internet is required and designs are transmitted through a cloud.  Glowforge did leave it open source that if they ever go under, then we could still reprogram it so we could continue using it.    That’s something to consider.  For me, I’m pretty rusty in my coding skills, but I still have confidence the company will be around long after the first generation pre-order units have been delivered and they’ll have 2^nd and 3^rd generations in the years to come.

If you are still thinking of getting your own, you can still get 40% of the retail price on the preorder and if you click on this link here, you can still get $100 off your purchase

Unfortunately for me, I probably will not receive my unit until sometime in 2016 so it’s going to be a tough time as I have many ideas in my mind that my BossKut Gazzelle isn’t able to do.  In fact, I’m already sketching out ideas and I’m pretty sure I’ll have a few SVGs ready in a few weeks!

Glowforge: Save $100 for Yours and receive 75% off your order from my Etsy Shops

I haven't been this excited for a long time on any new equipment.  I wanted to expand my designs out of the stationary and illustrations into higher end artwork and practical product. I'm excited to announce that I just pre-ordered a Glowforge 3D laser printer.

If you are already looking to get one, you can save $100.  Use this link to buy & get $100 off their 50%-off launch price using my referral ink Oct 28, 2015. 

http://glowforge.com/referred/?kid=eKR0Mh

** hint: If you are Canadian and drop shipping in Washington, USA for pickup, use your own postal code and you won’t be charged the sales tax. You shouldn’t pay this tax unless you live in Washington State. This way, you just pay the standard duty tax when you bring it back home.

Receive 75% off on your orders with Cindy Ho Designs

If you choose to buy your own Glowforge using my referral link, please let me know by emailing me to cindyhodesigns@gmail.com I will forward a coupon link that will you 75% the price of any product in either Etsy store (shipping extra) from now until October 30th:

• CindyHoDesigns.etsy.com
• CindyHoSupplies.etsy.com
• CindyHoDecals.etsy.com

Why did I choose Glowforge?

For months, I’ve been searching for a laser cutter that:

• will be strong enough to cut through a variety of materials
• is enclosed to be safe from the children
• fits on the desktop
• is easy to learn – which meant going with a brand name

Everything I’d like to have is built in the Rayjet Laser, it would have been perfect but way out of my budget at $10,000 to $15,000. I could have went with $3000 or under with a non-brand name from overseas but knowing there would be lack of customer support coupled with the fact I’m not that technical would have been months of frustration to learn how to use it.  I would probably will throw it out the window or burn the house down. I started researching a diode laser engraver which would have been under $1000, but there were too many compromises on speed and cutting options that I couldn't accept.

Then I stumbled upon Glowforge. This machine fits all my criteria at the fraction of the cost. Rayjet is still a much more advanced machine, but Glowforge is a better fit for a small business. I found Glowforge so late in the game, but lucky enough that there is a 50% presale price going on. The basic is a $3995 machine but until Oct 28, it’s offered @ $1995 plus shipping. It’ll probably be until next year before I receive my unit and when I do, I’ll write about my laser adventures. I hope after a few years, Cindy Ho Designs will grow enough that I can get a Rayjet as my upgrade

Summer Fan Garland by Craftaholics Anonymous

One of my favourite bloggers posted this great tutorial using the Martha Stewart Score Board last year. 

Please click on the below hyperlink and enjoy!

Summer Fan Garland Tutorial