Tools of the Trade: Glowforge Aura

Last Fall, we acquired this shiny new tool to expand the kind of intricate cutting and engraving we could do. Here it is — the glowforge Aura.

If you have the crafting bug, chances are you have seen many of the amazing projects that makers are creating using in-home craft lasers. We were particularly drawn to the work of Chelsea Andersson (link), who used to design for glowforge.

We have made a lot of miniature furniture by cutting shapes from 1/16” basswood sheets with the knife blade on our Cricut Maker. But lasers can do much, much more intricate cuts and can easily cut 1/8” basswood sheets for sturdier builds.

The primary drawback of this type of tool is that it needs a venting or filtering system for the wood burning fumes. We bought the glowforge filter and it works well, but still leaves the garage with a bit of a smokey smell. It’s also important to note that the Aura cannot cut certain colors of acrylic. We have also found that the app is not as user friendly as the design interface for Silhouette or Cricut.

Currently we have two intricate products in our shop that we cut on the glowforge:

(1) the garden trellis, available here: link

and

(2) the fan trim, available here: link

If you decide to purchase a glowforge, please use our affiliate link: here. The benefits of using the link are: $500 off a Pro or Pro HD, $250 off a Plus or Plus HD, a $50 gift card with Glowforge Aura, or a $25 gift card with Glowforge Spark. Saint B will also receive a commission if you purchase using our link.