Hello,
I’m needing help with how to engrave this tray. It’s approx 3.5in tall including handles. The part I’m engraving is only 1/8 thick though. What settings do I use so that the laser head doesn’t hit. Thank you!
Hi there, you’re not going to be able to engrave the inside of that tray in a GF due to mechanical height and focus limits. May I suggest engraving another piece of wood/veneer as an insert instead?
7 Likes
That^ is a great idea. Another possibility would be to take a side(s) off the tray so that the head can engrave on the bottom, then you would reattach the side(s). The maximum height for the 
is 2". Even though the board on which you want to engrave is only 1/8" thick, the head would not be able to clear the sides of the tray and still allow you to focus the laser.
3 Likes
The focus range of the Glowforge is 1/2". If you are trying to engrave a dish or tray with sides, they must be less than 1/2" or the lens will not be in the 1/2" range. There are exceptions and work arounds for some products, but for your particular item you will probably be better off to engrave some veneer and adhere it to the floor.
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear about the snag @weavernautumn.
Echoing @ekla and @dklgood, the height of the sides of this trail will limit your ability to print on it.
As a reminder, you can print on objects up to 2" thick by removing the crumb tray. However, your Glowforge can’t focus too far down, so you may need to put something laser-compatible underneath your material to lift it up. Raise it until the top surface of your material is between 1.5" and 2" (50 mm) high, measured from the metal plate on the bottom. Our community has developed some great Tips and Tricks, and this illustrated guide might be just what you need.
Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Thank you so much! That’s a great idea! 
1 Like
I was thinking about removing the sides as well. Since I’m going to be doing multiple of these I think it might be better just to do a different type of tray that might fit better. Thank you so much for your help!
1 Like
Thank you so much!! I didn’t originally think of that!
I’m glad you found a method that will work @weavernautumn!
I’m going to close this thread. If you run into any other trouble, please start a new topic, or email us at support@glowforge.com. We’re here to help!