Perhaps this video that @jacobturner took at the Makerfaire can shed some light. To me it looks like what Dan measured pretty much covered the range from the bottom of where an object could sit to the top of the honeycomb surface and, if anything, only a tiny bit more due to the honeycomb being slightly recessed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuQcBfJOMYg
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OK, not saying this makes me lose confidence in GF or anything like that, and I could be completely misunderstanding & itās all on me & my fault (feel free to point & laugh at me and make me feel bad if Iām wrong), but if Iām not wrong, then I have to please ask: what the heck, yāall??
Specs such as width of material permitted (with and without the tray) are probably some of the most critical & basic of all specs, yes? 1/2 inch more over 1.5 inches = an additional 33%. And again, Iām sure I speak for everyone in the world when I say that weāre all realllllly happy to have that extra 1/2 inch (my gawd!), and no one will complain about the extra .5", but how was that miscommunicated / not caught until now?
Lord knows weāve all had whoops moments, where we missed or stated something that we canāt believe we didnāt notice until much later (Iām super guilty of that myself throughout my lifetime)ā¦is this just one of those occasions?
And again, if Iām wrong or I misunderstood etc etc then please do point and laugh at meā¦cause that means this post is bad & I should feel bad.
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I agree with you if you are going by a photo alone, if @dan would have simply posted a new photo and left it without any information to go along with it. I just know that seeing something in person is much different than a photo at an odd angle. But the whole reason stated for a lack of info is exactly what is happening right now. He posted a photo and gave some info and its non stop interrogation on our part as a community.
The only reason I commented is because I want to see more info released, but I know that if we continue to prove that any and all new information will be questioned and scrutinized I foresee a virtual stoppage of updates.
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My assumption (and I mean complete assumption) would be that the depth of laser empty was measured, the honeycomb was measured, the rail the laser rides on was measured and then the height of the laser head itself was measured. The distance between base and railing-honeycomb-head height gave them 1.5. And the mounting of the laser head riding on the railing and the top of the head actually being above the railing and not the same height gives you the actual 2" range.
One again complete speculation. I just see that as being an easy mistake to make
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Thank you so much for finding that video! Iām relieved that Iām probably reading Danās photo wrong, and DELIGHTED that we may have an extra 1/2" of bed space!
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I believe Dan to be the type of person who welcomes rational discussion. Back when I taught engineering, I welcomed with open arms any discussion with students aimed at clarifying concepts and moving understanding forward, even if it meant derailing a planned lecture. I believe Dan shares those values.
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That sounds totally plausibleā¦
And again, Lord knows Iāve made tons of simple / obvious whoops in my dayā¦
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I agree 100%! We donāt want to upset something good.
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The confusion occurred because the prototype tray and the production trays are apparently different. The folks that went to MakerFaire might have seen the change but the rest of us had not.
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Now Iām completely confused.
From the photo posted by Dan, the measurement looks like itās taken from the bottom of the tray to the top of the right side lip.
If this is true then @fan-of-glowforge is correct in his drawing and the distance from the bottom of the tray to the top of the honeycomb is less than 1.5".
I hope Iām wrong on this as a 2" working space would be sweet.
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I think we figured out that there is no lip on the top. The old trays had a significant lip. There is a video posted above that seems to show a surface flat with the honeycomb for the newer non prototype trays.
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Great.
One less thing for my confused mind to think about.
Canāt wait for the GF to arrive.
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Are you suggesting Dan measured on old tray in his photo?
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Just pointing outā¦Any size, any shape, large or small, and we can probably just lase the mask out of the paper adhesive masking material that they put on top of the specialty stuff they sellā¦grin! 
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Got a bottle of that sitting waiting for good cut stencils.
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Be alert to the warning label on that product as it Will Cause severe burns. Please wear gloves and eye protection and keep well out of reach of pets and children. I canāt see the ingredients, but hydrofluoric acid is the likely ingredient or one of its salts.
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Thatās the only acid that will attack glass that I know of.
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You use disposable rubber gloves, eye goggles, and a disposable popsicle stick to apply it. (The eye goggles are not really necessary, unless somebody comes along and throws some into your face, but what the heck, better safe etc. etc. etc.)
Iāve been using it for years with never an issue, although I do remember treating it like it was radioactive the first time I did. (Chuckle!)
Itās like a thick-ish gritty almost-paste, not a really liquid creamā¦it doesnāt have a lot of splash potential. And the lid on that bottle is a child proof safety cap, which means adults have a hell of a time getting into it.
You stir it a bit, (if you can), then apply it evenly 1/2 inch thick over the exposed areas that you want to etch, wait five minutes, and rinse it off with water. (I usually rinse it off in the slop sink outside, but you probably donāt even need to do that.)
The secret to getting a good uniform etch is applying an evenly thick layer on all areas - most people try to be too delicate with it at first, and that does not yield good results. You want complete half inch thick coverage.
They sell smaller bottles at hobby stores, and you donāt need much unless you are doing it for business. (I had a two ounce bottle that lasted for years, so if you want to just test it, get a smaller bottle.)
Itās fun, and itās something you can experiment with while weāre waiting. (Heck of a lot cheaper than a sandblast setup, if you just need to do a few items.)
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What Jules said! I did several different kinds of glasses not too long ago. It was a blast!..and not a āsand blastā. 
I hand-cut a stencil for the olives on this martini glass. I used a popsicle stick, tooā¦and washed it off under running water in the kitchen sink. Easy peasy and lots of fun!
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Girl you have a creative twist that is just waitingā¦
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