The maximum material thickness that can normally be used is 0.5in with the tray, 2in without the tray.
Is this the same on the pro and basic?
I’m considering upgrading to the pro as I’ve recently had a couple of cases where it would be beneficial to be able to work on something larger than the basic’s work area and thicker than the 0.5in available with the tray, but this would only work if the item could be put in through the slot.
same as @lcuellar63 said. Same internal dimensions but the slot is 3/8 inch thick, so 1/4 would be optimal to pass through there. (I suppose you could put something through that is a shade larger, but not by much at all.)
A bit of a side question - but is the pass through ability simply a matter of the different housing or is it something enabled software wise for Pros only? [quote=“dan, post:10, topic:297, full:true”]
Although I must recommend against it for safety reasons, opening the lower door in front and overriding the safety interlocks by placing magnets against the sensors would not void your warranty.
The slot in the back, however, doesn’t have a corresponding door.
–dan
[/quote]
This seems to indicate that it is simply a physical limitation, with no software difference regarding alignment/registration being enabled or disabled given the model.
You would need a custom tray on the inside to account for the thicker material. I would say if you are opening it up, keep the top of the slot untouched. This will ensure you don’t get too close to the laser head and be out of focus.
To directly answer your question. (and as far as I can tell.) if your basic “magically” gained a pass through slot. You would still be limited by the software pro features.
Totally not trying this, but because I thought it: What kind of mirror would be needed to allow the Glowforge to cut its own bigger pass-through slot? Is it possible? After seeing @Hirudin’s attempts at titanium, it got me thinking. I know I shouldn’t let bad thoughts get through, but sometimes they just seem so logical.