Direct connect heat sink

Catmandoo said:

What do you think about a hole drilled sideways to access the diode pins from ? Access to two sides, would that give enough room ?

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I don't think this would be as easy as slits. If your going to solder wires to the diode pins that would be sufficient but for those taht want the driver attached directly to the diode it would be very difficult.

I was just thinking that it would be easier to drill one hole all the way through than mill slots, setup time for each slot vs punching one hole

Oh I understand about which would be easier. However, what's easier to accomplish on the lathe or mill is not necessarily easy when it comes to the products use.

I wanted to make a slit for the pcb of the driver fit right into. Like a pci card in an old server computer. You had to slide the card into the slits in order for it to seat into the socket at the base of the slit. It would hold it in place and make it nice and stable. Not however easilly done on a lathe or mill.

These are what I use, came up with the idea a few months back, but sold what I had. The idea behind it was nice flush contact without killing the pins, and pressing with wires attached.

Catmandoo said:

I was just thinking that it would be easier to drill one hole all the way through than mill slots, setup time for each slot vs punching one hole

Click to expand...

"Holes" might not provide the needed flexibility of position and angles.  Plus only drilling through "once" would require fairly controlled diode rotation to make sure the pins are at the right "place" in the heat sink.

Peace,
dave

wannaburn said:

These are what I use, came up with the idea a few months back, but sold what I had. The idea behind it was nice flush contact without killing the pins, and pressing with wires attached.

Click to expand...

I want  

Peace,
dave

What are those things, I think I need some !

Daquin, you know Daniel, If He is presented with an obsticale He will overcome it. The slots, slits, holes issue will be taken care of. Other than the access and taper is there anything that you and others might like to see ? Cosmetic, functional or just because you want it ?

Ill hit the hobbyshop and get some brass. It takes some time to assemble, as each one is hand crafted

Great discussion.

To me, pre-soldering wires to the diode is the better alternative - because any channels for easing the soldering job will still provide imperfect access - and I can see inexperienced users mucking up their LD in the process... and the darn thing is by then effectively permanently installed, so there's no removing it for cleanup/repair.

For those who prefer direct-connect diode-to-driver, how much of that preference is because of the mechanical stability it apparently affords?  Putting board-mounting slits in the heatsink would do a better job of that - plus would prevent twisting-off or shorting of the diode pins when screwing in the host.  As for machining: this doesn't need to be part of the monolith, since heat transfer is not part of its function - so it may only be a light bracket that press-fits into the cavity. The same piece could hold the side-mounted switch...

What I'd really like to see is a screw-down mount for the diode (much better than a screw-up mount), rather than a press-fit. IMO with close tolerance and a film of heatsink grease, near-perfect thermal transfer can be combined with diode replaceability.  That would also accomplish easier installation and much smaller chance of ruining a diode in the pressing.

DanQ

edit: discussion progressed some while I was composing this!

danq said:

Great discussion.
[highlight]To me, pre-soldering wires to the diode is the better alternative - [/highlight]because any channels for easing the soldering job will still provide imperfect access - and I can see inexperienced users mucking up their LD in the process... and the darn thing is by then effectively permanently installed, so there's no removing it for cleanup/repair.

Click to expand...

The more I think about it, the more I agree with this idea.  With a heat sink such as this, there is no need to have the driver directly attached to the diode pins.  You can solder wires onto the Rkcstr or flexdrive much easier than soldering the diode directly to it.

Peace,
dave

Catmandoo said:

Daquin, you know Daniel, If He is presented with an obsticale He will overcome it. The slots, slits, holes issue will be taken care of. Other than the access and taper is there anything that you and others might like to see ? Cosmetic, functional or just because you want it ?

Click to expand...

I've talked about two "tapers." The first is at the diode "hole" to help align the diode while pressing. The second I talked about was about doing something to eliminate the front end looking like a "can" sticking out of the host. The MXDL has angles. The Dorcy Jr. is rounded. The heat sink should be made to appear to "flow" with the same lines as the host.

Peace,
dave

Would there be enough room in a Dorcy Jr. for a driver separate from the diode ? I have never used a Jr. so that is why I ask. Never really thought about the access issue be cause I solder wires to my diodes.

Catmandoo said:

Would there be enough room in a Dorcy Jr. for a driver separate from the diode ? I have never used a Jr. so that is why I ask. Never really thought about the access issue be cause I solder wires to my diodes.

Click to expand...

"Separated" does not mean "far away from."  By using flexible wires they can be long enough to hook to the driver comfortably.  Then they can simply be looped over the driver as said driver is placed into the heat sink.  However, yes.  There is plenty of room in there IF the entire "guts" of the Dorcy are removed and the heat sink extends into that space.  Dark_Horse's is almost 1.25 inches long.

Peace,
dave

wannaburn said:

Ill hit the hobbyshop and get some brass. It takes some time to assemble, as each one is hand crafted

Click to expand...

You are a god. Please keep me in mind after you get them done.

Peace,
dave

Yeah... Dave...  they work great...
    I bought one from Wannaburn a few months back..  

Jerry

daguin said:

[quote author=danq link=1230512410/20#24 date=1230521891]Great discussion.
[highlight]To me, pre-soldering wires to the diode is the better alternative - [/highlight]because any channels for easing the soldering job will still provide imperfect access - and I can see inexperienced users mucking up their LD in the process... and the darn thing is by then effectively permanently installed, so there's no removing it for cleanup/repair.

Click to expand...

The more I think about it, the more I agree with this idea.  With a heat sink such as this, there is no need to have the driver directly attached to the diode pins.  You can solder wires onto the Rkcstr or flexdrive much easier than soldering the diode directly to it.

Peace,
dave

Catmandoo said:

Daquin, you know Daniel, If He is presented with an obsticale He will overcome it. The slots, slits, holes issue will be taken care of. Other than the access and taper is there anything that you and others might like to see ? Cosmetic, functional or just because you want it ?

Click to expand...

I've talked about two "tapers."  The first is at the diode "hole" to help align the diode while pressing.  The second I talked about was about doing something to eliminate the front end looking like a "can" sticking out of the host.  The MXDL has angles.  The Dorcy Jr. is rounded.  The heat sink should be made to appear to "flow" with the same lines as the host.

Peace,
dave[/quote]

I actually disagree,

I think IN EVERY BUILD it makes the most sense to have the driver directly connected to the diode (if possible)

Of course it is of course not possible to have the driver directly connected in every build, and sometimes you will be forced to use wires. Wires will put additional stress on the pins, have the possibility of becoming twisted, and the joints could degrade over time.

That being said I didnt come in here offering any solutions

I did a feeler for this type of sink a few months back. There wasn't a great deal of interest, due I suspect to the fact its easier to wire up the AixiZ type modules and then insert them into the sink.

hevnsnt said:

I actually disagree,
I think IN EVERY BUILD it makes the most sense to have the driver directly connected to the diode (if possible)
Of course it is of course not possible to have the driver directly connected in every build, and sometimes you will be forced to use wires.  Wires will put additional stress on the pins, have the possibility of becoming twisted, and the joints could degrade over time.
That being said I didnt come in here offering any solutions  

Click to expand...

If a laser is built correctly, there is no movement of the components to add any stress to the pins or to allow any "twisting" of the wires.  Why would a pin-to-wire connection be any more vulnerable to degradation than a pin-to-solder pad connection?

Peace,
dave