Can anyone tell me what this is or how to make it work

Got two different lasers one is missing the reflectors at the end, could anyone identify what type they are or what powersupply they need/wavelength or just any info
are they worth anything?

2012-02-07_20-18-06_711 by billygoat3, on Flickr

2012-02-07_20-30-58_961 by billygoat3, on Flickr


2012-02-07_19-10-08_296 by billygoat3, on Flickr
#2


2012-02-03_18-46-21_761 by billygoat3, on Flickr

Looks like a CO2 tube to me. Around 40W judging by the length. They're worth about $200 brand new.

So any use or something fun i could do with them, i'm reading through the forum as i'm typing this and reading about the dangers of lasers and though it all seams interesting and fun i'm not sure how much i wanna mess with things right now i'll definitely wait and read up more before anything else, here's more pictures of the second laser, this one is air cooled

2012-02-07_21-21-09_338 by billygoat3, on Flickr

2012-02-07_21-21-20_401 by billygoat3, on Flickr

This is not a toy!!! Be very careful with this laser, anything slightly shiny can reflect the beam and you could start a fire or blind yourself instantly.
I have the same laser tube and like Bobhaha said it looks to be a 40Watt tube.

I'm sorry but I don't know your laser experience so I will not be commenting on how to power this thing.

Please, please do some research on this thing and get yourself some safety glasses before even thinking of putting power to it.

Polonium210 said:

This is not a toy!!! Be very careful with this laser, anything slightly shiny can reflect the beam and you could start a fire or blind yourself instantly.
I have the same laser tube and like Bobhaha said it looks to be a 40Watt tube.

I'm sorry but I don't know your laser experience so I will not be commenting on how to power this thing.

Please, please do some research on this thing and get yourself some safety glasses before even thinking of putting power to it.

Click to expand...

I had someone translate the text to "Shanghai illuminate technology institute
laser tube
serial number
level
number
date of production"
though i'm not sure of the accuracy,
trust me i have no intention of melting my retnas, vision is the one thing i have that's just about perfect, minus the one spot i see from some dips**t who started a weld with out warning while i was looking at the piece


would both tubes be 40watts?
what are the things that are in the last tube, the only time i've seen anythign like that three prong deal is when i was in physics messing with a crt

The first one is definitely a CO2, about the 30-40W range as suggested.

The second one, with the green trumpets, may not be a CO2. However, it could be!!

So i guess the next question, with goggles being at 40 bucks and it seems like the only thing i could do with it would be burn stuff about how much do powersupplys go for or could i make one (being an EE)
also having to buy a pump (possibly just using a cpu cooler) budget wise to get this up and running how much would i be looking at

98Mystique2 said:

So i guess the next question, with goggles being at 40 bucks and it seems like the only thing i could do with it would be burn stuff about how much do powersupplys go for or could i make one (being an EE)
also having to buy a pump (possibly just using a cpu cooler) budget wise to get this up and running how much would i be looking at

Click to expand...

A pair of normal decent quality safety goggles is typically good enough for CO2. They actually almost completely block CO2 emission wavelengths. A prolonged direct exposure would melt through them however.

You can power it with a neon sign transformer , however it will have diminished life running it on the direct A/C output, and it will not power up to full potential.

A high voltage DC supply in the 25kv-35kv range at about 15-20ma would power it nicely.

A ready made PSU will cost you $200+. A CPU pump would probably be enough flow. It doesnt need much, as long as it has the head.

Again, this is not a toy. I see that you understand that it will burn things, but I dont think you really know just how much power these put out. It isnt like the burning laser "pointers" you see on here, or on youtube. It is a VERY powerful device. The beam is COMPLETELY invisible. The only way you know the beam is there, is because its burning whatever is in front of it, and a few milliseconds later, that object is on fire.


EDIT: Also, depending on how that tube was taken care of, and why it was pulled out of whatever it was pulled out of, will determine if it even works at all. It may be gassed out, or "all-used-up". They do have an operation lifetime, especially the cheaper Chinese tubes.

lol as it actually happens i have a neon OPEN sign at my parents house, i might have to grab that and see if i can wrestle it out when i get a chance in a week or two.


I have been looking but haven't been able to find any schematics for a power supply are there any?

I have no intention of having direct exposure, but are you referring to generic safety goggles like every day ones or just laser goggles

Sputnik77 said:

EDIT: Also, depending on how that tube was taken care of, and why it was pulled out of whatever it was pulled out of, will determine if it even works at all. It may be gassed out, or "all-used-up". They do have an operation lifetime, especially the cheaper Chinese tubes.

Click to expand...

are they refillable at all? lol that may be a stupid question

98Mystique2 said:

lol as it actually happens i have a neon OPEN sign at my parents house, i might have to grab that and see if i can wrestle it out when i get a chance in a week or two.


I have been looking but haven't been able to find any schematics for a power supply are there any?

I have no intention of having direct exposure, but are you referring to generic safety goggles like every day ones or just laser goggles


are they refillable at all? lol that may be a stupid question

Click to expand...

Yep, everyday ole $3 safety glasses. Get clear ones though, not any of the tinted ones.


Yes, they are refillable. Its more expensive than buying a new tube, WAY more expensive. Unless you had a really nice expensive tube. not sure if a refiller would do that tube anyway.

Best to hook it up to that NST first to see if it even lases at all before building or buying a PSU.

My thoughts exactly,
and if it does... maybe i just found a senior design project

thanks everyone for your help

Anyone with insight on the latter laser is greatly appreciated

Just keep in mind that while they can be run off of AC (neon sign transformer) they run much better on DC. if you can source four 40KV PIV diodes just form a full wave rectifier and pick up a few "doorknob" 40kV capacitors to use as filter caps. That's a "cheap" and dirty way to get the DC you need.

Next time I have $400 floating around ( lol yeah right!) I'm going to grab the basic chinese CO2 Laser outfit from Laserlands. Includes a 40W tube and a readymade PSU.

Lots of good fun to be had with CO2 lasers if you are a safe person. Or, very many bad times if you are not.

The proper googles would protect for the laser wavelength. Co2 is around 10600nm=10.6um.

Your asking if the tube is refillable? It would take skill and some expensive equipment that you probably don't have access to. If you found a place that refills Co2 lasers it would cost you as much as a new tube.

You say your an EE student? You can power it from a ZVS driver. I power my tube from a homemade ZVS flyback driver. This works perfect as a large color TV flybacks are rectified output.

Sigurthr said:

Just keep in mind that while they can be run off of AC (neon sign transformer) they run much better on DC. if you can source four 40KV PIV diodes just form a full wave rectifier and pick up a few "doorknob" 40kV capacitors to use as filter caps. That's a "cheap" and dirty way to get the DC you need.

Next time I have $400 floating around ( lol yeah right!) I'm going to grab the basic chinese CO2 Laser outfit from Laserlands. Includes a 40W tube and a readymade PSU.

Lots of good fun to be had with CO2 lasers if you are a safe person. Or, very many bad times if you are not.

Click to expand...

Yea, you can get HV diodes and caps pretty cheap. There is tons of info on the web about making HV DC supplies from NST's


But try it on AC first to see if the tube is good, then spend a few bucks!!


Im actually really curious about what that second tube is. I like it, whatever it is.

If there are electrodes on it, appears to in the pics, hook the NST up to it to and see what it does!!! That is if it is still sealed. I think you said the optics were missing. If so, it may be gassed out, as a lot of gas lasers use the optics to seal the tube.

Its obviously a gas tube of some sort, with a rather large gas ballast tank (the large portion). However, it may not even be a laser at all. It could be some kind of ultra high power gamma ray tube!!! Naa, its a laser!!


@Sigurthr , I would sell my 40W set up cheaper than that!!! Hint Hint

Polonium210 said:

The proper googles would protect for the laser wavelength. Co2 is around 10600nm=10.6um.

Your asking if the tube is refillable? It would take skill and some expensive equipment that you probably don't have access to. If you found a place that refills Co2 lasers it would cost you as much as a new tube.

You say your an EE student? You can power it from a ZVS driver. I power my tube from a homemade ZVS flyback driver. This works perfect as a large color TV flybacks are rectified output.

Click to expand...

that's something i will defiantly look into when i dont need to do homework lol so i'm off for now. thanks everyone for the info

Sputnik77 said:

Yea, you can get HV diodes and caps pretty cheap. There is tons of info on the web about making HV DC supplies from NST's


But try it on AC first to see if the tube is good, then spend a few bucks!!


Im actually really curious about what that second tube is. I like it, whatever it is.

If there are electrodes on it, appears to in the pics, hook the NST up to it to and see what it does!!! That is if it is still sealed. I think you said the optics were missing. If so, it may be gassed out, as a lot of gas lasers use the optics to seal the tube.

Its obviously a gas tube of some sort, with a rather large gas ballast tank (the large portion). However, it may not even be a laser at all. It could be some kind of ultra high power gamma ray tube!!! Naa, its a laser!!


@Sigurthr , I would sell my 40W set up cheaper than that!!! Hint Hint

Click to expand...

the second is an older tube and i ended up acquiring these tubes from machines that were being thrown out but the reflector mirror or whatever you want to call it were already claimed or taken should i say. the machines were donated and had no use from my understanding so it's possible they're still good, i'll look more into it when i have time.