Started on a He-Ne Lamp (updated:DONE)

After a long search for a bare He-NE tube(without the foil inside) I finally found one. It is such a beautiful tube. Very bright(for a He-Ne) measures just shy of 4mW but looks much brighter.
It must have never been used, starts instantly and is very stable after only 30 seconds or so.
I have seen other lamps on this forum and decided this tube was too beautiful to sit in a box, hidden away out of sight.

These pics. are of my start of the build. It is far from complete. I am going to hide the transformers and wires in the bottom section and inclose the bottom in dark smoked Plexiglass.
I have a small(3/4" X1/2") rocker type switch that will be flush with the front. The AC to 15V DC transformer has a detachable cord, so I am going to line the edge of it up with the back of the lamp. That way, when you move it (the lamp) you can just unplug the cord from the back and not have to worry about tripping over it.
I still need to find a good glass ball for the top. The one that is on it now is just temporary untill I can find a better one.
Let me know what you all think of it so far.
Of course, more pics. to come when I complete it.

First pic is in daylight.


This pic. is in normal room lighting


And the last one in a dark room.


I finished it. (Except for Jayrob's marble,pics is of the one I'm using untill his arrives).
Daylight

Normal room lighting

The back (with AC cord removed)

The "temporary" marble

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

Nicely done

Peace,
dave

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

Very nice work.

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

Looks good! :gj:

I have 1" uranium crackled marbles. They are not as large as that glass marble that I see in your pictures, but they will glow bright orange with your HeNe...

Send me a PM if you want to get one.

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

Sorry could someone please explain this to me, i think im missing the point. Why are HeNe gas lasers so desirable, they have bad output for their expensive price, they are not portable and are not easily focusable.
I do however know nothing about gas lasers someone plz fill me in.

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

For starters, try making a lamp like this one with a diode.

For me (and probably any other members over 40) HeNe WAS the laser to own.

Back then an Argon cost as much as a car did, diodes were in their infancy, so when the physics teacher got out the HeNe laser, that was the one that got us amped up on the whole coherent light wave.

Back in the 80's a 1mw HeNe could be had for around $100, diodes were all IR and really expensive.

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

spaceman_hux said:

Sorry could someone please explain this
to me, i think im missing the point. Why are HeNe gas lasers so desirable, they have bad output for their expensive price, they are not portable and are not easily focusable.
I do however know nothing about gas lasers someone plz fill me in.

Click to expand...

They have a great output for the cheap prices we get them used.
Many of my lasers are not "portable."
I can focus, refocus, break the beam into colors, and focus again.

It's called a HOBBY. It is done for the enjoyment of it. Not EVERYTHING in life has to fit your idea of "useful", easy, or interesting.

I like it. Therefore I do it

Peace,
dave

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

daguin said:

It's called a HOBBY. It is done for the enjoyment of it. Not EVERYTHING in life has to fit your idea of "useful", easy, or interesting.
I like it. Therefore I do it

Peace,
dave

Click to expand...

Damn, I love that answer! I will remember that one the next time a "non laserist" asks me why I buy these things.......

Hear it all the time, "Why did you just get another laser" "what exactly can it do?"

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

HeNe lasers have very good overall beam quality, good stability and they emit a very precise wavelength, making them suitable as a reference point for determining the wavelength of unknown visible lasers, and suitable for a wide variety of lab experiments..

The lowly diode laser that we all know and love does not emit a very useful beam if you need good beam quality, coherence length, and wavelength stability. Many people will pay a premium for these qualities, and in reality a HeNe is the cheapest source of a laser that provides them.

It's not all about "burning power" with lasers, in fact that's a very primitive, childish way of looking at lasers. Like anything in life, lasers come in various levels. A 5mW laser from Coherent costs >$5000, while a 5mW cat toy costs $1.99.. Are they the same? Not even slightly. Lasers really aren't intended to be toys, and getting a laser with truly scientifically useful output tends to cost a lot. Adjustable focusing destroys the beam quality of any laser, and is only desirable if you need a low-quality beam to burn with. Portability is not a valid argument since there are HeNe laser pointers.

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

ElektroFreak said:

It's not all about "burning power" with lasers, in fact that's a very primitive, childish way of looking at lasers.

Click to expand...

Thank you.........

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

For me (and probably any other members over 40) HeNe WAS the laser to own.

Click to expand...

It's called a HOBBY. It is done for the enjoyment of it. Not EVERYTHING in life has to fit your idea of "useful", easy, or interesting.

Click to expand...

I am totally agree with you, these lasers have an inexplicable intrinsic beauty

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

hmmm nice lamp! TBH i work in a company that supplies lighting fixtures and i have seen some really nice work with lasers from an English designer called Paul Cocksedge which is considered to be on of the leading lighting designers. He plays with different materials and is quite innovative. Check out what he has done for Swarovski Crystal Palace with lasers
Photonic Products, the laser diode specialist company, is sponsoring Paul Cocksedge, the UK's hottest lighting designer at IIDEX/NeoCon Canada
YouTube - Paul Cocksedge and a video explaining it
Enjoy!

BTW Jayrob, do you have any bigger uranium marbles? Say golf ball size or bigger?

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

Here is an idea, find a permanent location for the lamp, then mount a spinning mirror in the ceiling over it, angle it correctly and have a liquid sky overhead.

Perfect for a "smoking room"

Re: Started on a He-Ne Lamp

Sybiria said:

BTW Jayrob, do you have any bigger uranium marbles? Say golf ball size or bigger?

Click to expand...

The 1" marbles are the largest ones I could find, but on e-bay, you can get other items made of 'vasaline glass'. (uranium doped glass)
vasaline glass, great deals on Pottery Glass, vaseline glass on eBay!

Except its spelled Vaseline glass

Very nice lamp.
Good job.