Any tutorials covering these subjects that I am not finding?

Hello all.
Sorry for the newb post, I have been searching for info, and while I have read faqs I haven't yet found all the info I am looking for

Searching for as much concise information on the different types of cheaply available blue-ray diodes that are out there. It seems to me that a lot of these diodes are from dissected blue-ray items like hd-dvd players but what about ps3 diodes, etc. I see a wealth of information on these forums, however being quite new to this, I am looking for things that make sense of the info to better understand. some of the posts I have read make it sound like the blue rays burn things easier, but it seems to me that this can't be true, as 100mW of light is the same power regardless of wavelength, the only difference is how much of the light is absorbed by the object it's pointed at. So I am looking for any faq or info that lists how much output power burn what.

I am ultimately planning on building a laser for myself, with enough power to burn things,esp plastic, and I am wanting to find out what the best bang for my buck is, Obviously a common desire, I have picked up on red output seems to be much cheaper at higher powers then blue or green. although I am wanting a color other then red, and I have always liked blues and violets, however are there any "best bang for your buck" tutorials for blue diodes?

My knowledge of electronics is weak, but I understand well the concepts of soldering and avoiding heat damage to delicate items near where you are soldering, and have access to a rather good workshop to fabricate metals with, so I should be able to handle making a host, as well as heatsinks, as well as assemble the electronics.

Also looking for information on cooling diodes. can you overcool them? obviously heat buildup can be bad and the higher power lasers need heatsinks. Being a jeweler I was considering making a silver heatsink for improved heat dissipation, assuming it would prolong the life of the diode (given silver is the best conductor of heat of any element, it should easily outperform brass or bronze) I also had a side thought that it would be fairly easy to cast up a heatsink with hollow channels inside that water could be circulated to rapidly cool a laser. obviously a pen laser wouldn't need a water cooled heat sink, and I don't plan on using this idea at all, it just got me thinking and wondering if it would actually overcool the diode on a higher mw output setup, (searches so far have not satisfied my curiosity) =(

I guess any faqs besides the basic faqs are what I am looking for. as I am finding the idea of making my own lasers interesting on many levels. I see several applications in my work (in jewelry, we cast everything with lost wax casting, plastic as well as wax works for this technique so if I can rapidly texture plastics or dark colored wax with a laser, I would be able to make some rather interesting designs.

Anyways, I apologize in advance if my asking for info has offended anyone, I have been reading these forums for about a week now, reading topic after topic, but there IS a huge amount of information here, and it's a lot to assimilate, and the more basic info I can absorb, the better.

StridAst

Laser diodes have a very specific optimal operating temperature, going above or below changes the way it will perform. Heat will also reduce the lifetime of the laser diode. The output is also dependant on temperature as well. To much cooling by something really cold such as liquid nitrogen, can cause the diode to blue shift towards the UV spectrum, to much heat and it will red shift towards the IR. The best cooling for a laser diode is a method that keeps it at its optimal operating temperature.

ok thanks. that's useful to know

StridAst

There is a difference in a lasers ability to burn because of the wavelength.

for example, i can stick a 300mW red laser on my arm and it simply won't burn me, if i stick a 300mW Blu-ray on my arm, it's going to start burning me very quickly.

It's the same for white materials, you'll find that 250mW red will not burn through white printer paper, while a 100mW blu-ray will.

in terms of burning power, red has the upper hand on dark materials, while blu-ray dominates on light colors.

Sounds like you could make quite a nice host, silver heatsink? A water cooled heatsink is only really necessary when you get into diode bars and serious multiwatt output. As you well know, you can get your diodes and drivers here on the forum. Why not try a PHR violet, it will certainly be a good burner. If you can get a couple of diodes you could risk driving with a little more current (100-120mA max is recommended) maybe 150mA. Sometimes you get a PHR that a little better than the others. Should you make your own host, you'd only need diode, your choice of driver, batteries, and a switch. A good lens designed for 405nm will boost power, these are available here on the forum. A red based on an LPC would be a good project, too. Why not make both ...