Building my first white (cheap'o-style)

I mean this, like in the draw ..... with the screws as you have drawed it, first example, if you move the one in the middle, the plate bend in one direction only, so the beam displace only in one axis, but if you move any of the other 2, as in the example the red one, the plate "rotate" proportionally in 2 different axis at the same time, and also in the height, and the beam do the same thing ..... with the screws in the corners, instead, if you rotate the red one, it roll only in one axis, same for the green one, and only moving the white one it tilt in both axis (and usually you need to move this one for the height only, except some rare cases) ..... in this way, is more easy the fine alignment at the end, when you maybe just need to realign one axis.



Spherical supports with two axis and the highness separate, with a geometrical center, are also better, but requires so much work that are out from the possibility of any hobbysts (and also too much complex, for justify them in an hobbystic mount ..... also professionals use them only in research labs )

Thanks a lot.
I still wonder how well these horizontal mounts work for x-axis adjustment. I guess x-axis adjustment will be more like a diagonal tilt?

Edit: When I read your post again, I think it answered my question.

Well, if you have not the problem of change the highness of the mirrors (in other words, if your lasers are already with beams at the same highness), you can also use L-shaped mounts ..... more efficent in alignment with dichroic combiners ..... i built from aluminium profiles, and used, mounts like these ones, times ago ..... "coarse" alignment with the base mounting screws, then "fine" alignment with the screws on the mirrors plates (sorry, corel don't have a 3D function, but think is clear the same)

Aluminum profiles, you say? Clever. I've been looking at L/corner brackets, but they are usualy too big and made of steel.

Some pictures of where I am in the process. A 40-50mW o-like green, and my unknown Bluray diode (probably a PHR) run @ 130mA. Click pictures for larger size.




Some macro shots of the dichroic mirror:




Mmm… Pretty colour(s).

Just a curiosity, what type of dichro combiners are these large ones ? ..... asking cause i found only small ones, around here, like 10mm or similar ..... that one looks at least the double.

HIMNL9 said:

Just a curiosity, what type of dichro combiners are these large ones ? ..... asking cause i found only small ones, around here, like 10mm or similar ..... that one looks at least the double.

Click to expand...

It's this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310043868513
I believe it's a microscope mirror. Works like a charm though.

These are not combiners, but some kind of mirrors that reflect some wavelengths and let others pass

Uh, the real combiners have two different treatments on the faces, and a direction of use (that basically means that if you use it in reverse, the result is worse) ..... as example, usual green (pass) blue (reflect) combiners, have on the face 1 an AR treatment that pass 98% at 532nm, on the face 2 an AR 98% pass for 532 AND a reflection layer that reflect 97% at 473nm (without affect 532nm) ..... i think the reflection layer is an holographic mirror, set up on the desired wavelenght and very few nm up and down it, like the ones in the HUD mirrors, but i'm not 100% sure about that.

I got some for a work, times ago, and still have a couple of them, but, hell, they ask a lot of money for them (at least, for me, asking 100 $ for a pair of 7x12mm combiners means ask a lot, no matter how much they can be considered "professional" )

Yeah. Mine are just simple dichroic mirrors (ref: cheap'o style). They work very well for me.