So whats really the best burning laser?

I have been going nuts for the past 2 days reading the burning laser posts. There is such a difference of opinion on whats the best its hard to come to a conclusion.

how much power is required as i have seen anything from 50mw to 2w being needed.

Whats the best color? most people seem to think blue is best however red and green also seems to have a strong following. I think people just think blue is best because you can buy them so cheap, a 1W blue seems to be like 1/3 or less the price of a 1W green or red.

Whats the deal on focusing? some people seem to think its required for burning lasers and others think you dont need to worry about it just use more power instead.

Im new to lasers so am trying to research as much as possible and am learning lots but the topic of burning has really been hard for me due to the difference of opinion on the matter.

Im planning to build a few lasers soon as i have experience building led flashlights and my early research into the matter says lasers seem similar enough that building is viable option for me and alot cheaper than buying pre made. I want a burning specific one i just have no idea what the ideal color is yet alone power and which specific diode.

Worth noting that im also going to be building a fairly powerful red laser for pointing out stars in the sky(i dont like the way green/blue ruins your nightvision no matter how much brighter it seems per mw than red) so if its possible to combine that and the burning into one laser that can do both that would be ideal.

Oh hey, another Vancouverite.

1. Power needed depends on what you want to burn/engrave.
2. Best wavelength (colour) for burning again depends on the material. However, as you have noticed the price of diodes for different wavelengths of laser can vary greatly.
3. Focusing is key. The ability to burn depends on power density (W/cm^2) which means, smaller area greater power density, but you can also increase the power to get a larger power density.

a 200mW 650nm laser may be right for you. the beam is darker red than the 638s, and only shows up well in very dark conditions, or lots of particles in the air, or when you view it at a small angle to the beam. it would work for star pointing in dark coditions, but only really well for the person holding it. others nearby may not immediately spot the faint beam, especially if they view it at an angle close to 90 degrees. you may have to point it out to them and have them adjust position to see it, but it will not ruin dark adapted vision like a green or blue will. even 638 is kinda bright. however, 200mW is in the low end of burning around here, though it's single mode nature will produce a fine focal point and allow it to burn at slighly greater distances than a multi mode would be able to due to divergence.

lasers will have a harder time burning stuff the same color as they are, as it will reflect the light. an example is trying to use a low powered red to light a red match. it won't do it but if you sharpie onto it with a black marker...

violet lasers make good burners because most around here are single mode, and they can hit up to 1W. a single mode of equal power to a multi mode will always burn better, but single modes tend to be 5-10 times weaker. the 405s are basically the only exception.

you are at least 18? have proper safety glasses for the right wavelength?

I am 33, I have posted a post in the safety forum already asking if Eagle pair glass are good enough and if that thread goes well I'll order a pair or two of them.

What's the most powerful single mode red diode?

that I know of? "LPC 836" and the "opnext HL63603TG"

In terms of what's available to us probably one of those 5W cmounts

ARG said:

In terms of what's available to us probably one of those 5W cmounts

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Should have specified, I want to keep it under 1-2W till im a little more confident, 5W might be pushing it a little for a beginner lol.

ARG's response was spot on.

Rifter said:

Should have specified, I want to keep it under 1-2W till im a little more confident, 5W might be pushing it a little for a beginner lol.

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Probably the HL63193MG in that case. Or a 2W cmount.

ARG said:

In terms of what's available to us probably one of those 5W cmounts

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Is someone still selling those?

Shakenawake said:

violet lasers make good burners because most around here are single mode, and they can hit up to 1W. a single mode of equal power to a multi mode will always burn better, but single modes tend to be 5-10 times weaker. the 405s are basically the only exception.

you are at least 18? have proper safety glasses for the right wavelength?

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Like Shakenawake 405s are single mode with a good power trade off.

If you don't have your heart set on red I have this laser for sale.
http://http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/five-hundred-mw-405-sale-89377.html
I see that you are 33 and checked up that safety section, good start. I'm willing to drop the price to help you with the shipping to Canada.

The Lightning Stalker said:

Is someone still selling those?

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I don't know, doesn't DTR stock them?

ARG said:

I don't know, doesn't DTR stock them?

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Not on his website at least. Maybe on his eBay page though.