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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Laser Anthology - my LPF projects

Joined
Jul 8, 2007
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Feeling a bit nostalgic today. It's been close six years now that I've been posting to laserpointerforums. I was looking at my HD today and noticed so many pictures of lasers. Decided to create an anthology of my many projects.

Prior to the mid to late 1990's lasers were rare and expensive items. In the late 80's I purchased a used He-Ne laser. It was a cumbersome creation, and dangerous also. However once I saw that pure glittery light I was enchanted.

In 2001 a friend mine showed off a very inexpensive red keychain pointer and that rekindled my interest. At that time I purchased a 5mW 532nm laser pointer from z-bolt.com and was mesmerized when that alien green light hit me.

Around 2007 I discovered laserpointerforums. With the information gleaned from this site I began many DIY projects.. many pictures below

Here's the trusty LM317 circuit, firing a sony 16x DVD diode:
LC1.jpg


see this lunker thread:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f42/diy-homemade-laser-diode-driver-26339.html

All my DIY lasers have used this very reliable circuit, built from easy to locate parts.

This lead to the creation of several lasers using a DVD 'burning' laser diode for their heart:
LC2.jpg


Picture below - my first DVD laser, within a homemade cardboard box :)
LC5.jpg


LC6.jpg


See this topic:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f42/diy-red-2-a-27131.html

More advanced version, radio shack parts:
LC3.jpg


LC4.jpg


In late 2007 & early 2008 I was one of the first people to successfully 'harvest' 405nm (BluRay) laser diodes from surplus xbox DVD players. Up until that point -- only about four years ago now -- these were very expensive laser diodes.

See this topic:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f42/xbox-hd-bluray-try-2-success-26905.html

Xbox drive, below, which was ripped apart to harvest a nearly microscopic laser diode.
LC10.jpg


The sled containing the laser diode:
LC11.jpg


Diode, after removal from heatsink:
LC12.jpg


Here's the laser diode itself. Note I've thermal glued into the Meredith housing backwards :(
LC12.5.jpg


My first DIY 405nm laser. I was very proud of this laser. Picture below I'm measuring the current the diode is consuming. As I've got no LPM this is the only way to guesstimate the laser's power output
LC13.jpg


Completed laser, rising from the wreckage of a wasted xbox DVD drive:
LC14.jpg


Beamshot. My old S10 camera captured it's color accurately:
LC15.jpg


Below, another DIY 405nm, this one more powerful:
LC16.jpg


Both completed lasers:
LC17.jpg


Beamshots:
LC18.jpg


A more advanced project. My Jetson's laser pointer. This is a 15mW 635nm pointer. I modified a LED flashlight into this pointer.

See this thread:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f42/diy-15-20mw-635nm-pointer-26726.html

Completed Jetson's pointer:
LC21.jpg


During Assembly:
LC20.jpg


I also managed to modify a dirt-cheap keychain pointer into a respectable 15mW 635nm laser..

See this thread:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f42/mod-15-20-mw-635nm-keychain-26732.html

During assembly:
LC30.jpg


Completed mod:
LC31.jpg


I used the Jetson's pointer, shining through a drop of water, to create a laser microscope. This displayed a bunch of small organisms swimming in a drop of pond water


See this topic - laser microscope:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/laser-microscope-52885.html

Recently purchased and built one of JayRob's pocket mini lasers. Beautiful little laser.

See this review:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/review-pocket-mini-red-68231.html

During construction of the mini, thermal gluing the LPC-815 diode into the housing:
mini_4.jpg


Completed pocket mini:
mini_1.jpg


Finally I've been creating holograms using the DIY lasers I've created.

Two Crystals hologram:
https://vimeo.com/44258757

See these topics:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f48/hologram-70663.html
http://laserpointerforums.com/f48/video-transmission-hologram-marbles-70711.html
http://laserpointerforums.com/f48/holograms-food-porn-xtals-battery-stonehenge-71793.html

I thank all the people who have assisted me here!
 
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Blord

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Re: Laser Chronicles - many small pictures of my DIY creations

Nice looking old school laser. That is the way you should do it !
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
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Re: Laser Chronicles - many small pictures of my DIY creations

Very nice! I was actually thinking earlier that I should sell a bunch of my old DIY reds because they hardly get any use at all anymore and could bring some smiles to people with small budgets.
 

Things

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May 1, 2007
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Hah, another original! Those 16x diodes were great, oh the frustration! :D

Although I think your math is a bit off, from my counting I've been here 5 years May :eek:
 
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