First Red match lighter for 3$ :P

Yes I made a red laser for 3$ .... I am using one abused diode out of a light scribe cd/dvd burner that I bough off my friend for 3$ as it wouldn’t read or burn cd's any more. Anyway I took it all apart and used a blow torch to loosen up the glue around the diode and removed its heat sink with the diode in it...... next I hooked 2.4v straight up to it with NiMH batteries and it lit up red .... So did the other diode but it wasn’t as bright I guess that was the ir cd burning diode..... Next I took it to the vise where I used a flat screw and a washer to push it out of the heat sink and when it cam loose it dropped 4' onto the dirty shop floor. When that happened I went back in side hooked it back up to the NiMH batteries pack and it light up red : ) was happy...... next I opened up my package from dx .
Red Laser Module - Focused Dot (3.5V~4.5V 9mm 5mW)  http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5900 I obtained with my dx points so it was basically free : )
I pushed the diode out of it with the same screw but this time it didn’t fall to the floor : ).... used a washer to push my burning diode it and it went in crooked so I just used a hollow rivet put it in the vise with the housing and diode and smashed it all together the rivet is now wasted with and imprint of the side wall of the housing and the flatness of the diode but its in there now . soldered my 2 wires on the legs but I connected them up backwards was up set because it didn’t light up I thought after all that it was broke but it wasn’t as I just flipped the polarity around and it lit up red : ) was happy again..... Focused it down to a point and bam it light a sharpie red match.

this is one tough diode its survived all that and its still burning with out a driver and hooked straight up to a 2.4v batteries pack : ) anyway just thought I would let you know about my first diy red burning laser for 3 $ : )

Don't expect it to last too long being connected straight to the batteries! But I guess it doesn't matter because you only paid $3 for the setup.

ya maby some day i will buy a good driver....... i kno i have seen them but whare is a place i can buy a good driver for these diodes?

f22warzone said:

ya maby some day i will buy a good driver....... i kno i have seen them but whare is a place i can buy a good driver for these diodes?

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In the buy/sell/trade section rkcstr is selling some good drivers for pretty cheap, they are in a thread named something like "Micro-Drive Laser Diode Driver" or something like that.

rckstr's newest line of drivers are ADJUSTABLE & still just as small! I'll tell ya, that guy is a whiz with electronics, & BTW, GOOD JOB with your first burning laser! Even though it only cost you $3.00, I'd be willing to bet that nobody else (that I've heard of anyway), has built a red burner for only 3 bucks! GREAT WORK!!!! phoenix77

thanks : ) and i will check in to thos..... who knows maby somday i will buy a better diode and not abuse it as much get a decent driver and have an even more power full laser : )

Congrats! I'm still working on making my first one. I'm almost tempted to pull apart my HP External DVD burner to accomplish it.

phoenix77 said:

rckstr's newest line of drivers are ADJUSTABLE & still just as small! I'll tell ya, that guy is a whiz with electronics, & BTW, GOOD JOB with your first burning laser! Even though it only cost you $3.00, I'd be willing to bet that nobody else (that I've heard of anyway), has built a red burner for only 3 bucks! GREAT WORK!!!! phoenix77

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My first build took a lot of work , but it was pretty much free in terms of money. A friend gave me a dvd burner that was jaming.My cousing gave me a burnt out cheap red key chain.I made the module out of a small brass cylinder and the housing from an aluminum bar I had lying around.I used the button and the switch from the dead keychain.

Good Ole Yankee ingenuity at work once again! GOOD JOB & keep coming up with ideas like these guys. Who knows, you just might come up with something new that nobody thought of before & strike it rich! AH, AMERICA, Land of Opportunity. But only for those that use their heads for something other than a hat-rack ;Dphoenix77

Switch said:

[quote author=phoenix77 link=1212615535/0#4 date=1212638854]rckstr's newest line of drivers are ADJUSTABLE & still just as small! I'll tell ya, that guy is a whiz with electronics, & BTW, GOOD JOB with your first burning laser! Even though it only cost you $3.00, I'd be willing to bet that nobody else (that I've heard of anyway), has built a red burner for only 3 bucks! GREAT WORK!!!! phoenix77

Click to expand...

My first build took a lot of work , but it was pretty much free in terms of money. A friend gave me a dvd burner that was jaming.My cousing gave me a burnt out cheap red key chain.I made the module out of a small brass cylinder and the housing from an aluminum bar I had lying around.I used the button and the switch from the dead keychain. [/quote]


what did you do for a driver? or did you not use one either?

if you bring another $3-$5 to radioshack you can make your own driver pretty easily....
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1185701612

PS: that sounds like a really tough laser... it's really uncommon for one to stand up to that kind of abuse... remember heat is not your friend, try and avoid using a blowtorch on the next one, just use a small screwdriver to chip away the glue

their we go a driver.... maby i will get one when this laser dies....so far i have left it on for 60seconds and its still doing good : )

I left mine on for minutes at room temp.Of course it is probably a little better heatsinked.