Pure copper HS 300mW 650nm laser.....

[LikeitBright]

Edit - this post is for a complete laser. There appears to be some confusion who came up with this particular sink design first.  It appears (for reasons explained below) that IgorT and I built very similar sinks independently.  Neither of us were aware what the other had done. I built my first prototype some time ago and sent one to a forum member (13th October) using a fit and feel method, not noting dimensions, simply adjusting as necessary ---- before IgorT released his photos/plans.  This is where it gets complicated . What makes it looks incredibly dodgy is I offered IgorT free customs heatsinks as he had provided me with much electronics help - and I received some plans on the 17th October. I hurriedly made these and sent them - not noticing the similarity or mentioning it - so yes. Read more below if you dare...

  However - to my knowledge all credit goes to IgorT for the first heatsink/driver combo on LPF at least and I've mentioned this fact elsewhere.
________________________________________________________________

So - I've built a 300mW laser using one of the LPC815 sleds at 500mA using a flexdrive powered by a single 3.7V 14500 Li-ion.  This kind of power requires serious cooling so the heatsink is a very massive (though low volume) copper 'slug' with a tight fit between the sink and host with a thin layer of  heat transfer compound for good measure.  I've verified 300mW +- a few mW flucuation on a $2000 Thorlabs digital thermopile LPM.  Burns rather well as you would expect....

Yes 500mA is at the upper limit of what these laser diodes can be pushed to. Its kinda understood I think on these forums that most laser diodes are driven outside of spec.  Having said that, I would replace the laser diode with another for $20 only if it were to die...and set it to whatever current you want.  Looking for $150 or more on this folks.

And....

There is a lot of work in this.  Offers?

 

[JLSE]

Very nice! I need to upgrade from just a lathe :-/

 

[docjohn]

Chris:

     I love that copper !!!    It has always reminded me of GOLD.    Also the thermal resistance is lower.

           John  

 

[wesdaman14]

I offer 50$

 

[LRMNmeyer]

It looks really interesting. Wish I had some money...

 

[rkcstr]

I offer 50$

Are you serious?? I'm pretty sure parts alone cost MORE than that. I'd like to see you try to get a quote on a machined copper piece from somewhere and see what price they quote you :

 

[lasersbee]

Nice close up pics......... Interesting heatsink....

 

[jayrob]

If you figure $30 for the heatsink, there is probably at least $80 or $85 dollars in parts alone!

Nice build! Even with that good heatsink, I doubt the diode will last long at all at 500mA's. I made a few at 470mA's. Some lasted, some didn't. That's with the massive aluminum heatsinks in the 4171 host. 450mA's is better. I like 430mA's these days for better longevity...
Jay

 

[spyrorocks]

If this was mine, I wouldn't let it go for less than $200.

 

[rangedunits]

98.77$ Lpf always cheaper day after day include a chargrr n battery pls

 

[LikeitBright]

[quote author=Wesdaman14 link=1225696466/0#3 date=1225714788]I offer 50$

Are you serious??  I'm pretty sure parts alone cost MORE than that.  I'd like to see you try to get a quote on a machined copper piece from somewhere and see what price they quote you  :[/quote]
Thanks for pointing that out Parts alone is significantly more and keep in mind copper is expensive material. And difficult to machine in its pure state. In order to get a half decent finish on copper you must spend significantly more time on the lathe than if you were machining aluminium or brass - even steel.

Necessity is the mother of invention so they say. There is really only one way to design a simple solid sink for this host and this is it.

 

[IgorT]

Wow.. Those heatsinks look kinda familiar. And the way they are designed from the inside... Did you design them? What could they possibly remind me of? Could it be a certain drawing i once sent you?

 

[IgorT]

The letters MM-FD come to mind.. But what could they possibly mean?

 

[LikeitBright]

Wow.. Those heatsinks look kinda familiar. And the way they are designed from the inside... Did you design them? What could they possibly remind me of? Could it be a certain drawing?

Hey Igor, I know they look similar to your sinks - but thats because logically there is only one way to incorporate a solid one piece sink along with a flexdrive and AixiZ module into this host barrel.  There is no other way I am aware of incorporating these four specific items.  When using the host aluminium sink its a little different as I can reuse the host heatsink threads and create a two part sink solution which press together allowing simpler access to the driver.  I do this when I build a host/sink combo for someone without the laser diode or driver.   But the thread is proprietary and cannot be simply reproduced without a lot off machine setup and work - particularly in pure copper since it is so ductile a material.  Hence the need for a solid slug with no threads.  I suppose I could cut the sink in half and sandwich the driver in the cavity between the two pieces but this would be an illogical step.  Sorry if your offended - but this design was independently created by myself also. When you sent me the design to make some sample sink for you I mused at how interesting it was to find another example of how necessity is the mother of invention - like there is often only one way to code a certain function in the most efficient manner.

Here is an example of the exact same sink made before I had seen yours.  Its the same internally as the copper one above but cut in half to allow the final builder to insert their flexdrive.  When making a complete laser it is illogical to cut the sink in half.

For people who think scrolling is hard work...

The thread is here.  
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1223610735/0#0

 

[IgorT]

So we both came up with the exact same Max-Mass FlexDrive heatsink idea at the exact same time? Is that it?

All i know is that i sent you a drawing of my heatsink/module plans, and then see it here. The part where it gets tight in the middle, leaving room only for two wires is the part that got my attention.

Outside and the PCB step, that's a different thing. That is something dictated by necessity, if the module is to be closed off by the PCB and fit the host.... But you have to admit it looks exactly the same on the inside as well.


How come you didn't mention anything then, when you saw my design?

 

[Dark_Horse]

[quote author=IgorT link=1225696466/0#11 date=1225746090]Wow.. Those heatsinks look kinda familiar. And the way they are designed from the inside... Did you design them? What could they possibly remind me of? Could it be a certain drawing?

Hey Igor, I know they look similar to your sinks - but thats because [highlight]logically there is only one way to incorporate a solid one piece sink along with a flexdrive and AixiZ module into this host barrel[/highlight].  There is no other way I am aware of incorporating these four specific [/quote]

There is only one way, until someone comes up with another [smiley=evil.gif]

Nice builds by the way, copper is not so easy to work with, "very gummy"
DH