Laser Purchasing Questions

Can anyone help me, I would like to buy a laser preferrably one strong enough to light a candle. If you could can you please include the details of the minimum wattage required before lighting one and details of the cheapest place to buy it. Awesome Thank You.
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Any 1Watt laser can do that. The blue laser is the cheapest option. What is your budget and DO YOU HAVE A SAFETY GOGGLE ?

No I'm a first time buyer except for a cheap 5mW one from a catalog and I had been told that a 500-600mW laser can light one too also looking to see what it would take to cut my paracord its the military grade 550 cord with seven strings of nylon inside the outer part which i don't know what is made of and I'm only 13 so my budget is pretty tight I'm hoping that I don't have to withdraw my entire bank account which only contains 300 at the moment.

Let's see:thinking:... 13 yrs. old, wants a powerful burning laser, oh, and no safety goggles.
Maybe it's just me, but I can't really see a long line of sellers for this sale.

Please get some safety goggles first!

I've got a pair I'm looking to buy on amazon cheap but well known pair about $5 protects from up to 1.2W

Light a candle, or use one that is way too bright on your dog?
http://laserpointerforums.com/f36/laser-type-79980.html

If no cheap sites are available what would be the closest I could get to 555nm and would it be possible to take the button from a momentary switch off of a 5mW laser and brighten it like kipkay did in his video with any old laser or does it have to be the wicked lasers core series.

Hello and welcome to the forum! Definitely make sure and read the stickies as doing so will help you avoid costly mistakes so many have made before you!

Couple of thoughts:
My 550mW 405nm laser takes about 1.5 minutes of constant burning on a candle wick before said wick lights. If you want to light a candle and still be able to feel your arm, I would suggest a ~1W or higher laser.

445nm lasers tend to be fairly affordable, you can get one for about 150-200 dollars here on the forum.

Be open about your age with sellers. Many people will not sell to people under 18 for ethical reasons. A 1W+ Laser is a very dangerous piece of equipment, and the safety of a great many people can be compromised by selling a laser to someone who may be irresponsible with it. That said you may be able to find someone to sell one to you if you demonstrate a responsible attitude and invest in a pair of quality Safety glasses.

Safety glasses; I personally have 2 pairs, one was a cheap pair from a chinese site and let me tell you I would never trust them to protect me from my high powered 445nm laser. Never. The other are a quality pair that can be had for ~50 bucks and they block all the blue light. They make me feel safe and ensure I will continue to have my vision.

About the paracord: I don't think you will find a laser to cut through that quickly...I would suggest a paratrooper knife of some sort. Go to Academy and look for knives with a half serrated edge. Keep it sharp and you should be good.

Lastly, have fun, be safe, and enjoy LPF! This is a great hobby, just take care with it.

Academy - SOG SEAL Pup Elite Fixed Outdoor Knife

or

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_32354_-1__?N=329206490

Would work great...

We're telling a 13 yr. old where to get knives and lasers :thinking: actually, I was getting into worse things at 13 now that I think about it lol. BigDee you want a real laser you gotta get some real goggles or you might as well forget it. The phrase "permanent blindness" may not mean much to you now, just like when I was 13 and the phrase "dont play with knives" didn't mean anything to me. Let's just say the bones in my left hand have seen the light of day and I learned the hard way that "permanent" damage is exactly that. Permanent.

"looking to see what it would take to cut my paracord its the military grade 550 cord with seven strings of nylon inside the outer part which i don't know what is made"

Those knives are made for just that...

Is it that hard to cut paracord? You can always buy a knife and learn how to use a wet stone.

I'm starting to think BigDee is just a big troll.