The Most Powerful Laser Gun

[SpaceWizard]

Hi All!

I'm new here and I think I'll be needing some help. I'd like to create (on of) the most powerful homemade laser gun. I was inspired (partially) by this: https://youtu.be/iVrJUbeuG44 (40W laser gun, his video directs you here for help). I want it to be at least 100W. I, sadly, hardly know the first thing about lasers (I know you need an appropriate driver, lens, diode, case, and probably heatsink). I am willing to put a lot of time into this and I also have some money I'm willing to spend on this, but I don't want to just waste money on it. I don't care if the power supply is huge and bulky, I'm willing to have the power supply strapped to the users back. The laser itself (including heatsinks) can also be huge if necessary. Any help at all would be appreciated. If you all could point me where to get the diode array that the guy in the linked video used that could help to. Either way anything will be appreciated!

Thanks,
SpaceWizard

 

[Sta]

Welcome to the forum!

First of all - I would not recommend starting out with something like this. The best way to start building lasers is with single diodes. You have to walk before you can run.

But if you decide to try and run first - here's a link to a diode array more powerful than the one Styro used. Nichia NUBM08E 450nm 36W High Power Multi LD Bank Blue Laser Diode Array | eBay
If you overdrive that array (5-6A per diode) you might be able to achieve 50W; thus you would need two arrays. This is going to set you back $3200, and then heatsinks, drivers, and the like will cost even more. The whole project will likely cost you $5000+, which is... expensive.

In addition, consider the fact that you have to handle 16 separate beams with something like that. This means that if any one of those 16 beams reflects off of something, it could blind you instantly. And it could potentially kill you if you use it wrong.

Assuming you insist on making a multi-diode laser, it would be best to wait until NUBM08E diodes are available as units, and then use a PBS cube to combine two of them. That'd give you 20W of power, which is more than enough for some serious destruction. In the meantime, you may want to try your hand at lower-power single diode builds.

 

[Encap]

Hi All!

I want it to be at least 100W. I, sadly, hardly know the first thing about lasers Either way anything will be appreciated!

Are you going to use it with your homemade moon rocket?

Seriously, the daydream you are proposing requires a lot of knowledge in many different technical areas, practical experience skills and a lot of money and for a mostly useless and very dangerous toy. Laser beams do not combine they way you imagine.

Lasers only work they way you imagine in imagination.
The one in the video is 24 drivers drivng 8 laser diodes, each creating a 5W beam---the beams never combine to make a single 40W beam--they are only 40W total when focused precisely on one spot--8 5W beams on one focal point spot

Given you know nothing about lasers attempting to do something like that is an accident looking for a place to happen.

Forget the "power" daydream and maybe build a single diode laser first and see what they are about and what is involved in doing that, as Sta says.

If you want to learn more about combining laser beams--google the subject ---- and have a look at this LPF practical reality thread --see here: http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/reference-guide-how-combine-lasers-77449.html

 

[Dutch67]

Hi All!

I'm new here and I think I'll be needing some help. I'd like to create (on of) the most powerful homemade laser gun. I was inspired (partially) by this: https://youtu.be/iVrJUbeuG44 (40W laser gun, his video directs you here for help). I want it to be at least 100W. I, sadly, hardly know the first thing about lasers (I know you need an appropriate driver, lens, diode, case, and probably heatsink). I am willing to put a lot of time into this and I also have some money I'm willing to spend on this, but I don't want to just waste money on it. I don't care if the power supply is huge and bulky, I'm willing to have the power supply strapped to the users back. The laser itself (including heatsinks) can also be huge if necessary. Any help at all would be appreciated. If you all could point me where to get the diode array that the guy in the linked video used that could help to. Either way anything will be appreciated!

Thanks,
SpaceWizard

Well I know that the 40W shotgun looks absolutely fantastic (it's one of the reasons I came to this great place) But you might want to start a little smaller to get the feel for lasers. A 1-2W 445nm laser is, in my opinion, a great place to start. The m140 is the first diode I started out with and I absolutely loved it. Of coursed it died, but that has only driven me to make better and sturdier lasers.

Now... You said you want 100W of power :scared: That is a huge amount of power and will in no way shape or form be cheap. I'm talking $4-8k. When it comes to Watts and lasers, it is nothing like Watts and light bulbs. Your light bulbs at home may be like 60 Watts, but up until recently some of the strongest, publicly available diodes were barely 2W and those can burn wood and paper easily! Now we have 4.5A, 7W diodes and that's an amazing feat all in itself! Also, driving diodes too hard can burn them out and destroy them, which would suck if you went and bought an array.

I seriously just recommend going a little smaller. 100W is super dangerous, even with proper eye and body protection. A laser that powerful should probably be placed on a static mount instead of a mobile one, just so that there is less risk of being injured. I cannot stressed enough how dangerous even a 40W laser rifle is.

You wanna know a great laser to make if you are seriously head-set on making a powerful one? Go and buy a NUBM44 off of DTR's website. You can buy it prepared with a driver and one of his special G2 glass lenses. It has some amazing burning power and is significantly less dangerous than trying to make your own laser rifle. And its still around 7W, which is still very powerful.

It's late so some of this might be a little scrambled but no-one here can stress enough how dangerous making a 100W laser will be, especially as your first build. Even some senior members wouldn't try and make one like that.
I recommend looking at Styropyro's 2W laser build video on youtube and see if that is something you would like to try. This forum is here to foster a love and admiration of lasers, but it also here to warn you of the serious dangers they present.

If you have any questions, everyone here would love to answer them for you but I highly doubt you will get much support trying to build your 100W death(suicide) ray. It is your first build and I think you should spend some time learning about lasers here so that you understand that what you are asking to do, is incredibly dangerous.

 

[SpaceWizard]

Thanks for the replies! I guess I was (am?) a little more ignorant than I thought! Seeing as the 100W idea would cost me so much money, and I have nowhere near the expertise, I think I'll settle for something along the lines of a 2W-7W build(I know it may still be hard, but I'm willing to give it a shot). Also any ideas on when those NUBMO8E diodes will be available as units? (Of course I still want something overly powerful, just likely not as my first time anymore).

 

[Skans]

I'm just curious what kind of battery power it would take to power a 100 Watt laser.

 

[VirtueViolater]

Hell,
I want a 1000 w handheld laser...lol

 

[SpaceWizard]

Don't know if anyone is still looking at this, but I think I now want to get a NUBM44 450nm with the driver and module from DTR's laser shop. Sadly I don't really know how to power this (I do know about switches an alright amount and general circuitry). I'm sure I should use rechargeable batteries that can provide 4.5A and 7-12V I think, but other than that I don't know. Any quick suggestions?

 

[Dutch67]

Don't know if anyone is still looking at this, but I think I now want to get a NUBM44 450nm with the driver and module from DTR's laser shop. Sadly I don't really know how to power this (I do know about switches an alright amount and general circuitry). I'm sure I should use rechargeable batteries that can provide 4.5A and 7-12V I think, but other than that I don't know. Any quick suggestions?

Hey there! So I seriously just built one of these lasers about 2 hours ago. I recommend an S4X Host from survival lasers. It is pretty big and holds two 18650 batteries. The only problem I had with it is that it has very little room to hold all the components. It definitely will not hold the aluminum back piece to the module. Other than that it has been great.

Another thing I would recommend would be finding a better way to heat sink the driver. Mine so far is running for about 10 seconds before the driver shuts off. I am cutting down a heat sink right now so that I can try and sneak it on the driver and fit it back into the host. Maybe if you didn't do 4.5A it wouldn't heat up so far and it would have a longer run time.

 

[SpaceWizard]

Awesome, thanks. I'll look into that right now, and good luck with making that heat sink fit! I'll probably have to do the same/similar thing too.

 

[Dutch67]

Awesome, thanks. I'll look into that right now, and good luck with making that heat sink fit! I'll probably have to do the same/similar thing too.

Yeah it's definitely annoying to not be able to use it for more than a few seconds at a time. But unlike some other burning lasers I've had this one almost instantly burns and it goes deep too. I burnt through some half inch thick cardboard amazingly fast. You will have fun.

ALSO!!! make sure you buy some proper laser safety glasses!!! Not kidding about this part you must must MUST wear proper safety glasses with this laser. Even the slightest reflection or flash into your eyes will permanently damage them. Make sure the glasses you get are specified to protect you from 450nm wavelengths. Survival lasers has plenty of pairs and it's better to spend $50 on a pair of glasses then $7000 on a pair of new eyes. Get a good pair while you're shopping there.

 

[SpaceWizard]

Just to make sure I've got this, I can get two 18650 at 4500mAh(for a driver set to 4500mAh) and connect them in parallel, then in series with a switch? (I should look up some videos probably)

Also is the eagle series laser glasses (the 190-540nm range) a good brand?

 

[Dutch67]

Just to make sure I've got this, I can get two 18650 at 4500mAh(for a driver set to 4500mAh) and connect them in parallel, then in series with a switch? (I should look up some videos probably)

Also is the eagle series laser glasses (the 190-540nm range) a good brand?

Yeah, Its pretty simple when you buy a host. Here is a video of how to build a 1W blue burning laser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYuvHFiyfoQ

It's pretty much the same concept except you will need a contact board to solder your driver to.

Also if you meant this pair of glasses then they should probably be good as the protect you from 190nm to 540nm: Eagle Pair® 190-540nm & 800-1700nm OD5 Laser Safety Goggles

 

[VirtueViolater]

Hi guys,
Survival sells a heatsink pill. I have an s4x I'd sell of anyone is intrested
Danny

 

[Dutch67]

Okay so I don't think the problem with my laser is heat, but more of some timing issue. I can run it for about 5-10 seconds and then it shuts off. So I think something in the driver may be faulty. I'm gonna look more into later.

 

[VirtueViolater]

What amperage are you running?