Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

How to Register on LPF | LPF Donations

Will this clamp work to press a diode?

Crexonz

Crexonz

0
Joined
Jul 12, 2010
Messages
77
Points
0
found this in my basement and thought it might work. can you guys help me?

DSC00020.JPG
click it. i dont know why its small

the diameter of the piece on the screw is a bit more than 1/2". will it open enough to fit the front and back end of a module?
 





Crexonz said:
found this in my basement and thought it might work. can you guys help me?

View attachment 29581
click it. i dont know why its small

the diameter of the piece on the screw is a bit more than 1/2". will it open enough to fit the front and back end of a module?
Click to expand...

Well do you want to make the "mouth" as big as possible, measure it then tell us the measurement? Thanks
 
Crexonz said:
its 2 inches fully opened
Click to expand...

Yes, as long as it will press it squarely, and you have something to push the diode in with. I still think a vice is a better idea though.

OR even better yet there are special tools you can buy that are designed to do just that!
 
Those C-clamps always give you mysery - they will likely rotate the diode, and they are also quite fiddly since you have to hold both the clamp, aixiz front and back in place at the same time.

Just get a simple vise, small ones can be found for $20 or so and will suffice for these tasks.
 
In my experience I have used a C-clamp successfully but it's VERY difficult to center the diode level in the module. The beam will come out crooked. If you roll the completed laser on a table while it's on you see that the beam traces circles on the wall.

If you have, or have access to, a drill press...

Get a 1/4 in aluminum rod cut to about 4 in in lenght. Drill a hole in one end of the rod such that the leads of the diode will fit into the hole. Now install the rod into the drill press, hole side down, as you would a drill bit. Now use the press to install the diode.

-Tony
 
Last edited:
I agree with everyone here about the C-clamp usage. Very hard to get the diode in nice an square or worse, it could slip and slice of a diode pin!!

The cheapest vice I've seen is like Benm says, $20.00 at out local ACE hardware. Your safest bet is a vice.
 
That was my idea too - a vise is so cheap that ruining even a single diode using a c-clamp would likely cost more that buying a vise in the first place.

Also, its just a good tool to have, and it will prove handy in more situations that press fitting laser diodes. Using a vise to clamp down things you want to use a dremel on and such will prove very convenient.

I use my vise regularly, and its not even mounted on a working table. They just apply perpendicular forces where you need them, and a lot of force with little effort compared to anything else. Since the costs are so tiny, its a good tool to purchase, even if you could fiddle your wau around using one for some applications.
 
If you plan on staying with the hobby, another invaluable piece of equipment (IMO), is a set of "helping hands". Really helps when you trying to solder things. :yh:

Amazon.com: SE Helping Hand Magnifier w/LED Light: Gateway

41st%2BQjlCJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
I recently got one for ~$10 from the same seller. The quality is reflected in the price, but to me that was all the quality I needed! I have successfully extracted and soldered 3 laser diodes in the past week, using one clip and looking through the glass. The clips are STRONG and can hurt a little, deff enough to hold little parts.
 
Last edited:
im thinking of buying that. gonna be useful for my future builds ;) thanks guys for all the help!

Crex
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top