532nm dpss "FLASHLIGHT" laser pen build

[BlackOps]

Hi, a couple days ago, i zapped my 405nm laser with a piezo, after 3 times, it died. I know its stupid. And that sh*t happened while i'm going on vacation next week. No way i would get a new diode by then.


But i found some usable laser parts from 2013 and 2012. And i thought, why not make a laser based flashlight from it. I wan't to take some lazing stuff with me. It took me 2 days to make this device. (It took me 2 hours to clean the optics. Let alone, sealing it). I know its not the best host, but it weights about 100 grams and all i can say is, it feels great after waxing it. This time, i made an uncollumated laser projector. Now its an helicopter like flashlight. The thing can highlight some trees 300 meter away. And it does it bright. Beam is still visible. It can handle some brutal shocks and drops on the ground. (I put an O-ring around the crystal set, which absorbs the shocks. Tested it, and it works great. Unlike 80% of the green lasers)


I enjoy this thing. I also put an GOOD IR filter in there to reduce unnecessary output power. The optical cavity consists about 28 parts. I know, its a lot, but its all to make it watertight, resistant against drops and dirt. I put some good springs and retainer rings in there to align the optics and prevent them from moving even when dropped of a building! Everything had to fit and match in size.


I also but an BMS circuit in there. The button is bypassed with 2 LVDS wires to ensure high conductivity and solder connections are made. Thermal paste and sealing rings has been added to conduct heat from the brass element (containing the diode and the crystal set) to the nice aluminum heat sink and to double seal it. The module it pressed in the housing with thermal paste all around it. If the device heats up, the entire device heats up. The battery is quite isolated from the outer host as the steel tube has been added, more on this later.


I made the tail switch myself, its almost done. I need to add an O-ring to it and seal the button side with a nice rubber button from a camera or dead flashlight.


A stainless steel tube has been added to make sure, the battery isn't moving and prevents making that enjoying feeling when moved or tapped. Therefore making it more heavier and qualitative. And it protects the battery from drops as the tube has bubble wrap around it. Fits tight and nicely .


Everything is press fitted. And overall nice feeling. I will try to make some pictures this night at a small beach where no one is to show you how powerful this flashlight is.


This laser is constructed with 48 parts. And i gotta say, i enjoyed building this one (with exceptions for cleaning the optics)


Laser is powered by an ICR10280 180mAh lithium ion battery. It last a whole night, or a whole day when used non-constantly. Charging takes around 25 minutes.

 

[diachi]

But i found some usable laser parts from 2013 and 2012. And i thought, why not make a laser based flashlight from it. I wan't to take some lazing stuff with me. It took me 2 days to make this device. (It took me 2 hours to clean the optics. Let alone, sealing it). I know its not the best host, but it weights about 100 grams and all i can say is, it feels great after waxing it. This time, i made an uncollumated laser projector. Now its an helicopter like flashlight. The thing can highlight some trees 300 meter away. And it does it bright. Beam is still visible. It can handle some brutal shocks and drops on the ground. (I put an O-ring around the crystal set, which absorbs the shocks. Tested it, and it works great. Unlike 80% of the green lasers)

Good to see people making do with what they have lying around! Always good to exercise your scavenging and making do with what you have skills!

Just need to get this straight though ... you put an O-ring around the crystal set? Do you mean perhaps that you put it around the module? As far as I can see from the pictures that looks to be the case. Trying to put an O-ring around the actual crystal set would surely cause all sorts of issues.

The piece labeled Nd:YVO4 Crystal/KTP crystal is the actual crystal set (that one looks to be a decent size too) - the brass piece that holds it is the module/mount/holder or whatever you want to call it. :yh:

Excuse me ... I'm being picky again.

 

[BlackOps]

1st picture: note, the reflection of the IR filter inside the aixiz module

2nd picture, note, the O-ring around the crystal set to prevent it from popping loose after a good drop. Its also protected against vertical drops with a powerful spring inside the heatsink witch then is retained by an aixiz module. The aixiz module makes it watertight with teflon tape. The aixiz module contains a good IR filter and a spring, some retaining rings and an aixiz arcrylic lens (which took me quite some time to "watertighten" it). And of course the focusing ring.

3rd picture, sealing work and an lubricated ring. This is the double seal ring for the worst case scenario. So the optical cavity is completely sealed. And thermal paste has been added to ensure good thermal conductivity has been made in case the device is used for longer duty cycles.

 

[diachi]

1st picture: note, the reflection of the IR filter inside the aixiz module

2nd picture, note, the O-ring around the crystal set to prevent it from popping loose after a good drop. Its also protected against vertical drops with a powerful spring inside the heatsink witch then is retained by an aixiz module. The aixiz module makes it watertight with teflon tape. The aixiz module contains a good IR filter and a spring, some retaining rings and an aixiz arcrylic lens (which took me quite some time to "watertighten" it). And of course the focusing ring.

3rd picture, sealing work and an lubricated ring. This is the double seal ring for the worst case scenario. So the optical cavity is completely sealed. And thermal paste has been added to ensure good thermal conductivity has been made in case the device is used for longer duty cycles.

Ahh - yes - I see the O-ring around the crystal holder now, good idea! :beer:

 

[BlackOps]

Good to see people making do with what they have lying around! Always good to exercise your scavenging and making do with what you have skills!

Just need to get this straight though ... you put an O-ring around the crystal set? Do you mean perhaps that you put it around the module? As far as I can see from the pictures that looks to be the case. Trying to put an O-ring around the actual crystal set would surely cause all sorts of issues.

The piece labeled Nd:YVO4 Crystal/KTP crystal is the actual crystal set (that one looks to be a decent size too) - the brass piece that holds it is the module/mount/holder or whatever you want to call it. :yh:

Excuse me ... I'm being picky again.

Hi! Thanks for your reply. I'm uploading pictures straight from my pocket computer (phone) and its a nightmare, so excuse me for the late pictures.

I made an reply with pictures atached to it, so it was easier to explain. And the o-ring is around the crystal set you mentioned . However thanks for your reply! I will upload another picture set of the battery shock absorber tube inside the host. And how the module is press fitted.

 

[BlackOps]

Ahh - yes - I see the O-ring around the crystal holder now, good idea! :beer:

Hi, thanks

 

[BlackOps]

I'm using my "homemade" lathe to machine the tail cap. I'm making a little groove so my O-ring could fit on it and seal it at the same time. Its not the best lathe of course, but it gets the job done without problems just some extra time.

As you might have noticed, i always build lasers which are watertight, resistant against drops and dust. All in pocket and micro.

 

[ElectricPlasma]

Oh my, that is extremely ingenious. Hard drive motor as a lathe... that deserves a thread all on it's own. Amazing idea!

Nice build too, btw

 

[BlackOps]

Oh my, that is extremely ingenious. Hard drive motor as a lathe... that deserves a thread all on it's own. Amazing idea!

Nice build too, btw

Hi! Thanks for your reply.

Yea i used to play with this device a lot back in 2014. It works great. I use 3M 300LSE adhesive and superglue to center and lock the piece i want to machine in place. You might think its going to break off due to vibrations and centrifugal force, but it does the job! Never had that issue.i will make a thread about it soon!

Btw, it could spin up to 7k/10k rpm in reverse and 15k in normal mode. However thanks for your reply!

 

[BlackOps]

I'm doing pretty good now

The necessarily groove has been made now!

 

[diachi]

That's genius haha! Love the ingenuity

 

[BlackOps]

That's genius haha! Love the ingenuity

Hi! Thanks

 

[Mattronium]

Very nice build. It is good to see originality and the reuse of scrap parts.
REP+

 

[BlackOps]

Very nice build. It is good to see originality and the reuse of scrap parts.
REP+

Hi, thanks for your reply. Yea its always nice to reuse old parts especially if they Wheren't used for a long time

 

[BlackOps]

Hi, I have some updates. Due to my own stupidity, I forgot to make an internal frame, its an support bracket assembly which protects the module. If you press hard enough, you can press the entire laser module in. Well, I had to do some modifications to the tailcap thread, and I had to jam it back in. Guess what, I solved the tailcap seal issue, but my module was gone. Oh wait! It was completely in host...

so I took another cheap ass DOA ebay laser apart, I harvested an brass thread, which is used to screw the battery section in. I pressed the module out of my buid (therefore breaking the spring, but easily replaced) and jammed another tailcap thread in. This is then follow by an steel tube ( the battery holder and shock absorber tube in white bubble wrap plastic) which then is followed by a plastic circle I just machined, and the PCB driver support bracket is sitting on here, and thats also the part thats atached to the module. So I can literally throw this pen from my roof and nothing will happen to it, except for some scratches.

btw, the module of this laser looks so beautiful. Very nice and heavy weight tank assembly.

and it took me some good time to make this thing watertight.
Host is from the battery compartment of a 2$ newish green laser pointer from (we all know where)

 

[BlackOps]

And in case you where interested in how i builded the tail cap, i used a momentary switch, 2 springs (one to the case and one to the battery). A triangle support bracket which digs itself into the brass when pressed in completely, so the button could not be pressed out by the battery. A piece of foam to keep the spring to the battery perfectly aligned. Hot glue, 3M 300LSE adhesive to seal it off completely. Rubber seal ring to seal the battery compartment and circuitry.

And oh, machinery has been done by my homemade lathe from 2014, i will make an thread about it soon and a video of how i use it.

Edit: a completely sealed and perfectly cleaned out 3 element glass lens from Aixiz has been used to enchase the output beam quality. And its less divergent as a flashlight . Only downside about this flashlight is, it emits coherent light. And it also burns at close ranges "7cm". Beam diameter is 10cm at 2 meters. Hence the name "laser flashlight"