Weegidy
0
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2011
- Messages
- 66
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I tried building a 1W 445 laser a few years ago, but I didn't really have the tools or knowledge to do a good job on it. However, after a year of college I am a whole new person (a joke).
Anyway, I'm working on a 2W build out of an old, very expensive, flashlight. I'm using a FourSevens MMU host (which I paid like $120 for a year ago, but's now like $70 used). The only reason I'm using such an expensive light is because it was actually a pretty shitty flashlight, and FourSevens wouldn't do anything to help make it better. Anyway, it was a pretty bad host to chose since it can't be taken apart so I'm making the best of it.
The host was a bad choice because it can't be opened anywhere but the bezel and the battery, and in between the two there was a piece of aluminum and TWO circuit boards (three counting the board the emitter was mounted on). I had to cut out the aluminum divider and smash out the top of the two circuit boards so I can get to the positive battery contact (which I still have to drill to get to).
However, there are some reason why this host is great (once you look past the things I just listed) including the size: it's large enough to heatsink effectively - yet compact enough to carry easily and look nice. The switch is also phemonial. It's a tactical switch that's machined out of a piece of aluminum. It can probably switch upwards of 20 or 30amps before it would start to have some trouble, so it will be rock solid for my "small" laser.
I had Eudaimonium machine me a custom heatsink, but I accidentally copied down a measurement wrong so the shaft of the heatsink was too long. Very luckily I have a friend here in the USA who works at a shop and he is going to "fix" the heatsink for me.
But that's enough talking... here's the photos to date.
Prepping the host.
And here's the heatsink that Eudaimonium fabbed.
What it's going to turn into (pun intended).
Anyway, I'm working on a 2W build out of an old, very expensive, flashlight. I'm using a FourSevens MMU host (which I paid like $120 for a year ago, but's now like $70 used). The only reason I'm using such an expensive light is because it was actually a pretty shitty flashlight, and FourSevens wouldn't do anything to help make it better. Anyway, it was a pretty bad host to chose since it can't be taken apart so I'm making the best of it.
The host was a bad choice because it can't be opened anywhere but the bezel and the battery, and in between the two there was a piece of aluminum and TWO circuit boards (three counting the board the emitter was mounted on). I had to cut out the aluminum divider and smash out the top of the two circuit boards so I can get to the positive battery contact (which I still have to drill to get to).
However, there are some reason why this host is great (once you look past the things I just listed) including the size: it's large enough to heatsink effectively - yet compact enough to carry easily and look nice. The switch is also phemonial. It's a tactical switch that's machined out of a piece of aluminum. It can probably switch upwards of 20 or 30amps before it would start to have some trouble, so it will be rock solid for my "small" laser.
I had Eudaimonium machine me a custom heatsink, but I accidentally copied down a measurement wrong so the shaft of the heatsink was too long. Very luckily I have a friend here in the USA who works at a shop and he is going to "fix" the heatsink for me.
But that's enough talking... here's the photos to date.
Prepping the host.
And here's the heatsink that Eudaimonium fabbed.
What it's going to turn into (pun intended).
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