Brand new, noob, *TRYING MY BEST TO BE RESPONSIBLE*

[RedCowboy]

Yes you want to wear laser safety glasses to protect your eyes from the wavelength you are working with, I have had good results with survival lasers Eagle Pair glasses for use with 445-455nm blue lasers.

That said there was some issue to do with a gap in protection around 488nm IINM, but I expect that's been resolved, even if not the glasses I linked in blue ( click the blue text ) are good for the 1w-7w blue lasers in 445-455nm, I expect that's similar to what you bought.

Here's a video of someone lighting a campfire, you may want more than a 1w MM blue if you want to get more distance, also the 3X beam expander will help.

If you want more than the 1w Gattling you bought, maybe check with Lifetime17 and see what he has.
With a 5W NDB7A75 w/G8 lens and a 3X beam expander you can light a brown paper bag stuffed with newspaper a lot easier to start your bonfire than trying to hit a match head. As always be safe and never let a laser beam strike any people or vehicles, sorry I have to keep saying that but other people read these posts and some need to hear it an extra time or two, it could make a difference.

 

[burnedup69]

Yes you want to wear laser safety glasses to protect your eyes from the wavelength you are working with, I have had good results with

Thank you. Yes, the link you provided for the glasses is almost the ones / is the ones I'm talking about except the ones you linked are "slippovers" for people with normal glasses. - I don't have glasses so I was speaking of the exact same ones, but just without the "slippover" feature. The ones that are $4 cheaper at $45.99 or something.

It's funny you posted that video because I saw that video on my own about 3 nights ago but you seem to know the guy/gal and I thank you for that info. I may contact him.

Not trying to tell you what to do but don't worry about apologizing for safety. Ever. You're exactly right and as I believe I have now more or less proven - that's precisely why I came here in the first place. To be safe.

If you don't mind, could you tell me what you think about these glasses? To my eyes (specs) they seem to be the same except I think the highest range is 490nm....... and from reviews I watched last night this / these name brand seemed to get positive reviews. I don't want to cheap out on my eyes but at the same time ---- if a frog is a frog, it's a frog. It works or it doesn't. Thoughts on these please? Thank you RCB. FreeMascot OD6+ 190-490nm. Amazon $28 For Blue

One more ? - Any idea where to pick up one of those cheap $100 ish LPM's? Maybe even used? I like to give this laser I got a whirl with an LPM just to reassure my mind that I got more or less what I thought. I understand it won't be the most accurate thing ever but it should be decent enough to give me a ballpark +/- 10%. Thanks again.

Had to delete ur links because I don't have 20 posts yet. (I can't post links yet, even replied ones) No worries.

 

[RedCowboy]

Those freemascot look like Chinese made glasses which are usually better than nothing but usually not as good as the Survival lasers EaglePair which is what I have been using for years, I have tested both the cheap Chinese type and the EaglePair as have others here and other than the 488nm gap ......rather 505 and 517nm gap, which was not a total gap but there was a reduction in the attenuation factor, the amber/orange EaglePair glasses have done very well for protection against 445-455nm, that said they are not top tier laboratory grade glasses, if you want professional level Certified glasses you can get them HERE, but I don't think you need them for your 445-455nm blue laser if you have the EaglePair glasses.

You can get a laserbee here.

---edit---

Here's a link to the eaglepair drama over the 488nm gap > HERE

This was the issue: NOTE TO CUSTOMERS OF SL-GLG1X EAGLE PAIR® GOGGLES PURCHASED PRIOR TO 2020: It has been determined by Eagle Pair® that some SL-GLG1X Eagle Pair® 190-540nm & 800-1700nm goggles manufactured prior to 2020 may have a dip in the absorbance curve between 505 and 517nm wavelength of about OD3 instead of OD5. Eagle Pair® has provided us replacement lens filters for any Survival Laser customer of these goggles that requests them. Customers can reach us about the replacements via the store contact page.

 

[burnedup69]

Ok thank you. Basically what I'm trying to somewhat learn is what *my* gauge is. Since I have never used lasers I have no frame of reference so I am slowly trying to learn how to "box in" my own personal gauge so I can have some frame of reference mentally. You are rapidly helping me get there. Thank you.

Here is an example of my lack of knowledge / frame of reference. > Of course you never point it at your eyes, etc... but for example and completely hypothetical - (and illegal) - (safety 1st) But if I was to point it straight into space at night --- would you be able to remove the glasses and "see" the blue beam in it's natural colors? Like looking at it from the side or profile view is what I mean. Or is even that a big no no???? (Again, I have no frame of reference)

I know in the above example if you accidently drop it and it flashes your eyes, you're done. But idiocy aside..... I'm still not clear on the "beam" vs the "spot".

Last real example. I told you I did a very brief test last night. I had the cheap glasses on. I made it a definite point to train my eyes just off center of the "spot" --- I wasn't about to look directly at the spot ---- I wasn't looking for the spot. I was looking for any signs of a wisp of smoke and I saw it immediately and I cut the laser off and removed the batteries and won't do it again until I have legit glasses and I am going to go ahead and order those from SL today. The ones you recommend, the salesman recommended and the ones that made sense to me too.

It even comes right out and says on the product description it's safe to look at the spot with those so...... that's plain English even I can understand. But back to the spot vs beam question and viewing. Thanks for the other links too. If you know of a good video that explains it so you don't have to type it, I'm happy to watch. Knowledge is knowledge. Thanks again.

 

[RedCowboy]

You can look at the beam in the air, the beam is a product of Rayleigh scattering, that's no problem and you can look at the spot on a non reflective surface.....even a white surface as long as it's at least 4 feet or more away, I have caught the spot on my workbench through that small gap at the bridge of my nose while wearing my safety glasses and turning my head, it's like glimpsing at a welding arc, you might have a brief afterimage but don't sit and stare at the spot ( on a non reflective surface ) closer than 4 feet away without the laser safety glasses.

I wouldn't sit and stare at a light bulb or a lasers spot 4 feet away for an extended time, but watching the beam's spot make circles on a wall 10 feet away as you swirl it in a circle is no problem as long as there's nothing reflective.

If your beam hits a reflective surface, such as a mirror or a chrome bumper, you will get a " specular " reflection that can damage your retina if it hits your eye, however a wall inside your home coated with typical flat enamel paint, when hit with a laser beam will produce a " diffuse " reflection ( a uniform glow ) that's only a real danger to your retina if you are too close as the energy decreases by the cube, so distance is your friend as far as diffuse reflections, for instance if you shine the beam into your yard 10 meters away and hit normal grass you can look at it, you can sit and watch it as long as there's nothing reflective to produce a specular reflection.

---edit---
When burning even at 10 feet away it helps to wear the safety glasses so you can see when your beam is focused at it's tightest, otherwise the bright spot will prevent you from seeing that detail, plus it's good to go easy on your eyes and accidents do happen, so safety 1st and error on the side of caution.

 

[burnedup69]

You can look at the beam in the air, the beam is a product of Rayleigh scattering, that's no problem and you can look at the spot on a non reflective surface.....even a white surface as long as it's at least 4 feet or more away, I have caught the spot on my workbench through that small gap at the bridge of my nose while wearing my safety glasses and turning my head, it's like glimpsing at a welding arc, you might have a brief afterimage but don't sit and stare at the spot ( on a non reflective surface ) closer than 4 feet away without the laser safety glasses.

I wouldn't sit and stare at a light bulb or a lasers spot 4 feet away for an extended time, but watching the beam's spot make circles on a wall 10 feet away as you swirl it in a circle is no problem as long as there's nothing reflective.

If your beam hits a reflective surface, such as a mirror or a chrome bumper, you will get a " specular " reflection that can damage your retina if it hits your eye, however a wall inside your home coated with typical flat enamel paint, when hit with a laser beam will produce a " diffuse " reflection ( a uniform glow ) that's only a real danger to your retina if you are too close as the energy decreases by the cube, so distance is your friend as far as diffuse reflections, for instance if you shine the beam into your yard 10 meters away and hit normal grass you can look at it, you can sit and watch it as long as there's nothing reflective to produce a specular reflection.

---edit---
When burning even at 10 feet away it helps to wear the safety glasses so you can see when your beam is focused at it's tightest, otherwise the bright spot will prevent you from seeing that detail, plus it's good to go easy on your eyes and accidents do happen, so safety 1st and error on the side of caution.

Perfect. Understood that perfectly. I believe I'm set. Definitely more confident now. All the mental pictures are making sense now. Thank you.