Burning Handheld Laser

[b49]

Are there (or is there a way to make) a bigger handheld laser that burns anything more than paper or pops a balloon? For example, a laser that burns metal?

 

[Mohrenberg]

Are there (or is there a way to make) a bigger handheld laser that burns anything more than paper or pops a balloon? For example, a laser that burns metal?

not sure if you could burn metal....but you could have a portal gas laser......with a power supply in a backpack....

 

[Lotus_Darkrose]

Why yes, there is. Not sure of the specs on it, but here's a promising image

But to *correctly* answer your question...do a google image search for "metal cutting laser" and imagine trying to put all of that into a hand-held unit.

 

[Lotus_Darkrose]

In addition...I would be afraid to walk outside if portable metal cutting lasers were readily available to the general public

 

[Swordofsalvation]

actually, this is quite possible. you can buy a pulsed gas laser that fits inside a gun shaped case. google information unlimited. the laser kit is somewhere near 2 grande usd, but it will shoot holes through most all materials. plus, it runs on 8 alkaline batteries!!!! lol. the recharge period is like on eminute though.....

 

[Lotus_Darkrose]

Yeah, but it would take a lot more than that to actually *cut* metal, rather than putting a tiny hole in it for a very small part of a second.

 

[b49]

Wow. I'm going to go out on a limb here and ask the question, although I'm going to preface this with letting you know I have no intention of attempting to actually do this: Could that laser gun be used for hunting in place of a rifle?

 

[Lotus_Darkrose]

Asuming you have it focused well enough, I don't know, lol.

Think of the headline on that if someone killed someone with it...

"Man dies from laser gun blast"

 

[b49]

Yeah but think about it from this perspective: Lasers would probably make hunting a lot safer. How many people are killed by stray bullets every year?

 

[Lotus_Darkrose]

Lol, well I definitely agree with that, the hole would be very clean. Good for hunting, because people that use shotguns end up picking out bbs. And how freaking fun would that be to use a laser rifle? I think I would actually start hunting

 

[b49]

Is it possible to construct a hunting grade laser at this time?

 

[b49]

Whomever did would not only be rich, but probably save a lot of lives.

 

[billg519]

I have 2W and 4W 808nm handhelds. These will definitely do more than pop balloons or burn black paper. These will light a wood match by the wood, and will burn through thick dark plastic. Steel wool lights up instantly. Firework fuses are instantly lit. I burned a wood pencil in half. To get into these, you need to be able to use c-mount diodes. C-mount laser heads are rarer than hens teeth or frogs milk these days, so you need access to a metal lathe to make your own. I think that Kenom is coming out with a c-mount host sometime. To burn a hole in a tin can lid, you need to step up to a laser diode bar. My 60W 808nm lasers easily burn through a tin can lid. This would be a big handheld, however. A 60W handheld running on lipos with a few minutes runtime would be about 2.75" x 14" in size. (Not quite finished mine yet...)

Some IR related videos :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9pye4NvLi4 2W handheld
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymz2f3HEvrE 2W 808nm and 4W 960nm handhelds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzDrZvcDcpA A 60W 808nm burning a few things

 

[b49]

Are you saying that a 60 watt handheld would resemble something of a lightsaber? What could you use as a power source?

 

[rocketparrotlet]

I can melt metal with my laser. It's just a blu-ray. It's gallium. Wanna buy some?

-Mark

 

[billg519]

Are you saying that a 60 watt handheld would resemble something of a lightsaber? [highlight]What could you use as a power source?[/highlight]

Lipos. (lithium polymer, like for model helicopters)