Dust and safety covers or caps for lasers

[PatchEdward]

I'm looking for ideas on materials for DIY dust and safety covers for handheld lasers.

The safety cap which came with the host I'm using for a 2W laser is a silicone rubber cap that does not fit the new lens I've installed. I'm not keen on my normal go-to choice of black electrical tape...

What sort of inexpensive, available materials have you used to fashion covers to keep dust off your handheld lenses and perhaps provide a moment's extra time should something go wrong and a laser is turned on with the cap in place?

(The host body I'm working with now is 26mm in diameter, with a lens host that extends out a little bit and is ~8mm in diameter. Covering either would do the trick.)

 

[Livinloud]

Sorry had to, i know exactly what you are trying to achieve but without seeing your exact laser and lens, kind of hard to give suggestions that will work.

 

[LaZeRz]

You can use the lids from bottles of soft drink/milk bottles etc. You should be able to find one that fits.

 

[PatchEdward]

Be careful what you wish for! Seems my camera didn't want to cooperate with me over macro mode.

Thanks for the idea, LaZeRz - I *just* threw out a container with a lid that I could have fitted to make a good host cover. This isn't boding well for my packratitus.

 

[Livinloud]

see your problem is you dont have a focus ring on the lens. get THESE and put one on your lens, then the tail caps will work as a dust cap

or go this route: HERE & HERE. $2.50 plus shipping and your set

BTW nice S4.....im building one soon

 

[PatchEdward]

I'm not sure what you were referencing on the Aixiz site... the "10 Pack of Metal mounting Rings for 8mm Modules", maybe?

http://www.aixiz.com/store/product_info.php/cPath/28/products_id/377

It looks like the rings aren't threaded from the picture, but otherwise looks to be a solution to use the old cap.

 

[Livinloud]

screw one of these onto the lens and then a dust cap can be used to protect the lens. also without one of those on a lens it REALLY hard to focus the laser

idk why that link brings you to an empty cart.....it should be THIS

 

[LaZeRz]

Ah, I thought you had a non standard size lens which is why I recommended the bottle caps. Seeing it is a standard lens the focus ring/tailswitch rubber boot option would be better. You could still use a cap as a temporary solution as shipping might take a bit.

 

[IsaacT]

Patch Edward I need to go to the post office on Monday anyway, so if you PM me I will send you my PP addy. Just send a few bucks for shipping and I will mail you 3 or 4 of them. I don't need them since I only use custom machined ones.

EDIT: If I can find them I will also send you one tailcap/rubber cap/dust cover thing.

 

[PatchEdward]

wannaburnstuff, thanks for your offer; however, I have an order inbound that includes a 10-pack of extended focus rings that will fit the cap which came with the host.

I'll also be fashioning an extra cap out of scavenged container lids and fitting it with some layers of good ol' electrical tape just to keep Murphy and his law away for as long as possible.