Update: Cheaper source right now on ebay.
I was fortunate to find several pairs of laser safety goggles through a military surplus outfit. I am keeping 2 pair and have a 3rd spoken for, so I'll offer the others to LPF members. These are not the bulky BLPS, SWDG or early generation safety goggles - they're 1999 issue SPECS goggles (Spectacles, Special Protective Eyewear, Cylindrical System.) They are the Class 3 (2WL) green goggles meant to attenuate ruby and Nd:YAG lasers commonly used for target designation in the military.
"protection against common red lasers, better visibility during low light conditions, markedly attenuates red and mildly attenuates yellow, blue, and brown, green is enhanced, may be marked with "S2" on the lens and is sometimes referred to as the "2WL", "Two Wavelength", or "Class 3" lens"
The MIL-SPEC contract for these specified the following minimum optical densities:
OD => 4 at 694.3 nm (ruby laser wavelength)
OD = 4 at 1064 nm (Nd:YAG laser wavelength)
VLT > 40%
For testing, the contract specified comparing attenuation to a known OD4 filter at both wavelengths. If the SPECS met or exceeded the control attenuation, they passed - so basically they are guaranteed at least OD4 at 694nm and 1064nm. They likely have a decent OD from 694nm - 1064nm, but the military's focus when they ordered glasses was at Ruby and Nd:YAG wavelengths. You can read about the exact specifications in MIL-PRF-31013.
I tried locating civilian equivalent goggles (someone made these for the military). NoIR makes a DI6 lense which fits the wavelengths and OD properties (for comparison).
DI6 190-400 nm 5+ 35% VLT Green
670-695 nm 3+
675-690 nm 5+
808-1070 nm 2+
830-1050 nm 4+
Sorry for the pic, best I can do with a cell camera. The goggles are single piece lab style goggles rather than the clip-on variety and are lightweight feeling when worn. They have adjustable ear pieces and a neck strap (yea... when did you ever wear a neck strap when playing with your laser?)
These are a good inexpensive IR protective goggle with moderate protection in red wavelengths. I would consider these adequate protection against diffuse reflections from red lasers in the wavelength and power we as hobbiests are likely to build. I would look elsewhere for goggles with a higher OD at 650nm if your focus is staring into a pinpoint reflection while trying to light a match at 6" with your 200mW SenTorch. Then again, they're spec'd to protect against a 15 caliber steel pellet or a 5.8 grain T-37 shaped fragment at 650 feet per second, which from some of your crazy experiment stories I've read may be a plus.
PM me with your PayPal info and I can send an invoice - $16 shipping included. If someone can tell me how to do Google checkout as someone receiving money, I will go $15 shipped using that method. First 6 to send their info get the goggles.
I was fortunate to find several pairs of laser safety goggles through a military surplus outfit. I am keeping 2 pair and have a 3rd spoken for, so I'll offer the others to LPF members. These are not the bulky BLPS, SWDG or early generation safety goggles - they're 1999 issue SPECS goggles (Spectacles, Special Protective Eyewear, Cylindrical System.) They are the Class 3 (2WL) green goggles meant to attenuate ruby and Nd:YAG lasers commonly used for target designation in the military.
"protection against common red lasers, better visibility during low light conditions, markedly attenuates red and mildly attenuates yellow, blue, and brown, green is enhanced, may be marked with "S2" on the lens and is sometimes referred to as the "2WL", "Two Wavelength", or "Class 3" lens"
The MIL-SPEC contract for these specified the following minimum optical densities:
OD => 4 at 694.3 nm (ruby laser wavelength)
OD = 4 at 1064 nm (Nd:YAG laser wavelength)
VLT > 40%
For testing, the contract specified comparing attenuation to a known OD4 filter at both wavelengths. If the SPECS met or exceeded the control attenuation, they passed - so basically they are guaranteed at least OD4 at 694nm and 1064nm. They likely have a decent OD from 694nm - 1064nm, but the military's focus when they ordered glasses was at Ruby and Nd:YAG wavelengths. You can read about the exact specifications in MIL-PRF-31013.
I tried locating civilian equivalent goggles (someone made these for the military). NoIR makes a DI6 lense which fits the wavelengths and OD properties (for comparison).
DI6 190-400 nm 5+ 35% VLT Green
670-695 nm 3+
675-690 nm 5+
808-1070 nm 2+
830-1050 nm 4+
Sorry for the pic, best I can do with a cell camera. The goggles are single piece lab style goggles rather than the clip-on variety and are lightweight feeling when worn. They have adjustable ear pieces and a neck strap (yea... when did you ever wear a neck strap when playing with your laser?)
These are a good inexpensive IR protective goggle with moderate protection in red wavelengths. I would consider these adequate protection against diffuse reflections from red lasers in the wavelength and power we as hobbiests are likely to build. I would look elsewhere for goggles with a higher OD at 650nm if your focus is staring into a pinpoint reflection while trying to light a match at 6" with your 200mW SenTorch. Then again, they're spec'd to protect against a 15 caliber steel pellet or a 5.8 grain T-37 shaped fragment at 650 feet per second, which from some of your crazy experiment stories I've read may be a plus.
PM me with your PayPal info and I can send an invoice - $16 shipping included. If someone can tell me how to do Google checkout as someone receiving money, I will go $15 shipped using that method. First 6 to send their info get the goggles.