Hello World

[ShuRugal]

So, i have never purchased a laser-pointer, outside of the <5mW Walgreen Special, but i have gone through many phases of running helter-skelter around the internet ooh-ing, aah-ing, and drooling at various .1-1w diode lasers, but not wanting to commit $50-$500 on a laser from a company i know nothing about, beyond how shiny their website is.

I stumbled across this forum the other day and decided it is time to correct my deficiencies in knowledge.

So, that aside, the meat of my quandry: I want a burning/cutting laser. If i were to purchase one, however, it would need to meet a few functionality requirements before i could justify spending the money: my income is low enough that the ability to pop balloons and light matches from a distance is not sufficient recompense for spending that kind of money.

So, my requirements for functionality: I am in to model aircraft, if i can get a laser that would perform at least as a partial-replacement for a hobby-knife, i would be satisfied. Ideally, it should be able to cut or deeply score 3/32" balsa sheet/stick, and cut decals/monokote (iron-on wing covering). What wavelength/output-power would i need to achieve these results?

And last, but not least, i salvaged the LD out of a DVD-burner today. I have verified that it works: I backdrove with a flashlight to determine pinout, then hit it for about 1/2-second a few times with 2VDC (pair of nearly-dead NiCd cells) and it made a nice bright spot about the size of my fist at a range of 8 inches or so. What can i do with this? How can i determine the proper voltage/amperage without blowing it? The diode has no markings on it, and i was unable to determine anything by looking up the model of the burner.

And before anyone rips into me, i read the FAQ, none of the links in it to the forum are working. I have also hit up Sams Laser FAQ, but it's such a massive wall of information that i do not know where to begin.

 

[Leodahsan]

Welcome to LPF. If you want recomendations about companies you can ask! For cheapies (<50mW) you can try chinese dropshippers, like Deal Extreme or Price Angels. The 50mW green from price angels is pretty GOOD! For middle powered lasers <250mW you can try Rayfoss or O-Like. Both are 'equally' good as stated by some members. For high powered you can try Laser Glow, Dragon Lasers, CNI, Viasho, OEM Laser Systems and so. For goggles you can get Dragon Lasers ones (recommended) or OEM LS if you REALLY like your eyes (the best IMO). :beer:

If you want to cut wood and similar (in small time <1s) you will need CO2 lasers, big, chunky, dangerous and expensive. The strongest and cheapest you can get is a 2W blue laser and that isn't enough: way dangerous.

For your DVD burner diode, you will need an aixiz module (www.aixiz.net if you live in USA and want it fast) or an O-like module (thread lock style, easier to set-up), some thermal grease and soldering iron (low power one). After putting on the module, some wires is desirable :beer:. Look in forums for DDL driver (if you do not want to spend money on a professional one like rckstr) and build it. Build a test load for Red laser, and drive your laser diode @ 3v. Depending on DVD burner speed, higher the current. 300mA should be enough if 16x. Start reading, and ask anything you may want. you're free to PM me with ANY questions, no one will rip you.

Geez, good luck.

 

[ShuRugal]

yeah, i figured actually cutting the wood would be a bit far-fetched, but is scoring it really that far out there?

also, what product are you referring to on the Aixiz page? i assume an enclosure of some kind, but i don't see that in their store.

 

[Leodahsan]

Yes, cut wood is VERY FAR to "1W" power. You will need more than tenfold power to achieve appreciable results.

http://aixiz.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=44_26&products_id=33 is what you want. Includes a 5mW diode (that you will probably destroy and remove) and driver board (remove). There you can insert your dvd burner diode, wire the DDL driver and power it on. Just beware with your eyes, you should be getting eye protection first, if you wanna burn.

 

[anselm]

Yes, cut wood is VERY FAR to "1W" power.

lol wut?
That depends on how thick the wood is, now doesn't it?

@ShuRugal
I'm not very familiar with 3/32" (~2.4mm) balsa sheet/stick, but to give you an idea
of the power of these 1-2W Blue lasers:
It can cut a wooden match in half in about 5 seconds.
It is also precise enough to poke a hole right through the middle of the matchstick, without
"breaking" out to the left or right, leaving a neat hole.

So yes, I think you might be able to do what you want, but it might take longer
than you expect to actually cut out a piece from a balsa board.

Just scoring/blackening the wood on the other hand is really lightning fast.

All in all, I don't think it stands a chance against those gas-powered hobbyknifes,
for most modelling aplications, that is.

Also, there is a lens available especially for the purpose of burning up close, which
gives you 20~25% more power than the standard lenses used.
Hope this helps.

Oh and welcome to the LPF!:wave:

 

[Leodahsan]

@Anselm
"I'm not very familiar with 3/32" (~2.4mm) balsa sheet/stick"
I'll not comment on this. lol
to cut a 2.4mm sheet in 1cm/sec. 1W 445nm is enough?

"It is also precise enough to poke a hole right through the middle of the matchstick"
limited to the divergence (multimode), like 1 to 4 cm away from the lens. more than that, the "focus" get 0.5mm size, not that precise.