I wanna laser :D

[Foshizzle45]

Ok, so I have convinced my dad, all I need to do is find out how much it will be...basically I want a pair of safety goggles, and a laser pointer which can light matches and pop balloons for the best price...Thanks in advance

Look at the post, i posted earlier, those would be good for the job.

 

[Denson]

a 100mw laser would pop balloons easily just make sure you use all safety with your eye's get a really good pair of goggles, and make sure your not pointing at planes/people/cars/houses, laser's are really not toys and can be very dangerous if not used properly, if you are still looking for a laser try going to the b/s/t section (buy/sell/trade) on the main page of the forums

 

[Guyfromhe]

Also just to mention black balloons are quite reflective!! (who woulda thunk?) I got a bit of bounce back from a balloon I was shooting at. Fortunately I was wearing my glasses at the time.

 

[FarewellToKings]

Enjoy your first laser. Remember that eye safety is extremely important, but at the same time, dont let people scare you into thinking that absolutely every situation needs safety googles. One of the main reasons lasers are so amazing is their vibrant color and the fact that they shoot out a brilliant line of light that seems to defy logic. Neither of these things are visible through goggles. All you see is a dull orange dot. Dont be afraid to play with it carefully goggle-less. Say you are laying in bed... theres nothing wrong with shining it on the wall across your room, or up on the ceiling, as long as there is nothing reflective. People may try and tell you that the dot on the wall is damaging to look at, but in reality, especially with 50mw, its not going to hurt your eyes. However, any burning needs to be done with them, pretty much no matter what... as your face will be only a few inches away from the dot, and melting material can cause unpredictable reflections.

People may flame me for that but there seems to be a trend towards teaching a zero tolerance policy when it comes to googles, which is a policy I do just do not subscribe to. It really comes down to common sense. Lots of hobbies have a risk of serious bodily injury which can be managed properly. I ride a motorcycle, and find it pretty easy to not jerk the handlebars 90 degrees resulting in my brains being spread across the sidewalk. Shining your laser with reflective things withina few feet of the dot = your brain on the sidewalk. Well.... sorta.

 

[Eudaimonium]

Remember that eye safety is extremely important, but at the same time, dont let people scare you into thinking that absolutely every situation needs safety googles.
...
People may flame me for that but there seems to be a trend towards teaching a zero tolerance policy when it comes to googles, which is a policy I do just do not subscribe to.
...

Yes! Thank you, Lord.

Sometimes some people around here just give me the impression they've never actually seen any of their lasers. Why spend money on them?

Might as well buy heatsinks like this one...

... and call it a day. Perfectly eye safe! You install a laser into it and you believe it works!

Kidding aside - well said, FarewellToKings. I fully support your opinion.
Down with the "goggles-or-die" greets!