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- Dec 27, 2011
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INNER SPRINGS UPDATE MAY 19, 2012
I have received all of these springs and have tested the internal springs.
The internal springs are VERY GOOD with one caveat... They MAY have to be cut to work with a G-1 lens. I don't know if the G-2 sits any higher - but even though the specs have this spring solid at a lower height, the thicker coils don't "mush up together" like the OEM Aixiz springs.
UPDATE: I have played with these some more and I had not tried them on a red laser. Tonight I tried the internal springs below on a 635nm and a 660nm with Jayrob's 650G-1 lens and they work great - I guess the red lens does not have to sit as low. I ALSO tried messing with my new 445nm build and got it to work without cutting too. It took some jiggering around with the spring near the bottom, but I was able to get to full focus and just past WITHOUT cutting the spring. I do not currently have a 405 working to test, but this spring is looking better and better. Hopefully some of the other members who have purchased it will report back on their experience as well!
They work great with the standard acrylic and glass aixiz lenses.
Best of all, they are stiff - but not too stiff. If you hated the slop of the OEM Aixiz springs then you will love these.
I've put them in all my lasers, even though I had to cut some down for my builds with G-1 lenses. It is worth it.
I will get to the outer springs later, but at first glance I think they agree going to be too SOFT to be useful. I'll get back on that.
OUTER SPRINGS UPDATE: MAY 19, 2012
The outer springs are oddball springs with 2 coils at each end doing nothing but adding to the stack height. They seem to bind WAY BEFORE focus and don't seem like a good option. I am sending some of these to some other LPF members to play with to see if they have different results or any ideas, but I am going to say that neither of the OUTER SPRINGS below are a good external spring option right now.
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I think it is time to share this with everyone: there has been a discussion going on in a top secret section of the forum that most forum members have never visited or even heard of called the Group Buy section.
Some of us have been looking for a supply of springs to provide tension on the threaded lenses that we all use in order to provide more precise focusing and to hold a focus point firmly once it is achieved. You know, sort of like the springs that actually come with the Aixiz modules.
However, there has been a large group buy of copper modules and they will be coming without these springs so a new source was needed. There was some debate over internal vs external springs and ultimately we were able to potentially find sourcing for both.
I will start with the information on the internal springs we are all so familiar with from Aixiz.
Internal laser spring
Outer diameter 0.269 inches / 6.84mm
Inner diameter 0.244 inches / 6.22mm
Open length 0.580 inches / 14.75 mm (this could change a good bit without causing problems)
0.014 inches / 0.35 mm wire diameter - not super important
Solid height 0.10 inch / 2.44mm - kind of important, less is great but more is bad!
The following spring on eBay appears to be a usable substitute.
50 ea .300" OD x .020" Wire Dia x .440" Long - Compression Springs - Chrome | eBay
I just ordered 50 for $13.95 free shipping. So that is $0.28 USD each. They are also available at 500 for $60.00 free shipping which is $0.12 USD each.
They are 0.300 inches o.d. I measured a module and the "hole" is about 0.333" so they should fit inside the module ok.
They have 0.260 inches i.d. which is great.
0.440 inches length - no problem here I don't think.
0.084 inches solid height. Excellent!
These should work fine, I expect to have them by Friday or Monday to see for sure.
Next we decided to try and find an option for those who prefer the outer spring... I started with the measurements on the external spring that come with the Survival Laser as a reference point to a spring we know works.
External laser spring
Outer diameter 0.425"
Inner diameter 0.375"
Diameter of 650-G1 lens case 0.3525" (This is our absolute inner diameter)
Open length 0.375" (not a mistake - happens to be same as i.d.)
Solid height 0.115"
The closest thing I can find (reasonably priced) are these two choices on eBay.
100 ea .390" OD x .016" Wire Dia x .550" Long - Compression Springs - Stainless | eBay
They are TIGHT on the lens case, with an inner diameter of 0.358" and the outer diameter of a 650-G1 case is 0.3525" so they will be close! (Note: the plastic lenses from Aixiz are a little smaller at about 0.350" and have a little more room.)
Also, the solid height is a little longer too, at 0.144" compared to around 0.115" for the Survival Laser versions, but these springs have a spare coil at top and bottom, so if they bind before focus then it would be easy enough to clip one (or both) of the spare coils to bring the lens closer.
And they have the best price of the bunch.
100 @ $13.95 with free shipping works out to... Hold on, let me get my calculator. Ahh yes, less than 14 cents each.
The other option is more expensive, but may be better.
50 ea .390" OD x .016" Wire Dia x .642" Long - Compression Springs - Stainless | eBay
These are VERY similar to the springs above, the difference is that they are longer when opened (0.642" vs 0.550") but they have a different pitch so they actually close up tighter at solid height (bind) (0.091" vs 0.144")
You get only 50 of these at the same $13.95 so 28 cents each.
These also have the 0.358" inner diameter so they will be snug.
The ONE THING I could not really test easily was the spring rate. I am generally assuming that these springs will have an acceptable force/pressure for our application and not be too soft or too hard. My assumption is based on the idea that the size limits the pressures from being too high or low without exotic materials being involved. If I am wrong, then I am out $15-$45 and have a bunch of springs in my garage. I'll make some weird shoes out of them or something.
I will post back after they arrive to make sure these work, so I would suggest waiting until I report back before anyone else jumps on board. If they all test well I will report back and let everyone know how they do.
I have received all of these springs and have tested the internal springs.
The internal springs are VERY GOOD with one caveat... They MAY have to be cut to work with a G-1 lens. I don't know if the G-2 sits any higher - but even though the specs have this spring solid at a lower height, the thicker coils don't "mush up together" like the OEM Aixiz springs.
UPDATE: I have played with these some more and I had not tried them on a red laser. Tonight I tried the internal springs below on a 635nm and a 660nm with Jayrob's 650G-1 lens and they work great - I guess the red lens does not have to sit as low. I ALSO tried messing with my new 445nm build and got it to work without cutting too. It took some jiggering around with the spring near the bottom, but I was able to get to full focus and just past WITHOUT cutting the spring. I do not currently have a 405 working to test, but this spring is looking better and better. Hopefully some of the other members who have purchased it will report back on their experience as well!
They work great with the standard acrylic and glass aixiz lenses.
Best of all, they are stiff - but not too stiff. If you hated the slop of the OEM Aixiz springs then you will love these.
I've put them in all my lasers, even though I had to cut some down for my builds with G-1 lenses. It is worth it.
I will get to the outer springs later, but at first glance I think they agree going to be too SOFT to be useful. I'll get back on that.
OUTER SPRINGS UPDATE: MAY 19, 2012
The outer springs are oddball springs with 2 coils at each end doing nothing but adding to the stack height. They seem to bind WAY BEFORE focus and don't seem like a good option. I am sending some of these to some other LPF members to play with to see if they have different results or any ideas, but I am going to say that neither of the OUTER SPRINGS below are a good external spring option right now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think it is time to share this with everyone: there has been a discussion going on in a top secret section of the forum that most forum members have never visited or even heard of called the Group Buy section.
Some of us have been looking for a supply of springs to provide tension on the threaded lenses that we all use in order to provide more precise focusing and to hold a focus point firmly once it is achieved. You know, sort of like the springs that actually come with the Aixiz modules.
However, there has been a large group buy of copper modules and they will be coming without these springs so a new source was needed. There was some debate over internal vs external springs and ultimately we were able to potentially find sourcing for both.
I will start with the information on the internal springs we are all so familiar with from Aixiz.
Internal laser spring
Outer diameter 0.269 inches / 6.84mm
Inner diameter 0.244 inches / 6.22mm
Open length 0.580 inches / 14.75 mm (this could change a good bit without causing problems)
0.014 inches / 0.35 mm wire diameter - not super important
Solid height 0.10 inch / 2.44mm - kind of important, less is great but more is bad!
The following spring on eBay appears to be a usable substitute.
50 ea .300" OD x .020" Wire Dia x .440" Long - Compression Springs - Chrome | eBay
I just ordered 50 for $13.95 free shipping. So that is $0.28 USD each. They are also available at 500 for $60.00 free shipping which is $0.12 USD each.
They are 0.300 inches o.d. I measured a module and the "hole" is about 0.333" so they should fit inside the module ok.
They have 0.260 inches i.d. which is great.
0.440 inches length - no problem here I don't think.
0.084 inches solid height. Excellent!
These should work fine, I expect to have them by Friday or Monday to see for sure.
Next we decided to try and find an option for those who prefer the outer spring... I started with the measurements on the external spring that come with the Survival Laser as a reference point to a spring we know works.
External laser spring
Outer diameter 0.425"
Inner diameter 0.375"
Diameter of 650-G1 lens case 0.3525" (This is our absolute inner diameter)
Open length 0.375" (not a mistake - happens to be same as i.d.)
Solid height 0.115"
The closest thing I can find (reasonably priced) are these two choices on eBay.
100 ea .390" OD x .016" Wire Dia x .550" Long - Compression Springs - Stainless | eBay
They are TIGHT on the lens case, with an inner diameter of 0.358" and the outer diameter of a 650-G1 case is 0.3525" so they will be close! (Note: the plastic lenses from Aixiz are a little smaller at about 0.350" and have a little more room.)
Also, the solid height is a little longer too, at 0.144" compared to around 0.115" for the Survival Laser versions, but these springs have a spare coil at top and bottom, so if they bind before focus then it would be easy enough to clip one (or both) of the spare coils to bring the lens closer.
And they have the best price of the bunch.
100 @ $13.95 with free shipping works out to... Hold on, let me get my calculator. Ahh yes, less than 14 cents each.
The other option is more expensive, but may be better.
50 ea .390" OD x .016" Wire Dia x .642" Long - Compression Springs - Stainless | eBay
These are VERY similar to the springs above, the difference is that they are longer when opened (0.642" vs 0.550") but they have a different pitch so they actually close up tighter at solid height (bind) (0.091" vs 0.144")
You get only 50 of these at the same $13.95 so 28 cents each.
These also have the 0.358" inner diameter so they will be snug.
The ONE THING I could not really test easily was the spring rate. I am generally assuming that these springs will have an acceptable force/pressure for our application and not be too soft or too hard. My assumption is based on the idea that the size limits the pressures from being too high or low without exotic materials being involved. If I am wrong, then I am out $15-$45 and have a bunch of springs in my garage. I'll make some weird shoes out of them or something.
I will post back after they arrive to make sure these work, so I would suggest waiting until I report back before anyone else jumps on board. If they all test well I will report back and let everyone know how they do.
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