Looking for a laser that can burn white paper at 10 feet

[zkanker]

Ok, I am looking for a laser with specific qualities and after 4 hours of searching the forums here, I decided to register to see if anyone can save me some time. I'm looking for a laser (any color, but must be visible, not ir) that:

Can burn a hole in WHITE paper at a distance of several (let's say 10) feet

Can do so using disposable (primary) 123 3v batteries (1 or 2). I have hundreds of them for other flashlights, lasers and assorted gadgets, I like everything to use the same batteries.

Does such a thing exist? I'd like to keep it in the $600 or less range, but might go a bit higher. If anyone knows of a laser fitting that description, could you give me a link?

 

[Shakenawake]

Burning is best done with blue (445nm) no doubt. burning white paper at 10 feet is a bit of a tall order for a laser, if we are talking unfocused. I would recommend a build from a forum member, though I would not think many if any, make lasers that use 3 volt cr123. 16340 maybe. My knowledge is limited, but the only laser I know of that could use cr123 (and chew through them at a prodigious rate), is the spartan from dragonlasers. I have one, but it cannot burn white paper unfocused, and I have never tried to focus the beam 10 feet out. My rifle can ignite white paper when focused, but not at 10 feet I dont think

 

[ZRaffleticket]

you might be able to get REALLY lucky with a superpowered 405nm... though 10 feet is asking a lot from a focal point... otherwise your best bet is a 445... but that CR123 limit is going to be an issue

 

[corey5188]

I just tested this with my 445nm. I couldnt even get white paper to burn from a foot :yabbem:

Put a black spot on it and bam! It burned right up.... dang it!

 

[phoenix77]

I think you're watching too much Sci-Fi, although a CO2 Laser might. But you won't see.the beam.

 

[zkanker]

Well, there are 123 based lasers. There are lasers that can burn at 10 feet. There are lasers that can burn white paper. So it's not out of the realm of possibility.

But, based on responses, I take it it doesn't exist, in that combination? How about in a higher price range than what I'm hoping for?

 

[pschlosser]

Seek out a Laserscope by Orion. It is a 532nm (can you say z-fold?) pumped laser cranking out 45,000mW (45W) of output power. It cooks anything you have it pointed at. Certainly white paper at 10 feet. Even the ass-hairs off a cat at that same distance.

 

[Shakenawake]

Are you talking unfocused? I could point my unfocused rifle at white paper until the diode burned out, and the paper would be fine. Focus it however, and ignition (not just burn a hole, ignition)

If you gotta burn white paper with an UN-focused beam at 10 feet, you will likely need a lab laser with at least 2 Watts, maybe more. That would likely cost a pretty penny

I'd give up on the cr123 idea, unless you are planning to get a spartan from DL

Hopefully you know this, white paper is probably the single most dangerous thing to burn with a laser, as it reflects the most light. If you get some kinda ridiculous 4.5 W beast as suggested above, feel free to double up on the safety glasses

... in daylight he says lol

 

[ARG]

4.5W+ of 445nm focus to infinity will do it at 10ft in daylight

 

[zkanker]

So the spartan 1W wouldn't do it? Definutely meets the price(only $240?) /battery conditions. Focused? I thought all lasers were focused, by definition (I mean other than the crappy $90 Chinese ones). I have a 30mw green one and the dot still looks pretty tiny half a block away. And yes, I have the safety glasses which I use with my 200mw red laser.

 

[hwang21]

No your red laser goggles will NOT block green light. You need different goggles for red and green (and blue, and purple, and IR, and UV, etc) lasers, unless your goggles specifically say they block both 532nm and 650nm wavelengths. When we say focused, we mean that a convex lens (think magnifying glass) lens was placed in front of the laser beam, so at the focal point of the lens (in this case you want it to be 10 feet), the dot should (theoretically) be infinitely small. Most lenses, however, have focal points within 6 inches of the lens

EDIT: also, a focus at infinity *technically* means that the beam itself has parallel "edges". Think of two lines that represent the edges of the beam (the beam looks like ========== ), if they cross in an X then the point where they cross is the focal point. If they are parallel lines, then the beam is "focused" at infinity.

 

[Shakenawake]

Thanks hwang. I guess I should have explained focusing
This might help: Arctic Laser Killer - The 1 watt Spartan Blue Laser Pointer - YouTube
Bottom line: burning white paper with an unfocused/focused-to-infinity beam will require huge power, especially at 10 feet. the spartan can burn white paper focused, but maybe not at 10 feet. I would try turning mine on, walking 10 feet away with a magnifying glass, and attempt to burn white paper, but both my 445 are awaiting new lenses

 

[hwang21]

Shakenawake,

You're certainly welcome. However, wouldn't it not make a difference how far away you are from the target you wish to burn? As long as you can fit the entire dot of the laser on the magnifying glass, shouldn't the burning power be the same at the example 10 feet?

 

[Shakenawake]

I suspect you are correct. In theory, every dust particle robs a little power so the farther away the attempt the harder, not to mention, at a far enough distance, you would need a huge magnifying glass. 10 feet i think would be manageable, but I didnt want to say for sure, as I cant test it at this time. If rayfoss would hurry up and ship those lenses...oke:

 

[hwang21]

I would think it should work at 10 feet, since the dust particles reflect a tiny amount of light energy, and the divergence of the laser should be low enough that a good-sized magnifying glass should be able to get the job done. Also untested on my side, but I'm pretty sure it should be able to do it

 

[Shakenawake]

Ok, even though my rifle's lens is really dirty and scratched, I put it in and tried this "experiment". My power was less than normal due to the lens but I still managed to focus it at 10 feet and get white paper to burn