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Need some help for a college project

gc5727

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Oct 24, 2011
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Hello all,
I am looking for some help on building a laser igniter/ lighter for a project I'm working on in a class I'm in. I've read some stuff from laserdiy.com, but I can't say I trust them. There's a whole lot of knowledge on this forum I would like to take advantage of.

I would like a list of parts I would need to build a laser igniter, nothing too fancy or expensive (poor college student,lol) that would at least burn through paper.

I appreciate everyone's help in advance :bowdown:
 





jimdt7

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What things do you want to burn with this laser ? :gun:
What is your budget ?
 

gc5727

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Oct 24, 2011
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At least a sheet of paper. I'd like to stay under $100 if possible
 
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Don't forget to budget in safety goggles if you're going to be burning holes through things. You're gonna need 'em.
 
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Easy to do for less than $100.

IF... you have experience in soldering small parts and fully understand overheating issues with your iron and Static (Electrical).

You will need a LOC red diode cheaper if you buy a sled. But you can buy one extracted and with good leads attached and already pressed into an AixiZ module with the aixis glass lens for red. See rhd , he has reds ready to put into host,
OR...
You will need the driver and a heatsink/host.
and the right battery plus a charger-

Go to the tutorial section for ez to follow instructions.


--- use the search== lots there waiting for you to read--btw -paper blackened with a sharpie burns better and quicker.

ALSO-- there are many other cool things you can do with a laser that do not reinforce peoples misconseptions that lasers are ONLY good for putting an eye out.

You must get proper eye protection and if doing a demo explain that the use of eye protection is very important plus not treating a laser as a toy... NEVER EVER.

BE sure to check with teachers BEFORE bringing an laser to school- as if may be treated the same as bringing a knife or gun to school. (ZERO TOLERANCE)

Only a fool would allow just anyone to handle it. Never shine one anywhere near people, animals or vehicles. Shining near aircraft is a FELONY.

good luck and be careful.


hak
 
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TuhOz

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You can find everything what you need with the Search button ;)

So you would like to burn paper.. is that like 500-1000mW?
 
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200+mW of red is plenty if the focus is right. 500mWs of red would go over his budget IMO.
 

gc5727

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Oct 24, 2011
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Thanks everyone!
I've searched around didn't really find anything definitively that would burn through paper. This class is basically a technical elective for my degree, at first when I decided to do this, I was just gonna buy the kipkay kit but after reading the trouble people have had with diylaser, I decided to go a different route. I'll search some more and see what I can come up with
 
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I highly suggest that you get appropriate Laser Safety
Goggles/Glasses
for that Very DANGEROUS Infra Red
Laser
BEFORE you need to buy a white cane....


Jerry
 
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Jan 21, 2010
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Woah. That's infrared. You're playing with thin ice - personally, I don't touch infrared lasers and won't be for a while. Buy safety goggles, for everyone that's going to be watching since you have no idea where the beam is going to go. But, that said, it should be able to put a hole in a sheet of black paper without too much difficulty (although a fire is unlikely).
 

gc5727

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Oct 24, 2011
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Yeah it will be controlled. We have a "shield" in the lab that's been used for spectrometers and other things. I bought this, then sent a description to it to my professor and that's what he said Would protect. I've seen it before its basically the laser would be put into the container, then the beam shoots down the "valley" till it reaches the end where the plate is
 
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Feb 11, 2011
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Be careful to pay attention to the duty cycle of your laser.

Unless you know that the unit you bought has an unlimited duty cycle, don't put it into the container and turn it on, and then walk away for 15 minutes.

Lest you come back to a broken laser with a cooked diode or driver.
 
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Ok, personally I prefer cardboard to burn, although the other day I did use my 445nm laser to cut a sheet of paper in half.

I'm personally finding this sheild hard to visualise though. Is it a long box made of clear, IR-blocking material? If so, possibly not appropriate since this operation isn't as simple as setting the laser down and waiting patiently for smoke.
This is a kind of interesting video, but which illustrates my point quite well for a reason other than the purpose behind the video:
At the beginning, when the focal point is being highlighted, that's what your beam will look like. In order to burn, you need to find that focal point. And it's not as easy for laser enthusiasts as it is for solar scientists. You'll need to either be adjusting the lens (thus changing the distance of the focal point from the laser) or adjusting the distance of the paper, until the paper is aligned closely enough with the focal point to burn. You'll probably see some little flashes of white light if you can align it perfectly, but otherwise just look for smoke.

If the need to have continual access to the laser means compromising the integrity of the shield, you're going to need goggles; simple as that.

Good luck, and keep us updated! Lasers do tend to impress academics because it's often like nothing people have ever seen before. If possible, take a photograph of your set-up because I'm intrigued. And sorry if the post above was lots of me patronisingly explaining things that you already knew. I'm just trying to help as best I can :p
 




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