super easy light effect :)

[entehrend]

I was messing around with a 200mW green lab laser (somewhere around 200? maybe less) and found out that you can shine the laser beam close to a paintball, and if the room is dark somehow it creates patterns across a room. If someone is really interested in it I can post pictures of what it does, unless your in to paintballing in which you can just do it yourself!

It doesnt melt paintball, just burns it some.
If someone has a clue how it makes a light effect let me know, cause I have no idea.

 

[pseudonomen137]

I was messing around with a 200mW green lab laser (somewhere around 200? maybe less) and found out that you can shine the laser beam close to a paintball, and if the room is dark somehow it creates patterns across a room. If someone is really interested in it I can post pictures of what it does, unless your in to paintballing in which you can just do it yourself!

It doesnt melt paintball, just burns it some.
If someone has a clue how it makes a light effect let me know, cause I have no idea.

If I'm guessing correctly, you're seeing a refraction pattern. You can see such patterns when burning through some things like plastic wherein the laser just melts it slowly but doesn't immediately burn through it. You'll also see a similar pattern transmitted through a pair of plastic laser goggles if you're burning through the material with your laser

 

[pseudolobster]

I'm going to say pseudonomen is probably correct... it sounds like you're melting the surface of the plastic and the liquid plastic is shiny, reflecting cool patterns as the plastic liquefies.

Pics would be cool though, maybe a video if the pattern shifts and morphs a lot.

 

[keeperx]

try an antistatic bag... same effect...

try taking apart a cell phone screen (we all have an extra lying around) many of the layers in there create a nice circle effect.

try spearing some clear silicone on a mirror or piece of clear plastic.

 

[entehrend]

well i uploaded a video of some of the effects, although the laser does funny stuff to my camera. so it looks bad.
but it was made from a laser on a paintball that has no movement. and after about 10 seconds it slowly comes to a stop and just sits there.
anyone have a idea on how to keep a paintball slowly moving?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9lkEPaLrmI

 

[keeperx]

fractional RPM motor

 

[GooeyGus]

Yup, pseudo nailed it. What you're seeing in the video is the surface of the paintball melting, thus creating different reflection patterns on your wall.