Teflon Tape / Alternatives

[Benm]

Should work fine. You can use an extra layer if you plan on not moving it after, just try how hard it is to turn after applying to layers.

 

[LaZeRz]

If you want to set it to infinity wrap the lens with a few layers so that it becomes a bit hard to screw in and when you get it to that point just leave it there

I used teflon around the rear cap threads on my hotlight since they are pretty roughly made and it makes it feel like its gliding on air

 

[JBTexas]

That is what I am tempted to do; when I got it to the infinity focus point, it still burned a hole in a brown plastic trash bag (at ~ 300mw, it BETTER burn ... hehehe )...

So the most logical thing to do is fix it "tight" for infinity. Not TOO tight, but unlikely to turn when bumped or whatever.

 

[LaZeRz]

But why to infinity?

its not that hard to re-focus for burning and viewing the beam

 

[JBTexas]

Because teflon tape will wear and tear, peel, possibly drop little pieces into the diode, if I keep adjusting teh focus too often.

I don't want to do that.

I WISH that there was room for a lens spring, but apparantly there isn't; when focused to infinity, the lens is screwed almost completely into the heat sink with very little room. Not enough room for a standard lens spring. I'm thinking of getting the standard lens spring for this host type anyway, and just try "cutting" the spring so that it is shorter. That MIGHT work, and if it does, maybe I won't even have to use teflon tape.

 

[LaZeRz]

I have never dropped even a spec of teflon even after focusing a few times per day for a month

 

[JBTexas]

Hehehe - good to hear, but I am new to all of this, all I have to go on is what I find when I search the forum.

There are posts that describe incidents where flecks of teflon tape fell into the diode, burned, and ruined the diode.

On the Survival Laser website, Garoq indicates that teflon wraps need to be "maintained"; old tape removed, new tape put on... periodically because of this wear and tear.

 

[DarkSide]

JB - Dont use Elmer's glue on your red. it will melt easy with the mW your using. IMHO, after spending too much time on focusing and maintenance recent builds I went and purchased gold plated springs. i cut them to size depending on the room available. I ue Teflon tape on the portion of the thread that puts my laser in focus. Beefed up spring gauge puts perfect amount of tension on the lens housing and if i use Teflon its only for a tactile indication im at or near focus.

I just picked up a twelve pack of Teflon with the pink roll cover. A Slightness thicker than blue. $5 for 12. Drop me a PM if you cant order it online, RadioCrap has springs or i use battery spring w/gold plating..

 

[JBTexas]

Darkside; yes, makes sense concerning the Elmers Glue.

Gold plated springs? RadioCrap, you say? I searched the Radio Shack website... they don't seem to have these springs?

Battery springs; they would probably be too thick. When the Survival Laser 660nm 300mw is focused to infinity, there is VERY LITTLE room between the lens focusing ring and the heat sink. I would estimate maybe 1mm or a .... (heck I'll check it...)

Okay I went outside and focused to infinity... as small a spot as possible, a small bright red spot on a building 250 meters away.

The clearance between the the lens focusing ring and the heat sink looks to be about 2mm... maybe a TAD more... but NOT 3mm.

If the *lens housing* was longer (in the target direction), providing more threads, that would fix the problem, because the lens ring would extend out more. I don't have the resources to try to figure out if I could fix that or not.

Fortunately, when focusing closer for a good burning point, the lens goes OUT, not IN, so the small clearance would never be worse than ~ 2mm.

 

[JBTexas]

Problem solved.

O-ring; 12mm x 3mm.

Under the lens focus ring; between the focus ring & the heat sink.

Holds good rock-steady tension for infinity focus, AND good burning range (at least for this acrylic lens... I might get a G1 lens soon, o-ring might work differently with it).

So for the benefit of any other Survival Laser owners, or people that use C6 hosts... or anyone else for that matter... instead of teflon tape try different o-rings.

 

[DarkSide]

JB - My bad springs are not listed on Radio-shacks site. Its an item thy keep in the cabinets towards the rear.
Tail cap springs with a little work really well. Use only gold or silver and strait opposed to on shape coil. The thickness lets you cut a shorter spring than OEeM. Never weakens and much better feel when used with a tad of Teflon. I think it was Jayrob who posted about. Since,, i swapped out all my springs for thicker shorter versions.

Not sure of the location or for the o-ring?

Check your PM bro..

 

[JBTexas]

The o-ring went under the lens focus ring; between the lens focus ring and the heat sink. Or, on another laser, it would go under the lens focus ring, between the lens focus ring and the host. As you screw in the lens, at some point it makes contact with the o-ring, the o-ring provides tension.

At the infinity focus point, the clearance between the lens ring and the housing (heat sink) is about 2mm. This o-ring looks 3mm thick.

Everything just happens to work perfectly... as the lens is screwed in, then when focused to the infinity point, the lens ring is "jammed" down into the o-ring. But not so hard as to damage the o-ring.

This laser does not get hot, really... it's duty cycle is listed as "continuous", and the maker, garoq, says that one forum member / beta tester left his on for over > 10 minutes with no problems. I've run mine at least 5-7 minutes at a time, and the housing gets "a little" warm. So I don't think it will get so hot that it damages the o-ring.

Also, the o-ring "holds tension" still through burning distances (which kind of suprised me); but this acrylic lens is touchy that way... a LITTLE movement/turn goes a long way.

I suspect that his 405nm Survival Laser might get too hot for this solution (when using a G1 lens), and his 445 Survival Laser PROBABLY gets too hot for this ; but then again, those lasers have shorter duty cycles.

-----

Got the PM; that's okay, with this o-ring thing I don't need teflon tape anyway; and I have 1 roll of teflon tape on order anyway.