DJNY
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This should be Sticky!
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FrozenGate by Avery
The, "I want to build a laser", Thread
- Thread starter Morgan
- Start date
Hello all! I am looking to fill some free time and want to build my own simple laser as a hobby. Hopefully I will learn some bulk about circuits as well, because I am totally illiterate in the terms of voltage and capacitors and diodes and the such.
Firstly, this is a great guide and a great start for me in terms of background information. Due to my lack of knowledge in this area, I have a few questions that may seem dumb. I hope I can get an answer anyway.
I am going to attempt to build the breadboard linear driver soon (the driver constructed in the video link). After that, I am kinda confused as to what comes next. I understand the battery and driver module in that image, but what are the black disks and how do they and the one ohm resistor come into play?
Next, can some forum members recommend a laser diode on the weak side and at a reasonable price? Something that isn't super powerful and a simple first-time diode.
I am going to be ordering parts soon. Though I am a newbie, I am serious about wanting to take this up as a hobby and learn through it. All answers and advice are appreciated!
Best,
Chi
Firstly, this is a great guide and a great start for me in terms of background information. Due to my lack of knowledge in this area, I have a few questions that may seem dumb. I hope I can get an answer anyway.
I am going to attempt to build the breadboard linear driver soon (the driver constructed in the video link). After that, I am kinda confused as to what comes next. I understand the battery and driver module in that image, but what are the black disks and how do they and the one ohm resistor come into play?
Next, can some forum members recommend a laser diode on the weak side and at a reasonable price? Something that isn't super powerful and a simple first-time diode.
I am going to be ordering parts soon. Though I am a newbie, I am serious about wanting to take this up as a hobby and learn through it. All answers and advice are appreciated!
Best,
Chi
This helped me find info on how many diodes to use in a test load:
Laser Driver Set-up - OdicForce Lasers Online Shop
Laser Driver Set-up - OdicForce Lasers Online Shop
vortish
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there a literately hundred of threads on lpf that can help you with that look though the search threads and find one! first off. Second you can not build a laser from the CPU the CPU is the Central Processor Unit. What I think you meant was the DVD RW or Compact Disk Drive. You need a (LD) or Laser Diode to build a laser and the CPU does not have one. Find a old DVD_RW and use this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cNFGK2GF0E
to learn how to take them apart! you will get two (LD)'s out of a optical drive such as this. One will be a 650 nm diode which is red and one will be IR or Infrared. You will need to find out which is which and there are threads that can teach you how to go about that! it would take to long to write it out for you. You need to do some of this your self!
Good luck
vortish
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Refreshing to find a new member that is asking the right questions! My favorite place to get low power cheap parts is Ebay. My first laser I built was using 650 nm 6mm modules from ebay they are cheap under 15 mw and focusable. you can by ten for like two fifty. driver is included! if you want to build bigger module lasers ebay is a good site for these as well you can also source drivers for them! some come with drivers already on them you look around see what you like and then bring the item description here and we will tell you if it will work or not
Last edited:
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Hey Phy, take look at the date of DJNY's post, 5/13, that's 15 months old!
Hey everyone, this is my first ever post on LPF! :yh:
I am a student in college doing research to build a laser, the first thing my mentor did was to link me to this forum thread lol, I gotta say though, this thread was AMAZINGLY useful at introducing me to lasers, After following every link, I have actually visited more than a dozen other threads through the links in this one. I have had zero experience with lasers before this, and now I know a ton~ I agree with the others that this should be stickied to the top!
I want to ask if the OP can update some of the links as a few have expired.
And again, :thanks:
I am a student in college doing research to build a laser, the first thing my mentor did was to link me to this forum thread lol, I gotta say though, this thread was AMAZINGLY useful at introducing me to lasers, After following every link, I have actually visited more than a dozen other threads through the links in this one. I have had zero experience with lasers before this, and now I know a ton~ I agree with the others that this should be stickied to the top!
I want to ask if the OP can update some of the links as a few have expired.
And again, :thanks:
Last edited:
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can anyone tell me what the "divergence" of a diode means? is this just a term for having a wider array of frequencies it produces? I saw this picture
on an auction that directed me here, for a laser I am very interested in due to the color and power, for a project but I want to make sure that the divergence is not something that causes a dot to be distorted so that you can only get a line no matter what you are doing, so is that a line due to being passed through a prism or something that spreads each frequency out to a different point of area or the latter I mentioned of having a line output only and not a dot?
sorry for being a noob on this, but laser diodes are still a mystery to me and I am more of a chemist and mechanical engineer so I am not sure what that means in relation to a laser beam or diode output.
on an auction that directed me here, for a laser I am very interested in due to the color and power, for a project but I want to make sure that the divergence is not something that causes a dot to be distorted so that you can only get a line no matter what you are doing, so is that a line due to being passed through a prism or something that spreads each frequency out to a different point of area or the latter I mentioned of having a line output only and not a dot?
sorry for being a noob on this, but laser diodes are still a mystery to me and I am more of a chemist and mechanical engineer so I am not sure what that means in relation to a laser beam or diode output.
hakzaw1
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^^^
her you go--
find you name above to the right-
below that click' search'
then add your topic
Search Forums
_________divergance_____
Show Threads Show Posts
then click GO and start reading-
some of your ideas are so far off base methinks you are a troll..
btw why not make your first post an 'intro' in our welcome section ???
many newcomers do, and we appreacaite that and consider it to be simply good manners for this forum. Ditto for at least a general location(in yr porfile plz)- this is a world wide forum- where you live DOES matter and if you dont see that- its no surprize --in time you will.
its not a rule ( should not have to be IMO) just like there is no rule aboutanyone helping you.
but most do like to help - but want to help only those who first try to help themselves-
that gives us more time to help those that found no help anywhere else.(or so it appeared)
************
It kinda looks like you are starting out with a crotch rocket and never even drove a mo-ped-
the diodes in that pic are NOT for newcomers- not matter how well versed you are in other fields- we are talking blindness here-- and you are likely going to fail in your first build ---MOST do.. so save some $$ and start small and cheap - and dont skip steps or forget to protect your seeing balls.
dont let me discourage you-but DO be careful and do your part
hk
her you go--
find you name above to the right-
below that click' search'
then add your topic
Search Forums
_________divergance_____
Show Threads Show Posts
then click GO and start reading-
some of your ideas are so far off base methinks you are a troll..
btw why not make your first post an 'intro' in our welcome section ???
many newcomers do, and we appreacaite that and consider it to be simply good manners for this forum. Ditto for at least a general location(in yr porfile plz)- this is a world wide forum- where you live DOES matter and if you dont see that- its no surprize --in time you will.
its not a rule ( should not have to be IMO) just like there is no rule aboutanyone helping you.
but most do like to help - but want to help only those who first try to help themselves-
that gives us more time to help those that found no help anywhere else.(or so it appeared)
************
It kinda looks like you are starting out with a crotch rocket and never even drove a mo-ped-
the diodes in that pic are NOT for newcomers- not matter how well versed you are in other fields- we are talking blindness here-- and you are likely going to fail in your first build ---MOST do.. so save some $$ and start small and cheap - and dont skip steps or forget to protect your seeing balls.
dont let me discourage you-but DO be careful and do your part
hk
Last edited:
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little searching seems to show that it is probably a deformed lens then, 
oh well I guess I am using 405nm frequencies anyway from what I read about CNC use issues of the 445 vs the 405 since now 405 power output is not as shabby as it was when the articles were first written. and no I am not a troll, I am looking into lasers again this time for a 3D printer system, before many years ago I was here and lost my log in details (and probably do not use the email address anymore anyway, as it was either a hot mail address or excite email address lol. Back then I was more interested in cutting but gave up due to the high cost of cutting heads using light vs the lower cost of heads using a simple spinning metal cutter lol, now I am actually looking into charged processes that would allow forging nano particles together to make solid objects of materials that normally would require way more power to do so say in sintering methods, which should yield the ability to build up materials over each other that could not be done before due to the power of layer two of the materials would disrupt the material of layer one, This should even produce the ability to 3D print actual laser diode chips, as well as their housings and contacts. so you can see how exciting of a prospect this is in the field of 3D printer or additive manufacturing. one more step closer to a self replicating manufacturing device that can reside in a home or garage lol.
I will add the country to my profile, and probably an image if I can yet, (I have not looked and I know some forums require you to be around a while before adding the image since trolls are easy to discourage with their lack of patience and I can only imagine the stupid and offensive nature of images they would be using. I always use a pic of myself as I find it useful when communicating with someone to have that in mind, not sure you do, as each person is different
oh well I guess I am using 405nm frequencies anyway from what I read about CNC use issues of the 445 vs the 405 since now 405 power output is not as shabby as it was when the articles were first written. and no I am not a troll, I am looking into lasers again this time for a 3D printer system, before many years ago I was here and lost my log in details (and probably do not use the email address anymore anyway, as it was either a hot mail address or excite email address lol. Back then I was more interested in cutting but gave up due to the high cost of cutting heads using light vs the lower cost of heads using a simple spinning metal cutter lol, now I am actually looking into charged processes that would allow forging nano particles together to make solid objects of materials that normally would require way more power to do so say in sintering methods, which should yield the ability to build up materials over each other that could not be done before due to the power of layer two of the materials would disrupt the material of layer one, This should even produce the ability to 3D print actual laser diode chips, as well as their housings and contacts. so you can see how exciting of a prospect this is in the field of 3D printer or additive manufacturing. one more step closer to a self replicating manufacturing device that can reside in a home or garage lol. I will add the country to my profile, and probably an image if I can yet, (I have not looked and I know some forums require you to be around a while before adding the image since trolls are easy to discourage with their lack of patience and I can only imagine the stupid and offensive nature of images they would be using. I always use a pic of myself as I find it useful when communicating with someone to have that in mind, not sure you do, as each person is different