White matches or other burning tricks.

[solar00]

I've read somewhere about a handheld laser that was capable of lighting white matches but I can't find the article anymore.

How much power do you actually need to light white tipped matches? Can you do this with 200mW or do you need a lot more to do this? (because if you can light white , then you can light any other color as well)

Also does a 200mW has enough power to light a red or blue tipped match at 3 ft instantly?

And finally,
How much power do you need to burn through even thicker plastics(thicker than electrical tape) like a bucket or a diskette.

Of course the laser should have an excellent visibility so IR is no option.

 

[pseudonomen137]

Well, the problem is... what is 'white'? Something may look white, but go to an office supply store and you'll see you can buy many types of "white" paper with different shades of whiteness. The more white, the harder it is to light. Or maybe its in between white and gray (which technically would still be gray). So yeah.. hard to say what power is needed.

That said, not sure where it is, but I think TL has a vid somewhere of popping a white balloon with a DL pen laser.

200mW collimated well should take out a match a 3ft pretty easily. Not sure if I'd say instant, but it shouldnt give you too much trouble if everythings steady.

And more on the "white" rant. I once had a >10W 808nm unit to play with. With slightly gray paper, it went up in flames in but a few seconds. With a piece of white printer paper, I couldn't even feel it get warm.

 

[Shilood]

Yes, but with the white paper was your FACE getting warm :

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

Pseudo kinda hinted at it. A white match usually has a dark paper stick. Aim at that boundary between the dark paper and the massive head and POOF.

Mike

 

[Cyparagon]

You'd need a focused beam of >1W to get through a diskette in any decent amount of time.

 

[Gazoo]

With the GB diode mounted in the standard Aixiz housing, I can light white headed paper matches instantly by aiming right at the white part of the match. Same with a red headed match. The diode is putting out ~150mw's.

I can burn through a diskette with my labby which is putting out ~230ma's but it does take a minute or two.

Either laser will burn right through the black part of a cd case in ~ 3 seconds.

All of the above is with the laser appx. a foot away from the object.

 

[o_DEATH_ANG3L_o]

With the GB diode mounted in the standard Aixiz housing, I can light white headed paper matches instantly by aiming right at the white part of the match. Same with a red headed match. The diode is putting out ~150mw's.

I can burn through a diskette with my labby which is putting out ~230ma's but it does take a minute or two.

Either laser will burn right through the black part of a cd case in ~ 3 seconds.

All of the above is with the laser appx. a foot away from the object.

Same here Gazoo but mine is running at 250 mA.

 

[Greenie]

Here is mine: hehe

 

[Gazoo]

So is mine...250ma's = ~150 mw's.

My open can on the other hand is running at 400ma's, although I finally got the guts last night to push it to 500ma's and achieved ~270mw's of nice pure red.. ;D

Of course, as you know, that one is TEC cooled.

 

[solar00]

In that case 200mW will be enough to do the trick.
It doesn't matter if burning through a diskette takes a minute or two.

It's nice to see the beam slowly melting its way through the plastic.

 

[BooBoo]

I have been able to ignite just about Any white-topped matches with my 125mW...and pre-subsequently, with the 125mW I'd sent back for RMA as well... Now whether or not they both out-putted more then 125mW or higher, is another story.
At over a foot in distance, I have and can repeatedly duplicated the white-tipped match light (with fully charged batteries), with My 125mW...My 70mW (cni) can accomplish a white tipped match ignition as well, but it is very much a matter of trial an error and luck with that one, as opposed to the suredness thaht the 125mW can repeatedly can ignite them.

Also my 125mW is also able to (with fully charged batteries) to 'scar/melt' and smoke sheet-white plastics, with some diligence

*This has been discussed on other forums, where its been stated...atmosphere, battery-life, and actual mW output are dependant on eachother for such success with thermal experiments   Although in those same forum's-posts-threads, 'experts' had said that there is no set mW level-output that cat definitively be said to be able to light white matches....as one experienced laser-enthusiast, claimed a match-ignition with a >5mW...  

**Oh, and to address another factor/trick in white-match-lights, of aiming at the 'stick' instead of the white sulphur... yes I have done that when My batteries have run lower to achieve such... but when I state I have ignited white tipped matches with the 125mW I was careful to aim at the 'fat' white of the matches tip.