Thinking about making a laser tool?
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 6:26 am
I am now thinking about making a laser tool, but I have absolutely no knowledge of lasers.
I probably should go and find a hobby laser forum to ask this, but that just adds another web site I have to log into and keep track of, so as I am here already I thought I would ask........
I am considering making a 3watt solidstate laser, what is the easiest way to go about this project???
What advice can people give??
As usual I want fast, easy, cheap, results.
My initial thoughts are:
1) see if I can source 10 or more IR laser diodes for under £10
2)make up some drive electronics
3)experiment with stacking and combining multiple lasers into one beam to give higher output power.
4)????????????
5)Profit
Now I know people have done similar things before, but I really don't know in detail how it would be done.
Can anyone give quick start idiots guide advice on trying such a thing??
Do I need to consider focusing and optics to get a small beam confinement or do diodes as linked to above already have reasonable focus (I always imagined the cutting power of the laser is more a factor of how small the beam is giving a high energy per unit area??)
Could I use normal mirrors to combine beams when they are coming in from different angles, or would prisms be needed?
Cheap safety precautions, I don't want to have to spend huge money on special glasses and testing equipment, can I do this safely, what advice do people have, I want to avoid being blinded!!!!
What do I need to know about?
What wavelength beams are best for cutting different materials??
I have some old DVD-RW drives, would it be better experimenting with junk DVD burner lasers before spending on new ones?
I probably should go and find a hobby laser forum to ask this, but that just adds another web site I have to log into and keep track of, so as I am here already I thought I would ask........
I am considering making a 3watt solidstate laser, what is the easiest way to go about this project???
What advice can people give??
As usual I want fast, easy, cheap, results.
My initial thoughts are:
1) see if I can source 10 or more IR laser diodes for under £10
2)make up some drive electronics
3)experiment with stacking and combining multiple lasers into one beam to give higher output power.
4)????????????
5)Profit
Now I know people have done similar things before, but I really don't know in detail how it would be done.
Can anyone give quick start idiots guide advice on trying such a thing??
Do I need to consider focusing and optics to get a small beam confinement or do diodes as linked to above already have reasonable focus (I always imagined the cutting power of the laser is more a factor of how small the beam is giving a high energy per unit area??)
Could I use normal mirrors to combine beams when they are coming in from different angles, or would prisms be needed?
Cheap safety precautions, I don't want to have to spend huge money on special glasses and testing equipment, can I do this safely, what advice do people have, I want to avoid being blinded!!!!
What do I need to know about?
What wavelength beams are best for cutting different materials??
I have some old DVD-RW drives, would it be better experimenting with junk DVD burner lasers before spending on new ones?