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Thread: A "Help Me Build A Laser" sub forum

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Lincoln, UK
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    Default A "Help Me Build A Laser" sub forum

    From what I have seen their is a mountain of knowledge to be tapped here that for people like me, who want to start building and using lasers would find invaluable.

    For new people wanting to build home made death stars, how about an area of the fourms where we can ask questions so we do not clutter to main forums with requests for help and advice.
    This of course leads to a searchable area for FAQ, and prehaps gathering content from the main website area?

    Then again, how many new ppl do you get wanting to build lasers, I don't know?

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Charleston, SC
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    Welcome Damo!

    Not sure how many folks here have built their own lasers... I know Marconi, Spec, Astroguy, and probably a few others have done it. I haven't tried it yet. Too busy trying to get the lasers I currently own working!

    I'd say just go ahead and ask your questions about whatever project you've got going and see who answers. What are you making, a DPSS green?

    Adam

  3. #3
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    Aug 2006
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    Hi Buffo,

    I'm just making a shopping list of what I think I need and gathering information at the mo, but yes I think I'm going for a DPSS Green.

  4. #4
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    This is a great idea i think

    A good sub section would be the steps needed to obtain a varience for the US guys here too
    KVANT Australian projector sales
    https://www.facebook.com/kvantaus/

    Lasershowparts- Laser Parts at great prices
    https://www.facebook.com/lasershowparts/

  5. #5
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    Nov 2005
    Location
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    Default

    Maybe a FAQ or wiki of some sort where we can save guides, links and articles.
    You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Vancouver, BC, Canada
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    That is a great idea!

    I am at the beginning phase of learning how to build my first laser, rest assured as I gather data and once I am ready to actually build it, I will put together a How-To with photos and instructions.

    Sort of a 'science lab' including all the apparatus and materials used in the build as well, and links to suppliers.

  7. #7
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    Are you after building a laser or a projector?
    I guess you meen a projector.
    They all use the same basic components its just more of a case of which brands/power/spec.
    It would be helpful for people to post where they got the components from and at what price though.
    It can be quite hard to find cubes, dichro's, trichro's and galvos.
    Also where they got the optic table breadboard from or if they made it themself. I made my optic table from 6mm ali and drilled and tapped it myself.

    Jim

  8. #8
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    Hmm good idea.. I think I will try to make a HowTo-RGB someday when I got time
    I know where to get blue\red\green\galvo\dac\mounts.. so I will share that info .. when I got time to do it

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    Vancouver, BC, Canada
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimBo
    Are you after building a laser or a projector?
    I guess you meen a projector.
    They all use the same basic components its just more of a case of which brands/power/spec.
    It would be helpful for people to post where they got the components from and at what price though.
    It can be quite hard to find cubes, dichro's, trichro's and galvos.
    Also where they got the optic table breadboard from or if they made it themself. I made my optic table from 6mm ali and drilled and tapped it myself.

    Jim
    Jim, this is where you start going above my newbie head, and this gives me a new idea to what else we should add to the newbie section of the forum. A 'dictionary' of building terms.

    What is a cube, dichro, trichro?
    And what is an optic table breadboard?

    Guides such as how to make your own fiber optic cable attachment to a laser diode would be sweet.
    In addition, a guide that explain how to take single laser input from diode and split it into two outputs would be sweet too. (In case you have lets say 1W adjustable, and you want to split that into two feeds, send one to galvo #1 in the same box as the laser diode, and relay the second output via optical fyber to a second laser head)

  10. #10
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    Have a look through the PL gallery at the members albums.
    You will see images of all the mager components.
    A cube is usually used for combining two beams of the same colour.
    A Dichro (dichroic lense) is a colour filter that allows one or two colours to pass and reflects the other colours so that you can combine two different coloured beams int one beam.
    A Trichro (trichroic lense) is three lenses that will combine 3 different coloured beams into one white beam or one white splitting into the three colours.
    An optic table is the base of the projector that you mount all the optics on (diodes/dichros/galvos etc), some people use a special type of base called a Breadboard. This is basically a thick piece of ali that has a matrix of holes on it (normally spaced at 1/2") that are all tapped. This makes it easy to move components about when using different lasers/dichros/mounts etc.
    Bread board is quite expensive though because a 6" x 6" (150mm x 150mm) board will have 144 holes precisely drilled and tapped.

    Jim

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