Kitting out a workshop for building lasers

[The_Doctor]

I second Wookieboy's advice on bench PSU. I haven't got one and cobbling together ways to deal with that are a pain. Oscilloscope is good too, I do have one of those... HP Agilent 1740A. Old, but cheap way to get reliable 100 MHz dual trace. I avoided the other cheap route, Tektronix, because they use fans that draw crap in that ages the plastics and makes them horribly unreliable, but the 1740A is sealed, fanless, so lasts years longer and will likely hold its second-hand value better too.

Somethign not on your list: SketchUp. You can turn models around and zoom and such, see things you might miss any other way. You can print deck markings to paper with a cheap laser printer like HP Laserjet 5N (which is good enough to print to polyester film for prototype PCB's too), gluespray them to metal to do extremely accurate markings and protect the surfaces from swarf gouging, etc. White spirit removes gluespray easily afterwards.

For small work I have a Proxxon drill and stand and a milling table. Total cost is 200 quid or so for those. Not so vital probably, but useful if you extend to prototype PCB's and other small scale stuff that wants high accuracy.

[JohnYayas]

It seems odd that a person who is building a laser building workshop would have to ask what basic tools they need to have. Are you planning on going into the business of making lasers/scanners or are you just wanting to tinker around? If you are planning on going into business then I wonder how you could really know how to go into business without knowing what you need. If you are just tinkering around then you don't need 1/2 of the stuff mentioned here. You can easily get by without things like oscopes and bench power supplies unless you are doing electronics work. A laser power meter, a multimeter, and a tweaker will do what you need 95% of the time.

[Galvonaut]

I've not done any engineering in a long time and I had 2 options - write down what I needed on a list on my computer, or write it down here where I would get some qualitative suggestions and lots more brains.

Building will not be as a business but the lasers will be used as for my business.

Laser power meter is very sensible - thanks.

It seems odd that a person who is building a laser building workshop would have to ask what basic tools they need to have. Are you planning on going into the business of making lasers/scanners or are you just wanting to tinker around? If you are planning on going into business then I wonder how you could really know how to go into business without knowing what you need. If you are just tinkering around then you don't need 1/2 of the stuff mentioned here. You can easily get by without things like oscopes and bench power supplies unless you are doing electronics work. A laser power meter, a multimeter, and a tweaker will do what you need 95% of the time.

[Galvonaut]

I second Wookieboy's advice on bench PSU. I haven't got one and cobbling together ways to deal with that are a pain. Oscilloscope is good too, I do have one of those... HP Agilent 1740A. Old, but cheap way to get reliable 100 MHz dual trace. I avoided the other cheap route, Tektronix, because they use fans that draw crap in that ages the plastics and makes them horribly unreliable, but the 1740A is sealed, fanless, so lasts years longer and will likely hold its second-hand value better too.

Somethign not on your list: SketchUp. You can turn models around and zoom and such, see things you might miss any other way. You can print deck markings to paper with a cheap laser printer like HP Laserjet 5N (which is good enough to print to polyester film for prototype PCB's too), gluespray them to metal to do extremely accurate markings and protect the surfaces from swarf gouging, etc. White spirit removes gluespray easily afterwards.

For small work I have a Proxxon drill and stand and a milling table. Total cost is 200 quid or so for those. Not so vital probably, but useful if you extend to prototype PCB's and other small scale stuff that wants high accuracy.

Ah yes. Sketchup! Thanks. I have the free version here but haven't played much yet.

[norty303]

I manage to put lasers together using a lot less than your original list, so you're on the right track. I think the thing I miss most is a pillar drill, but there are other ways to get holes square[-ish]

A decent set of M3, M4 and M5 taps are invaluable, as is a source of decent hex head fixings with good quality heads.

[Galvonaut]

I manage to put lasers together using a lot less than your original list, so you're on the right track. I think the thing I miss most is a pillar drill, but there are other ways to get holes square[-ish]

A decent set of M3, M4 and M5 taps are invaluable, as is a source of decent hex head fixings with good quality heads.

That's good to know. Yes, pillar drill is a big one for me. It's seems pointless spending a fortune on aluminium tool plate, accurate kinematic mounts etc, if the holes are half cocked.

I have a box of taps here I found in a charity shop. Probably a few hundred pounds worth which cost me a fiver

[danielbriggs]

Indium foil is £££; buy on demand.

[Galvonaut]

Indium foil is £££; buy on demand.

Is it worth using compared to thermal gloop and what sort of applications is it really worth using in?

[tonyaztec]

f.b.h .

[andy_con]

f.a.b .