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Thread: Kitting out a workshop for building lasers

  1. #1
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    Default Kitting out a workshop for building lasers

    I'm probably counting my chickens before my eggs have hatched but I'm waiting to hear about a potential laser-building workshop and wanted to get some advice on things I may or may not need to build lasers.

    Things I have already:

    Metal working
    Various drills and taps
    Vernier callipers
    Steel rule
    Set square
    Engineering dividers
    Scribe and centre punch
    Files (standard and needle)
    Screwdrivers
    Vice
    Hammer

    Electronics
    Soldering iron
    Snips
    Multimeter
    Heat gun
    Solder sucker and de-soldering braid
    PCB drill
    Low power LPM (Coherent LaserCheck)

    Consumables
    Solder
    Cable ties
    Heat shrink
    Thermal gloop
    Gaffa tape

    Safety
    Laser safety glasses
    RCD

    Some things I know I will need:

    Pillar drill
    UV epoxy and UV light (UK recommendations please?)
    Antistatic mat and strap

    Some things that would probably be handy:
    IR thermometer (recommendations?)
    Indium for higher power builds?
    Engineers blue
    Vacuum cleaner with antistatic probe


    Can you recommend anything else or do you have a bit of kit which makes building a lot easier and I should put on my wish list?
    I don't have a huge budget (I can't even afford to buy the flexmods which were on my list to get this month) so things like mills and lathes, which I would love to own are unfortunately out of the question at this stage.

    Keith


    Suggestion so far:

    Quote Originally Posted by WookieBoy
    A decent bench psu wouldn't go amiss...
    Maybe a reasonable oscilloscope?
    Oh, and I find the mini vice/extra hands tool very helpful when soldering small tight places.
    And a couple pairs of clamping forceps for getting tiny things in where my fat fingers won't go! :/
    Oscilloscope
    Bench PSU
    Sketchup
    Mini-vice/third hand
    Clamping forceps
    Laser power meter
    Last edited by Galvonaut; 02-25-2014 at 03:36.

  2. #2
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  3. #3
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    Default

    You cruel, cruel man!

    The little boxford mill would go down very nicely in a little workshop.

    We have a great second hand tool place about 10 miles away - a warehouse full of kit like this, where I'll most likely be getting my pillar drill and other bits and bobs.



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  5. #5
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnYayas View Post
    Maybe one of these while you're at it:
    http://www.goldismoney2.com/attachme...328229&thumb=1
    Haha! Come on! This isn't meant to be an engineering pron thread

  6. #6
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Galvonaut View Post
    You cruel, cruel man!

    The little boxford mill would go down very nicely in a little workshop.

    We have a great second hand tool place about 10 miles away - a warehouse full of kit like this, where I'll most likely be getting my pillar drill and other bits and bobs.
    most of the big stuff is 3phase so good luck, although there is this.

    5hp spindle, good table movement and single phase. just a shame about the £40k price tag

    http://int.haascnc.com/mt_spec1.asp?...FFICE_MILL_VMC

    - - - Updated - - -

    wouldn't fit in my workshop

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnYayas View Post
    Maybe one of these while you're at it:
    http://www.goldismoney2.com/attachme...328229&thumb=1
    Eat Sleep Lase Repeat

  7. #7
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    Default

    On a more sensible note...

    A decent bench psu wouldn't go amiss...
    Maybe a reasonable oscilloscope?
    Oh, and I find the mini vice/extra hands tool very helpful when soldering small tight places.
    And a couple pairs of clamping forceps for getting tiny things in where my fat fingers won't go! :/
    If in doubt... Give it a clout?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by WookieBoy View Post
    On a more sensible note...

    A decent bench psu wouldn't go amiss...
    Maybe a reasonable oscilloscope?
    Oh, and I find the mini vice/extra hands tool very helpful when soldering small tight places.
    And a couple pairs of clamping forceps for getting tiny things in where my fat fingers won't go! :/
    Brilliant, thank you WookieBoy, I'll add this to my original post.

  9. #9
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    I didn't see that you had a way to cut alum (and possibly steel) sheets & plates, Galvo. Personally, I get by with a drill press, a close quarters handheld drill, a hand-held jig saw, and a portable drill for keeping on the electronics bench. That said, my builds don't look as good as the guys with pro tools. As soon as I get around to making some space in one of the garages, a small mill is high on my wish list!

    -David
    "Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by dkumpula View Post
    I didn't see that you had a way to cut alum (and possibly steel) sheets & plates, Galvo. Personally, I get by with a drill press, a close quarters handheld drill, a hand-held jig saw, and a portable drill for keeping on the electronics bench. That said, my builds don't look as good as the guys with pro tools. As soon as I get around to making some space in one of the garages, a small mill is high on my wish list!

    -David
    Thanks David. Yes, I was planning on getting materials cut to size or using a friends band saw (would need to buy a metal blade). Will add this anyway as it would be sensible to own one.
    I don't think I'd use a jigsaw but maybe hole saws or those dies for cutting out DB25 socket holes in steel. Hand drill is a good idea - especially with socket/screwdriver bits.

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