Sealed Optical Housing - Ideas?

[Displaser]

Has anyone implemented a "sealed" optical section on their projector yet? Ideally, some setup that would allow for beam height adjustments, keep dust off lasers, dichro & scanner optics, yet heatsinked sufficiently to avoid any problems?

Seems like I recall Dave & Aijii mentioning this for a projector some time back - sure would appreciate seeing any photos from those that may have done this already.

I had planned to use an optical breadboard, maybe wall off the lasers/optics and cap the unused holes? Possible heatsink to the underside, if needed.

Suggestions welcomed....

Greg

[Dr Laser]

Drill and Tap aluminum board....so you don't have to plug anything.
Optics and lasers goes on one side PSes and Drivers on other. Fans are cooling lower compartment. Thats basically all to it.
But lasers have to be solidly attached to the board with aluminum spacers and thermo paste. (Arctic Silver for ex.).

[mixedgas]

google:

parframe
structural aluminum
slotted aluminum
slotted rail

thorlabs xframe

the slots in 1" slotted al rail exactly hold the .220" lexan you can get from a plastics shop.

Steve

[Mr.Coffee]

you can also put the sealed part under positive pressure. that'll keep the dirt from getting in and help to cool your lasers/scanners. jsut get a small (new) car air filter and have a fan pulling air through it and blowing into the sealed part.

[platinum]

I've heard of hermetically sealing optics enclosures, but haven't seen an example of this in practice.

Otherwise, another tip I've received is to use one of these camera lenses for your beam aperture:


-Jonathan

I hear they work well.

-Jonathan

[loopee]

I've heard of hermetically sealing optics enclosures, but haven't seen an example of this in practice.

Otherwise, another tip I've received is to use one of these camera lenses for your beam aperture:


-Jonathan

I hear they work well.

-Jonathan

Jonathan / Platnium

I can highly recommend this filter, I use one on my projector

Jonathon have you checked out the gallery?

[dar303]

"Skylight 1B
Reduces the excessive bluishness that frequently occurs in outdoor color photography, especially in open shade under a clear, blue sky. The absorption peak is in the range which corresponds to the film's green spectrum. This means outstanding outdoor shots with superb color balance and clarity under all conditions. Also keeps skin tones free of colored reflections from nearby objects such as the shade of trees."

I wonder what they do to 405nm?

http://www.hoyafilter.com/products/hoya/coatings.html

[platinum]

"Skylight 1B
Reduces the excessive bluishness that frequently occurs in outdoor color photography, especially in open shade under a clear, blue sky. The absorption peak is in the range which corresponds to the film's green spectrum. This means outstanding outdoor shots with superb color balance and clarity under all conditions. Also keeps skin tones free of colored reflections from nearby objects such as the shade of trees."

I wonder what they do to 405nm?

http://www.hoyafilter.com/products/hoya/coatings.html

Looks like they can, although you might lose ~2% of light that low on the spectrum, according to this chart anyway.

Definitely go with the SMC option.


-Jonathan

[White-Light]

Provided heat build up from the scanners isn't excessive, I can't see why in principle you couldn't have completely sealed optics.

Essentially I think you'd need a solid shell to fit over the optics area and fasten down hard onto the optics base plate and against the front wall including aperture (obviously the aperture would either have to be glass sealed or subject to the addition of a glass seal in the cover), (with a rubber edge seal if you really want to keep dust out) and then into the side / end of that shell you'd need windows (maybe skylight filters) to allow the beams from the lasers to shine inside to the dichros. I dare say there'd be slight loss but looking at the filter specs above, it would be small and would have to be balanced against losses that might be caused through dispersion by dust on the dichros / mirrors.

This is only an opinion though and is untried by me.

[JeroenVDV]

You can have complete sealed projectors, including the PSU's, laser, scanneramps, etc.

Just make sure the lasers/drivers/etc. don't have fans on them and the drivers are mounted at the heatsink-bottom. Heatsink can be actively cooled using a fan at the outside.