Pile of Aluminum transforms... to my new 2-3W RGBV Build

[mliptack]

Get your popcorn ready
You may have read throughout the forums that I am starting my new build.

It will probably be about a year or so until I am *COMPLETELY* finished with it. There are lots of 'quirks' to my design, although it is very well thought out and designed. This is my project that I have been designing for about 2-3 years and now I am finally starting to build

Enough of me talking for now... I'll let the pictures do the talking. You'll see a pile of Aircraft grade aluminum quickly become a beautiful structure that will soon hold my RGBV

[mliptack]

A few specs - the case itself will be approximately (+/- .25") 24"x14"x10" without the hanging bracket (still need to weld one). Beam table is 3/8" thick

The frame without the plate can be easily lifted with my pinky finger! The plate adds a bit of weight though... I am going to pick up some road case recessed handles to build into the frame, however, I haven't had the chance to get them yet.

Lasers... I'm still juggling ideas in all honesty. I know I will be using my Laser-Wave 800mw 532nm (still stable around 1watt )

I am hoping to incorporate two 8x Blu-Ray diodes (@ approx 500mw) for a nice low end spectrum. Along with either a 473nm LW or 445nm Kvant module. Since I will have the low end from the 405nm I might just go with the 473nm for a slightly better balance.

For red I will most likely be using several reds. I have sold my old 635nm even with the square beam, I loved it, I am likely going to sell my 650nm Laser Wave and my dual Maxyz module soon. With hopes of making way for a new 400-500mw 640nm and about 200mw of 658nm (this second red may be home-brew... I might even keep my Maxyz Module for this... this is all in the air at this point).

I mentioned in the first post that this whole system has been in the works for several years. It is by no means set in stone, in fact, I like to be able to make it modular.

For example, I am planning on having "bulkheads" built, this would allow for easy assembly and easy disassembly The whole table for example will be able to slide out after removing approximately 4 connectors and 14 screws. Optics will be encased in Acrylic (NOT PLEXIGLASS... acrylic does not degrade from UV, plexiglass turns yellow fairly quickly!)

Anyway, as I progress I will post more pictures! I am currently having a hard time drilling my first hole in my beamplate... it just looks so beautiful.

[Laser Ben]

WOW! Nice job dude! I love the pictures! Can't wait to see it done

[mliptack]

Thanks Ben! The pictures will only get better from here! Promise!

The welding was done with the help of my uncle and his garage. It all took about 4 hours between the two of us working pretty much non-stop.

EDIT: I just wanted to add that originally the height of the projector was only going to be 8" tall, but I adjusted it to 10" literally about 5 minutes before welding (good thing I added tolerances in my metal estimates). With 8" I am fully capable of having all my lasers on top and electronics on the bottom with plenty of clearance for removing the plate. However, I changed it last minute on a hunch that eventually I might need it to be slightly larger.... who knows. This way at least I'll have a bit more room to build.

I will also have a road case made eventually for it. The road case will most likely be a half by quarter at about 28-30 inches high including castors. Completely custom built, I am getting it priced and it should only be about $400 not a bad price for protecting such an investment.

I will be using PR Case. www.prcase.com this is the same company that I had my touring workbox built by... I'll have to take some pictures next time I have it in my possession.. it's a work of art!

[Doc]

Nice, looking forward to watching this gestate

[White-Light]

Nice build so far. I see the camera has really picked up the UV given off by the welding - interesting because I've never seen this happen before but its almost like looking at those 405 diodes in the 5th picture down. Preview of good things to come!

[Jem]

Nice

With regard to the reds... I would seriously consider keeping the Maxyz. I have a dual Maxy in my projector outputting around 420mW and have coupled this with 350mW ish of Laserwave 642nm. The lasers are combined using the Semrock custom dichro from the group buy. Rob (Stanwax) re-built my projector and the beam on the combined reds is superb, such a nice colour too

At the moment I only have 200mW of 473nm so on full power the white is a little pinkish, but i'm saving up for a 500mW 445nm to add into the mix.

Great build though, and I look forward to watching your progress

Cheers

Jem

[mliptack]

Nice, looking forward to watching this gestate

I am just as excited to watch it all happen... I've got my bag of popcorn too

Nice build so far. I see the camera has really picked up the UV given off by the welding - interesting because I've never seen this happen before but its almost like looking at those 405 diodes in the 5th picture down. Preview of good things to come!

The Camera: 1st Gen iPhone Pictures are un-altered. I really did like the way the camera captured the lens flare! I took probably 50 pictures trying to get what I got in that 2nd to last picture with the burning aluminum falling down. It would only happen the first 1/4 a second or so before the shield gasses covered the work area.

Nice

With regard to the reds... I would seriously consider keeping the Maxyz. I have a dual Maxy in my projector outputting around 420mW and have coupled this with 350mW ish of Laserwave 642nm. The lasers are combined using the Semrock custom dichro from the group buy. Rob (Stanwax) re-built my projector and the beam on the combined reds is superb, such a nice colour too

At the moment I only have 200mW of 473nm so on full power the white is a little pinkish, but i'm saving up for a 500mW 445nm to add into the mix.

Great build though, and I look forward to watching your progress

Cheers

Jem

Jem, thanks for the input! Keeping it is very plausible right now, however, The Maxyz modules can be spacehogs on a beamtable.

[Jem]

however, The Maxyz modules can be spacehogs on a beamtable.

Ahhh.. .... Not if you re-build them as Rob has done

I'd get some pictures but my camera is broken. Basically, he's re-built them into a vertical configuration, you'd be amazed at just how little space they take up. The footprint is hardly any bigger than one Maxy.

Jem

[mliptack]

I've thought about doing that, but then height may become an issue. Right now the whole idea is up in the air. The one thing I *do* like is the look of consistency, so to see a row of 4-5 laser wave modules lined up would be a sexy thing.

Of course the home brew 405nm would be a bit different... I might buy the 640 and pair it up with the maxyz modules to see how nice it looks - I can only imagine it would be beautiful...