SELF INTRODUCTION: Paul Kruger, New Member

[paulckruger]

Good day all.

I joined this forum today to seek and share information regarding lasers.

I have had an interest for over 30 years. I still have my first laser and it still works. It is a Hughes Hard Seal HeNe 5mw with 12VDC potted brick power supply. It was made in 1979.

My most recent addition is an "M140" mounted in a sizable heat sink and tested only so far at 1000ma until I build a proper driver. ( Used lab power supply which has max current out of 1 amp. ) Burns nice clean round holes in stuff at that setting.

I have several 405mw lasers capable of destruction on a small scale.
A few various red diode lasers and an Amazon $12 green pointer which is really bright?
On the way is a 50mw green.

Goal eventually is to build a laser engraver driven by Arduino using the M140 for serious and perhaps build engraver so I can swap out diodes depending on the project and color of the target material.

Feel free to visit my personal projects page to see what irons are in my fire. http://www.paulckruger.com

Thanks all.

[kl79]

welcome on board :-)

[edison]

Welcome paul. Some nice projects you have there. Love the hovercraft project Always nice to have people on board with a wide interest in things

[steviobee]

Feel free to visit my personal projects page to see what irons are in my fire. http://www.paulckruger.com

I like your handy tips on laser mirrors!

[Robin]

Welcome.

I like your handy tips on laser mirrors!

Another source for cheap/free first surface mirrors are broken DLP/LCD projection TV's that people advertise for free on craigslist. In addition to the giant FS mirror, they have oodles of optics inside.

[planters]

Paul,

Welcome! You should go ahead with your hovercraft project. We used to live near Chicago and visited Universal Hovercraft a couple of times. Strange place... looks like an old textile mill with propellers lying around. They are very pricy to work with. Anyway, You will want the Rotax for anything fun or worth having, but the Kohler might be worth it for a proof of concept. We built a hovercraft years ago and no matter how carefully you do the calculations they need more power than you think. It is the little things like the inevitable add-ons that increase weight and the skirt failing to seal well around corners etc.