Made with your own hands, it will be useful in every home.
Of course, homemade device will not be able to gain the greater power that production devices have, but still some benefits in everyday life can be obtained from it.
The most interesting thing is that you can make a laser cutter using old unnecessary items.
For example, make it yourself laser device Using an old laser pointer will allow this.
In order for the process of creating a cutter to progress as quickly as possible, you need to prepare the following items and tools:
laser type pointer;
battery-powered flashlight;
an old CD/DVD-RW writer that may be out of order - you will need a drive with a laser from it;
electric soldering iron and a set of screwdrivers.
The process of making a cutter with your own hands begins with disassembling the drive, from where you need to remove the device.
Extraction must be done as carefully as possible, and you will have to be patient and attentive. The device contains many different wires with almost the same structure.
When choosing a DVD drive, you need to consider that it is a writeable drive, since this is the option that allows you to make recordings using a laser.
Writing is done by evaporating a thin layer of metal from the disk.
During the reading process, the laser operates at half its technical capacity, slightly illuminating the disk.
During the process of dismantling the upper fastener, the eye will fall on a carriage with a laser, which can move in several directions.
The carriage must be carefully removed and the connectors and screws carefully removed.
Then you can proceed to removing the red diode, which burns the disk - this can easily be done with your own hands using an electric soldering iron. The extracted element should not be shaken, much less dropped.
After the main part of the future cutter is on the surface, you need to make a carefully thought-out assembly plan laser cutter.
It is necessary to take into account following points: how best to place the diode, how to connect it to the power source, because the diode of the writing device requires more electricity than the main element of the pointer.
This issue can be resolved in several ways.
To make a manual cutter with more or less high power, you need to remove the diode located in the pointer, and then replace it with the element removed from the DVD drive.
Therefore, the laser pointer is disassembled as carefully as the DVD burner drive.
The object is untwisted, then its body is divided into two halves. Immediately on the surface you will be able to see a part that needs to be replaced with your own hands.
To do this, the original diode from the pointer is removed and carefully replaced with a more powerful one; its reliable fastening can be done using glue.
It may not be possible to remove the old diode element right away, so you can carefully pry it out with the tip of a knife, then lightly shake the pointer body.
At the next stage of manufacturing a laser cutter, you need to make a housing for it.
For this purpose, a flashlight with rechargeable batteries is useful, which will allow the laser cutter to receive electrical power, acquire an aesthetic appearance, and ease of use.
To do this, you need to install the modified upper part of the former pointer into the flashlight body with your own hands.
Then you need to connect the charger to the diode using the charger located in the flashlight battery. It is very important to accurately establish the polarity during the connection process.
Before the flashlight is assembled, it is necessary to remove the glass and other unnecessary elements of the pointer that may interfere with the laser beam.
At the final stage, the laser cutter is prepared for use.
For a comfortable self made All stages of work on the device must be strictly observed.
For this purpose, it is necessary to check the reliability of fixation of all embedded elements, the correct polarity and evenness of the laser installation.
So, if all the assembly conditions stated above in the article have been strictly met, the cutter is ready for use.
But since a homemade hand-held device is endowed with low power, it is unlikely that it will turn into a full-fledged laser cutter for metal.
What a cutter can ideally do is make holes in paper or plastic film.
But you cannot point a laser device made by yourself at a person; here its power will be enough to harm the health of the body.
How can you amplify a homemade laser?
To make a more powerful laser cutter for metal work with your own hands, you need to use devices from the following list:
DVD-RW drive, it makes no difference whether it works or not;
100 pF and mF – capacitors;
2-5 Ohm resistor;
3 pcs. rechargeable batteries;
soldering iron, wires;
steel lantern on LED elements.
Assembling a laser cutter for manual work occurs according to the following scheme.
Using these devices, the driver is assembled, and subsequently it will be able to provide the laser cutter with a certain power via a board.
In this case, under no circumstances should you connect the power supply directly to the diode, as the diode will burn out. You also need to take into account that the diode must take power not from voltage, but from current.
A body equipped with an optical lens is used as a collimator, due to which the rays will accumulate.
This part is easy to find in a special store, the main thing is that it has a groove for installing a laser diode. Price of this device small, approximately $3-7.
By the way, the laser is assembled in the same way as the cutter model discussed above.
Wire can also be used as an antistatic product; it is used to wrap the diode. Then you can start assembling the driver device.
Before moving on to the full manual assembly laser cutter, you need to check the functionality of the driver.
The current strength is measured using a multimeter; to do this, take the remaining diode and carry out the measurements yourself.
Taking into account the speed of the current, its power is selected for the laser cutter. For example, for some versions of laser devices the current strength can be 300-350 mA.
For other, more intense models, it is 500 mA, provided that a different driver device is used.
To make a homemade laser look more aesthetically pleasing and be more convenient to use, it needs a housing, which can easily be a steel flashlight powered by LEDs.
As a rule, the mentioned device is endowed with compact dimensions that will allow it to fit in your pocket. But in order to avoid contamination of the lens, you need to purchase or sew a cover in advance.
Features of production laser cutters
Not everyone can afford the price of a production-type metal laser cutter.
Such equipment is used for processing and cutting metal materials.
The principle of operation of a laser cutter is based on the production of powerful radiation by the tool, endowed with the property of evaporating or blowing out a molten metal layer.
This production technology when working with different types metal can provide high quality cuts.
The depth of material processing depends on the type of laser installation and the characteristics of the materials being processed.
Today, three types of lasers are used: solid-state, fiber and gas.
The design of solid-state emitters is based on the use of specific types of glass or crystals as a working medium.
Here, as an example, we can cite inexpensive installations operating on semiconductor lasers.
Fiber - their active medium functions through the use of optical fibers.
This type of device is a modification of solid-state emitters, but according to experts, the fiber laser is successfully displacing its analogues from the field of metalworking.
At the same time, optical fibers are the basis of not only the cutter, but also the engraving machine.
Gas - the working environment of the laser device combines carbon dioxide, nitrogen and helium gases.
Since the efficiency of the emitters under consideration is not higher than 20%, they are used for cutting and welding polymer, rubber and glass materials, as well as metal with a high degree of thermal conductivity.
Here, as an example, you can take a metal cutter produced by the Hans company; the use of a laser device allows you to cut copper, brass and aluminum; in this case, the minimum power of the machines only outperforms its analogues.
Drive operation diagram
Only a desktop laser can be operated from a drive; this type of device is a portal-console machine.
The laser unit can move along the guide rails of the device both vertically and horizontally.
As an alternative to the gantry device, a tablet model of the mechanism was made; its cutter moves only horizontally.
Other existing options laser machines have a work table equipped with a drive mechanism and endowed with the ability to move in different planes.
On this moment There are two options for controlling the drive mechanism.
The first ensures the movement of the workpiece due to the operation of the table drive, or the movement of the cutter is carried out due to the operation of the laser.
The second option involves moving the table and cutter simultaneously.
At the same time, the first control model is considered much simpler compared to the second option. But the second model still has high performance.
General technical characteristics In the cases considered, it is necessary to introduce a CNC unit into the device, but then the price for assembling the device for manual work will be higher.
Hello ladies and gentlemen. Today I am opening a series of articles devoted to high-power lasers, because Habrasearch says that people are looking for such articles. I want to tell you how you can make a fairly powerful laser at home, and also teach you how to use this power not just for the sake of “shine on the clouds.”
Warning!
The article describes the production powerful laser (300mW ~ power 500 Chinese pointers), which can harm your health and the health of others! Be extremely careful! Use special safety glasses and do not direct the laser beam at people or animals!Let's find out.
On Habré, articles about portable Dragon Lasers, such as Hulk, appeared only a couple of times. In this article I will tell you how you can make a laser that is not inferior in power to most models sold in this store.Let's cook.
First you need to prepare all the components:- a non-working (or working) DVD-RW drive with a write speed of 16x or higher;
- capacitors 100 pF and 100 mF;
- resistor 2-5 Ohm;
- three AAA batteries;
- soldering iron and wires;
- collimator (or Chinese pointer);
- steel LED lamp.
This minimum required to make a simple driver model. The driver is, in fact, a board that will output our laser diode to the required power. You should not connect the power source directly to the laser diode - it will break down. The laser diode must be powered with current, not voltage.
A collimator is, in fact, a module with a lens that reduces all radiation into a narrow beam. Ready-made collimators can be purchased at radio stores. These already have comfortable spot for installing a laser diode, and the cost is 200-500 rubles.
You can also use a collimator from a Chinese pointer, however, the laser diode will be difficult to attach, and the collimator body itself will most likely be made of metallized plastic. This means our diode will not cool well. But this is also possible. This option can be found at the end of the article.
Let's do it.
First you need to get the laser diode itself. This is a very fragile and small part of our DVD-RW drive - be careful. A powerful red laser diode is located in the carriage of our drive. You can distinguish it from a weak one by its radiator bigger size than a conventional IR diode.It is recommended to use an antistatic wrist strap as the laser diode is very sensitive to static voltage. If there is no bracelet, then you can wrap the diode leads with thin wire while it waits for installation in the case.
According to this scheme, you need to solder the driver.
Don't mix up the polarity! The laser diode will also fail instantly if the polarity of the supplied power is incorrect.
The diagram shows a 200 mF capacitor, however, for portability, 50-100 mF is quite enough.
Let's try.
Before installing the laser diode and assembling everything into the housing, check the functionality of the driver. Connect another laser diode (non-working or the second one from the drive) and measure the current with a multimeter. Depending on the speed characteristics, the current strength must be chosen correctly. For 16 models, 300-350mA is quite suitable. For the fastest 22x, you can even supply 500mA, but with a completely different driver, the manufacture of which I plan to describe in another article.
Looks terrible, but it works!
Aesthetics.
A laser assembled by weight can only be boasted of in front of the same crazy techno-maniacs, but for beauty and convenience it is better to assemble it in a convenient case. Here it’s better to choose for yourself how you like it. I mounted the entire circuit into a regular LED flashlight. Its dimensions do not exceed 10x4cm. However, I do not recommend carrying it with you: you never know what claims the relevant authorities may make. It is better to store it in a special case so that the sensitive lens does not become dusty.This is an option with minimal costs- a collimator from a Chinese pointer is used:
Using a factory-made module will allow you to get the following results:
The laser beam is visible in the evening:
And, of course, in the dark:
Maybe.
Yes, in the following articles I want to tell and show how such lasers can be used. How to make much more powerful specimens, capable of cutting metal and wood, and not just lighting matches and melting plastic. How to make holograms and scan objects to create 3D Studio Max models. How to make powerful green or blue lasers. The scope of application of lasers is quite wide, and one article cannot do it here.We need to remember.
Don't forget about safety precautions! Lasers are not a toy! Take care of your eyes!A laser pointer is a useful item whose purpose depends on its power. If it is not very large, then the beam can be aimed at distant objects. In this case, the pointer can play the role of a toy and be used for entertainment. It can also have practical benefits, helping a person point to the object he is talking about. Using improvised objects, you can make a laser yourself.
Briefly about the device
The laser was invented as a result of testing the theoretical assumptions of scientists involved in quantum physics, which was then just beginning to emerge. The principle underlying the laser pointer was predicted by Einstein at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s not for nothing that this device is called a “pointer”.
More powerful lasers are used for burning. A pointer allows you to realize your creative potential, for example, with their help you can engrave a beautiful high-quality pattern on wood or plexiglass. The most powerful lasers can cut metal, which is why they are used in construction and repair work.
Operating principle of a laser pointer
According to the principle of operation, a laser is a photon generator. The essence of the phenomenon that underlies it is that the atom is affected by energy in the form of a photon. As a result, this atom emits another photon, which moves in the same direction as the previous one. These photons have the same phase and polarization. Of course, the emitted light is intensified in this case. This phenomenon can only occur in the absence of thermodynamic equilibrium. To create stimulated emission, use different ways: chemical, electrical, gas and others.
The word “laser” itself did not originate from empty space. It was formed as a result of abbreviation of words describing the essence of the process. In English, the full name of this process is: “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation,” which is translated into Russian as “light amplification by stimulated emission.” Scientifically speaking, then laser pointer is an optical quantum generator.
Preparation for production
As mentioned above, you can make a laser yourself at home. To do this, you should prepare the following tools, as well as simple items, which are almost always available at home:
These materials are enough to complete all the work on making both a simple and a powerful laser with your own hands.
DIY laser assembly
You will need to find a disk drive. The main thing is that its laser diode is in good working order. Of course, such an item may not exist at home. In this case, it can be purchased from those who have it. Often people throw away optical drives even if their laser diode still works or sell them.
When choosing a drive for manufacturing a laser device, you need to pay attention to the company where it was issued. The main thing is that this company is not Samsung: drives from this manufacturer are equipped with diodes that are not protected from external influences. Consequently, such diodes quickly become dirty and are subject to thermal stress. They can be damaged even by a light touch.
Drives from LG are best suited for laser manufacturing: each of their models is equipped with a powerful crystal.
It is important that the drive, when used for its intended purpose, can not only read, but also write information to the disk. Recording printers have infrared emitter, necessary for assembling the laser device.
The work consists of the following actions:
A ready-made laser pointer, made by yourself, can easily cut plastic bags and instantly explode Balloons. If you point this homemade device at wooden surface, then the beam will burn through it right away. Care must be taken when using.
In every home there is old equipment that has fallen into disrepair. Someone throws it in a landfill, and some craftsmen try to use it for some homemade inventions. So an old laser pointer can be put to good use - it is possible to make a laser cutter with your own hands.
To make a real laser from a harmless trinket, you need to prepare the following items:
- laser pointer;
- flashlight with rechargeable batteries;
- old, maybe not working CD/DVD-RW writer. The main thing is that it has a drive with a working laser;
- set of screwdrivers and soldering iron. It is better to use a branded cutter, but if you don’t have one, a regular one may do.
Making a laser cutter
First you need to remove the laser cutter from the drive. This work is not difficult, but you will have to be patient and pay maximum attention. Since it contains a large number of wires, they have the same structure. When choosing a drive, it is important to consider the presence of a writing option, since it is in this model that you can make notes with a laser. Recording is done by evaporating a thin layer of metal from the disc itself. In the case when the laser is working for reading, it is used half-heartedly, illuminating the disk.
When dismantling the upper fasteners, you can find a carriage with a laser located in it, which can move in two directions. It should be carefully removed by unscrewing, there is a large number of detachable devices and screws, which are important to remove carefully. For further work, a red diode is required, with the help of which burning is carried out. To remove it, you will need a soldering iron, and you also need to carefully remove the fasteners. It is important to note that the irreplaceable part for making a laser cutter should not be shaken or dropped, therefore, it is recommended to be careful when removing the laser diode.
Once the main element of the future laser model is removed, you need to carefully weigh everything and figure out where to place it and how to connect the power supply to it, since the diode of a writing laser requires much more current than the diode from a laser pointer, and in this case you can use several ways.
Next, the diode in the pointer is replaced. To create a powerful laser, the original diode must be removed from the pointer, and a similar one from the CD/DVD-RW drive must be installed in its place. The pointer is disassembled in accordance with the sequence. It must be untwisted and divided into two parts, with the part that needs to be replaced on top. The old diode is removed and the required diode is installed in its place, which can be secured with glue. There are times when difficulties may arise when removing the old diode; in this situation, you can use a knife and shake the pointer a little.
The next step is to make a new case. To make the future laser convenient to use, connect power to it and use a flashlight body to give it an impressive look. The converted upper part of the laser pointer is installed into the flashlight and power is supplied to it from rechargeable batteries, which is connected to the diode. It is important not to confuse the polarity of the power supply. Before assembling the flashlight, the glass and parts of the pointer must be removed, as it will poorly conduct the direct path of the laser beam.
The last step is preparation for use. Before connecting, you need to check that the laser is securely fastened, that the polarity of the wires is connected correctly, and that the laser is installed level.
After completing these simple steps, the laser cutter is ready for use. This laser can be used to burn paper, polyethylene, and to light matches. The scope of application can be vast, everything will depend on your imagination.
Additional points
It is possible to make a more powerful laser. To make it you will need:
- DVD-RW drive, can be inoperative;
- capacitors 100 pF and 100 mF;
- resistor 2-5 Ohm;
- three rechargeable batteries;
- wires with a soldering iron;
- collimator;
- steel LED flashlight.
This is a simple kit that is used to assemble a driver that, using a board, will drive the laser cutter to the required power. The current source cannot be connected directly to the diode, as it will instantly deteriorate. It is also important to take into account that a laser diode must be powered by current, but not voltage.
A collimator is a body equipped with a lens, thanks to which all rays converge into one narrow beam. Such devices can be purchased at radio parts stores. They are convenient because they already have space for installing a laser diode, and as for the cost, it is quite small, only 200-500 rubles.
You can, of course, use the body of a pointer, but it will be difficult to attach a laser to it. Such models are made of plastic material, and this will cause the case to heat up and it will not be cooled enough.
The manufacturing principle is similar to the previous one, since in this case a laser diode from a DVD-RW drive is also used.
During production it is necessary to use antistatic bracelets.
This is necessary to remove static from the laser diode; it is very sensitive. If there are no bracelets, you can make do with improvised means - you can wind a thin wire around the diode. Next, the driver is assembled.
Before assembling the entire device, the operation of the driver is checked. In this case, it is necessary to connect a non-working or second diode and measure the strength of the supplied current with a multimeter. Considering the speed of the current, it is important to select its strength according to the standards. For many models, a current of 300-350 mA is applicable, and for faster ones, 500 mA can be used, but for this a completely different driver must be used.
Of course, such a laser can be assembled by any non-professional technician, but still for beauty and convenience similar device It makes the most sense to build it in a more aesthetically pleasing case, and which one to use can be chosen to suit every taste. It would be most practical to assemble it in the housing of an LED flashlight, since its dimensions are compact, only 10x4 cm. However, you still do not need to carry such a device in your pocket, since the relevant authorities may file a claim. It is best to store such a device in a special case to avoid dust on the lens.
It is important not to forget that the device is a weapon of its kind, which should be used with caution and should not be pointed at animals or people, as it is very dangerous and can cause harm to health, the most dangerous is when pointed at the eyes. It is dangerous to give such devices to children.
The laser can be equipped with various devices, and then a fairly powerful sight for weapons, both pneumatic and firearms, will come out of a harmless toy.
Here are some simple tips for making a laser cutter. By slightly improving this design, you can make cutters for cutting acrylic material, plywood and plastic, and carry out engraving.
Man has learned many technical inventions by observing natural phenomena, analyzing them and applying the acquired knowledge in the surrounding reality. This is how man gained the ability to kindle fire, created a wheel, learned to generate electricity, and gained control over the nuclear reaction.
Unlike all these inventions, the laser has no analogues in nature. Its emergence was associated exclusively with theoretical assumptions within the framework of the emerging quantum physics. The existence of the principle that formed the basis of the laser was predicted at the beginning of the twentieth century by the greatest scientist Albert Einstein.
The word "laser" appeared as a result of the reduction of five words describing the essence of a physical process to the first letters. In Russian, this process is called “light amplification by stimulated emission.”
By its operating principle, a laser is a quantum photon generator. The essence of the phenomenon underlying it is that, under the influence of energy in the form of a photon, an atom emits another photon, which is identical to the first one in the direction of movement, its phase and polarization. As a result, the emitted light is enhanced.
This phenomenon is impossible under conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium. To create induced radiation, various methods are used: electrical, chemical, gas and others. Lasers used in domestic conditions (laser disk drives, laser printers) use semiconductor method stimulation of radiation under the influence of electric current.
The principle of operation is that air flows through the heater into the hot air gun tube and, having reached the set temperatures, enters the part being soldered through special nozzles.
If malfunctions occur, the welding inverter can be repaired with your own hands. Repair tips can be read.
In addition, a necessary component of any full-fledged laser is optical resonator, the function of which is to amplify a beam of light by reflecting it multiple times. For this purpose, laser systems use mirrors.
It should be said that creating a real powerful laser with your own hands at home is unrealistic. To do this, you need to have special knowledge, carry out complex calculations, and have a good material and technical base.
For example, laser machines that can cut metal get extremely hot and require extreme cooling measures, including the use of liquid nitrogen. In addition, devices operating on the basis of the quantum principle are extremely capricious, require the finest tuning and do not tolerate even the slightest deviations from the required parameters.
Required components for assembly
To assemble a laser circuit with your own hands you will need:
- DVD-ROM with rewritable (RW) function. It contains a red laser diode with a power of 300 mW. You can use laser diodes from BLU-RAY-ROM-RW - they emit violet light with a power of 150 mW. For our purposes, the best ROMs are those that have higher speed records: they are more powerful.
- Pulse NCP1529. The converter produces a current of 1A, stabilizes the voltage in the range of 0.9-3.9 V. These indicators are ideal for our laser diode, which requires DC voltage at 3 V.
- Collimator for obtaining an even beam of light. There are now numerous laser modules on sale from, including collimators.
- Output lens from ROM.
- A housing, for example, from a laser pointer or flashlight.
- Wires.
- Batteries 3.6 V.
To connect the parts, it will be necessary to determine which cable is phase and where the neutral and ground are. A tool like this will help with this.
This way you can assemble the simplest laser. What can such a homemade “light amplifier” do:
- Light a match from a distance.
- Melt plastic bags and tissue paper.
- Emit a beam over a distance of more than 100 meters.
This laser is dangerous: it will not burn through skin or clothing, but it can damage the eyes.
Therefore, you need to use such a device carefully: do not shine it into reflective surfaces (mirrors, glass, reflectors) and in general be extremely careful - the beam can cause harm if it hits the eye even from a distance of one hundred meters.
DIY laser on video
Have you decided to make something incredible using simple details? Laser is not considered a new product these days, but making it at home is not difficult. We will tell you how to make a laser yourself using a disk drive and a regular flashlight.
Attention! The laser power reaches up to 250 MilliWatts. Before starting the experiment, take care of your safety and wear safety glasses (welder safety glasses). Never point the laser beam at people or animals, especially their eyes. Lasers can injure people.
In order to make a laser ourselves, we will need:
1. Device for recording DVD discs.
2. AixiZ laser pointer (you can take another one).
3. Screwdriver.
4. Flashlight.
How to find out the power of a laser diode?
The laser power can be determined by the recording speed characteristics of dual-layer discs:1. Speed 10X, laser power 170-200 MilliWatts.
2. Speed 16X, laser power 250-270 MilliWatts.
Instructions. How to make a laser?
Step #1. Unscrew and open the lid. We release and remove the carriage (the structure of the drive may differ, but each drive has two guides along which the carriage moves) and disconnect all the cables.
Step #2. Having freed the carriage, we begin to unscrew the screws and parts to free the diode itself. The drive can have two diode lasers:
1. For disc reading (infrared diode).
2. For recording a disc (red diode).
The board is attached to the desired diode (red), use a regular soldering iron to release the diode.
Step #3. After a short process, we should get a diode in this form.
Many radio amateurs have wanted to make a laser with their own hands at least once in their lives. It was once believed that it could only be collected in scientific laboratories. Yes, this is true if we talk about huge laser installations. However, you can assemble a simpler laser, which will also be quite powerful. The idea seems very complicated, but in reality it is not difficult at all. In our article with video we will talk about how you can assemble your own laser at home.
DIY powerful laser
DIY laser circuit
It is very important to follow basic safety rules. Firstly, when checking the operation of the device or when it is already fully assembled, under no circumstances should you point it at the eyes, other people or animals. Your laser will be so powerful that it can light a match or even a sheet of paper. Secondly, follow our scheme and then your device will work for a long time and with high quality. Thirdly, do not let children play with it. Finally, store the assembled device in a safe place.
To assemble a laser at home, you will not need too much time and components. So, first you need a DVD-RW drive. It can be either working or non-working. This is not important. But it is very important that it is a recording device, and not a regular drive for playing discs. The drive's write speed should be 16x. It can be higher. Next, you will need to find a module with a lens, thanks to which the laser can focus at one point. An old Chinese pointer may well be suitable for this. It is best to use an unnecessary steel flashlight as the body of the future laser. The “filling” for it will be wires, batteries, resistors and capacitors. Also, do not forget to prepare a soldering iron - without it, assembly will be impossible. Now let's see how to assemble a laser from the components described above.
DIY laser circuit
The first thing you need to do is disassemble the DVD drive. You need to remove the optical part from the drive by disconnecting the cable. Then you will see a laser diode - it should be carefully removed from the housing. Remember that the laser diode is extremely sensitive to temperature changes, especially cold. Until you install a diode in the future laser, it is best to rewind the diode leads with thin wire.
Most often, laser diodes have three terminals. The one in the middle gives a minus. And one of the extreme ones is a plus. You should take two AA batteries and connect them to the diode removed from the case using a 5 Ohm resistor. In order for the laser to light up, you need to connect the negative battery to the middle terminal of the diode, and the positive one to one of the outer terminals. Now you can assemble the laser emitter circuit. By the way, the laser can be powered not only from batteries, but also from a battery. This is everyone's business.
To ensure that your device is assembled to a point when turned on, you can use an old Chinese pointer, replacing the laser from the pointer with one you assembled. The entire structure can be neatly packed into a case. This way it will look more beautiful and last longer. The body can be an unnecessary steel lantern. But it can also be almost any container. We choose a flashlight not only because it is stronger, but also because it will make your laser look much more presentable.
Thus, you have seen for yourself that assembling a sufficiently powerful laser at home does not require either deep knowledge of science or prohibitively expensive equipment. Now you can assemble the laser yourself and use it for its intended purpose.
Many people know about the possibilities of laser technologies and their benefits. They are used not only in industry, but also in cosmetology, medicine, everyday life, art and other areas of human life. However, not everyone knows how to make a laser at home. But it can be built from scrap materials. To do this, you will need a non-working DVD drive, a lighter or a flashlight.
Before starting at home, you need to collect all the necessary elements. First of all, you need to disassemble the DVD drive. To do this, unscrew all the screws that hold the top and bottom covers of the device. Next, the main cable is disconnected and the board is unscrewed. The protection of diodes and optics must be broken. The next step is to remove the diode, which is usually done with pliers. To prevent static electricity from damaging the diode, its legs must be tied with wire. You must remove the diode carefully so as not to break the legs.
Next, before making a laser at home, you need to make a driver for the laser, which is represented by a small circuit that regulates the power supply to the diode. The fact is that if the power is set incorrectly, the diode can quickly fail. You can use AA batteries or a mobile phone battery as a power source.
Before you make a laser at home, you need to take into account the fact that the burning effect is provided by optics. If it is not there, then the laser will simply shine. As optics, you can use a special lens from the same drive from which the diode was taken. To set the focus correctly, you need to use a laser pointer.
In order to build a regular pocket laser, you can use a regular lighter. However, before you make a laser from a lighter, you need to know the construction technology. It is best to purchase a high-quality incendiary element. It needs to be disassembled, but the parts should not be thrown away, as they will still be useful in the design. If there is gas left in the lighter, it must be released. Then the insides must be turned out using a drill with special attachments. Inside the lighter body there is a diode from the drive, several resistors, a switch and a battery. All elements of the lighter need to be installed in their places, after which the button that previously lit the flame will turn on the laser.
However, to construct the device, you can use not only a lighter, but also a flashlight. Before you make a laser from a flashlight, you need to take the laser block from the CD drive. In principle, the structure of a homemade laser in a flashlight is no different from the structure of a laser in a lighter. You just need to take into account the power supply, which almost never exceeds 3 V, and it is also advisable to build an additional voltage stabilizer. It will increase the life. It is very important to take into account the polarity of the diode and stabilizer.
All assembled filling must be placed in the body of the disassembled flashlight. First, not only the inner part, but also the glass is removed from the flashlight. After installing the laser unit, the glass is installed in place.
Have you ever wanted to make a real laser? In reality, it is not as difficult as it might seem. All you need is a DVD drive and some materials.
Let's figure out how to make a laser at home. What will you need for this?
- DVD drive with rewrite function;
- laser pointer;
- collimator to obtain an even beam of light;
- several screwdrivers;
- stationery knife;
- metal scissors;
- soldering iron
Course of action
We disassemble the DVD drive and remove the top panel from it. You are interested in the location of the carriage because that is where the guides are located. Unscrew the bolts and remove the carriage. Don't forget to disconnect all connectors!
We begin the process of disassembling the carriage. It will have 2 diodes. One is used for reading, the other is used for burning tracks - it is red. We need exactly the latter.
Usually this diode is screwed to the board with bolts, which should be carefully unscrewed with a small screwdriver. Check its functionality by connecting it to a battery. Carefully remove the diode from the housing. We take the purchased collimator and disassemble it. There is a laser diode inside. We remove it, and in its place we put the one that was removed from the drive.
You can use a screwdriver for dismantling. If the element becomes stubborn, you should use a sharp knife. This part should be removed carefully, taking care not to harm other components of the board.
The next step is to install the diode into the housing. It must be glued using heat-resistant glue. It is important to install it in the same position as the previous one. We take a soldering iron and solder the wires to the element, observing polarity.
Now it's time to process the laser pointer. Unscrew the lid and remove the components. The reflector may need modification. Make its edges smooth using a file. Don't forget to remove the plexiglass.
Remove the batteries, and then insert the structure assembled earlier in place of the emitter. Next, we assemble the laser pointer in the reverse order, but without using the plastic lens.
Finishing touches
Now you need to return the batteries to their original place and check the created device. Never point the laser at yourself or people or animals around you. It is not very powerful, but it will melt easily plastic bag or other material of similar thickness. The length of the beam will exceed 100 m, with its help you can light a match at this distance.
It is not difficult to assemble a laser with your own hands; you do not need any special tools or things for this. It is important not to forget that this thing is not applicable as a toy. It is dangerous to point it at mirrors or other reflective surfaces. If you like to experiment, then this is a great way to create an interesting thing.
