My Machine

[Lee Roberts]

You'v got 48 hours to comply Michael, i'v got a DVD Burner and i know how to use it, its your choice !

[John S]

[michael]

As I don't wish to teach people how to suck eggs please ask a specific question!!!!!
There are loads of tutorials on the net for building a laser pointer with a DVD diode, thats the hard bit!!

Cheers!

Michael.

[John S]

Right,

What power?
Where do you buy them?
What to use for a power supply?
How do you focus it?
What will it cut / engrave given the power?

When are you coming to fit it and wire it up for me ?

Is that enough to work with ?:heehee:

[John S]

If I turn my telescope to the sun....couple mirrors.......Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Now that's cool... tracking ants by CNC

[BillTodd]

How do you focus it?

Could you use the DVD mechanism's focus servo ? (i.e. it already has a beam splitter and monitor diodes)

[michael]

Right,

What power?
Where do you buy them?
What to use for a power supply?
How do you focus it?
What will it cut / engrave given the power?

When are you coming to fit it and wire it up for me ?

Is that enough to work with ?:heehee:

Okay.......
Power - The one I used was 180mw 635nm (visable red)
Where to get/PSU & focusing all here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/300mW-650nm-Re...3A1%7C294%3A50



This includes everything you need, really easy. Comes with lens & body which is 12mm od so you'll need to fashion a clamp for that. The lens supplied is plastic however so was the one I used.

To drive it, simply give it 6 - 20v when you want it to fire. I would reccomend either a transistor or solid state relay to turn it off / on as switching speeds could get to high for a mechanical relay.

Focusing is easily adjusted by rotating the lens at the end of the unit.

At 180mw - 300mw you will only be cutting foams up to a few mm's and vinyl / stickey back plastic.

for engraving, Pretty much anything organic eg; leather, Wood etc. Also most plastics but results will vary depending on the colour of the material, A red laser will hardly leave a witness mark on red plastic and would struggle to set fire to bright white paper. However if was a slightly darker colour paper would ignite almost instantly.

John S. When ever you like mate!!!!

Michael Duffin.

[michael]

Nice one What shape is the lens?

Round? is that a trick question

[michael]

Lunatic...ahem concave convex dioptic bifocal......I meant :D

They are collimator lens's, Will try and get a pic of one, Shape is Aspheric. The glass ones use 3 different lens's one of which is AR coated.

Michael

[michael]

Could you use the DVD mechanism's focus servo ? (i.e. it already has a beam splitter and monitor diodes)

Not sure to be honest, Don't think the DVD burner runs the diodes that high (so little heatsink may not be good enough, though possible on a lightscribe?

There also designed to be a couple of mill off the surface which could presesnt quite a problem.

Once your diodes in your Z axis and focused to produce the smallest spot size at 50% z axis travel, you can then jog your Z up and down to focus.

The beam created with those Axiz 12 x 30mm lens looks like an hour glass, At the point where the two sides of this hour glass cross is where your material surface should be.

Like........

Ignore the steering mirror.

Michael.