DIY DVD Laser w/ Cooling Fan

[diegoribadacunha]

nice vid! Which size of washers did you use? M12 is too big and M10 way too small :-(

[xComboMambox]

Very Nice

Now try water cooling FTW!!

Jk JK its already nice how it is

[foibos899]

i would kill for this

[CHRIS90ANDES]

wtf u put a fan in that tiny box????

SKILL!

Respect dude, respect!

[crazydood135]

Can you send me instructions please?

[laserz1111]

why do you need a heatsink when you already have the fan?

[FrigginSmift]

Heatsinks are only good until they become "saturated" with heat, once they warm up they aren't useful or protecting so i need the fan to keep it cooled off.

[postopia1992]

so what is i need to make it work please help me

[FRANEDRNAS]

do you need driver to make laser work or you dont need please reply

[mrlaserguy1]

My next challenge is an Altoids smalls can with a momentary switch, 2 N sized batts, a capcitor and a 16x diode

[mrlaserguy1]

I can't fit the 2 AA batt holder w/out making a dent in the side but I found out that a Surefire CR123a is just the same as 2AA just use wire and neodymium magnets you can use the ones in a sled from almost any sled.

[mrlaserguy1]

Is it bad if the window on your diode is halfway broken?

[FrigginSmift]

It can be. If the windows fragments come lose they cold damage the very sensitive laser die.

[mrlaserguy1]

Do I need the black enclosed one or the white one with 9V connectors (I have this one)

[FrigginSmift]

doesn't matter so long as you can still use it. Its a 2AA battery holder either way

[mrlaserguy1]

My AA holder doesn't fit side ways because it'll short circuit

[FrigginSmift]

Then insulate the exposed contacts

[mrlaserguy1]

Was the batt. Holder AA or AAA

[FrigginSmift]

AA battery holder

[nat3612]

And is the whole thing, including the fan running off of the 2 AA batteries?

[FrigginSmift]

Yes, to power the 12V fan i used a boost circuit

[nat3612]

Is that fan blowing air into the tin or sucking air out of the tin?

[FrigginSmift]

Sucking it out. There are six intake slits around the collimators heatsink

[mrlaserguy1]

Is the boost circuit the LED upgrade that comes with the tail switch

[nat3612]

How many "ma" was the driver you used?

[FrigginSmift]

This laser is very old, i made it long before i posted the vid and long before i knew it was good practice to use a driver for the laser diode. That said, THIS laser doesn't have a driver, but all of my current lasers do use drivers. For a 20X diode like this one i usually give them around 420ma.

[FrigginSmift]

The tail switch you mentioned from Nite Ize was used in my other video, not this one. None the less, the Nite Ize tail switch is sold by it self or as a combo with a LED upgrade for the 2AA Maglite.

[mrlaserguy1]

The LED upgrade boost circuit, does it come with a tail switch and is it from nite ize, or is it the Maglite LED flashlight.

[mrlaserguy1]

Thanks for all the help! :D

[mrlaserguy1]

What switches were used? Sorrry for asking so many questions.

[FrigginSmift]

Simple constant on/off slider style switches

[mrlaserguy1]

I can't get the plastic piece off of the Maglite LED upgrade did you use a dremel?

[FrigginSmift]

I used two pairs of needle nose plyers and slowly peeled open the metal can surrounding the driver. Careful, as the driver is a very right fit in there and could easily get damaged.

[mrlaserguy1]

Do you control the amount of milliamperes that go into the diode? How do you measure that? Sorry for bothering you with so many quetions.

[FrigginSmift]

All my lasers that i currently own have drivers to regulate current to the diode. I measure this with a test load(mimics voltage drop of laser diode) and a multimeter

[mrlaserguy1]

Also can you tell me what tool was used to cut the Altoids can and where i should get it from. thanks!

[FrigginSmift]

I used a Dremel with a cut-off wheel. You can get them a hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowes

[mrlaserguy1]

Was the stuff that was from radioshack online or from a local store?

[FrigginSmift]

Local store

[leonbucurescu]

that is sooo cool!!!!!!

[mrlaserguy1]

Do I have to make the switch or is it sold at radioshack

[mrlaserguy1]

Oh and what type of capacitor was used?

[mrlaserguy1]

Hey what type of diode is used (20x?), where do you get the fan and boost circuit, and battery holder?

[FrigginSmift]

Its a 20X diode, the fan and battery holder are from RadioShack, and the boost circuit is from the 3Watt Led MagLite upgrade. Simply disassembly the LED upgrade module to get to the circuit. The cap is a regular 35V 10uF electrolytic cap

[stoopidoooo]

anyone who answers this riddle right, they get a sub. There is a village where the barber shaves all those and only those who do not shave themselves. Who shaves the barber?

[novalasersfanman]

can u make a video on how to build it ?

[jezzathekiller]

wow

[ravenshield56]

hey, ive got a spare 32x LG, can i make one with tht??

[zn0508]

can a CD burner make it? thanks

[FrigginSmift]

A CD burner does have a strong diode in it but not nearly as powerful as one from a good DVD burner. Also, DVD use 660nm light(red) while CD uses 780nm(hard to see). The longer wavelength makes it harder to see the dot. Nonetheless it can be done.

[Soccergus99]

do you have any of these on ebay?

[FrigginSmift]

Sorry, I don't have an Ebay account. But i'm pretty sure you can find parts or even complete builds there from other people.

[Soccergus99]

what are all the materials you used in this laser? It's amazingly strong

[FrigginSmift]

I used a long open can diode that i harvested from a 20X LG DVD Burner. The collimator was pulled from a pen laser. For power i just used two AA's with a small capacitor across the laser diode for protection. This laser doesn't have a driver, however i do recommend using one. All my lasers built after this one use drivers and make the laser more powerful :D

[diegoribadacunha]

which DVD burner?

[bg0821]

7 feet and it lights matches that quick? awesome power!

[darkphoenix976]

excuse-me i try with a pioneer 110d dvdburner and use a 3v cr123a battery...the laser when i plug the wire make a great light but after when i retry ,the light have very low-power,and dyode is heat to touch..

3v battery can damage the dyode?

[AZURA888]

Awesome!!, You wrote 3V?, i'm cofused because i have read this DVD lasers works at 1,2V, I don't know the specifications, maybe It's because this is of 20X and the other is of 16X, also this laser seems more powerful than others typical red lasers. But the fancooler uses 12V, how it can move with 3V, you have the connection in series or parallel. I thank you explaim this point. Somehow is really cool your laser.

[FrigginSmift]

Both my 16X and 20X lasers run on 3 volts (2AA's in series.) The small cooling fan is a 12V fan so i had to use a boost circuit to get the fan to run off of 3V. In burning contests between my lasers the 20X is more powerful than my 16X.

[samsomiller]

Do you have vent holes in the can to provide better airflow?

[FrigginSmift]

Yes, there are six slots, 3 on each side of the diode, that allow air in-take around the diode and its heatsink.

[AliBoomia]

omg you have to show us how to do this .. this si liek the most powerful laser iv seen on youtube :D

much appreciated thanks =]