The Beast in Focus!

The Beast, a 20 watt CO2 laser, now has a focusing lens! It is shown burning/etching into wood, including a pencil (the paint on the pencil ignited instantly with a "pop" every time it passed thru the beam).
Other items tested include a steel razor blade (note how, despite a rather dull surface, the beam actually reflected back to a piece of tape on the makeshift lens holder! Some things that are reflective to visible light aren't to 10.6nm IR light, and vice-versa), a lightbulb (the same one I drilled a hole in with this laser before), and a piece of fiberglass cloth.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• CO2
• laser
• carbon
• dioxide
• burning
• burn
• cutting
• wood
• glass
• fiberglass
• metal

[jonazzaz]

Help Schrecken, I suffer!

Help me, please,

Im kinda banned from LC, and LC was the best place for me on Internet!

[Schrecken13]

What happened? I haven't been on in a couple days but last I looked you were still there....maybe you should contact one of the mods - could have been done by mistake.

[Helioplasma]

How did you focus the beam ? I know I will melt tetrafluoroethylen (plexiglass) and glass (because at 10.6 um they become opaque) but how did you ???

[Schrecken13]

I used a special lens that's made for this wavelength - a Zinc Selenide (or ZnSe for short) lens.

It isn't glass at all but one of a very few materials that is transparent to the 10.6nm wavelength. Interestingly enough, common table salt is also transparent to the wavelength, but isn't used because in high humidity the lens would probably dissolve!

[shinylittlereddot]

Thanks for superb videos!!!

What is LC? Is it a laser forum?

I like lasers very much. I would like to now more information from laser users like you from a good laser forum or something else. Thanks for info. :-)

[nikokapo]

you are awesome.

[thewelderdude]

just go to laser pointer forums. its not bias either because its not run by a laser company.

[Helioplasma]

Interesting ! How is ZnSe in normal "visible lighted" conditions ? BTW, try to boil water in your next vid ; water becomes opaque too at 10.6 um (10,600 nm) !

[jonazzaz]

I LOVE the videos about "The Beast"

DUN DUN DUUUUUN!

Regards

-Jonazzaz from LC :D