Computer Science Canada

a question about lasers
Author:  ecookman [ Thu Sep 23, 2010 3:07 pm ]
Post subject:  a question about lasers
Today in my Computer Engineering course (my friend and I are ahead of the class a bit) my friend and I took apart a laser printer, and took out the laser. We were wondering if it is possible to lower the intensity of the laser to make the light visible. and to then use it as a burning laser to make a laser cutter, my CE teacher thought it was a great idea but didn't know if it was possible, SO here I am asking more qualified people :p

Any info would be great, thanks.
Author:  chrisbrown [ Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:02 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
Not a chance. The laser is used to deposit charges (an efficient and low-power process) onto the print drum, it doesn't actually burn anything.

Also, wavelength is independent of intensity. There is no way to change the wavelength of a laser, so it's going to stay invisible.

Sorry to burst your bubble.
Author:  ecookman [ Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:10 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
alright, but you can make lasers that their light is intense enough to burn through materials, a simple google search will prove that one.
Author:  Tony [ Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:42 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
Sure, but those are different lasers. You wouldn't want a "material cutting" laser inside of your printer.
Author:  ecookman [ Sat Sep 25, 2010 8:10 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
LOL, true, I never considered that.
I guess that leads me to this then, the laser setup was gonna be use to cut foam and wood, does anyone have any recommendations on a laser that could do this.
Author:  Dan [ Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:03 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
I strongly recomend not doing this. Well you can buy lasers powerfull enought to cut some materials (or at least set them on fire), there is alot of potential for it to go wrong.

In any case you likey would need a CO2 laser, the wattage, power requirements and cooling needs would depend on what kind of material you want to cut.

Some googling finds plans for making such a laser, kits for making your own and fully assembled models. However a CO2 laser tube alone costs about $400 usd and fully asembled home made models can cost upwords of $2000.
Author:  Tony [ Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:16 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
Also, as Dan points out, the cutting is done by settings things on fire (in a controlled manner). As you are winging it ("can I just find a laser powerful enough somewhere?"), this will likely end badly.
Author:  TheGuardian001 [ Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: a question about lasers
I actually know of a class 4 laser which is available for under $400.

I'm not going to link it. Lasers are not toys. This is not something you should be toying with. Class 4 lasers can cause instant (as in, it takes only milliseconds) blindness from reflected, diffused light. They can burn skin. They are absolutely not ideal for cutting flammable materials (seriously, why did you think burning flammable materials was the ideal solution here?)
Author:  Dan [ Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: a question about lasers
Class 4 lasers are basicly anything above 500 mW, so well you can get some cheap ones that are not ideal for cutting things like wood, there are more expensive and powerfull ones which can do vaporization cutting that can effectly cut non metteling (and some flammable materials). Theses can be past 1kW however and would be rather large and extermaly dangures.

If i rember correctly CO2 lasers are invisable to the humman eye, so you are not even going to see the reflected light burning and/or blinding you. I am suprised your (ecookman's) CE teacher would even consider allowing this.


If you must make a CNC type cutting device, why not use a drill. At least in that case you put some provtive plexiglass between you and it and have a kill switch.
Author:  rdrake [ Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:32 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
Build something like this instead of trying to kill yourself with lasers.
Author:  DanShadow [ Sun Sep 26, 2010 12:43 am ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
This topic brings to mind an experiment somebody did many years ago when they attempted to create a Lightsaber.
The design basically shot out plasma from a titanium tube.
The person who made it tested it on their friend.

Take a wild guess what happened?
Well.. didnt get cut in half, but did go to the hospital with serious burns.

I can only imagine what the doctor who treated him thought.
"Hello young man, what was the cause of your injury?"
"I got attacked by a lightsaber..."

Lol. Yeah, really.. dont play with lasers.

If you want a cool Computer Engineering project, add a control circuit to something like a toaster, and have the control circuit plug into a PC's LPT port, and control it using a custom computer application (really simple, just send voltage through 2 particular pins on the LPT port, connected to an AND gate chip, which activates a switch on the control circuit, which connects to your toasters power).
I think your teacher will be far more impressed if you told him that your computer can make him toast Razz
Add a motor, track & a hopper of margarine and you'll really be rolling Very Happy.
Author:  andrew. [ Sun Sep 26, 2010 11:20 am ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
When I was in grade 9, our shop teacher told us to cut foam using this thing he built (unsure of an actual name). Basically, it was a piece of curved wood that held a wire taught across it and the wire was connected to a battery. The wire would get hot and you could use it to cut the foam. I don't remember exactly how it worked, and I'm not exactly sure how safe it is especially after long use.
Author:  Tony [ Sun Sep 26, 2010 11:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: RE:a question about lasers
"hot wire cutter"
andrew. @ Sun Sep 26, 2010 11:20 am wrote:
I'm not exactly sure how safe it is especially after long use.

It's not, as melted foam releases toxic fumes.
Author:  ecookman [ Mon Sep 27, 2010 3:02 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:a question about lasers
LOL oh wow, I think I gave the wrong impression, but this would be something that is safely used on dark non reflective surfaces while wearing safety equipment such as some type of glasses to prevent and vision damage (I have to look into that still, kinda like the same setup as a CNC, but instead of a wire, its a laser. LOL, if it can burn stuff, it can obviously blind you. Safety is definitely the first thing to be considered lol its not like hey lets grab a laser, and cut stuff.
But yeah, it looks like its going too expensive, thanks for the input tho.

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