Another look at CO^2 laser prices
Posted by
e.heritage@b...
on 2001-03-15 13:09:54 UTC
Wow, that sure is a lot for 50 watts of output! It's all the saftey aspects
pushing that up. I'm wondering about how this post is progressing though.
Some of the posts are saying that such a home built laser could run well
into many thousands. I was on a list for a short while (I said about the lad
who built one at 17) dedicated to CO^2 lasers and almost every single laser
built was running fine and started in about an hour of mucking about, if not
the first time the power was put over it. I'm pretty sure I could make one
(If I had enough cash) and get it going in a day easily. There is absolutely
NO glass work required in making a CO^2 laser other than cutting the tube to
size, and you can get that done at the shop anyway. Brewster windows could
be used to isolate the mirrors but why? We're aiming at a realiable but
cheap laser someone could make at home. All you need to do in our case is
move the electrodes back from the mirrors. In CO^2 laser's, and others, what
happens often is that over time the electrodes sputter muck that can spray
on the optics. If you have the mirror mounted on an electrically hot piece,
like many laser builders do for some wierd reason (Ease maybe), then the
chances of your mirrors being mucked up is higher. So it's a tube with what
can be as simple as a copper tee joint at either end with mirrors mounted on
the joints. Granted it will not be capable of your 100 watt performance but
it will work. There have been many 'joke' CO^2 lasers made form very simple
bits knocked together in a day, only firing once. I read about one really
drastic one just a short while back. Spliting the tube up, i.e putting
another electrode in the middle offers you the chance to knock even more
power into it. Folding the tube is where the cost comes in. In REALLY big
lasers instead of having one long plasma tube they fold them up to save a
bit of space. But of coarse you need very expensive optics and a VERY good
optics technician for muck about with them for weeks getting them aligned. I
think it was ?Tron? where the guy gets zapped into the computer and it uses
a laser to do so. On the apparatus 'tower' he's sitting on those long tubes
zig zagging back and forth will be the discharge tube split up into bits. If
you want power though, speak to the National Ignition Facility (NIF). I
doubt you'll be buying one of them in a hurry! : )
That's what I love about America when I think about it, the fact that you
have these billions that seem to be spare to build stuff like that. It's
even making me think about getting a job there. They use SLABS of frequency
crystals metres across all the way down the thing to change the IR to UV.
And just look at the output on it! I would say that if you wanted to go all
out on a 100 watt laser you build at home, you would expect to pay about
$8000 max! More like a couple, if that. You're not going to use it 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for 15 years are you? Check Sams
Laser FAQ. There are thousands of posts JUST like these asking things like
how can I guide the beam effectively to cut work? Even some guy who wrote in
about pruning his trees with one! Don't think making one would be a walk
over by any stretch of the imagination but don't think you'll have to seel
you house either. Kids can make them, a machinist can make one.
It's time every house had a laser, and every meal was cooked using that 1kw
laser IR cooker,
John
Mmmmm..... burnt.
pushing that up. I'm wondering about how this post is progressing though.
Some of the posts are saying that such a home built laser could run well
into many thousands. I was on a list for a short while (I said about the lad
who built one at 17) dedicated to CO^2 lasers and almost every single laser
built was running fine and started in about an hour of mucking about, if not
the first time the power was put over it. I'm pretty sure I could make one
(If I had enough cash) and get it going in a day easily. There is absolutely
NO glass work required in making a CO^2 laser other than cutting the tube to
size, and you can get that done at the shop anyway. Brewster windows could
be used to isolate the mirrors but why? We're aiming at a realiable but
cheap laser someone could make at home. All you need to do in our case is
move the electrodes back from the mirrors. In CO^2 laser's, and others, what
happens often is that over time the electrodes sputter muck that can spray
on the optics. If you have the mirror mounted on an electrically hot piece,
like many laser builders do for some wierd reason (Ease maybe), then the
chances of your mirrors being mucked up is higher. So it's a tube with what
can be as simple as a copper tee joint at either end with mirrors mounted on
the joints. Granted it will not be capable of your 100 watt performance but
it will work. There have been many 'joke' CO^2 lasers made form very simple
bits knocked together in a day, only firing once. I read about one really
drastic one just a short while back. Spliting the tube up, i.e putting
another electrode in the middle offers you the chance to knock even more
power into it. Folding the tube is where the cost comes in. In REALLY big
lasers instead of having one long plasma tube they fold them up to save a
bit of space. But of coarse you need very expensive optics and a VERY good
optics technician for muck about with them for weeks getting them aligned. I
think it was ?Tron? where the guy gets zapped into the computer and it uses
a laser to do so. On the apparatus 'tower' he's sitting on those long tubes
zig zagging back and forth will be the discharge tube split up into bits. If
you want power though, speak to the National Ignition Facility (NIF). I
doubt you'll be buying one of them in a hurry! : )
That's what I love about America when I think about it, the fact that you
have these billions that seem to be spare to build stuff like that. It's
even making me think about getting a job there. They use SLABS of frequency
crystals metres across all the way down the thing to change the IR to UV.
And just look at the output on it! I would say that if you wanted to go all
out on a 100 watt laser you build at home, you would expect to pay about
$8000 max! More like a couple, if that. You're not going to use it 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for 15 years are you? Check Sams
Laser FAQ. There are thousands of posts JUST like these asking things like
how can I guide the beam effectively to cut work? Even some guy who wrote in
about pruning his trees with one! Don't think making one would be a walk
over by any stretch of the imagination but don't think you'll have to seel
you house either. Kids can make them, a machinist can make one.
It's time every house had a laser, and every meal was cooked using that 1kw
laser IR cooker,
John
Mmmmm..... burnt.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Harrison" <prototype@...>
To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2001 1:43 AM
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] DIY lasers
> I recently got a quote on a Coherent 50 watt CO2 laser. The head was
$14K,
> the power supply was $3K and an interface card was $750. Beam delivery
> optics were extra.
>
> The rep admitted it was possible to use any good 48V regulated power
supply,
> and that the factory unit was far overpriced. Still, the whole enchilada
> was going to cost nearly $20K. The home brew sounds like it would be
worth
> some futzing around.
>
> Doug
>
>
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