So I was having a nice relaxing Sunday bath, but eventually the relaxation time was over and it was time to get cleaned up and get on with the day. About a month ago I decided to try one of these ‘body wash’ liquid soap products instead of the appallingly stone-aged soap bar things that neanderthals used. I’ve been using a fairly well-known name-brand ‘body wash’ product, and it’s been ok. Till today. When it all went wierd.

See, I have these bizzare medical mystery shins, with unexplained scars that are really tender. So of course I’m always careful when washing them, like being gentle and all. Today though when I got the body-wash lather on there, I suddenly found myself transported into a television commercial…

Are you tired of grubby-looking scars that are difficult to clean? Are you tired of being in constant chronic pain? Then we have the product for you! That’s right, with our new body-wash, you’ll look sparkly clean and that annoying old pain will be long forgotten.

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More tinkering with lasers. I’ve pumped up my DVD laser even more. A better lens gives it higher output. From 180mW to 205mW, on week-old batteries.

Enough power, when focused, to cut through electrical tape in 6 seconds. Enough power even, to burn the wood-like-finish of my desk!

Stephanie likes lasers.

6-Second Tape Cut Movie

I’ve put together a little movie with some music and stuff, it’s good fun, a nice tune, and amusing images. At least, I think so.

It’s called Balloon Bust-A-Thon.

It could be subtitled though, ‘You know you’re a laser enthusiast if this movie makes you giggle non-stop.’

Warning: It’s just over 2 minutes long, and about 20MB download.

Enjoy!

Balloon Bust-A-Thon

It’s not all wine and fine dining – there’s still laser fun going on around here!

Here are three more movies, of baloons and the lasers that burst them.

Pulsar Blowing Green and Black Baloons

Pulsar Blowing White Baloon through Electrical Tape

Greenie Blowing White Baloon and Match

A couple small videos, of fun with lasers!

In addition to the laser diode I ‘rescued’ from a DVD burner, I have now got myself a Pulsar from Wicked Lasers and a nameless Greenie from the Bay.

The Pulsar is 150mW and the Greenie is 80mW. I don’t know the wattage of the diode from the DVD burner, but after comparing it to what the Pulsar can do, I am thinking that the DVD diode is in the 100mW range. It is mighty strong.

I still haven’t finished perfecting a collimator for the DVD diode so it’s pretty much a ‘contact’ sport using it. The Pulsar has a long focal length; the beam is about 4mm at the apterture and they tend to be focused to about 20-40 feet, so to do close-up burning, an external lense is required. The Greenie’s beam appears to be less than 1mm at the aperture, it’s very tight and compact, although it does seem to spread a bit at a distance.

Needless to say, proper safety precautions must be taken while working with these devices. After experimenting with these, the typical little red pointers are very sad and anemic.

DVD Diode Burning Through Plastic

Pulsar Burning Match With Extra Lense

Greenie Burning Match At 6 or 8 Inches

Note: If the videos do not play properly, please download them and play them off-line. My server does not like MPG files.

Do you know that cheap DVD burners can be had for only $20 or $30, if you go to the right stores?
Do you know that inside a DVD burner is a powerful (40 – 100 mW / Class 3b) visible laser diode?
Do you know how much fun a 40 – 100 mW laser diode can be?

In the photo, from left to right: A collimator lense assembly, 5.6mm diameter. A Class 3b 650 nm laser diode and heat sink, ‘rescued’ from a DVD burner. A cheap tiny pocket laser pointer.

The 3b 650nm diode is a 5.6mm diameter and looks like it will fit the collimator assembly. The cheap pointer is there because its brother was sacrificed to provide the collimator.

I’ve already used this laser diode to burn holes through some black plastic. Without a collimator, the diode has to be right next to the plastic, but it still amazed me when it worked.

Tonight, I’ll be having fun tinkering, to get a working ‘pointer’ with the high powered diode.

At last, there’s a business that sells small, portable, high-powered laser devices to the general public! I’ve been waiting for this kind of technology to become available, for about 15 years.

MuhahahaHaHaHaHAHAHAHA!

Wicked Lasers