Henlo

[TheRealBanana]

Hello everyone. I've wanted to own a blue laser for years but they were always so expensive. Then I saw a 2W M140 445nm diode on amazon for $12 and there was nothing else I could do buy it and build one. I made sure to get some OD 6+ safety glasses (amazon product ID B08LGSYKV7) as well and I hope they are adequate for 2W. So far its been pretty awesome. I've started it out as low of a power as my driver can go and have been slowly cranking it up every so often. I got one of those cheap metal laser tube+lens combo on amazon and clamped in an aluminum mount/heatsink. It doesn't get much hotter than 30C when running for a few minutes but I also still don't have it turned up all the way. I've just gotten into the power where I can burn white tissue paper. I'm already planning another build with a 700mW 638nm diode on the way. I REALLY want to build a yellow laser (for obvious reasons lol) but those yellow diodes are expensive and hard to find.

I have a question while I'm here and its about the safety glasses I have. They seem to work fine, I cant see the beam at all and the spot it hits is a faint yellow color. Even when its burning its still not straining to my eyes to look at. However earlier today I focused the beam extremely tight and turned the power up a bit. As it was burning some wood I suddenly started to see an intense ruby colored light from where it was burning. I didn't look for long and I don't have any spots in my vision or anything but I'm afraid to look now at what I'm burning. Are my glasses not good enough or is this normal and something I don't have to worry about? I may get those dual-frequency ones that also block red light too and that should hopefully take care of it. The glasses I got on amazon are called "Professional OD 6+ 190nm-550nm Wavelength Violet / Blue / Green Laser Safety Glasses" from FreeMascot.

Anyway I'm really excited about all the lasers in my future. I have access to a 3d printer and am already thinking of interesting cases to put the laser in. Also if anyone happens to have rough dimensions of a sharks head... nvm Ive said too much.

 

[julianthedragon]

If you were using a 445 blue laser and the glasses made the dot appear yellow, then my thought is the ruby light probably wasn't the laser light but light emitting from the actual burning of the material. Always be cautious and use your own judgement of course and if the light was uncomfortable to look at or left any vision spots it's definitely a problem and could cause eye damage. But that being said, if it is light coming from the ignition of the material itself then that might not be as bad as laser light in the sense that it's not a beam that could be directed into your eyes by accident if reflected in the wrong way, and also it's only as bright as the material gets when it is ignited. But you should take this with a grain of salt and listen to the experts on this forum if they reply, I'm just trying to be helpful.
OD6 190nm-550nm are good for high powered blue lasers in general but I can't vouch for that specific maker. I know Sanwu and Survival Laser makes trusted OD6 pairs.
Dragon Lasers sells a 589 module but it's a little pricey:
www . dragonlasers . com/ph-series-laser-modules.html
There's also this 5mw 589nm pen that popped up recently on this website. There's only one 4 star review
www . aliexpress . com/item/32950025008.html

 

[Encap]

FreeMascot doesn't actually make anything even though they pretend they do on Amazon. They are just a UK based web based middle man order and payment processing site that orders whatever item for from the Chinese manufacturer.- personal shoppers basically.
What goggles/glasses are you taking about that cover 445nm and also "red" --they don't offer anything that cvers that range on Amazon?

Everyone on LPF buy Eagle Pair goggles from Survival Laser USA which are good quality proven laser glasses made by Beijing EagleViewhttp://www.eaglelaser.cn/En/
See Survival Laser USA here:: https://www.survivallaserusa.com/Safety_Goggles/cat1667093_1527285.aspx
This Eagle Pair is OD6+ and reduces the intensity of 190-540nm laser light by a factor of 1,000,000 or more. Eagle Pair goggles may be used when looking at the spot created by a 1,000 watt or lower power laser on a non-reflective surface. see: https://www.survivallaserusa.com/Ea...rd_Laser_Safety_Goggles/p1667092_7862033.aspx

You say ". I REALLY want to build a yellow laser (for obvious reasons lol) but those yellow diodes are expensive and hard to find."
You are going to wait a long time because there are no "yellow" output diodes.
The modules mentioned are CNI/China DPSS laser modules not direct diode. See: http://www.cnilaser.com/Laser-Module.htm

 

[skijohn]

Eagle Pair goggles from Survival Laser USA in my view are a must-have if you intend on working with lasers of any power, they were the first thing I bought long ago...

 

[TheRealBanana]

Hmm yeah it looks like I misread those goggles, its blue/green and IR. At any rate Its probably just the burning material like julianthedragon suggested, its definitely the right color. Also that laser on aliexpress is so tempting but the price is still too much. Guess its just blue green and red for me for now.

 

[Unown (WILD)]

Welcome! What 3d printer do you have?

 

[TheRealBanana]

Its a Prusa mk3s