The laser machine can be made of a laser pointer, a flashlight, battery-powered, CD-RW or DVD-RW with a working laser drive. A soldering apparatus and screwdrivers are also required.
How to make a laser cutting device
The drive must be with writing ability: the readout laser uses half the power, provides only disk illumination.
First you need to get the laser cutter out of the drive.
Laser removal
Under the upper fasteners is a carriage with a laser moving in two directions. To free it from the seat, you need to unscrew the screws, carefully disconnect the auxiliary detachable mechanisms. Using a soldering iron, a red diode is removed - an indispensable element of homemade cutting. He burns the processed material. The part must not be shaken or dropped.. You need to choose the installation location, think about the power supply. A laser cutting machine requires more current than a pointer.
Diode replacement
The native diode is replaced with a more powerful one, the one that was removed from the CD-RW or DVD-RW drive. The pointer is untwisted, divided into two parts. A part requiring replacement is usually located at the top. An unnecessary diode is removed, in its place a new one is fixed with glue. If it’s difficult to remove the old one, you can use a knife or other similar tool.
Body
To ensure convenient use of the laser, supply it with power, protect against mechanical damage, you can take the case from the flashlight. The upper part of the pointer with a laser beam is inserted into it, connected with battery power. It is important not to make a mistake with polarity. Before assembling the case, the optics of the pointer are removed: it should not impede the direct passage of laser beams.
Nutrition
The optimal make-up parameter is 3 V, while the energy consumption will be about 200-400 mA. To avoid damage to the crystal, it must not be directly connected to the batteries. Make-up is provided through a resistor. There are several ways to make a laser diode power system.
The simplest circuit is one where a resistor is used, and finger batteries or a telephone battery act as a power source. The disadvantages of the method: the inconvenience of constantly recharging the battery from the phone, the difficulty of placing the batteries in the device.
Another method is used in the manufacture of stationary equipment for laser cutting of plywood. Make a special driver. This small board limits the current strength and provides the required power. A variable resistor of 100 ohms, two similar devices of 10 ohms, a diode and a capacitor are required. The advantage of the scheme is that the driver is able to constantly maintain the necessary electrical power, regardless of the type of power source, temperature indicators.
The third method is portable. Two finger-type batteries providing stable voltage are required. Even if the battery is significantly discharged, the system retains the power at which engraving can be carried out.. When the battery is completely discharged, the circuit stops working, while the laser produces only a weak glow. The efficiency of the circuit with low energy consumption is 90%. For implementation, a chip type LM-2621 is required. A throttle from a computer is suitable, it is necessary to wind a wire on it. The board is also equipped with a 3A diode.
Preparation for launch
At the final stage of machine assembly, the system is tested and prepared for launch. Before putting the device into operation, they check the reliability of laser fixation, the correct connection of the polarity of the wiring, ensure smooth installation, without roll, distortions.
The device can be assembled with your own hands. In this case, it is necessary to comply with the assembly technology, do not neglect safety regulations. The laser beam must be used carefully: it can be harmful.
A home-made machine allows you to cut plywood at home, create various useful things from it.